Terms of Use & Policies

1. Terms of Use
2. Privacy Policy
3. Cookie Policy & Your Ad Choices
4. Ethics Policy
5. Patent Info
6. Advertising Guidelines

Terms of Use

PLEASE READ THE TERMS OF USE BELOW. THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR RIGHTS WHEN USING OUR SERVICES.

1. Acceptance of these Terms of Use.

   The About.com service and its affiliate sites and products, including About.com, About.net, AllExperts.com, CalorieCount.com, and Netplaces.com (collectively the "Sites") are owned and operated by About, Inc. and its affiliates ("About", the "Company", "we", or "us" ). Access to and use of the Sites are subject to the terms and conditions of these Terms of Use (including disclaimers regarding professional, medical and nutritional information).
   • "Sites" or "About" shall include any information or services made available by About, regardless of the medium, and shall include, without limitation any affiliated websites, mobile applications, videos, products and applications we make available. We reserve the right at any time, and from time to time, to modify, suspend or discontinue (temporarily or permanently) the Sites, or any part of the Sites, with or without notice. You agree that we shall not be liable to you for any such action.
   • The Sites are not intended for users under 13 years of age. If you are under 13, do not use the Sites and do not provide us with any personal information. The Sites are designed for those people who reside in the United States or any of its territories and possessions. We make no claims that the Sites or any of their content is accessible or appropriate outside of the United States. Access to the Sites may not be legal by certain persons or in certain countries. If you access the Sites from outside the United States, you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws.

2. Modification of these Terms of Use.

   We reserve the right to change these terms and conditions of these Terms of Use at any time. You should check this page regularly. The changes will appear on the Sites and will be effective when we post the changes. Your continued use of the Sites means you agree to and accept the changes. If a Site contains additional terms and conditions then those terms and conditions shall apply to your use of such Site, in addition to these terms and conditions, provided, that, in the event of a conflict with these terms and conditions, the conflicting terms and conditions of such Site shall apply only to your use of that Site and only to the extent of the conflict.

3. Our Privacy Policy.

   Our Privacy Policy contains further information about how data is collected, used and made available on or by our Sites. We recommend that you read it, here.

4. Intellectual property.

   • Limited license.

     The materials used and displayed on the Sites, including but not limited to text, software, photographs, graphics, illustrations and artwork, video, music and sound, and names, logos, trademarks and service marks, are the property of About or its affiliates or licensors and are protected by copyright, trademark and other laws. Any such content may be used solely for your personal, non-commercial use. You agree not to modify, reproduce, retransmit, distribute, disseminate, sell, publish, broadcast or circulate any such material without the written permission of About or the appropriate affiliate. About grants you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Sites for non-commercial purposes subject to these Terms of Use. You may link to our homepage, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it, but you must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part without our express written consent. Any use of the Sites not expressly permitted by these Terms of Use is a breach of these Terms of Use and may violate copyright, trademark and other laws.

   • Trademarks.

     The terms About, About.com, Calorie Count, ConsumerSearch and other Company trademarks and services marks, and associated logos and all related names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans are trademarks of About or its affiliates or licensors. You must not use such marks without the prior written permission of About. All other names, logos, product and service names, designs and slogans on the Sites are the trademarks of their respective owners.

   • Copyright.

     If you believe content on the Sites violates your copyright, please see our DMCA Policy, below.

5. No reliance on information posted on the Sites, including User Contributions or content by independent contributors such as Experts or Guides.

   • We do not have an obligation to, and you should not expect us to review content on our Sites, including User Contributions or contributions by our independent contributors known as "Experts" or "Guides."

     Although About and its affiliates may from time to time monitor or review discussions, chats, postings, transmissions, and other user and member generated pages on the Sites, we are under no obligation to do so. You acknowledge that we do not control the information available on Site forums, chat rooms and other user and member generated pages and that any opinions, advice, services, offers or other information or content disseminated through the Sites are those of their respective authors, including users, Experts, Guides and other writers and contributors, who are solely liable for their content. We reserve the right, in our sole discretion, to edit, refuse to post or remove any material submitted to or posted through the Sites.

   • About our Experts.

     About seeks out content providers in particular subject matters as independent contributors who publish the content they write (click here to find out about becoming an "Expert"). However, About does not represent or guarantee that any 'Expert' or 'Guide' has achieved any particular level of expertise or knowledge or has any specific qualifications or credentials, without limitation, as to the subject matter to which their contributions relate. We may refer to each of these contributors as an 'Expert' or 'Guide', but you must understand we rely on the information they provide us and we do not independently verify or attempt to confirm any information they provide, nor their qualifications or credentials. About also does not monitor or independently research or verify any content they contribute. Contributors, even if characterized as 'Expert' or a 'Guide', are not employees of About or its affiliates and About cannot and does not represent or warrant the accuracy, completeness or truthfulness of the qualifications or credentials of any contributor, nor of any other users of the Service or Sites. Each Expert or Guide has a biography posted on the Site where the Expert or Guide describes their own experience.

   • Don't rely on site content, including User Contributions and content from independent contributors known as Experts or Guides. Content, articles, materials, information and postings by contributors are provided purely for general information purposes only and can never take into account your unique, personal circumstances and needs. Never rely upon such general information in making decisions about specific situations, or use it as a substitute for in-person evaluation or professional advice (including, without limitation, medical, legal, tax, financial or veterinary issues), even if from individuals About characterizes as an 'Expert' or a 'Guide.' You acknowledge and agree that any reliance or actions you take in violation of your agreement with us, shall be at your sole and exclusive risk and About shall have no responsibility or liability to you whatsoever. You also acknowledge and agree that communications on or through the Service, whether with content providers or other users, are at your own risk and are not covered by any privilege or confidentiality obligation that might apply if you were to obtain your own professional advice (e.g., attorney-client; doctor-patient).

6. Prohibited uses.

   You may use the Site only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms of Use. You agree not to use the Site:

   • In any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local or international law or regulation (including, without limitation, any laws regarding the export of data or software to and from the United States or other countries).
   • For the purpose of exploiting, harming or attempting to exploit or harm minors in any way by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personally identifiable information or otherwise.
   • To send, knowingly receive, upload, download, use or re-use any material which does not comply with the Content Standards set out in these Terms of Use.
   • To transmit, or procure the sending of, any advertising or promotional material, including any "junk mail", "chain letter" or "spam" or any other similar solicitation.
   • To impersonate or attempt to impersonate About, an About employee, another user or any other person or entity (including, without limitation, by using e-mail addresses or screen names associated with any of the foregoing).
   • To engage in any other conduct that restricts or inhibits anyone's use or enjoyment of the Site, or which, as determined by us, may harm About or users of the Site or expose them to liability.

   Additionally, you agree not to:

   • Use the Site in any manner that could disable, overburden, damage, or impair the Sites or interfere with any other party's use of the Site, including their ability to engage in real time activities through the Site.
   • You agree not to "scrape" or disaggregate data from the Site (whether by manual or automated means), for any commercial, marketing, or data compiling or enhancing purpose. Use any manual process to monitor or copy any of the material on the Site or for any other unauthorized purpose without our prior written consent.
   • Use any device, software or routine that interferes with the proper working of the Site.
   • Introduce any viruses, trojan horses, worms, logic bombs or other material which is malicious or technologically harmful.
   • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to, interfere with, damage or disrupt any parts of the Site, the server on which the Site is stored, or any server, computer or database connected to the Site.
   • Attack the Site via a denial-of-service attack or a distributed denial-of-service attack.
   • Otherwise attempt to interfere with the proper working of the Site.

7. Content that you make available on the Sites.

   • User Contributions

     The Site may contain message boards, chat rooms, personal web pages or profiles, forums, bulletin boards and other interactive features (collectively, "Interactive Services") that allow users to post, submit, publish, display or transmit to other users or other persons (hereinafter, "post") content or materials (collectively, "User Contributions") on or through the Site.

     If you voluntarily disclose personal information (e.g., user name, email address) on the Sites, such as on a forum, chat room or on any other user or member generated pages, that information can be viewed in search engines, collected and used by others and may result in unsolicited contact from other parties. We advise that you not post any personal or other sensitive information on our Sites.

     All User Contributions must comply with the Content Standards set out in these Terms of Use.

     Any User Contribution you post to the site will be considered non-confidential and non-proprietary. By providing any User Contribution on the Site, you grant us and our affiliates and service providers, and each of their and our respective licensees, successors and assigns the right to use, reproduce, modify, perform, display, distribute and otherwise disclose to third parties any such material for any purpose.

     You represent and warrant that:

     • You own or control all rights in and to the User Contributions and have the right to grant the license granted above to us and our affiliates and service providers, and each of their and our respective licensees, successors and assigns.
     • All of your User Contributions do and will comply with these Terms of Use.

     You understand and acknowledge that you are responsible for any User Contributions you submit or contribute, and you, not the Company, have full responsibility for such content, including its legality, reliability, accuracy and appropriateness.

     We are not responsible, or liable to any third party, for the content or accuracy of any User Contributions posted by you or any other user of the Site.

     The Sites may provide certain social media features that enable you to:

     • Link from your own or certain third-party websites to certain content on this Site.
     • Send e-mails or other communications with certain content, or links to certain content, on this Site.
     • Cause limited portions of content on this Site to be displayed or appear to be displayed on your own or certain third-party websites.

     You may use these features solely as they are provided by us, and solely with respect to the content they are displayed with and otherwise in accordance with any additional terms and conditions we provide with respect to such features.

     The website from which you are linking, or on which you make certain content accessible, must comply in all respects with the Content Standards set out in these Terms of Use.

     You agree to cooperate with us in causing any unauthorized framing or linking immediately to cease. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice.

     We may disable all or any social media features and any links at any time without notice in our discretion.

   • Monitoring and enforcement; termination

     We have the right to:

     • Remove or refuse to post any User Contributions for any or no reason in our sole discretion.
     • Take any action with respect to any User Contribution that we deem necessary or appropriate in our sole discretion, including if we believe that such User Contribution violates the Terms of Use, including the Content Standards, infringes any intellectual property right or other right of any person or entity, threatens the personal safety of users of the Site or the public or could create liability for the Company.
     • Disclose your identity or other information about you to any third party who claims that material posted by you violates their rights, including their intellectual property rights or their right to privacy.
     • Take appropriate legal action, including without limitation, referral to law enforcement, for any illegal or unauthorized use of the Site.
     • Terminate or suspend your access to all or part of the Site for any or no reason, including without limitation, any violation of these Terms of Use.
       
       Without limiting the foregoing, we have the right to fully cooperate with any law enforcement authorities or court order requesting or directing us to disclose the identity or other information related to anyone posting any materials on or through the Site. YOU WAIVE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES, LICENSEES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS FROM ANY CLAIMS RESULTING FROM ANY ACTION TAKEN BY ANY OF THE FOREGOING PARTIES DURING OR AS A RESULT OF ITS INVESTIGATIONS AND FROM ANY ACTIONS TAKEN AS A CONSEQUENCE OF INVESTIGATIONS BY EITHER THE COMPANY/SUCH PARTIES OR LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITIES.
       
       However, we cannot and do not undertake to review all material before it is posted on the Site, and cannot ensure prompt removal of objectionable material after it has been posted. Accordingly, we assume no liability for any action or inaction regarding transmissions, communications or content provided by any user or third party. We have no liability or responsibility to anyone for performance or nonperformance of the activities described in this section.

   • Content Standards

     These content standards apply to any and all User Contributions and use of Interactive Services. User Contributions must in their entirety comply with all applicable federal, state, local and international laws and regulations. Without limiting the foregoing, User Contributions must not:

     • Contain any material which is defamatory, obscene, indecent, abusive, offensive, harassing, violent, hateful, inflammatory or otherwise objectionable.
     • Promote sexually explicit or pornographic material, violence, or discrimination based on race, sex, religion, nationality, disability, sexual orientation or age.
     • Infringe any patent, trademark, trade secret, copyright or other intellectual property or other rights of any other person.
     • Violate the legal rights (including the rights of publicity and privacy) of others or contain any material that could give rise to any civil or criminal liability under applicable laws or regulations or that otherwise may be in conflict with these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.
     • Be likely to deceive any person.
     • Promote any illegal activity, or advocate, promote or assist any unlawful act.
     • Cause annoyance, inconvenience or needless anxiety or be likely to upset, harass, embarrass, alarm or annoy any other person.
     • Impersonate any person, or misrepresent your identity or affiliation with any person or organization.
     • Promote commercial activities or sales, such as contests, sweepstakes and other sales promotions, barter or advertising.
     • Give the impression that they emanate from or are endorsed by us or any other person or entity, if that is not the case.

8. Your indemnification of us.

   You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless About, and all officers, directors, owners, agents, information providers, affiliates, licensors and licensees (collectively, the "Indemnified Parties") from and against any and all liability and costs, including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees, incurred by the Indemnified Parties in connection with any claim arising out of (a) any User Contributions, or (b) breach by you or any user of your account of these Terms of Use or any representations, warranties and covenants contained in these Terms of Use. You shall cooperate fully and reasonably in the defense of any such claim. About reserves the right, at its own expense, to assume the exclusive defense and control of any matter subject to indemnification by you.

9. WARRANTY DISCLAIMER.

   THE SITES ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF TITLE OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OTHER THAN THOSE WARRANTIES WHICH ARE IMPOSED BY AND INCAPABLE OF EXCLUSION, RESTRICTION OR MODIFICATION UNDER THE LAWS APPLICABLE TO THESE TERMS OF USE. WE DO NOT ENDORSE AND ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ACCURACY OR RELIABILITY OF ANY OPINION, ADVICE OR STATEMENT ON THE SITES. THE INFORMATION, FACTS, AND OPINIONS PROVIDED ARE NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.

10. LIABILITY DISCLAIMERS.

    • GENERAL DISCLAIMERS.

      YOUR USE OF THE SITES IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. NEITHER, ABOUT, INC., IAC/INTERACTIVECORP, NOR ANY OF THEIR SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES OR LICENSORS (INCLUDING EXPERTS OR GUIDES) SHALL BE LIABLE TO YOU OR ANYONE ELSE FOR ANY LOSS OR INJURY OR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE OR SIMILAR DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS OR USE OF, OR YOUR INABILITY TO ACCESS OR USE, THE SITES AND THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE SITES OR ARISING OUT OF ANY ACTION TAKEN IN RESPONSE TO OR AS A RESULT OF ANY INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON THE SITES. YOU HEREBY WAIVE ANY AND ALL CLAIMS AGAINST ABOUT, INC., IAC/INTERACTIVECORP AND THEIR SUBSIDIARIES, DIVISIONS, AFFILIATES, AGENTS, REPRESENTATIVES AND LICENSORS (INCLUDING EXPERTS OR GUIDES) ARISING OUT OF YOUR USE OF THE SITES AND THE INFORMATION AVAILABLE THEREON.

    • PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL AND THERAPEUTIC ADVICE DISCLAIMERS.

      THE SITES OFFER HEALTH, FITNESS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION DESIGNED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY. YOU SHOULD CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE BEGINNING A NEW NUTRITIONAL OR FITNESS PROGRAM.
      • YOU SHOULD NOT RELY ON ANY INFORMATION ON THE SITES, INCLUDING AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PROFESSIONAL MEDICAL ADVICE, DIAGNOSIS, OR TREATMENT. IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR HEALTH, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS CONSULT WITH A PHYSICIAN OR OTHER HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONAL. DO NOT DISREGARD, AVOID OR DELAY OBTAINING MEDICAL OR HEALTH RELATED ADVICE FROM YOUR HEALTH-CARE PROFESSIONAL BECAUSE OF SOMETHING YOU MAY HAVE READ ON A SITE. THE USE OF ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED ON A SITE IS SOLELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
      • NOR SHOULD YOU RELY ON ANY INFORMATION ON THE SITES AS, OR AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR, PROFESSIONAL COUNSELING CARE, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOTHERAPY, OR OTHER MENTAL HEALTH OR REHABILITATION TREATMENT, DIAGNOSIS OR ADVICE.
      • FURTHER, AS MEDICAL RESEARCH AND SCIENCE EVOLVE, THE ADVICE CONTAINED ON THE SITES WILL NOT ALWAYS INCLUDE THE MOST RECENT FINDINGS OR DEVELOPMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PARTICULAR SUBJECT MATTER.

11. Our additional disclaimers and your representations regarding "Calorie Count".

    • Your representations.

      In becoming a Member of About's Calorie Count Sites and use the Calorie Count Service, you affirm that either (A) all of the following statements are true: (i) no physician has ever informed you that you have a heart condition or that you should only make diet changes or physical activities as recommended by a physician; (ii) you have never felt chest pain when engaging in physical activity; (iii) you have never lost your balance because of dizziness and you have never lost consciousness; (iv) your physician is not currently prescribing drugs for your blood pressure or heart condition; (v) you are not taking any medication that would adversely interact with specific foods or diet plans; (vi) you are neither pregnant, breastfeeding nor lactating, and (vii) you do not know of any other reason, including any prior medical condition, why you should not diet or exercise; or (B) if any of the above are true, then your physician has specifically approved of your use of Calorie Count.

      If You Cannot Make The Above Representations, You Should Not Use the Calorie Count Service.

      We reserve the right to refuse or cancel your membership if we determine that you have certain medical conditions.

    • Nutritional information disclaimer.

      Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and/or different information than that shown on the Sites. Additionally, users may submit product nutritional information which may not be accurate. Accordingly, although this information is intended to be helpful, you should not rely on the information presented, but should always read actual product labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. For additional information about a product, please contact the manufacturer. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition.

12. Third party links, advertisements, websites and content.

    We do not review or monitor any web sites, advertisements, or other media linked to or available through the Sites and are not responsible for the content of any such third party advertisements or linked web sites. Prior to purchasing any third party products or services described on the Sites, you are advised to verify pricing, product quality and other information necessary to make an informed purchase. Neither About nor its parent or any of its subsidiaries, divisions, affiliates, agents, representatives or licensors shall have any liability arising from your purchases of third party products or services based upon the information provided on the Sites, and we shall not receive or review complaints regarding such purchases.

13. Disputes.

    These Terms of Use and any disputes arising out of or related to the Sites shall be governed by, and construed and enforced in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York (without regard to conflict of law principles). In the event of any such dispute, you irrevocably consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue in the courts located in the State of New York, County of New York.

14. Limitation on time to file claims.

    ANY CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM YOU MAY HAVE ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THESE TERMS OF USE OR THE SITES MUST BE COMMENCED WITHIN ONE (1) YEAR AFTER THE CAUSE OF ACTION ACCRUES, OTHERWISE, SUCH CAUSE OF ACTION OR CLAIM IS PERMANENTLY BARRED.

15. Waiver and severability.

    No waiver of About of any term or condition set forth in these Terms of Use shall be deemed a further or continuing waiver of such term or condition or a waiver of any other term or condition, and any failure of About to assert a right or provision under these Terms of Use shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision.

    If any provision of these Terms of Use is held by a court or other tribunal of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable for any reason, such provision shall be eliminated or limited to the minimum extent such that the remaining provisions of the Terms of Use will continue in full force and effect.

16. Entire agreement.

    The Terms of Use constitute the sole and entire agreement between you and About with respect to the Sites and supersede all prior and contemporaneous understandings, agreements, representations and warranties, both written and oral, with respect to the Sites.

17. DMCA Policy.

    About deals with copyright infringement in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). You may not post, upload, or otherwise place any content or information on the site that belongs to a third party, unless you have the legal right to do so. If you believe in good faith that your copyrighted work has been reproduced on our Sites without authorization in a way that constitutes copyright infringement, you may notify our designated copyright agent either by mail to Copyright Agent (Legal), About, Inc., 1500 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY, 10036 or in email to SafeHarborAgent@About.Com. This contact information is only for suspected copyright infringement. Please include the following:
    • Your physical or electronic signature.
    • Identification of the copyrighted work you believe to have been infringed or, if the claim involves multiple works on the Sites, a representative list of such works.
    • Identification of the material you believe to be infringing in a sufficiently precise manner to allow us to locate that material, such as the precise url (web page) that it appeared on, along with any copies you have of that web page.
    • Adequate information by which we can contact you (including your name, postal address, telephone number and e-mail address).
    • A statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the copyrighted material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent or the law.
    • A statement that the information in the written notice is accurate.
    • A statement, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notice is accurate and that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
    • Please be aware that if you knowingly materially misrepresent that material or activity on the Sites is infringing your copyright, you may be held liable for damages (including costs and attorneys' fees).

18. Your Comments and Concerns

    This website is operated by About, Inc., located at 1500 Broadway, New York, NY 10036.
    All other feedback, comments, requests for technical support and other communications relating to the Sites should be directed to: Customer Care.

    Thank you for visiting the Site.

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Privacy Policy

We take your privacy seriously. Please take a moment to read this privacy policy, which discloses the privacy practices of the About, Inc. ("About" or "we") websites, including About.com, About.net, AllExperts.com, CalorieCount.com, and Netplaces.com, as well as our downloadable software applications for supported devices, including mobile devices (collectively, the "Service(s)" or "Websites"). Specifically, the policy outlines the types of information that may be gathered when you register for or use the Services, and the ways in which that information may be used.

The Types of Information We Collect

Information You Give Us

To enable you to enjoy certain features of our Services, we collect certain types of information, including personally identifiable information. For example, we collect information when you:

• Sign up to receive email newsletters.

  When we send newsletters to subscribers we may allow advertisers or partners to include messages in those newsletters, or we may send dedicated newsletters on behalf of those advertisers or partners. To unsubscribe from a particular newsletter, click the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of that email newsletter. If you would like to globally opt-out from ALL About.com email campaigns please send an email to optout@about.com with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.

• Register.

  When you register to use forums or other Services, we ask you to provide certain information, which may include your email address, home address, birth year, gender, health conditions, credit card number and zip code, as well as a password for your account.

• Engage in public activities on the Services.

  We offer you opportunities to engage in public activities on the Services that are designed to be visible to other users and the public at large, including comments, forums, recommendations, reader reviews, ratings or any other items that you submit. Any information you disclose in your public activities, along with your screen name or ID, or any image or photo, becomes public and may be used by us for online and offline promotional or commercial uses in any and all media. Information you submit is not private or confidential, nor is it protected by attorney-client, doctor-patient, or any other privilege and (regardless of restrictions we impose in our Terms of Use or other policies) it might be read, collected and used by others, including through third party search engines which may index the information you post. You therefore should be aware that any personally identifiable information you submit there might be read, collected, or used by other users of these areas, and could be used to send you unsolicited messages, mine your data, communicate with or market to you in other ways. We are not responsible for safeguarding the personally identifiable information you choose to submit in these forums and About.com has no responsibility to publish, take down, remove or edit any of your public activities or any of your submissions that are a result of your public activities. For more information, see the About.com Terms of Use.

• Provide Us Your Credit Card and Billing Information.

  To enable payment for certain Services, we or a service or payment provider acting on our behalf may collect and store billing and credit card information.

• Contests, Sweepstakes and Special Offers.

  We may sponsor contests, sweepstakes, or promote special offers on the Service or on third party websites. If you elect to participate, we may require personal information from you, including, in most cases, your first and last name and e-mail address. When you do so, you agree that we may retain and use the information you provide us (including through third party sites) as permitted in this Privacy Policy. Data collected directly by other participating companies is not subject to this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect Using Technology

• Device Information.

  We may collect information about the browser, computer, mobile phone, smartphone or other device you use to access the Services to measure the effectiveness of those Services.

• Cookies and Similar Technology.

  As further explained below, we may use cookies, pixel trackers, server logs, and other Internet technology for purposes such as measuring the effectiveness of the Services, emails we send you, and any advertising campaigns, as well as to target meaningful content and ads (including through emails). Sometimes, we may facilitate the use by third party platforms of these anonymous cookies, or similar technology, to help those third parties better target ads to you based on other websites you may have visited. To learn more about how third parties may collect and use information online, and how you can exercise opt-out choices regarding that information, see the below Section titled "Information Collected by Third-Parties and Your Ad & Cookie Choices."

• IP Addresses.

  We log Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, or the location of your computer on the Internet, for systems administration and troubleshooting purposes. We use this information in an aggregate fashion to track access to our Services (websites and mobile applications), and may also use it to infer your location, as also discussed in the below section titled "Geolocation Data."

• Geolocation Data.

  For certain mobile applications we offer, we may (or may enable a third party, including an advertiser to) request your geolocation information in order to provide you with ads, offers, search or other functionality. If you agree to such collection, we (or the third party) may maintain information regarding your precise geolocation including over time and may use it to help enable that functionality, or other functionality we describe to you in connection with the mobile application or website.
  
  In addition, we may (or may enable a third party, such as an advertiser to) capture geo-location information (such as based on IP address data) when you access our Services, and may use that geo-location information to targets ads or offers to you.

• Analytics.

  We may use third parties to provide us information, reports and analysis about the usage and browsing patterns of users of the Services. These reports contain aggregated or anonymous data only, and do not identify individual users to About.com.

• Log Files.

  We may also automatically log certain information about your use of the Services. This information includes a reading history of the pages you view and a record of the sites from which you clicked on a link to visit ours.

Cookies, Web Beacons, and Similar Technologies

Like many websites, and web and mobile services, we may use (or work with third party partners who use) a variety of technologies to learn more about how people interact with our Services. This section provides more information about some of those technologies and how they work.

• Cookies. Cookies are small files that websites and other online services use to store information about users on the users' own computers. Cookies can be used to store sign-in credentials so that you don't have to enter them each time you return to a website, or to store other information to make web viewing more customized or efficient upon future visits. Cookies also may store a unique identifier tied to your computer so that web services and advertising networks can recognize you across visits to different websites. You can configure your Internet browser to warn you each time a cookie is being sent or to refuse all or certain cookies completely.
  
  We (or our partners) may use or support cookies for purposes including the following:
  • To collect information about your browsing activities in order to deliver customized or relevant services, advertising or content to you (including regarding our own products and content), when you browse our Website or other websites or open the emails we send you;
  • To relate the information collected by cookies to information we obtain from you directly or from commercially available sources;
  • To work with third parties that serve advertisements (through our Services or across the Internet) or provide other services to us, such as providing users the ability to comment on content, allowing users to share content, or tracking website usage statistics. We do not control these third party technologies and their use is governed by the privacy policies of the third parties using such technologies. For more information about third party ad networks and services that use these technologies, see www.aboutads.info, and to learn about or exercise your opt-out options, go to http://aboutads.info/choices. To learn more about how third parties may collect and use information online, and how you can exercise opt-out choices regarding that information, see the below Section titled "Information Collected by Third-Parties and Your Ad & Cookie Choices."

• Other Local Storage.

  We (or our partners) may use other kinds of local storage, such as Local Shared Objects (also referred to as "Flash cookies") and HTML5 local storage, in connection with the Services. These technologies are similar to the cookies discussed above in that they are stored on your computer and can be used to store certain information about your activities and preferences. However, these objects are stored in different parts of your computer from ordinary browser cookies. Your browser may allow you to disable its HTML5 local storage or delete information contained in its HTML5 local storage. For information about deleting information contained in Local Shared Objects or adjusting related preferences, please click here.

• Web Beacons.

  We (or our partners) may use technologies called web beacons that communicate information from your Internet browser to a web server. Web beacons can be embedded in web pages, videos, or emails, and can allow a web server to read certain types of information from your browser, check whether you have viewed a particular web page or email message, and determine, among other things, the time and date on which you viewed the web beacon, the IP address of your computer, and the URL of the web page from which the web beacon was viewed. These web beacons may be used for a variety of purposes, including to analyze the use of the Services and in conjunction with cookies to provide content and ads that are more relevant to you.

How We May Use and Share the Information We Collect

• Providing the Services You Request

  We use the information we gather about you to enable your use of the Services, fulfill your requests for certain products and services, such as sending out electronic newsletters and enabling you to participate in and renew paid services, polls, contests, and message boards. We reserve the right to disclose your opt-out information to third parties so they can suppress your name from future solicitations, in accordance with applicable laws. In addition, if you request that we send your information to a third party service, such as for earning rewards points or other benefits, we may do so and use of that information by the third party is subject to their privacy policy.

• Statistical Analysis

  We use the information, including analytics and statistical information, to analyze the use of the Services so that we may improve them. We also use this information to generally inform advertisers about the nature of our user base.

• Customizing Your Experience

  We use the information that we collect to allow advertising to be targeted to the users for whom such advertising is most pertinent. We may also use this information to customize certain features of the Services to provide you with an enhanced experience based on information such as the type of device you are using to access the Services, your activities on the services, or your location or geo-location. We may also use this information to provide you with services you have requested.

• Service Providers

  We may contract with other companies that provide services to us, including credit-card and billing processors, survey administrators, technical or customer support, shipping, e-mail distribution, email service providers, data enhancement and information or analytics providers, list processing and promotions management. Sometimes, we may provide to these service providers aggregate or anonymized information about how users interact with our Services (or other information provided to us by users), which may help them enhance their own products, data or analytics.

• Our Parent Company

  About, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of IAC and an operating company of Ask.com. We share information we collect with our affiliates (entities that are under common ownership or control) to better understand our users (their demographics, what they do on our Websites, what Website features they like, how they use them, etc.), to serve ads on other IAC websites, and to improve the content and answers delivered on the Services and on affiliate services, such as Ask.com's services.

Communication with Guides, Experts and other Contributors to the Services

• The Services feature content provided by people who are independent contractors and not employees of About, including content provided by contributors including those we call "Experts" or "Guides." If you contact an Expert or Guide (or other contributor) directly by email through the Services (including via an about.com or aboutguide.com email domain) or otherwise then that communication is independent of the Services, and thus not subject to this Privacy Policy. Although About contractually requires its Expert and Guide contributors to maintain information from About users in confidence, About cannot and does not guarantee that they will do so, and is not responsible for what our contributors may say, or how they may use information you have freely provided to them. Likewise, your communications with a contributor are not private or confidential, nor are such communications protected by attorney-client, doctor-patient, or any other privilege. For more information see our Ethics Policy and Terms of Use.

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Cookie Policy & Your Ad Choices

Information Collected by Third-Parties and Your Ad & Cookie Choices

Third parties may collect information about you through the Services, including through use of the technologies for serving relevant ads and other reasons as described above. We may not have access to, nor control over, these third parties' data collection practices and we do not assume any liability related to their collection or use. These third parties may use cookies alone or in conjunction with web beacons or other tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use our Websites. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content on the Websites or on any other websites on the Internet.

For instance, like many other websites and applications, in addition to our own systems, we may use other third-party ad servers, analytics platforms and data management platforms to serve and display Advertisements, or to collect information about you and your use of the Services for other analytics purposes. They may use cookies, pixel trackers, web beacons or other internet or mobile technology to collect non-personal and/or anonymous information about your use of the Services (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over) and precise geolocation and user device identification (if you have provided your consent for such collection) during and about your visits to the Websites and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. In certain cases, you have options and choices about the collection and use of information by third parties on our Websites:

• For more information about these third-party Ad Networks and opting out of tracking through the NAI, visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp.
• For more information about interest-based advertising and opting out through the DAA, visit: http://www.aboutads.info/choices/
• For more information about disabling and controlling third-party cookies in your browser, visit: http://www.aboutcookies.org/Default.aspx?page=1

In addition to the above, we have implemented on our Services certain "Google Analytics" features that support Display Advertising, including re-targeting. Visitors to our Websites may opt out of Google Analytics, customize the Google Display Network ads by using the Google Ad Preferences Manager and learn more about how Google serves ads by viewing its Customer Ads Help Center. If you do not wish to participate in Google Analytics, you may also download the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on.

Other Privacy Considerations

We may transfer your information to a third party if we or any of our affiliates are involved in a transfer or all or part of our business or assets (e.g., a sale, merger, dissolution, liquidation or reorganization) or are taking steps in anticipation of such a transaction (e.g., participating in due diligence).

• Do Not Track Browser Disclosure

  Do Not Track ("DNT") is a privacy preference that users can set in certain web browsers. DNT is a way for users to inform websites and services that they do not want certain information about their webpage visits collected over time and across websites or online services.

  We are committed to providing you with meaningful choices about the information collected on our Websites for third party purposes, and that is why we provide the NAI "Consumer Opt-out" link and the DAA opt-out link above. However, we do not recognize or respond to browser-initiated DNT signals, as the Internet industry is currently still working toward defining exactly what DNT means, what it means to comply with DNT, and a common approach to responding to DNT.

• Information from Children Under 13

  We do not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under 13. If we determine that a user is under 13, we will delete all personally identifiable information collected from that user.

• Information from Users Outside of the United States

  If you are visiting the Services from outside the United States, your data will be transferred to and stored in our servers in the U.S. By using our Services, you consent to our collection and use of your data as described in this privacy policy, and acknowledge that data protection laws in the U.S. may be different or less restrictive than in some other countries.

• Your California Privacy Rights

  Under the California "Shine The Light" law, California residents may opt-out of the disclosure of personal information to third parties for direct marketing purposes (as those concepts are defined in that law) However, we do not currently engage in the type of sharing covered by that law.

• Compliance With Legal Process

  We may disclose personal information (1) if we believe such sharing is appropriate to comply with the law or with legal process; (2) to protect and defend our rights, services or property; (3) to protect against misuse or unauthorized use of the Services; or (4) to protect the safety or property of our users or any member of the public (among other things, this means that if we believe you have provided false information or attempted to pose as someone else, information about you may be disclosed as part of any investigation into your actions).

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please visit us at:

• http://www.about.com/help.htm

Or you can contact us by mail at:

Customer Care
About, Inc.
1500 Broadway, 6th Floor
New York, NY 10036

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Ethics Policy

Advertising Policy

About maintains a distinct separation between Advertising and editorial content.

• All Advertising or sponsored content on the About sites is clearly and unambiguously distinguished from editorial content through borders or other distinguishing elements and/or identified as an "Ad," "Advertisement," "Sponsored" or a similar designation indicating that the content is being provided by or on behalf of the sponsor.
• All ads on About.com Health are labeled as an "Ad," "Advertisement," "Sponsored" or a similar designation indicating that the content is being provided by or on behalf of the sponsor.
• All "native" ads or paid content are identified as an "Ad," "Advertisement," "Sponsored" or a similar designation indicating that the content is being provided by or on behalf of the sponsor.
• Editorial content on the About sites is not influenced by advertisements unless the content is sponsored content, in which case, the content will be clearly demarcated and identified with the title "Ad," "Advertisement," or "Sponsored", or a similar designation, indicating that the content is being provided by or on behalf of an advertiser or sponsor.

About Ethics Policy for Independent Contractor Experts

In General. Experts are independent contractors who create and publish content on About.com and affiliated sites ("Sites"). Experts are compensated in part based on the amount of content that they create and/or the page views of the Sites containing the content they create. About.com contractually requires that Experts maintain high ethical standards and all legal requirements, including Federal Trade Commission (FTC) disclosure requirements. Experts writing for About Health are contractually obligated to comply with ethical standards embodied in the HONcode. The Experts, and not About.com, are responsible for their own compliance with these standards. These Experts and other writers provide advice and information that they intend to be not only practical but trustworthy. These Experts and other writers and not About.com write and are responsible for their content and this content is made available on About.com "AS IS". Your use of the Sites is subject to the Terms of Use (including the disclaimers).

Ecommerce and Affiliate Links Disclosure. Experts may receive compensation for participation in third-party affiliate programs, including purchases made through links to About's ecommerce partners.

Funding Statement. About.com is an indirect, wholly owned subsidiary of IAC/Interactive Corp, which is a public company (NASDAQ: IACI). Other than loans or transfers from affiliated companies, the only external sources of funding are from advertisements and sponsored content on the website.

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Patent Info

The About system is covered by one or more of the following patents:

• U.S. Patent No. 5,918,010
• U.S. Patent No. 6,081,788
• U.S. Patent No. 6,157,926
• U.S. Patent No. 6,195,681
• U.S. Patent No. 6,226,648
• U.S. Patent No. 6,336,132
• U.S. Patent No. 8,719,333
• Australian Patent No. 729,891
• Other Patents Pending.

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Advertising Guidelines

These advertising guidelines (“Guidelines”) set forth standards that govern the placement and display of advertisements and sponsored content (collectively “Ads”) by any advertiser, agency, or advertising technology platform (collectively “Advertisers”). Advertisers must adhere to these Guidelines when placing Ads, including Ads purchased under the AAAA/IAB Standard Terms and Conditions, on websites or mobile properties owned or controlled by About, Inc. (collectively “About”).

These Guidelines are intended to provide general parameters for Advertisers in connection with Ad creative and content served on About. They are not exhaustive and do not address every situation or issue that may arise in the course of business. Accordingly, these Guidelines are subject to change from time to time in About’s sole and absolute discretion.

Advertisers are responsible for understanding and complying with all applicable laws and regulations, including FTC guidelines regarding advertising, native advertising disclosures, endorsements, privacy, and data security. All Ad’s must be fair, truthful, and clearly distinguishable from editorial content. Advertisers are responsible for ensuring all Ads and related claims are adequately substantiated. Further, Advertisers must adhere to About’s Prohibited Content Guidelines and Additional Standards set forth below, which are incorporated into and made a part of these Guidelines.

Ads served through networks or exchanges are reviewed on a regular basis and, in addition to any other remedies About may have, About reserves the right to remove, without notice, any Ads that do not meet these Guidelines, regardless of whether the Ad was previously accepted by About.

PROHIBITED CONTENT

Ads may not contain or promote the following:

• Drugs/Alcohol/Tobacco.

  Ads may not promote illegal drugs, illegal substances, abuse of prescription drugs, use of Alcohol (except for beer and wine), or tobacco products, or any related paraphernalia thereto. Lawful products and services which promote quitting tobacco related products are permitted.

• Weapons/Violence.

  Ads may not promote the use, distribution, or making of firearms, ammunition, explosives, pyrotechnics or other weapons. Ads may not promote violence, cruelty, or physical or emotional harm to any person or animal.

• Illegal Activities/Gambling.

  Ads may not promote any illegal or other questionable activities which may be illegal in one or more jurisdictions, including without limitation hacking, counterfeiting, or other activities that may violate the intellectual property, privacy, publicity, or contractual rights of others. Ads may not contain or promote content related to scams, financial schemes, pyramid schemes or other fraudulent or illegal financial or investment opportunities. Ads may not promote casinos, gambling, betting, numbers games, sports or financial betting. Ads promoting state lotteries are permitted.

• Hate/Intolerance/Discrimination.

  Ads may not contain or promote hate speech, personal attacks, or discrimination toward any individual, group, country or organization.

• Obscenity/Indecency/Profanity.

  Ads may not contain or promote any obscene, indecent, profane or offensive words, images, sounds, videos or other content.

• Political/Religious.

  Ads may not contain hostile, offensive, inflammatory or hateful speech related to political or religious topics or groups. Ads may not exploit controversial political, social, or religious issues for commercial purposes.

• Sexual/Adult Content.

  Ads may not include full or partial nudity, depictions of people in explicit positions, or activities that are overly suggestive or sexually provocative. Ads will not contain text or images exposing anyone or anything involved in explicit sexual acts or lewd and lascivious behavior. Ads may not promote escort, dating, erotic message, pornography, or other sexual products or services.

• Disparagement/Defamation.

  Ads may not contain disparaging or defamatory information or content which tends to harm the reputation of About or any other individual, group, or organization.

• Gross Depictions.

  Ads may not contain or promote content that is crude, vulgar, degrading or likely to shock or disgust.

• Militant/Extremism.

  Ads may not contain or promote extremely aggressive and combative behaviors or unlawful political measures, including individuals or groups advocating violence as a means to achieve their goals.

• Sensitive Content.

  Ads may not target sensitive categories such as financial status, medical conditions, mental health, criminal record, political affiliation, age, racial or ethnic origin, religious or philosophical affiliation or beliefs, sexual behavior or orientation, or trade union membership.

• Free Goods/Services.

  Ads may not distribute or promise to distribute any free goods and services.

• Targeted at Children.

  Ads may not specifically target children, including through cartoons or other similar content.

• Unverifiable Claims.

  Ads may not make confusing claims that reasonable consumers cannot readily understand and evaluate.

• Before/After Images.

  Ads may not depict “before and after” images or images that contain unexpected or unlikely results.

• Health/Safety Claims.

  Ads may not promote actions likely to harm one’s health, such as bulimia, anorexia, binge drinking, or drug use. Ads may not make health claims that are not clearly substantiated. Advertisers may be required to submit supporting documentation to substantiate their products’ claims.

• Misleading/False/Deceptive.

  Ads may not contain any information or content that is potentially misleading, false, or deceptive, including content which is meant to deceptively generate clicks such as fake “close” buttons.

• Competitive to About/Affiliates.

  Ads may not promote direct competitors of About or any of its parent, affiliate, subsidiary or other related entity.

ADDITIONAL STANDARDS

Advertisers and Ads must adhere to the following:

• Audio/Animation.

  Ads may not include overly disruptive audio or animation that plays automatically.

• Popups/Downloads.

  Ads may not include lead ads, floating layers, pop-ups, surveys, or any digital downloads.

• Malicious Software.

  Ads may not contain malicious code, software or viruses, including malware, spyware, adware, stealware, or Trojan horses.

• Separation.

  Ads must contain clear boarders and be displayed so they are unmistakably not part of About’s editorial site content.

• Phishing.

  Ads may not trap or trick a user into providing money or any account, personal or other sensitive information.

• Compatibility.

  Ads must function uniformly on both Apple and PC formats, as well as all major Internet browsers.

• Independence.

  Ads may not appear to compromise or influence About’s editorial independence from Advertisers.

• Endorsements.

  Ads may not create or imply the existence of any endorsement by About of any product, service or organization.

• Landing Pages.

  Landing pages associated with Ads must correspond to the Ads call to action and not engage in “bait and switch”.

• Proprietary Rights.

  Ads may not violate any copyright, trademark, trade-secret, patent, publicity, privacy or other proprietary rights of About or any third party. Advertisers may not alter or interfere with the readability or display of any About trademarks, service marks, logos, designs or slogans.

• Data Collection/Use.

  Ads may not include open-box forms to register users or collect any data. Ads may not collect and sell data or mailing lists regarding About users without the users’ express permission. Advertisers may not collect any personally identifiable information from About users or place any cookies, applets or other similar files — if those files transmit any personally identifiable information to Advertisers — on desktop computers or mobile devices of About users. Advertisers must handle data with appropriate care, not misuse any data which they are permitted to collect, nor collect any data for unclear purposes or without appropriate security measures.

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