Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 30, 2025

1. Introduction

Italy Vita ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.

This policy is designed to comply with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws.

2. Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is Italy Vita. For any privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights, please contact us at: privacy@italyvita.com

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Personal Data You Provide

We may collect the following personal information that you voluntarily provide:

Account Information: Name, email address, username, and password when you register
Profile Information: Bio, location, interests, social media links, and profile pictures
Content: Articles, comments, and other content you submit to our platform
Communications: Information you provide when contacting us

3.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect:

Usage Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and time spent on pages
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: See our Cookie Policy for details
Device Information: Device type, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: You have given explicit consent for specific purposes (e.g., marketing emails)
Contract Performance: Processing is necessary to provide our services
Legitimate Interests: For improving our services, security, and fraud prevention
Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

5. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

Providing, maintaining, and improving our services
Creating and managing your account
Publishing your content and contributor profile
Communicating with you about our services
Sending you updates, newsletters (with your consent)
Analyzing usage patterns to improve user experience
Detecting, preventing, and addressing technical issues and fraud
Complying with legal obligations

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

6.1 Third-Party Service Providers

We may share your data with trusted third-party service providers:

Hosting and Storage: Vercel, PostgreSQL database providers
Email Services: Resend for transactional emails
AI Services: Anthropic (Claude) for content translation
Analytics: Service providers for website analytics

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for specified purposes.

6.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or to:

Comply with legal obligations or court orders
Protect our rights, property, or safety
Prevent fraud or security issues

6.3 Public Information

Your contributor profile, published articles, and comments are publicly accessible. Please be mindful of the information you choose to share publicly.

7. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
Adequacy decisions by the European Commission
Compliance with EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (where applicable)

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after deletion
Published Content: Retained as long as publicly available, unless you request deletion
Usage Data: Typically retained for 12-24 months
Legal Obligations: We may retain data longer if required by law

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject in the EU, you have the following rights:

Right to Access: Request a copy of your personal data
Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent)
Right to Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@italyvita.com. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
Secure password hashing
Regular security assessments
Access controls and authentication
Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

12. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. For detailed information, please see our Cookie Policy.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: privacy@italyvita.com
Address: Italy Vita, [Your Business Address]

15. Data Protection Officer

For GDPR-related inquiries, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at: dpo@italyvita.com