Privacy Policy

This policy explains how Big Bear Associates LLC (“Big Bear Associates”, “we”, “us”) handles information connected with this website and with correspondence sent to the contact address published on it.

1. Scope

This policy covers this website and email you send to us through the address listed below. It does not cover other websites, or any separate product or service that may be offered in future under its own terms.

2. Information we receive

Information you choose to send. If you email us, we receive your email address, any name or signature you include, the content of your message, and any attachments.

Technical information. Like most websites and email systems, the services that host this site and deliver our email may automatically process technical information such as IP addresses, browser and device details, pages requested, and the date and time of requests. This is handled as part of operating those services.

Hosting-layer measurement. This website uses Netlify Web Analytics, a measurement feature of our hosting provider, to see aggregate figures such as visitor and unique-visitor counts, pageviews, referral sources, popular pages, and bandwidth and technical health. It operates at the hosting/CDN layer, without a browser analytics cookie. To produce these aggregate figures, Netlify may process technical request data such as IP address, browser and device details, the page requested, the referring page, and the date and time of the request.

Page analytics. This website also uses Plausible Analytics, a privacy-focused, cookie-free analytics service, to see aggregate website usage such as visitor counts, pageviews, referral sources and popular pages. Plausible’s script does not use cookies or other persistent identifiers, does not collect personal information, and does not track visitors across other websites. To produce these aggregate figures, Plausible processes technical request data such as IP address, browser and device details, the page requested, the referring page, and the date and time of the request, and reports it back to us only as aggregated statistics. Plausible acts as a data processor for this purpose; its own privacy practices and data retention are described at plausible.io/data-policy.

This website does not currently use forms, user accounts, or advertising.

3. How we use information

• to read and respond to your correspondence;
• to operate, maintain and secure this website and our email;
• to see aggregate website usage and technical health through hosting-layer measurement;
• to keep ordinary business records; and
• to comply with legal obligations and protect our legal rights.

4. When information is shared

We may share information:

• with service providers that host this website and provide its analytics measurement (Netlify and Plausible), or process email on our behalf, for the purpose of providing those services; and
• where required by law, regulation or legal process, or where reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety or security.

We do not sell personal information received through this website, and we do not use it for targeted advertising.

5. Cookies and tracking

The pages of this website do not set cookies. This website includes a page script from Plausible Analytics, described in section 2, which does not use cookies or other persistent identifiers to identify or track visitors. Our hosting provider’s Netlify Web Analytics, also described in section 2, operates separately at the hosting/CDN layer without a browser analytics cookie. We use both services only for the aggregate figures described in section 2. If that changes, we will update this policy.

Big Bear Associates does not use this website to track visitors across other websites.

6. Retention

We keep correspondence for as long as it is needed for the purposes above, including maintaining business records and meeting legal obligations. Technical information processed by our hosting provider, including through Netlify Web Analytics, by Plausible Analytics, and by our email provider, is retained according to the applicable provider’s plan, settings and practices for the service as configured for this website.

7. Security

We use reasonable measures to protect the information we hold. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please do not send sensitive personal or confidential information by email.

8. Your requests

You may ask us about the personal information we hold about you, and ask us to correct or delete it. We will respond as required by applicable law. We may need to confirm your identity before acting, and we may keep information where the law requires or permits us to.

9. Children

This website is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

10. Changes

We may update this policy. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.

11. Contact

Big Bear Associates LLC
contact@bigbearassociates.com