Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 28, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to the official website of Michael Pinkus, available at https://michaelpinkusauthor.com (the “Website”).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store and protect personal information when you visit the Website or contact us through our contact form.

The Website is intended for visitors in Canada, the United States and Europe. We are committed to handling personal information responsibly and in accordance with applicable privacy laws, including Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), applicable provincial privacy legislation, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UK GDPR where applicable, and relevant US state privacy laws.

2. Data Controller

The person responsible for personal information collected through this Website is:

Data Controller: Michael Pinkus
Country: Canada
Website: https://michaelpinkusauthor.com
Email: hello@michaelpinkusauthor.com

For questions or requests concerning your personal information or this Privacy Policy, please contact us using the email address above.

3. Personal Information We Collect

We collect information reasonably necessary to operate the Website, respond to inquiries, understand Website usage and protect the contact form against spam and abuse.

3.1 Information Provided Through the Contact Form

Our contact form is managed using Elementor Forms, a feature of Elementor for WordPress.

When you submit a message through the contact form, we collect:

• First and last name.
• Email address.
• Message.

The information you submit is sent to our designated email address and stored in our WordPress database through Elementor’s Submissions feature. This allows us to receive, review and manage inquiries and maintain relevant correspondence.

We use this information to respond to your inquiry, manage our communications and maintain appropriate records. We do not use contact form submissions to send newsletters or unrelated marketing communications.

Please avoid including sensitive personal information in your message unless it is strictly necessary for your inquiry.

3.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit the Website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by the Website’s hosting infrastructure and third-party services. Depending on the service and its configuration, this information may include:

• IP address.
• Browser type and version.
• Device and operating system information.
• Pages visited and interactions with the Website.
• Date, time and duration of visits.
• Referring websites and traffic sources.
• Approximate geographic location.
• Technical information relating to website performance and security.

This information may be processed through our hosting infrastructure, Google Analytics 4, Google reCAPTCHA, Google Fonts and embedded YouTube videos, as described below.

3.3 Information Collected Through Google Fonts

The Website uses Google Fonts, which are loaded from Google’s external servers rather than hosted locally on our server.

When a page containing Google Fonts is loaded, your browser may connect to Google’s servers to retrieve the required font files. This connection may disclose technical information such as your IP address, browser information and the requested webpage or resource.

Google may process this information in accordance with its own privacy practices.

For more information, please consult Google’s Privacy Policy:

https://policies.google.com/privacy

3.4 Information Collected Through Embedded YouTube Videos

The Website contains videos embedded from YouTube, a service provided by Google.

When you visit a page containing an embedded YouTube player, your browser may communicate with YouTube or Google to load the video player and related content. This may involve the transmission of your IP address, browser and device information, the webpage containing the video and information about your interaction with the player.

When you play an embedded video, YouTube may collect information about your viewing activity and use cookies or similar technologies, subject to its own privacy policies and settings.

Where technically supported, we may use YouTube’s privacy-enhanced embedding mode. This mode uses the youtube-nocookie.com domain and limits the use of embedded video views for personalization. It does not eliminate all data processing or all communications with Google.

For further information, please visit:

https://policies.google.com/privacy

4. Purposes and Legal Bases for Processing

We process personal information for the following purposes:

For visitors in the EEA or the UK, where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on an appropriate legal basis under Article 6 of the applicable regulation.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, these include operating and securing the Website, responding to communications and maintaining appropriate records. We consider these interests against your rights and freedoms.

Where consent is required, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

Under applicable Canadian privacy legislation, we will identify the purposes of collection and obtain meaningful consent where required.

5. How We Use Your Personal Information

We may use personal information to:

• Read and respond to contact form submissions.
• Communicate with you about your inquiry.
• Manage and retain relevant correspondence.
• Understand how visitors use the Website.
• Improve the Website’s content, performance and user experience.
• Deliver fonts and embedded video content.
• Maintain Website security and prevent spam, fraudulent activity and unauthorized access.
• Comply with applicable legal obligations and establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

We do not sell personal information, rent personal information to third parties or use contact form submissions to create marketing profiles.

6. Third-Party Services

The Website uses the following third-party services.

6.1 Elementor Forms

Our contact form is provided by Elementor Forms, a form-building feature of Elementor for WordPress.

When you submit the form, the information you provide is processed through the Website, stored in the WordPress database using Elementor’s Submissions feature and sent to our designated email address.

Elementor and the Website’s hosting and email providers may process information to the extent necessary to operate the form, store submissions and deliver messages.

Access to stored submissions is restricted to authorized individuals responsible for managing the Website.

For further information about Elementor’s privacy practices, please visit:

6.2 Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4), a web analytics service provided by Google, to understand how visitors interact with the Website and to improve its content and performance.

Google Analytics may collect information such as pages viewed, session duration, browser and device information, approximate geographic location, traffic sources and interactions with the Website.

GA4 may use cookies and similar technologies to distinguish visitors and measure Website usage.

We use analytics information for statistical and analytical purposes. We do not intend to identify individual visitors by name through our analytics reports.

Where required by applicable law, Google Analytics will be activated only after the visitor has provided the necessary consent through the Website’s cookie consent mechanism.

For more information, please visit:

https://policies.google.com/privacy

6.3 Google reCAPTCHA

We use Google reCAPTCHA to protect our contact form against spam, automated submissions and abuse.

Google reCAPTCHA may process technical information and interaction signals, including IP addresses, browser and device information and information about interactions with the Website, to help determine whether a form submission is likely to have been made by a human user or an automated system.

We use this service for security and abuse prevention purposes, not for advertising.

Depending on its configuration, reCAPTCHA may use cookies and similar technologies. Where applicable law requires consent for these technologies, they will be managed through the Website’s cookie consent mechanism.

For further information, please visit:

https://policies.google.com/privacy

6.4 Google Fonts

The Website uses Google Fonts to display text using externally hosted fonts.

When your browser requests these fonts, it connects to Google’s servers and may transmit technical information, including your IP address, browser information and the requested resource.

Google may process this information in accordance with its own privacy policy.

For further information, please visit:

https://policies.google.com/privacy

6.5 YouTube Embedded Videos

The Website contains videos embedded from YouTube.

When an embedded video player is loaded or used, your browser may connect to YouTube or Google’s servers. These services may receive technical information, including your IP address, browser and device information, the webpage containing the video and information about your interactions with the player.

Where technically supported, we may use YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode, which uses youtube-nocookie.com. This mode limits the use of embedded video views for personalization but does not eliminate all data collection or processing by Google.

Where required by applicable law, embedded YouTube content will be blocked until the visitor provides the necessary consent.

For more information, please visit:

https://policies.google.com/privacy

6.6 Social Media Links

The Website contains links to Michael Pinkus’s social media profiles and other external platforms.

Clicking these links takes you to the relevant third-party website or service, which may independently collect information about you, including your IP address, device information and browsing activity, in accordance with its own privacy policy.

We do not control the privacy practices of these external platforms and recommend that you review their privacy policies before interacting with them.

The Website’s social media links are not intended to embed social media content or transmit your personal information to those platforms merely by displaying a link.

7. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The Website may use cookies and similar technologies to support its functionality, analyze visitor activity, deliver third-party content and protect the contact form.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. Similar technologies may collect information about your browser or device.

7.1 Types of Cookies and Technologies

Strictly necessary technologies

These technologies support essential Website functionality and security, such as enabling necessary features, maintaining security and preventing abuse.

Where permitted by applicable law, strictly necessary technologies may be used without consent.

Analytics cookies

Google Analytics 4 may use cookies and similar technologies to measure Website traffic and understand how visitors interact with its pages and features.

Where required by applicable law, analytics cookies will be activated only after you have given consent.

Security and anti-spam technologies

Google reCAPTCHA may use cookies and similar technologies to detect automated activity and protect the contact form against spam and abuse.

Where required by applicable law, the relevant technologies will be managed in accordance with applicable consent requirements.

Third-party content technologies

Google Fonts and embedded YouTube videos may require connections to external servers and may involve the use of cookies or similar technologies.

Where required by applicable law, the loading of non-essential third-party content and associated technologies will be subject to the necessary consent.

7.2 Cookie Consent and Preferences

Where required by applicable law, the Website will provide a cookie consent mechanism that allows visitors to accept or reject non-essential cookies and manage their preferences.

Visitors in the EEA and the UK will be able to provide or withhold consent for non-essential cookies and similar technologies before those technologies are activated, where required by law.

You may change or withdraw your consent at any time through the Website’s cookie settings, where available.

You may also manage cookies through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect some Website features.

8. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Information

We do not sell, rent or trade personal information.

We may share personal information with the following categories of service providers when necessary:

• Website hosting and infrastructure providers.
• Elementor and related form processing services.
• Email providers responsible for receiving and delivering contact form messages.
• Google, in connection with Google Analytics 4, Google reCAPTCHA, Google Fonts and YouTube.
• Technical support or security providers, where required to maintain and protect the Website.

These providers may process personal information only to the extent necessary to perform their services or as otherwise permitted by applicable law.

We may also disclose personal information when required or authorized by law, in response to valid legal processes or where reasonably necessary to protect our legal rights, the Website’s security or the safety of individuals.

If the Website or related business activities are transferred as part of a business sale or reorganization, personal information may be disclosed as necessary for the transaction, subject to applicable legal requirements and appropriate safeguards.

9. International Data Transfers

The Website is accessible to visitors in Canada, the United States and Europe. Depending on the location of our service providers, personal information may be processed or stored in countries other than your country of residence.

This may include Canada, the United States and other countries in which our service providers or their infrastructure operate.

Privacy laws in these countries may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

Where required by applicable law, we will implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers of personal information. For transfers from the EEA or the UK to countries without an applicable adequacy decision, these safeguards may include the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses or another legally recognized transfer mechanism.

For Canadian personal information, we remain responsible for protecting information processed by service providers on our behalf, in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy legislation.

You may contact us for further information about international transfers and applicable safeguards.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Contact form submissions

Information submitted through Elementor Forms is stored in the WordPress database and sent to our designated email address. We retain this information for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to your inquiry, manage correspondence and maintain appropriate records.

Where there is no continuing reason to retain an inquiry, the information will be deleted or anonymized within a reasonable period, subject to applicable legal requirements.

Email correspondence

Messages and related correspondence may be retained in our email system for as long as necessary to manage the inquiry and any subsequent communications, subject to applicable legal obligations.

Analytics information

Google Analytics data is retained in accordance with the data retention settings configured for our GA4 property and Google’s applicable service terms.

Technical and security logs

Technical logs may be retained for the period necessary to maintain the security, stability and proper functioning of the Website, in accordance with the hosting provider’s retention settings.

When personal information is no longer required, it will be securely deleted, anonymized or otherwise disposed of in accordance with applicable law and our retention procedures.

11. Data Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss or misuse.

These measures may include access controls, secure hosting arrangements, technical maintenance, security updates and appropriate safeguards for stored contact form submissions.

Access to the WordPress administration area and stored submissions is restricted to authorized individuals responsible for managing the Website.

However, no method of transmitting or storing information over the internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we will take reasonable steps to protect personal information in accordance with applicable law.

If a security incident involving personal information occurs, we will assess and respond to it in accordance with applicable legal requirements, including any applicable notification obligations.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location and the privacy laws applicable to the processing of your personal information, you may have certain rights concerning your information.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at hello@michaelpinkusauthor.com. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

12.1 Canadian Residents

Under applicable Canadian privacy legislation, you may have the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Withdraw consent to certain processing, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice.
• Ask questions about how your personal information is collected, used, disclosed and protected.
• Submit a complaint to the relevant privacy regulator if you believe your personal information has been handled improperly.

The applicable privacy legislation may depend on your province or territory and the nature of the processing.

For matters within the jurisdiction of Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner, you may visit:

12.2 Residents of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom

Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, you may have the following rights:

• Right of access: Request confirmation of whether we process your personal information and obtain a copy.
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests on grounds relating to your particular situation.
• Right to data portability: Receive certain personal information in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, where applicable.
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
• Right to lodge a complaint: Complain to the data protection supervisory authority in your country of residence, place of work or the place of the alleged infringement.

These rights are subject to applicable legal conditions and exceptions. For example, we may be entitled or required to retain certain information to comply with legal obligations or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

We will normally respond to requests within one month, subject to any permitted extensions under applicable law.

12.3 United States Residents

Certain US state privacy laws provide residents with rights over their personal information.

Where applicable, these rights may include:

• The right to know what personal information is collected and how it is used.
• The right to access personal information.
• The right to request deletion of personal information.
• The right to request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• The right to obtain a portable copy of certain personal information.
• The right to opt out of certain forms of sale, targeted advertising or profiling, where applicable.
• The right not to be discriminated against for exercising applicable privacy rights.

The availability and scope of these rights depend on the state law and whether the Website’s operator is subject to it.

We do not sell personal information or use information submitted through the contact form for targeted advertising.

Where the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA), applies, California residents may exercise their applicable rights by contacting us at hello@michaelpinkusauthor.com.

We will not unlawfully discriminate against individuals for exercising rights provided by applicable privacy law.

13. Children’s Privacy

The Website is intended for a general audience and is not specifically directed at children.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in circumstances where parental consent or other additional safeguards are required by applicable law.

If you believe that a child has provided us with personal information inappropriately, please contact us at hello@michaelpinkusauthor.com. We will review the request and take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable law.

14. Third-Party Websites

The Website may contain links to third-party websites, including social media platforms.

These external websites operate independently and may have their own privacy policies, cookies and data collection practices.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information or interacting with their services.

15. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

We do not use personal information submitted through the contact form to make decisions about individuals using solely automated means that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

We do not use the contact form to create behavioral advertising profiles or to conduct targeted advertising based on the information you provide.

Google reCAPTCHA uses automated technical assessment to help identify potentially automated or abusive activity. This assessment is used to protect the contact form and the Website against spam and abuse.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our data processing practices, the Website’s technical configuration or applicable legal requirements.

Any updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before implementing material changes to how we collect, use or disclose personal information.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to remain informed about our privacy practices.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights or have concerns about how your personal information is handled, please contact:

Michael Pinkus
Website: https://michaelpinkusauthor.com
Email: hello@michaelpinkusauthor.com
Country: Canada

We will review and respond to privacy requests in accordance with applicable law.