Privacy Policy

1) Cookie Categories (Three mandatory tiers)

Civic Guide Ltd uses cookies and similar technologies to operate our website, to measure how pages perform, and to support advertising campaigns on platforms such as Google and Meta. Our cookie consent panel separates cookies into three categories. You can choose to accept or reject non-essential cookies at any time.

1. Essential cookies

• Purpose: core site functionality, security, session management.
• Examples: session_id, csrf_token, cookie_consent_status.
• Consent required: NO, activated automatically because they are required to provide the site and remember your preferences.
• Retention: session duration or up to 12 months for preference storage.

Essential cookies help us keep the website stable and secure. For example, they can help prevent abuse of forms and store your cookie choices so that you are not asked repeatedly. If you block essential cookies in your browser, some site features may not work.

2. Analytics cookies

• Purpose: measuring traffic, user behavior, site performance.
• Tools: Google Analytics 4.
• Examples: _ga, _ga_XXXXXXX, _gid, _gat.
• Consent required: YES, activated only after user accepts.
• Retention: up to 14 months.

Analytics cookies allow us to understand which pages people in Dublin and across Ireland visit, which guides are useful, and where the site can be improved. We use aggregated reporting to evaluate content quality, page speed, and usability. If you reject analytics cookies, you can still use the website normally.

3. Marketing / advertising cookies

• Purpose: remarketing, personalized ad delivery, conversion tracking.
• Consent required: YES, activated only after user accepts.
• Retention: up to 540 days (Google Ads default).

Marketing cookies and related technologies help us measure campaign performance and show relevant Civic Guide advertisements to people who previously visited our website. For example, someone who watched an iPhone troubleshooting guide may later see an ad for a related tutorial. We do not use marketing cookies to target sensitive categories.

2) Marketing Cookies, Mandatory Sub-Disclosures

The following disclosures explain how advertising cookies and tracking technologies work on this website when you provide consent:

a) Third-party ad serving

Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's previous visits to this website and other sites on the internet.

b) Advertising partners

We may work with advertising partners such as Google and Meta to deliver advertisements tailored to your interests across various websites and platforms.

c) Remarketing

We may use remarketing services to advertise to previous visitors of our website. After visiting our site, you may see our ads on other websites, apps, or platforms you visit.

d) YouTube and Display Network

Advertisements may appear across Google services including YouTube, Gmail, and the Google Display Network.

e) Tracking technologies in use

We use the following tracking technologies on this website:

• Cookies (first-party and third-party)
• Tracking pixels (Google Ads tag / gtag.js, Meta Pixel)
• Device identifiers (browser fingerprint, IP address)
• Conversion event tags

f) Advertising measurement

We use conversion tracking to understand which advertisements lead to actions on our website, such as form submissions, calls, or purchases. This allows us to measure campaign effectiveness and allocate budget appropriately. Conversion data may be shared with Google Ads and Meta.

g) Technologies active on this site

Advertising and analytics technologies active on this site:

• Google Ads (gtag.js / Google Tag Manager)
• Google Analytics 4
• Google Remarketing Tag
• Meta Pixel (Facebook / Instagram)

h) Opt-out from personalised advertising

You may opt out of personalised advertising at any time:
- Google Ads Settings: https://adssettings.google.com
- Your Online Choices (EU): https://www.youronlinechoices.eu
- Network Advertising Initiative: https://optout.networkadvertising.org
- Digital Advertising Alliance: https://optout.aboutads.info
Opting out does not remove ads entirely, you will continue to see non-personalised advertisements.

i) Cookie preference management

You can manage cookie categories at any time using the clearly visible link labelled “Manage cookie preferences” in the website footer. This opens the cookie preferences panel where you can accept or reject each category independently.

3) Consent Requirements

Our consent banner appears in the bottom-right corner and is designed to be non-intrusive. It provides three options: “Accept All”, “Reject Non-Essential”, and “Manage Preferences”. Analytics and marketing cookies are not activated unless you consent. Your choice is stored in localStorage for 12 months.

By clicking 'Accept All Cookies', you consent to the storing of cookies on your device for analytics and advertising purposes, including personalized advertising delivered by Google and Meta. You may withdraw consent at any time through the cookie preferences panel without affecting the lawfulness of processing that occurred before withdrawal.

Users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom receive this consent notice in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR. Marketing and analytics cookies are activated solely after explicit, informed, freely given consent under GDPR Article 6(1)(a). Consent is recorded with a timestamp and may be audited upon request.

You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking 'Manage cookie preferences' in the website footer, or by clearing cookies via your browser settings. Withdrawal does not affect processing that occurred while consent was valid.

4) Data Sharing with Advertising Partners

We share certain data with advertising partners for campaign delivery and measurement. Recipients and the data categories shared include:

• Google LLC: cookie identifiers, conversion events, anonymized behavioral data, remarketing lists. Governed by Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Meta Platforms, Inc.: pixel events, conversion data, custom audiences. Governed by Meta's Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy

We do not sell personal data. All transfers to Google and Meta operate under Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable. Data is processed for ad targeting and campaign measurement only, not resold to unaffiliated third parties.

Google and Meta may use this data across their own platforms in accordance with their respective policies. We encourage users to review those policies directly.

5) Lead Forms and Contact Requests

When you submit a contact form, request a quote, or register interest in our services, we collect the information you provide. This typically includes: full name, email address, phone number, and your message.

Legal basis: consent (GDPR Art. 6.1.a) and, where a service relationship exists, performance of a contract (GDPR Art. 6.1.b).

Retention: form submission data is retained for up to 2 years from the date of submission, unless a longer period is required by applicable law.

You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us at the email address in this policy.

A link to this Privacy Policy appears adjacent to every submission button on this site. Submitting a form constitutes acknowledgment of this policy.

6) Google Services and Advertising

This website uses the following Google services:

• Google Analytics 4: collects anonymized usage data, device info, and behavioral signals. IP anonymization is enabled. Data retention is set to 14 months. Users may opt out via the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout
• Google Ads Conversion Tracking: records when a user completes a defined action (form submission, call, purchase) after clicking one of our ads. This data is used solely for measuring ad campaign performance.
• Google Remarketing: allows us to show ads to previous visitors across Google's network. Remarketing lists are not created from sensitive data categories (health, finance, religion, sexual orientation).
• Google Tag Manager: deploys tracking tags on our behalf. No personal data is collected by GTM itself; it acts as a container for the tags listed above.

Google's advertising products are governed by: https://policies.google.com/technologies/ads

7) Meta Advertising Services

This website uses the Meta Pixel to measure the effectiveness of our advertising on Facebook and Instagram. The pixel may record:

• Page views and time on site
• Specific conversion events (form submissions, purchases)
• Custom audience membership for retargeting purposes

We do not use the Meta Pixel to collect sensitive personal data, nor to target users based on health status, financial situation, religion, political views, sexual orientation, or any other special-category attribute prohibited under Meta's advertising policies.

Meta acts as an independent data controller for data collected via its Pixel and processed within its own platform. Refer to Meta's Data Policy: https://www.facebook.com/privacy/policy

To manage your ad preferences on Meta platforms, visit: https://www.facebook.com/adpreferences/

8) Prohibited Content Self-Declaration

This website does not promote, sell, or facilitate access to prohibited product or service categories including but not limited to: weapons, controlled substances, counterfeit goods, gambling services (unlicensed), adult content, or services that make misleading health or financial claims. All advertising conducted through Google Ads and Meta Ads complies with the respective platform policies in full.

9) Landing Page Integrity Statement

The content of this website accurately represents the products and services advertised. No bait-and-switch practices are employed. The experience delivered to users arriving from paid advertisements is identical to the experience for all other visitors. Cloaking, automatic redirects, and content variation by traffic source are not used on this website.

10) Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If we discover that data has been collected from a person under 16 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete it promptly. Contact us at the address in this policy if you believe we have received data from a minor.

11) International Data Transfers

Personal data collected through this website may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area, including the United States, where Google LLC and Meta Platforms, Inc. are based.

These transfers are conducted under Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission, which provide appropriate safeguards for personal data. A copy of the applicable SCCs can be requested by contacting us directly.

12) User Rights (GDPR Articles 15 to 22)

If you are located in the EEA or UK, you have the following rights:

• Access (Art. 15): request a copy of data we hold about you
• Rectification (Art. 16): correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Erasure (Art. 17): request deletion ('right to be forgotten')
• Restriction (Art. 18): limit how we process your data
• Portability (Art. 20): receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection (Art. 21): object to processing based on legitimate interest
• Withdraw consent (Art. 7.3): revoke consent at any time without penalty

To exercise any right, email us at the contact address provided in this policy. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority:
- EU users: https://edpb.europa.eu
- UK users: https://ico.org.uk

13) What Data We Collect

Depending on how you use the site, we may collect the following categories of data:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Cookies and tracking identifiers
• Usage data (pages visited, time on site, click paths)
• Form submission content
• Conversion events (form submits, calls, purchases)

We do not require you to create an account to view guides, and we do not request sensitive personal data in order for you to access educational content.

14) Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Art. 6)

We rely on the following legal bases under GDPR Article 6 for processing:

• Contact form data: consent (Art. 6.1.a) and contract performance (Art. 6.1.b)
• Analytics data: consent (Art. 6.1.a)
• Marketing/remarketing data: consent (Art. 6.1.a)
• Security and fraud prevention: legitimate interest (Art. 6.1.f)

Where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time through the cookie preferences panel. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that occurred while consent was valid.

15) Retention Periods

We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purposes described in this policy:

• Contact form submissions: 2 years
• Analytics data (GA4): 14 months
• Marketing cookies (Google Ads): up to 540 days
• Email communications: duration of relationship + 1 year
• Server logs: 90 days
• Cookie consent records: 3 years (audit requirement)

16) Contact Details

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, or you would like to exercise your data rights, contact:

• Civic Guide Ltd
• Address: 20 Harcourt Street, Dublin 2, D02 H364, Ireland
• Phone: +353 1 960 1234
• Email: [email protected]