Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Ethix ("Ethix," "we," "us," or "our") handles personal information when you visit https://ethix.io, visit our related Ethix web pages, or use features such as our contact form, newsletter, blog comments, Google sign-in, or website chatbot. It is intended to describe the website as it operates on the date above.

Information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you use the site.

• Contact and project inquiries: your name, email address, phone number, company, areas of interest, message, and any source or campaign value submitted through a form.
• Google sign-in: if you choose Google sign-in, we receive the Google account identifier, name, email address, and profile-picture URL returned to us by Google. We do not receive your Google password.
• Newsletter subscriptions: your email address and the date and time of subscription.
• Blog comments: the name, email address, and comment text you submit, plus the related post and submission time. Your name and comment may be displayed publicly; your email address is used for moderation and is not displayed as part of the public comment.
• Chatbot messages: messages you enter and the limited conversation history needed to continue that chat session. Please do not enter passwords, API keys, health information, financial information, or other confidential or sensitive information into the chatbot.
• Technical information: information ordinarily made available by a web request, such as IP address, browser and device characteristics, requested URL, date and time, referrer, and response or diagnostic information. Our hosting and security infrastructure may record this information to operate and protect the site.

Cookies and similar technologies

We currently use cookies and server-side session data that are necessary or helpful for site functionality and security, including:

• a session cookie for features such as the chatbot and maintaining a secure session;
• temporary server-side session data that may hold chatbot conversation history while a chat session is active;
• a CSRF cookie used to help protect forms and requests from unauthorized cross-site submissions; and
• a secure, HTTP-only lead cookie that helps recognize a visitor after Google sign-in and is designed to expire after 30 days.

We do not currently use cookies for behavioral advertising or site analytics. Blocking essential cookies may prevent parts of the site from working correctly. Your browser can provide additional cookie controls.

How we use information

We use personal information to:

• operate, maintain, secure, and improve the website and its features;
• respond to inquiries and assess whether our services may be a fit;
• provide Google sign-in when you choose to use it;
• send newsletters or other requested communications, and honor requests to stop them;
• publish and moderate blog comments;
• provide chatbot responses and maintain the chat session;
• prevent abuse, investigate security incidents, troubleshoot errors, and enforce our policies; and
• comply with legal obligations and protect our rights, users, and services.

Where a law such as the GDPR applies, the relevant legal basis may include your consent, taking steps at your request, our legitimate interests, or compliance with a legal obligation, as appropriate to the processing.

Chatbot and Google services

The chatbot sends your message and relevant prior messages in the same session to Google's Gemini API so it can generate a response. Google may process that content under the terms and data-use policies applicable to the Gemini API account we use. Google Identity Services separately processes the authentication interaction when you choose Google sign-in. You should review Google's Privacy Policy and the terms for the relevant Google service for details about Google's own processing.

Some pages also load fonts, scripts, or icons from third-party content-delivery services. Those providers may receive ordinary technical information, such as your IP address and browser information, when your browser requests those assets.

How we share information

We do not sell or rent personal information. We may share information only as reasonably needed for the purposes in this policy, including with:

• service providers that host, store, secure, maintain, or deliver email for the site;
• Google services when you use Google sign-in or the chatbot;
• our personnel and professional advisers who need it to respond to you or operate the business;
• authorities or other parties when disclosure is required by law or reasonably necessary to protect people, property, security, or legal rights; and
• a successor or transaction partner if Ethix or relevant assets are reorganized, transferred, or acquired.

We do not currently use the information collected through this website to create advertising profiles or to sell targeted advertising audiences.

Retention

We keep information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including to provide services, follow up on an inquiry, maintain business and security records, resolve disputes, and comply with law. Newsletter information is retained while you remain subscribed or until you ask us to remove it. Blog comments may remain with the related post unless removed through moderation or at your request. Chat session history is intended to be temporary and is retained only as needed to operate the session and maintain security and service records.

Your choices and privacy requests

Depending on where you live and which law applies, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of your personal information, or to request restriction of or object to certain processing. You may also withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. These rights are subject to legal exceptions.

To make a privacy request, unsubscribe from the newsletter, ask us to remove a blog comment, or ask a question about this policy, email contact@ethix.dev. We may need to verify your request before acting on it and will handle it within the time required by applicable law.

International processing and security

Ethix is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Our service providers may process information in countries other than the country where you live. Where required by applicable law, we use appropriate safeguards for those transfers.

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards, including HTTPS and secure, HTTP-only cookies where supported. No internet transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Children and external links

This website is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided personal information, please contact us so we can review and delete it where appropriate.

The site may link to LinkedIn, Google, social networks, scheduling tools, and other third-party websites. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, not this one.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our practices or legal requirements change. We will post the updated version on this page and change the “Last updated” date. If a change is material, we may provide additional notice where appropriate.