Privacy Policy 

Effective May 13, 2026

Mark Dust, PhD (“Company,” “we,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard personal information when you visit markdust.com (the “Website”), including any content, functionality, and services offered on or through the Website, whether you are a guest or a registered user.
This policy applies to personal information we collect on the Website and in email, text, forms, or other electronic communications between you and the Website.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully before using the Website. By using the Website, you accept and agree to be bound by this policy. If you do not agree, you must not access or use the Website.

We do not sell, rent, lease, or otherwise share your personal information with third parties for their own purposes. Period.

Applicable Privacy Frameworks

Our privacy practices are designed to comply with:

• The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) – Canada
• The California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) – for California residents
• The CAN-SPAM Act – for commercial email to US recipients
• The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)
• The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – for visitors from the European Union and UK
• Other applicable US state privacy laws, including those of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Texas

What Is Personal Information?
Personal information is any information about an identifiable individual. Under PIPEDA, this does not include the name, title, business address, or telephone number of an employee acting in their professional capacity.

Why We Collect Personal Information
We collect personal information to provide professional services, educational content, and business development resources to you. Specifically, we collect information to:

• Deliver the products, services, or resources you have requested
• Communicate with you about your subscriptions, purchases, or inquiries
• Send newsletters or educational content you have opted into
• Improve the Website and our service offerings
• Fulfill any contract between you and the Company
• Comply with legal obligations

Categories of Personal Information We Collect
We may collect the following categories of personal information:

• Identifiers: name, email address, and similar contact information you provide voluntarily
• Internet or network activity: IP address, browser type, operating system, pages visited, time spent on the Website, and referring URLs (collected automatically)
• Inferences: preferences and interests inferred from your interactions with the Website

How We Collect Personal Information
We collect personal information only by lawful and fair means, with your consent where required.

Information You Provide Directly
You may provide personal information when you fill out forms, contact us, respond to surveys, sign up for our newsletter, download resources, or purchase a product or service through the Website.

Information Collected Automatically
As you navigate the Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies, including Google Analytics, to collect information about your equipment, browsing actions, and usage patterns. This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, and how you interact with the Website. This data is used for statistical analysis and Website improvement. Where it is associated with information you have voluntarily provided, it may become personal information.

Our Website uses cookies and server logs to understand how visitors use the site. Cookies may capture information such as the date and time of your visit, pages viewed, and time spent on the Website.

We may also use social media pixels, which allow social media platforms to recognize visitors to our Website and display relevant advertising within those platforms. We use these technologies in compliance with applicable platform policies.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of the Website. You may also opt out of Google Analytics data collection by using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

We do not currently respond to browser Do Not Track (DNT) signals, as there is no consistent industry standard for doing so.

Third-Party Tracking
Some content or applications on the Website may be served by third parties, including analytics providers and social media platforms. These parties may use their own cookies or tracking technologies to collect information about your use of our Website and other websites over time. We do not control these third-party technologies. Please refer to those parties’ privacy policies for information about their practices.

 We use personal information for the following purposes:

• Presenting the Website and its contents to you
• Providing information, products, and services you have requested
• Sending you newsletters, updates, or educational materials you have subscribed to
• Administering our business activities and customer service
• Improving Website performance and user experience
• Complying with legal obligations

We do not use your personal information to display third-party behavioral advertising, and we do not share your information with third parties in exchange for compensation.

We Do Not Sell or Share Your Information
We do not sell, rent, lease, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties for their own marketing, advertising, or commercial purposes.

The limited circumstances in which we may disclose personal information are:

• To service providers who assist us in operating the Website and delivering our services, under contractual obligations to protect your information
• To a successor entity in the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of Company assets, provided your information will continue to be subject to this policy
• When required by law, court order, or governmental authority
• To enforce our terms of service or protect the legal rights of the Company

California residents: Because we do not sell or share personal information as defined under the CCPA/CPRA, we do not offer a “Do Not Sell or Share” opt-out mechanism. If this practice changes, we will update this policy and provide the required opt-out before any such sharing occurs.

Email Communications
We are committed to keeping your email address confidential. We do not sell, rent, or lease our subscriber lists to third parties.

All commercial emails we send comply with applicable anti-spam legislation, including the Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and the US CAN-SPAM Act. Our emails will clearly identify who they are from, include a valid physical mailing address, and provide a clear and easy way to unsubscribe. Opt-out requests will be honored promptly and within no more than 10 business days.

To unsubscribe from our emails, click the unsubscribe link in any email we send, or contact us directly at mark@markdust.com.

Children’s Privacy
This Website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at mark@markdust.com.

How Long We Retain Your Information
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.

You may request deletion of your information at any time (see Your Rights below).

Security
We use appropriate physical, organizational, and electronic security measures to protect your personal information against loss, theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, or modification. These measures include restricted file access, security software, and firewall protection.

Please be aware that no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure. While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Email, in particular, is not a fully secure medium.

All Visitors
Regardless of where you are located, you may:

• Request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Withdraw consent to our processing of your information (where processing is based on consent)

To make a request, contact us at mark@markdust.com. We will respond promptly and advise you of any costs before fulfilling a request. We will not respond to requests that are frivolous, vexatious, or repetitious.

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what categories of personal information we collect, why, and how it is used
• Access the specific personal information we hold about you
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights

As noted above, we do not sell or share personal information, so no opt-out of sale is required. To exercise any of these rights, contact mark@markdust.com. We will respond within 45 days. You may also designate an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf.

Other US State Residents
Residents of Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Texas, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and obtain a copy of their personal information. To exercise these rights, contact mark@markdust.com.

EU and UK Visitors (GDPR)
If you are visiting from within the European Union or the United Kingdom, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and corresponding UK legislation:

• The right to access your personal data
• The right to rectify or erase your personal data
• The right to restrict or object to the processing of your personal data
• The right to data portability
• The right to withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing that occurred prior to withdrawal
• The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

We retain your information until the earlier of: (a) your request for deletion, (b) our discontinuation of existing data providers, or (c) our determination that the value of retaining the data is outweighed by the costs of doing so.

We require only the information reasonably necessary to enter into a contract with you. We will not require consent for unnecessary processing as a condition of entering into a contract.

For more information about your rights under the GDPR, see the European Commission website at ec.europa.eu.

Keeping Your Information Accurate
Because we use your information to provide services to you, it is important that it be accurate and current. If your information changes or you believe we hold inaccurate information, please contact us so we can make the necessary corrections.

Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised policy on this page with an updated effective date. For material changes, we will provide notice through the Website or by email. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Questions and Requests
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal information, please contact us:

Mark Dust, PhD
mark@markdust.com
markdust.com