Privacy policy

Date of Last Revision: April 24, 2025

This privacy policy located at https://www.thestackproject.org/privacypolicy (the “Privacy Policy”) applies to our website, located at https://www.thestackproject.org/ (the “Website”) and the mobile application (the “App”) (collectively, the “Site”) owned and operated by The Stack Project (“The Stack Project,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We have created this Privacy Policy to tell you what information the Site and Services collect, how we use that information, and who we will share that information with, if at all.

This Privacy Policy does not address the privacy practices of any third parties that we do not own, control, or are affiliated with. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected through any other means, including on any other website operated by a third party; or any third party including through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from or through the Site.

Capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy will have the meaning stated in our Terms of Services. By visiting and/or using our Site, you are agreeing to the terms of this Privacy Policy and the accompanying Terms of Services located at https://www.thestackproject.org/termsofservice. We encourage you to read the Privacy Policy, and to use the information it contains to help you make informed decisions.

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Site. By accessing or using this Site or Services, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see Changes to Our Privacy Policy). Your continued use of this Site and the Services after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates.

Children

The Services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect any personal information from children under the age of 13 without parental consent, unless permitted by law. If we learn that a child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it in accordance with applicable law.

Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

We may collect several types of information from and about users of our Site, including information:

• By which you may be personally identified, such as first and last name, postal address, email address, telephone number, your credit report, age or date of birth, gender identity, ethnicity, marital status, education level, residency status, country of origin, information about your immediate family, social security number, and any other identifier by which you may be contacted online or offline ("personal information"); and/or

• About your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Site, and usage details.

We collect this information:

• Directly from you when you provide it to us.

• Automatically as you navigate through the site. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses, and information collected through cookies, and other tracking technologies.

• From third party sources, for example, our business partners.

Information you provide to us

Information you may provide to us through the Services or otherwise includes:

• Contact data, such as your first and last name, email address, mailing address, professional title and employer name, and personal and employer phone number.
• Geographic Information, such as your city, state, country of residence, and postal code.
• Communications that we exchange with you, including when you contact us with questions or feedback, through the Service, social media, or otherwise.
• Financial information, such as your total assets, stated income, credit history, credit score, and economic standing.
• Promotional information, including information you share when you enter a competition, redeem a promotion, or complete a survey.  
• Registration information, including information you share when you register for any live events, programs, and webinars, and information regarding your participation in those events.
• Other data not specifically listed here, which we will use as described in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise disclosed at the time of collection.

Third-party sources

We may combine information we receive from you with information we obtain from other sources, such as:

• Public sources, such as government agencies, public records, social media platforms, and other publicly available sources.
• Data providers, such as information services and data licensors that provide demographic and other information.
• Our affiliate partners, such as our corporate affiliate network provider and publishers, and promoters who participate in our paid affiliate programs.
• Marketing partners, such as joint marketing partners and event co-sponsors.

If you choose to login to the Services via a third-party platform or social media network, or otherwise connect your account on the third-party platform or network to your account through the Service, we may collect information from that platform or network.  For example, this information may include your LinkedIn username, profile picture, and networks to which you belong.  You may also have the opportunity to provide us with additional information via the third-party platform or network, such as a list of your connections and your email address.

Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies

We, our service providers, and our business partners may automatically log information about you, your computer or mobile device, and your interaction over time with the Service, our communications, and other online services, such as:

• Device data, such as your computer’s or mobile device’s operating system type and version, manufacturer and model, browser type, screen resolution, RAM and disk size, CPU usage, device type (e.g., phone, tablet), IP address, unique identifiers (including identifiers used for advertising purposes), language settings, mobile device carrier, radio/network information (e.g., Wi-Fi, LTE, 3G), and general location information such as city, state, or geographic area.
• Online activity data, such as pages or screens you viewed, how long you spent on a page or screen, the website you visited before browsing to the Services, navigation paths between pages or screens, information about your activity on a page or screen, access times and duration of access, and whether you have opened our marketing emails or clicked links within them.

Cookies and similar technologies

Like many online services, we may use the following technologies:

• Cookies, which are text files that websites store on a visitor‘s device to uniquely identify the visitor’s browser or to store information or settings in the browser for the purpose of helping you navigate between pages efficiently, remembering your preferences, enabling functionality, helping us understand user activity and patterns, and facilitating analytics and online advertising.
• Local storage technologies, like HTML5 and Flash, that provide cookie-equivalent functionality but can store larger amounts of data, including on your device outside of your browser in connection with specific applications.
• Web beacons, also known as pixel tags or clear GIFs, which are used to demonstrate that a webpage or email address was accessed or opened, or that certain content was viewed or clicked.

How We Use Your Information

We may use your information for the following purposes or as otherwise described at the time of collection:

Service delivery

We may use your information:

• To present our Site and its contents to you
• To provide you with information, products, or services that you request from us
• To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it 
• To provide, operate, and improve the Services and our business;
• To communicate with you about the Service, including by sending announcements, updates, and support and administrative messages;
• To understand your needs and interests, and personalize your experience with the Services and our communications;
• To administer a survey, promotion, or other Services feature, or to add you to our listserv or newsletter; 
• To notify you about changes to our Site and any products or services we offer or provide through it;
• To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection; 
• To provide support for the Services, and respond to your requests, questions, and feedback;

In any way we may describe when you provide the information.

Research and development

We may use your information for research and development purposes, including to analyze and improve the Services and our business.  

Marketing

We, our service providers, and our third-party advertising partners may collect and use your information for marketing purposes.  We may send your The Stack Project-related or other direct marketing communications as permitted by law. You may opt-out of our marketing communications as described in the “Opt-out of marketing” section below.  

Compliance and protection

We may use your information to:

• comply with applicable laws, lawful requests, and legal process, such as to respond to subpoenas or requests from government authorities;
• protect our, your, or others’ rights, privacy, safety, or property (including by making and defending legal claims);
• audit our internal processes for compliance with legal and contractual requirements or our internal policies;
• enforce the terms and conditions that govern the Service; and
• prevent, identify, investigate, and deter fraudulent, harmful, unauthorized, unethical, or illegal activity, including cyberattacks and identity theft.  

With your consent

In some cases, we may specifically ask for your consent to collect, use, or share your information, such as when required by law.  

To create anonymous, aggregated, or de-identified data

We may create anonymous, aggregated, or de-identified data from your information and other individuals whose information we collect. We make information into anonymous, aggregated, or de-identified data by removing information that makes the data identifiable to you. We may use this anonymous, aggregated, or de-identified data and share it with third parties for our lawful business purposes, including to analyze and improve the Services and promote our business.

How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with the following parties and as otherwise described in this Privacy Policy or at the time of collection.  

Affiliates

Our corporate parent, subsidiaries, and affiliates, for business purposes.

Service providers

Third parties that provide services on our behalf or help us operate and provide the Services or our business (such as hosting, information technology, inquiry support, email delivery, marketing, and website analytics).

Third-party platforms and social media networks

If you have enabled features or functionality that connect the Services to a third-party platform or social media network (such as by logging in to the Services using your account with the third-party, providing your API key or similar access token for the Services to a third party, or otherwise linking your account with the Services to a third party’s services), we may disclose the information that you authorized us to share.  We do not control the third party’s use of your information.

Professional advisors

Professional advisors, specifically the financial advisers with whom we may refer you to, where necessary to provide the Services or as may be necessary to complete the referral process, or as you specifically allow.

Authorities and others

Law enforcement, government authorities, and private parties, as we believe in good faith to be necessary or appropriate for the compliance and protection purposes described above.

Business transferees

Acquirers and other relevant participants in business transactions (or negotiations and diligence for such transactions) involving a corporate divestiture, merger, consolidation, acquisition, reorganization, sale or other disposition of all or any portion of the business or assets of, or equity interests in, The Stack Project or our affiliates (including, in connection with a bankruptcy or similar proceedings).  

Your Choices 

You have the following choices with respect to your information.

Opt-out of marketing communications

You may opt-out of marketing-related emails by following the opt-out or unsubscribe instructions at the bottom of the email, or by contacting us at gethelp@stackproject.org.  Please note that if you choose to opt-out of marketing-related emails, you may continue to receive service-related and other non-marketing emails.  

Cookies

Most browsers let you remove or reject cookies.  To do this, follow the instructions in your browser settings.  Many browsers accept cookies by default until you change your settings.  Please note that if you set your browser to disable cookies, the Services may not work properly.  For more information about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set on your browser and how to manage and delete them, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

Do Not Track

Some Internet browsers may be configured to send “Do Not Track” signals to the online services that you visit.  We currently do not respond to “Do Not Track” or similar signals.  To find out more about “Do Not Track,” please visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com.

Declining To Provide Information

We need to collect information to provide certain services.  If you do not provide the information we identify as required or mandatory, we may not be able to provide those services.

Third-Party Platforms

If you choose to connect to the Services through your social media account or other third-party platforms or integrations, you may be able to use your settings in your account with that platform to limit the information we receive from it.  If you revoke our ability to access information from a third-party platform, that choice will not apply to information that we have already received from that third party.

Third Party Websites and Services

The Services may contain links to websites, mobile applications, and other online services operated by third parties.  In addition, our content may be integrated into web pages or other online services that are not associated with us.  These links and integrations are not an endorsement of, or representation that we are affiliated with, any third party.  We do not control websites, mobile applications, or online services operated by third parties, and we are not responsible for their actions.  We encourage you to read the terms of service and privacy policies of the other websites and mobile applications and online services you use.

International Data Transfer

We are headquartered in the United States and may use service providers that operate in other countries. Your information may be transferred to the United States or other locations where privacy laws may not be as protective as those in your state, province, or country.

Changes To This Privacy Policy 

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will notify you by updating the date of this Privacy Policy and posting it on the Services. If required by law, we will also provide notification of changes in another way that we believe is reasonably likely to reach you, such as via email or another manner through the Services. Any modifications to this Privacy Policy will be effective upon our posting the modified version (or as otherwise indicated at the time of posting). In all cases, your use of the Services after the effective date of any modified Privacy Policy indicates your acceptance of the modified Privacy Policy.

How To Contact Us

Email: gethelp@stackproject.org