Plain-Language Summary
DamascusLab does not sell your personal data. We collect only what is necessary to operate this website. We use standard analytics and affiliate tracking cookies. You can opt out at any time.
1. Information We Collect
DamascusLab may collect the following categories of data when you visit this website:
1.1 Automatically Collected Data
- IP address (anonymized after 90 days)
- Browser type and version
- Device type (desktop, mobile, tablet)
- Pages visited and time spent on pages
- Referring URL (which website sent you to us)
- Country and general geographic region (city-level, not GPS)
1.2 Cookies, Web Beacons & Tracking Technologies
- Google AdSense & Third-Party Advertising: Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies, web beacons, and IP addresses to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this website or other websites on the Internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to users based on their visit to DamascusLab and/or other sites across the Internet. Third parties may be placing and reading cookies on your browser, or using web beacons to collect information as a result of ad serving on this website.
- Analytics Cookies: Used to understand site usage patterns (e.g., Google Analytics 4 with IP anonymization enabled).
- Affiliate Tracking Cookies: When you click an Amazon or direct partner link, affiliate networks may place an attribution cookie. We earn commissions on qualifying purchases; their respective privacy notices apply.
- Functional Cookies: Technical session cookies that store user preferences within interactive testing calculators.
1.3 Voluntarily Provided Data
If you contact us via email, we will retain your email address and message content only for the purpose of responding to your inquiry.
2. How We Use Your Data
We use collected data solely for:
- Analyzing website traffic to improve content quality and user experience
- Measuring which articles and guides are most helpful to readers
- Displaying contextual and interest-based advertisements through Google AdSense to fund our independent laboratory testing
- Tracking affiliate referral conversions to maintain our editorial operation
- Detecting and preventing fraudulent or abusive activity
We do not sell your personal contact details to third parties or broker private visitor records.
2.1 Google AdSense & Third-Party Advertising Disclosures
Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies and related technologies to serve ads on DamascusLab. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its advertising partners to serve ads to users based on their visits to DamascusLab and other websites across the Internet. Third parties may place and read cookies on your browser or use web beacons to gather data in connection with ad serving.
How Google Uses Information From Sites or Apps That Use Its Services:
To learn more about how Google collects, shares, and protects data when you use partner sites, please review the official Google disclosure here: How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.
How you can opt out of personalized advertising:
- You can opt out of personalized advertising directly through Google Ads Settings.
- You can also opt out of participating third-party vendor advertising cookies via the Digital Advertising Alliance at www.aboutads.info/choices or the European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) at Your Online Choices.
- No Passing of Personally Identifiable Information: DamascusLab does not collect, sell, or pass personally identifiable information (PII) to Google advertising systems.
3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA) and United Kingdom, we process personal data under the following legal bases:
- Legitimate Interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR): Analytics data collected to improve site content and maintain our publication.
- Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR): For non-essential cookies (analytics, third-party advertising, affiliate tracking) where required by your jurisdiction.
- Contractual Necessity: Email inquiries processed to respond to your communication.
4. Third-Party Services
DamascusLab uses the following third-party services that may process your data:
| Service | Purpose | Their Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Google AdSense | Contextual & display advertising | policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites |
| Google Analytics 4 | Website traffic analytics | policies.google.com/privacy |
| Amazon Associates | Affiliate tracking | amazon.com/privacy |
| Vercel (Hosting) | Website hosting & edge delivery | vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy |
5. Data Retention
Analytics data is retained for a maximum of 26 months, after which it is automatically deleted. Email correspondence is retained for 12 months. Affiliate attribution cookies expire after 30 days.
6. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
Right of Access
Request a copy of the data we hold about you.
Right to Erasure
Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten").
Right to Rectification
Request correction of inaccurate data.
Right to Portability
Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to Object
Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to Opt Out (CCPA)
California residents may opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell data).
To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@damascusknifeset.com. We will respond within 30 days.
7. Children's Privacy
DamascusLab is not directed at children under 13 years of age (or 16 in the EEA). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Material changes will be announced via a notice on the homepage. Continued use of DamascusLab after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects when changes were last made.
9. Contact & Data Controller
Data controller for this website: DamascusLab Editorial Team
Contact email: privacy@damascusknifeset.com