Privacy Policy

Bites & Borders ("we," "us," or "our") is a travel and food blog operated by Chris, based in Virginia, United States. Our website is located at https://bitesandborders.com. For privacy-related questions, contact us at Chris@BitesAndBorders.com.

We collect information you provide directly (such as your name and email address when subscribing to our newsletter). When you voluntarily submit a newsletter or free-guide form, we also record the form source, any UTM campaign parameters in the page URL, the landing page, and the referring URL so we can understand which content and campaigns lead to subscriptions. We collect information automatically (such as IP address, browser type, pages visited, and referring URLs via analytics tools), and information from third-party services you connect with (such as when you sign in via Manus OAuth). We do not collect sensitive personal information such as financial data, health information, or government identification numbers.

We use collected information to: deliver and improve our website content; send you our newsletter and travel updates (only if you subscribed); understand which campaigns, pages, and free resources lead to voluntary subscriptions; respond to your inquiries; analyze site traffic and user behavior to improve the experience; serve relevant advertisements via Google AdSense; comply with legal obligations; and detect and prevent fraud or abuse.

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies for the following purposes: • Essential Cookies: Required for the site to function correctly (session management, security). These cannot be disabled. • Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics and site analytics to understand how visitors use our site. These technologies are not loaded or configured unless you grant Analytics consent. When you decline Analytics, the site does not send Google Analytics page-view or event data. • Advertising Cookies (Google AdSense): We load Google AdSense only after you grant Advertising consent and only on completed substantive editorial pages. When Advertising consent is declined, we keep advertising storage, ad user data, and ad personalization denied and do not load AdSense. For more information on how Google uses data, visit policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. • Marketing Cookies: Set by Meta Pixel and Pinterest Tag for campaign measurement and retargeting. These are only activated if you grant marketing consent. If you are an authenticated user or voluntarily subscribe to our newsletter, we may normalize your email address and create a one-way SHA-256 hash in your browser session so a later Marketing Cookies choice can be honored. We provide that hash to Meta and Pinterest for advanced matching only after you grant Marketing Cookies. We do not send your raw email address through these tags, and the hashed identifier is retained only in the browser session. • Affiliate Tracking: When you click on affiliate links (including Viator, Klook, Amazon, Expedia, and others), those third-party services may set cookies to track referrals and attribute commissions. We do not control these cookies. You can manage your cookie preferences at any time using the Cookie Settings control. You can also control cookies through your browser settings, though disabling all cookies may affect site functionality.

We implement Google Consent Mode v2 on this site. This means: • Before any Google service is configured, we set consent defaults to "denied" for all visitors. Google Analytics and site analytics are loaded only after an explicit Analytics consent grant. • After an explicit preference, we update only the consent signals that match the categories you chose. Advertising-related signals remain denied unless you grant Advertising consent, and analytics storage remains denied unless you grant Analytics consent. • When you decline Analytics, Google Analytics is not loaded and no Google Analytics page-view or event data is sent. Advertising signals remain separately controlled by your Advertising preference. • We enable URL passthrough and ads data redaction to protect your privacy when ad_storage is denied. This implementation is designed to comply with GDPR, the UK GDPR, and CCPA requirements for consent-based data processing.

Bites & Borders is independently owned and participates in affiliate marketing programs. We may earn a commission when you click on certain links and make a purchase or booking, at no additional cost to you. Paid, sponsored, hosted, gifted, or otherwise compensated content is clearly identified near the beginning of the applicable content. Commercial relationships do not guarantee coverage or determine our opinions, and first-hand experience is identified where noted.

If you subscribe to our newsletter via MailerLite, we collect your email address and use it to send travel content, destination guides, and occasional promotional emails. We retain the signup source and campaign context described above with the subscription record to measure the performance of our content and free resources. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in any email. If you opt into SMS communications, you consent to receive text messages from Bites & Borders. Message and data rates may apply. You can opt out at any time by replying STOP to any message. See our SMS Policy for full details.

Our site integrates with the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies: • Google Analytics — Anonymized traffic analysis. Google Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy • Google AdSense — Display advertising. Google uses cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to this site or other sites. Opt out of personalized ads at adssettings.google.com. Details: policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites • Meta Pixel (Facebook) — Campaign measurement, retargeting, and consented hashed-email advanced matching for authenticated or subscribed visitors. Meta Privacy Policy: facebook.com/privacy/policy • Pinterest Tag — Campaign measurement and consented hashed-email enhanced matching for authenticated or subscribed visitors. Pinterest Privacy Policy: policy.pinterest.com/en/privacy-policy • Microsoft Clarity — Session recording and heatmaps. Microsoft Privacy Statement: privacy.microsoft.com • MailerLite — Email marketing. MailerLite Privacy Policy: mailerlite.com/legal/privacy-policy • Viator (TripAdvisor) — Tour booking affiliate. Viator Privacy Policy: viator.com/privacy • Klook — Activity booking affiliate. Klook Privacy Policy: klook.com/en-US/about/privacy/ • Amazon Associates — Product affiliate. Amazon Privacy Notice: amazon.com/privacy • YouTube — Video embeds. Google Privacy Policy: policies.google.com/privacy We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties.

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations. Newsletter subscriber data is retained until you unsubscribe. Analytics data is retained in aggregated, anonymized form.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data: GDPR (EEA / UK residents): • Right to access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. • Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data. • Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten"). • Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data. • Right to data portability: Request your data in a portable format. • Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests. • Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw cookie consent at any time via Cookie Settings. CCPA (California residents): • Right to know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information collected. • Right to delete: Request deletion of your personal information. • Right to correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information. • Right to opt out of sale/sharing: We do not sell personal data. Disabling Advertising Cookies in Cookie Settings constitutes your opt-out of sharing for targeted advertising purposes. • Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at Chris@BitesAndBorders.com. We will respond within 30 days.

Bites & Borders is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us at Chris@BitesAndBorders.com and we will delete it promptly.

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Bites & Borders is operated from the United States. If you are located outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where required by law, by re-prompting cookie consent. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, contact us at: Bites & Borders Email: Chris@BitesAndBorders.com Website: https://bitesandborders.com