Privacy Policy & Ad Disclosure

1. Who We Are

MyWayChina (mywaychina.com) is an independent travel guide website that provides free, practical information for English-speaking travelers visiting China. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your choices.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Email address — only if you create an account or use our magic-link login. We use it solely for authentication and never sell or share it.
• Trip data — the itineraries you build (destinations, dates, hotel preferences) are stored to provide the service. You can delete your trips and account at any time.

2.2 Automatically Collected Data

• Cookies — small files stored in your browser. We use them to keep you logged in (ctg_session), remember your trip ID (ctg_trip_id), and for analytics and advertising (see sections 4 and 5).
• Server logs — our hosting provider records standard access logs (IP address, browser type, page requested). We use these only for security and debugging, and retain them for up to 30 days.

2.3 What We Do NOT Collect

• We never collect payment card details (we do not process payments).
• We never collect passport or government ID numbers.
• We never sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

3. How We Use Your Data

• To provide and improve the travel planning service.
• To send you magic-link login emails (no marketing emails unless you opt in).
• To analyze aggregate usage patterns (pages visited, features used) so we can improve content and UX.
• To serve relevant advertisements (see section 5).

4. Cookies

We use the following categories of cookies:

5. Advertising & Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our website. Google and its partners may use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our site or other websites.

5.1 What This Means

• Google uses the DoubleClick cookie and other tracking technologies to determine what ads to show you.
• Third-party ad vendors may collect data about your browsing activity across different websites to deliver personalized (interest-based) advertising.
• We do not have access to the individual data collected by Google or its partners; we receive only aggregate reports (e.g., total ad impressions and revenue).

5.2 Third-Party Advertising Partners

Google AdSense works with a number of ad technology providers. A comprehensive list of Google's advertising partners is available at:

• Google Ads Settings
• How Google Uses Information from Sites or Apps That Use Our Services

5.3 Your Choices — Opting Out of Personalized Ads

You can opt out of personalized advertising in several ways:

• Google Ads Settings — visit adssettings.google.com to manage your ad personalization preferences.
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI) — optout.networkadvertising.org
• Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) — optout.aboutads.info
• European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance (EDAA) — www.youronlinechoices.eu
• Browser settings — most browsers let you block third-party cookies or enable "Do Not Track."

Note: opting out of personalized ads does not remove ads entirely; you will still see non-personalized ads.

6. Data Retention & Deletion

• Account data — retained while your account is active. You can delete your account by contacting us; we will remove your email, session, and trip data within 30 days.
• Cookies — essential cookies expire after 30 days; advertising cookies follow Google's retention policies (typically 13 months).
• Server logs — retained up to 30 days, then automatically purged.

7. Data Security

We use HTTPS encryption, server-side session tokens (not JWT), and do not store passwords (magic-link authentication). While no system is perfectly secure, we follow industry-standard practices to protect your data.

8. Children's Privacy

Our website is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Your Rights (GDPR / Applicable Law)

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction or deletion of your data.
• Object to or restrict processing of your data.
• Data portability — receive your data in a structured format.
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

To exercise these rights, contact us at service2@mywaychina.com.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the site after changes means you accept the updated policy.

11. Contact

For privacy-related questions, data deletion requests, or ad-related concerns, email service2@mywaychina.com.