1. How We Use Cookies
We use the following types of cookies: Persistent Cookies: We use persistent Cookies to improve your experience of using the site. This includes recording your “Accept Cookies” consent which first appears when you use the site. Session Cookies: Session Cookies are temporary and deleted from your machine when your web browser closes. We use session Cookies to help us track internet usage as described above. Third Party Cookies: Third party cookies from YouTube, Google, and other similar services may be in use on the site, depending on whether videos are currently embedded in content, etc. You may refuse to accept browser Cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of the site. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse Cookies, our system will issue Cookies when you direct your browser to our site.
2. Hosting and Cloud Services
This section explains our privacy practices in relation to the data we collect when we provide Hosting and Cloud Services to you.
In this section, “client” refers to businesses to which we provide the Hosting and Cloud Services.
2.1 What information do we collect when we provide Hosting and Cloud Services
2.1.1 When clients use our Hosting and Cloud Services, they provide us with third party data. We only collect this data in accordance with our client’s instructions. This means that our clients are in control of the data they upload to our platforms.
2.1.2 We enter into agreements with our clients that set out our legal obligations in relation to that data, and explain that we may only use such data to provide the Services to our client (i.e. to provide Hosting Services, Cloud Services or the Domain Registration Services). In many legal jurisdictions, particularly those within the European Economic Area (“EEA”), DreamHost is considered to be a “data processor” in relation to such client data. Each of our clients would be considered to be a “data controller”. As a controller, each DreamHost client is responsible for complying with the requirements for controllers under the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) which requires notice, disclosure and specific legal bases for transferring data to DreamHost and using the Hosting and Cloud Services. As a processor, DreamHost has some – but not all – of those responsibilities.
2.1.3 If you would like more information about the data collected by a particular DreamHost client and, in turn, transferred to DreamHost, please refer to that client’s privacy notice which would typically be located on their website.
2.1.4 There are instances in which we act as a data controller. The rest of this Privacy Policy explains our data collection practices in those circumstances.
2.2 Information that you provide
2.2.1 The personal information we collect from you when we provide you with Services will depend on the type of service or support you require.
2.2.2 Some personal information is collected directly from you when you:
- (a) create an account or purchase any of our Services (for example, billing information, contact information, credit card number and in certain circumstances, government identification);
- (b) request assistance from our technical support team (for example, your phone number or email address);
- (c) log in to your account, such as your log-in credentials (for example, your username and password);
- (d) complete contact forms or request newsletters or other information from us (for example, your email address); or
- (e) participate in surveys or contests or participate in activities we promote which might require information from you.
2.2.3 We will also collect and process other data that might be less obvious to you. For example, account-related information is collected in association with your use of the Services (like the types of services you have used, your payment history, the amount of your payments, your domain name, information about when products renew or expire, customer service requests, information requests, etc.).
2.2.4 Some of this data may be personal data. We may use this information to contact you from time to time about our products, promotions and other services that relate to your account. You can manage and choose the information you want to receive. Please see Section 11 for more information.
2.2.5 Most of the personal information that we collect is necessary to keep all of our Services functional and accessible by you. If we’re asking for personal information beyond this scope, we’ll make sure to clearly let you know why we need it (and what the effects of not providing it may be).
2.3 Information we collect automatically
2.3.1 When you use our Hosting Services, we may collect certain information automatically from your device. This may include information like your IP address, your device type, any unique device identification numbers, browser types, information about your broad geographic location (for example, country or city level location) and other technical information that may identify you.
2.3.2 By way of example, data about usage of services is automatically collected when you use and interact with our Services, including metadata, log files and cookie/device IDs. This information includes specific data about your interactions with the features, content and links (including those of third parties, such as social media plugins) contained within the Services as well as the information listed in the previous paragraph.
2.4 Information we collect from third party sources
2.4.1 In our capacity as a data controller, we may collect information from third parties. This may include information from partners in order to maintain functionality of your Services (such as domain name registrations and third-party email suites). We may combine this data with information we already have so that we can properly update, analyze, and expand our Services. This information will only be used for the specific reason for which it was provided to us.
3. How do we use the information we collect about you?
3.1 To the extent that we are a data controller, we use the information collected through your use of our Services for the following purposes:
- (a) to improve and optimize the operation and performance of our Services to you, and for the Website;
- (b) to carry out obligations arising under agreements entered into between you and DreamHost;
- (c) to diagnose problems and identify security risks, errors or needed enhancements to the Services;
- (d) for research regarding the effectiveness of our Services, the Website and related marketing, advertising and sales efforts;
- (e) to respond to your support requests, and to communicate with you though email, via the website and livechat, text messages, telephone calls or automated phone calls or text messages;
- (f) to provide you with information about our products and services; and
- (g) to investigate, prevent or act regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud or otherwise as required by law.
3.2 Often, much of the data is aggregated or statistical data about how people use our Services or Website and is not linked to any personal data. To the extent that this data is itself personal data, or is linked to personal data, we treat it accordingly.
4. Our legal basis for processing personal information
4.1 Our legal basis for collecting and using the personal information described above will depend on the personal information concerned and the specific context in which we collect it. However, we will normally collect personal information only where we have your consent to do so, where we need the personal information to perform a contract with you, or where the processing is in our legitimate interests and not overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms. In some cases, we may also have a legal obligation to collect personal information from you.
4.2 If we ask you to provide personal information to comply with a legal requirement or to perform our contract with you, we will make this clear at the relevant time and advise you whether the provision of your personal information is mandatory or not (as well as the possible consequences if you do not provide your personal information). Similarly, if we collect and use your personal information while relying on our legitimate interests (or those of a third party), we will make clear to you at the relevant time what those legitimate interests are.
5. With whom do we share your information?
5.1 With the exception of trusted business affiliates and/or associates who work on behalf of or in connection with us, we will not provide to or sell to any third party your personal information and will keep all such data confidential. For example, we share information with third parties where the functionality and maintenance of our Services depends on it (such as sharing data with domain registries in order to maintain your Services or domain registrations).