Privacy Policy

Definition and Scope

A privacy policy is the public-facing legal document that explains how an organization gathers, processes, stores, and protects information that could identify an individual. This Privacy Policy for MyCarUserManual.com (“we,” “our,” or “the Site”) clarifies—in plain language—the exact data we collect, why we collect it, how long we retain it, and the choices you have when interacting with our services, downloads, and advertisements.

1. Personal-Data Collection in Practical Terms

We collect only the minimum personal data required for delivering downloadable car-manual PDFs, responding to support tickets, and providing personalized advertising. Typical data points include the IP address (anonymized to xxx.xxx.xxx.0), the referring URL, the date + time stamp of the visit (UTC ± 00:00), and—if you create an account—your email address and chosen display name. We do not knowingly seek sensitive categories such as race, religion, or precise geolocation beyond the city level.

Main entity for transparency: Personal-data record
Personal-data record with retention window: 26 months (Google Analytics default)
Concise retention statement: We purge or anonymize logs after 26 months unless legal obligations compel longer storage.

2. Cookie Technology Explained

A cookie is a small text file—typically 4 KB or less—saved by your web browser and tagged with a unique identifier string (e.g., “GA1.2.1234567890.1719216000”).

Cookie Variation Lifespan Primary Function Example
Session cookie Expires when you close the tab Maintains login state for the dashboard PHPSESSID
Persistent cookie 30 seconds – 2 years Remembers preferences such as dark-mode toggle _pref_theme

Cookies enable faster page loads, accurate download counters, and region-specific manual suggestions. Our first-party cookies never store plain-text passwords or payment data.

3. First-Party, “Essential” Cookies

When you sign in, the Site drops a temporary authentication cookie solely to confirm that your browser accepts cookies. This file vanishes when the session ends—no personally identifiable information (PII) remains on the device.

4. Third-Party Cookies: What, Who, and Why

Google AdSense – contextual advertising that finances server costs. AdSense may set a DoubleClick (IDE) cookie and build an ad-interest profile based on page views. Visit adssettings.google.com to opt out.

Google Analytics 4 – aggregated, non-personal metrics (e.g., average pages per session). We have IP anonymization enabled (_anonymize_ip=true).

Cloudflare – performance and security layer that issues the __cf_bm cookie to filter malicious bots and accelerate image delivery. No cross-site tracking.

We have contractually required each provider to comply with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (effective 10 July 2023) and to offer user-level opt-outs under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

5. Your Control Panel for Cookies

Most modern browsers expose granular controls:

• Chrome v125+: ⋮ → Settings → Privacy & Security → Third-party cookies
• Firefox 124+: ☰ → Settings → Privacy & Security → Enhanced Tracking Protection
• Edge 126+: ⋯ → Settings → Cookies and site permissions

Disabling cookies may log you out automatically and could disable personalized manual recommendations. However, PDF downloads will remain functional.

6. Embedded Media from External Domains

Tutorial articles occasionally embed YouTube videos, Imgur images, or Scribd documents. Such embedded content behaves as if you visited the external domain directly. These third parties may collect:

• Your interaction time stamp (e.g., “Video paused at 02:31”)
• Browser user-agent string (e.g., “Safari/17.1 macOS”)
• Potential ad-performance metrics if you are simultaneously logged in to the third-party service

Please consult each provider’s policy (YouTube – Google LLC; Imgur Inc.; Scribd Inc.) for granular opt-out steps.

7. Data Subject Rights

You can request a copy, correction, or deletion of your stored data by emailing privacy@mycarusermanual.com with the subject line “Data Request – GDPR/CCPA.” We respond within 30 calendar days. For residents of the European Economic Area, California, Brazil, and Canada, additional local rights may apply.