Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy explains how Annminer Inc. (“Annminer,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal information when you access or use our website [www.annminer.com] (the “Website”), create an account, purchase cryptocurrency mining hardware (“Products”), or interact with our services (collectively, “Services”). By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this Policy.
We comply with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU/2016/679) for users in the European Union, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.100 et seq.) for users in California, and other regional privacy laws.
1. Information We Collect
We collect personal information that you provide directly to us, as well as information automatically generated when you use our Services. This information is categorized as follows:
1.1 Personal Information You Provide
We collect personal information when you create an account, place an order, contact support, or participate in surveys. This may include:
- Contact Information: Full name, email address, phone number, shipping address, and billing address (required to deliver mining hardware and send order updates).
- Account Credentials: Username, password (stored in encrypted form), and security questions (to protect your account from unauthorized access).
- Payment Information: Credit/debit card details (processed by third-party payment processors—we do not store full card numbers), cryptocurrency wallet addresses (for digital asset payments), and bank account details (for large orders via wire transfer).
- Order-Related Details: Product preferences (e.g., ASIC miner models, mining rig configurations), order history, and communication about pre-orders or returns (to fulfill orders and resolve issues).
- Identity Verification Data: Government-issued ID (e.g., passport, driver’s license), proof of address (e.g., utility bill), and tax identification numbers (required to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) regulations for high-value orders or cryptocurrency payments).
1.2 Automatically Collected Information
When you use our Website, we may collect information about your device and usage patterns through cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies. This includes:
- Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser version, IP address, and unique device identifiers (to optimize the Website for your device and prevent fraud).
- Usage Data: Pages visited (e.g., ASIC miner product pages, shipping policy), time spent on the Website, search queries (e.g., “Bitcoin mining rigs”), and click-through rates (to improve our Services and personalize content).
- Location Data: Approximate geographic location derived from your IP address (to calculate shipping costs, comply with regional mining regulations, and avoid selling to sanctioned regions).
1.3 Third-Party Information
We may receive personal information from trusted third parties to support our Services, including:
- Payment Processors: Transaction details (e.g., payment confirmation, refund status) from providers like Stripe, PayPal, or cryptocurrency gateways (e.g., Coinbase Commerce).
- Shipping Carriers: Delivery status updates (e.g., “in transit,” “delivered”) from carriers like DHL or UPS (to share with you via email or your account).
- Identity Verification Services: Results of KYC checks from providers like Jumio or Onfido (to verify your identity for regulatory compliance).
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information only for legitimate purposes consistent with this Policy and applicable law. Key uses include:
2.1 Fulfill Orders & Provide Services
- Process and deliver your mining hardware orders (e.g., using your shipping address to coordinate delivery, payment information to complete transactions).
- Send order updates (e.g., confirmation emails, shipping tracking links, pre-order delay notifications) via email or SMS.
- Resolve issues with your order (e.g., returns, exchanges, or defects in ASIC miners) using your contact information and order history.
2.2 Protect Your Account & Prevent Fraud
- Verify your identity (via KYC checks) to prevent unauthorized account access, fake orders, or cryptocurrency payment fraud.
- Monitor account activity (e.g., login locations, order patterns) to detect suspicious behavior (e.g., multiple failed login attempts, bulk orders to sanctioned regions).
- Secure your payment information (via encryption) and comply with AML regulations (e.g., reporting unusual transactions to regulatory authorities).
2.3 Improve & Personalize Our Services
- Analyze usage data (e.g., popular ASIC miner models, search queries) to update our product catalog and optimize the Website’s user experience.
- Personalize content (e.g., showing mining hardware recommendations based on your order history) and marketing communications (e.g., emailing you about new Bitcoin miner releases).
- Conduct surveys (with your optional participation) to gather feedback on our Services (e.g., satisfaction with shipping speed, warranty support).
2.4 Comply with Legal Obligations
- Respond to requests from regulatory authorities (e.g., tax agencies, customs officials) for information related to your orders (e.g., proof of purchase for mining hardware imports).
- Maintain records of transactions and customer data to comply with tax laws (e.g., issuing invoices for mining hardware purchases) and AML/KYC requirements.
- Defend against legal claims (e.g., using order history to resolve disputes about defective mining rigs).
2.5 Communicate with You
- Send important service-related notifications (e.g., account suspension alerts, changes to our Terms of Services or Privacy Policy) via email.
- Respond to your support inquiries (e.g., questions about ASIC miner warranty claims, cryptocurrency payment issues) using your contact information.
- Send marketing communications (e.g., promotions for mining accessories, updates on pre-ordered GPU rigs) if you have opted in to receive them (you may unsubscribe at any time).
3. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. We only share your information with trusted third parties who assist us in providing our Services, and we require these parties to protect your data. Key recipients include:
3.1 Service Providers
- Payment Processors: We share your payment information (e.g., credit card details, cryptocurrency wallet addresses) with providers like Stripe or Coinbase Commerce to process transactions. These providers are prohibited from using your information for any purpose other than processing payments.
- Shipping Carriers: We share your shipping address and order details with carriers like DHL or UPS to deliver your mining hardware. Carriers may use this information to update you on delivery status.
- Identity Verification Providers: We share your KYC documents (e.g., ID scans, proof of address) with providers like Jumio to verify your identity for regulatory compliance.
- IT & Security Providers: We share device and usage data with providers like Cloudflare (for website security) or Google Analytics (for usage analytics) to protect our Website and improve our Services.
3.2 Legal & Regulatory Authorities
We may share your information if required by law, court order, or regulatory mandate, including:
- Responding to subpoenas or requests from government agencies (e.g., tax authorities, customs officials) investigating potential violations of mining regulations or AML laws.
- Reporting suspicious activity (e.g., fraudulent cryptocurrency payments, orders to sanctioned regions) to regulatory bodies like the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN).
3.3 Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of Annminer’s assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on our Website before your information is transferred and becomes subject to a new privacy policy.
3.4 With Your Consent
We may share your information with third parties if you explicitly consent to the sharing (e.g., allowing a mining hardware manufacturer to contact you directly about warranty repairs).
4. How We Protect Your Information
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include:
4.1 Technical Security
- Encryption: We encrypt sensitive data (e.g., passwords, payment information, cryptocurrency wallet addresses) using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL)/Transport Layer Security (TLS) technology when transmitted over the internet. Stored data (e.g., KYC documents) is encrypted using AES-256 encryption.
- Secure Storage: We do not store full credit card numbers or cryptocurrency private keys. Payment data is stored by our third-party payment processors, who comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) requirements.
- Access Controls: Only authorized Annminer employees (e.g., customer support, billing teams) have access to your personal information, and they are required to use unique login credentials and follow security protocols.
4.2 Organizational Security
- Employee Training: We train our staff on data protection best practices, including recognizing and preventing phishing attacks, handling KYC documents securely, and complying with privacy laws.
- Regular Audits: We conduct periodic security audits of our systems and third-party service providers to identify and address vulnerabilities (e.g., gaps in payment processing security).
- Incident Response: In the event of a data breach, we will notify you and relevant regulatory authorities (as required by law) within 72 hours of discovering the breach. We will also take steps to mitigate harm (e.g., resetting compromised account passwords, offering identity theft protection).
4.3 Limitations of Security
While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no security system is completely impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data, and you assume some risk by using our Services (e.g., sharing your account password with others).
5. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information. To exercise these rights, contact us using the information in Section 8.
5.1 Right to Access & Correct
You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you (e.g., your order history, account details) and ask to correct any inaccurate or incomplete information (e.g., updating your shipping address).
5.2 Right to Delete
You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., we cannot delete information required to comply with tax laws or resolve ongoing disputes about mining hardware orders).
5.3 Right to Restrict Processing
You may ask us to restrict the processing of your information (e.g., stopping marketing communications) if you believe the information is inaccurate or the processing is unlawful.
5.4 Right to Data Portability
You may request that we transfer your personal information to another organization in a structured, machine-readable format (e.g., exporting your order history to a CSV file).
5.5 Right to Opt Out of Marketing
You may opt out of receiving marketing communications (e.g., promotional emails about mining accessories) by clicking the “Unsubscribe” link in the email or contacting our support team. We will process your request within 10 business days.
5.6 Rights Under CCPA (California Users)
If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the CCPA, including:
- The right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose about you.
- The right to request that we do not sell your personal information (we do not sell personal information, but you may still exercise this right).
- The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights (e.g., we will not charge you higher prices for mining hardware if you request data deletion).
5.7 Rights Under GDPR (EU Users)
If you are a resident of the European Union, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority (e.g., the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK) if you believe we have violated your privacy rights.
6. Cookies & Similar Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies (e.g., web beacons, pixel tags) to enhance your experience on our Website. Here’s how we use them:
6.1 Types of Cookies We Use
- Necessary Cookies: Required for the Website to function (e.g., cookies that remember your login status or items in your cart). These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics Cookies: Used to track Website usage (e.g., pages visited, time spent) to improve our Services (e.g., optimizing ASIC miner product pages). We use Google Analytics for this purpose.
- Marketing Cookies: Used to personalize marketing communications (e.g., showing ads for mining rigs on other websites) if you have opted in to marketing.
6.2 How to Manage Cookies
You can manage or disable cookies through your browser settings (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari). Disabling non-necessary cookies may affect your experience (e.g., you may need to log in to your account every time you visit the Website).
For more information about our use of cookies, see our [Cookie Policy] (linked at the bottom of the Website).
7. Retention of Your Information
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes. Key retention periods include:
- Account Information: We retain your account details (e.g., username, email address) for 2 years after your account is inactive (you may request deletion earlier).
- Order & Payment Information: We retain order history and payment records for 7 years to comply with tax laws and resolve warranty claims for mining hardware.
- KYC Documents: We retain identity verification data for 5 years after your last order to comply with AML regulations.
- Automatically Collected Data: We retain device and usage data for 1 year, after which it is anonymized (e.g., IP addresses are removed) for analytics purposes.
After the retention period, we securely delete or anonymize your information so it can no longer be associated with you.
8. Children’s Privacy
Our Services are not intended for children under the age of 13 (or 16 in the European Union under the GDPR). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that we have collected information from a child, we will delete it immediately. If you believe a child has provided us with information, contact us using the details below.
9. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in laws, our Services, or industry practices. When we make changes:
- We will post the updated Policy on our Website with a new “Effective Date” at the top.
- We will notify registered users via email at least 7 days before the changes take effect (for material changes, e.g., new uses of cryptocurrency payment data).
Your continued use of our Services after the updated Policy takes effect constitutes your acceptance of the changes. We recommend reviewing this Policy periodically.
10. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at:
- Email: support@annminer.com
- Phone / WhatsApp: +(852) 4691-2973 (Available Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM–5:00 PM UTC+8)
