Who we are
Empowering IT, LLC (“Empowering IT,” “we,” “our,” “us”) is a Michigan-based digital-services agency offering web design and development, WordPress maintenance, branding, social-media management, graphic design, and related IT solutions and consultations.
Website: https://empoweringit.net.
What Personal Data do we Collect?
| Category | Examples | Purpose / Legal basis* |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Contact forms, Microsoft Bookings, knowledge-base feedback widgets, quiz/assessment submissions, CookieYes log, WP Job Manager applications | Contracts, legitimate interest (support, quoting, scheduling, anti-spam) |
| Commercial info | Stripe IDs, QuickBooks, invoices, project briefs, resource downloads | Analytics, UX, site security, and consent where required |
| Usage data | Contract: legal obligation | Analytics, UX, site security, and consent where required |
| Media uploads | Images you attach to blog comments or project workspaces | Contract; consent |
| Cookies & similar | WordPress core cookies, CookieYes preferences, Elementor localStorage, quiz progress tokens, WP Job Manager cookies | Analytics, UX, site security, and consent where required |
Visitor comments may be checked through an automated spam detection service.
An anonymized string created from your email address (also known as a hash) may be provided to the Gravatar service to determine if you are using it. The Gravatar service privacy policy is available here: https://automattic.com/privacy/. After your comment is approved, your profile picture will be visible to the public in the context of your comment.
How do we collect it?
Directly from you via contact forms, discovery calls, or project workspaces
Automatically via cookies, server logs, and analytics scripts
From third-party social login or payment providers, when you choose to connect them
Who do we share data with?
We share only limited personal data with trusted processors who are essential to our operations.
Microsoft handles scheduling and career-form submissions through Microsoft Forms and Bookings; these transfers are covered by Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and Microsoft’s EU Data Boundary program. Traffic to our site passes through
Cloudflare for content delivery, web application firewall, and DDoS protection services, certified to ISO 27001 and SCCs.
Site analytics are collected in Google Analytics 4, with IP anonymization enabled and safeguarded by Service Controls (SCCs). Payment details are processed by QuickBooks, Stripe, or Chase, all of which are certified to the PCI-DSS standard. Minimal, opt-in telemetry may be sent to the WP Job Manager plugin authors for product improvement, but this is disabled by default for administrators. Project files are occasionally shared with vetted subcontractor developers and designers under non-disclosure agreements and strict least-privilege access controls. Finally, we may disclose information to government authorities when required to comply with the law. We never sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
If you request a password reset, your IP address will be included in the email sent for the password reset.
Cookies
We display a geo-located consent banner via CookieYes. Your preferences are stored in cookieyes-consent (365 days).
If you visit our login page, we will set a temporary cookie to determine if your browser accepts cookies. This cookie contains no personal data and is discarded when you close your browser.
When you log in, we will also set up several cookies to save your login information and your screen display choices. Login cookies last for two days, and screen options cookies last for a year. If you select “Remember Me”, your login will persist for two weeks. If you log out of your account, the login cookies will be removed.
If you edit or publish an article, an additional cookie will be saved in your browser. This cookie includes no personal data and indicates the post ID of the article you just edited. It expires after 1 day.
| Category | Examples | Lifetime |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly Necessary | wordpress_logged_in_*, wp-settings-*WP Job Manager nonce, quiz-progress token, cookieyes-consent | Session – 1 yr |
| Functionality | Elementor localStorage for UI state, Microsoft Bookings availability cache | Session – 7 days |
| Analytics | _ga, _ga_* (GA4); Yoast telemetry (admins only, opt-in) | 14 months |
| Marketing/Embedded | YouTube YSC, VISITOR_INFO1_LIVE; Vimeo vuid; Typeform embed cookie | 6 months |
You can change or withdraw your consent at any time via the “Cookie Settings” link in our footer.
Employment CV Data
Comes from – WP Job Manager “Apply Now” & Microsoft Forms (Careers)
Pre-contractual steps; consent
Survey & Self-Assessment Response
Comes from – Elementor forms, custom quiz plugin, Typeform-style embeds
Provide personalized results; consent
Embedded content from other websites
Articles on this site may include embedded content (e.g., videos, images, articles, etc.). Embedded content from other websites behaves in the exact same way as if the visitor had visited the other website.
These websites may collect data about you, use cookies, embed additional third-party tracking, and monitor your interaction with that embedded content, including tracking your interaction with the embedded content if you have an account and are logged in to that website.
Data Retention
If you leave a comment, the comment and its metadata are retained indefinitely. This allows us to automatically recognize and approve any follow-up comments, rather than holding them in a moderation queue.
For users who register on our website (if any), we also store the personal information they provide in their user profiles. All users can see, edit, or delete their personal information at any time (except that they cannot change their username). Website administrators can also see and edit that information.
| Record | Period | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Blog comments + metadata | Indefinitely | Auto-approve follow-ups |
| Quiz/assessment answers | 12 months | Provide downloadable results |
| Job applications | 24 months (unless hired) | EEOC best practice |
| Client project files & invoices | 7 years | IRS & contract defence |
| Booking history | 18 months | Service analytics |
| GA4 raw events | 14 months | Minimum GA setting |
What rights do you have over your data
We acknowledge requests within 10 days (CA) / 72 h (GDPR) and respond within 45 / 30 days, respectively.
If you have an account on this site or have left comments, you can request to receive an exported file of the personal data we hold about you, including any data you have provided to us. You can also request that we erase any personal data we hold about you. This does not include any data that we are required to retain for administrative, legal, or security purposes.
Security
- Cloudflare WAF + Wordfence, daily off-site backups
- Least-Privilege IAM; quarterly plugin/theme audit
- Annual external penetration test following NIST 800-53
- TLS 1.3 + HSTS
- Annual external penetration test following NIST 800-53
International Transfers
Data may be processed in the U.S. or the EU. EU/UK data is protected under Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) plus encryption.
Children
Services not directed to children under 13 (COPPA) or under 16 (GDPR). Parents may request deletion via [info@empoweringit.net].
Automated Decision Making
We do not make automated decisions or engage in profiling that has legal or significant effects.
Changes
We’ll update this notice as services evolve and revise the Effective date. Material changes will be emailed to registered users 30 days before their effective date.
Contact Us
Empowering IT, LLC
Livonia, MI 48150 · USA
Phone +1 313-946-1164
Email [info@empoweringit.net]
