Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 7, 2026

At The TCM Home (thetcmhome.com), your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit our website, how that information is used, the cookies and third-party technologies we rely on (including Google AdSense and analytics), and the choices and rights you have regarding your personal data.

By using this website, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with these practices, please discontinue use of the website.

1. Information We Collect

We collect two categories of information:

Information You Provide Voluntarily

If you contact us via email or through our contact form, we collect the information you choose to share with us, which may include:

• Your name (if provided);
• Your email address;
• The subject and content of your message;
• Any other information you include in your communication.

We use this information solely to respond to your inquiry and do not add you to any marketing list unless you explicitly request it.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain information is collected automatically by our server and by third-party technologies embedded in our pages. This may include:

• Device and browser information — such as your browser type, operating system, screen resolution, and device type;
• Usage data — such as the pages you visit, the time spent on each page, referring websites, the links you click, and your approximate geographic location (based on IP address);
• Cookie data — small text files stored on your device that allow our site and third-party services to remember your preferences and serve relevant content and ads (see the Cookie Policy section below).

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data such as your precise physical location, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, or health information through automated means.

2. Google AdSense & the DoubleClick DART Cookie

The TCM Home participates in the Google AdSense advertising program. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies (including the DoubleClick DART cookie) to serve ads to you based on your visits to this site and other sites on the internet.

Specifically:

• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on your visit to this site and/or other internet sites.
• You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.
• You can also opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info/choices.
• For more information about how Google uses data when you use partner sites, please review Google's policy on partner sites and the Google Privacy Policy.

Google AdSense may use the following types of cookies:

• __gads / __gpi — used to record the particular advertisements shown to you and measure their performance;
• IDE (DoubleClick cookie) — used to present you with ads based on your interests and to measure the effectiveness of ad campaigns;
• NID — used to remember your preferences and other information, such as your preferred language.

3. Third-Party Advertising

In addition to Google AdSense, this website may display advertisements or affiliate links from the following third parties. Each of these parties may set their own cookies and collect data in accordance with their own privacy policies:

• Google AdSense — serves display ads and may use cookies for ad personalization. Google Privacy Policy.
• Amazon Associates — we display affiliate links to Amazon products. Amazon may set cookies (such as the amazon-adsystem cookie) to track referrals. Amazon Privacy Notice.
• iHerb Affiliate Program — we display affiliate links to iHerb products. iHerb may set cookies to track referrals. iHerb Privacy Policy.

We do not control the data collection practices of these third parties and encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

4. Analytics

We may use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website so that we can improve our content and user experience. Google Analytics is a web analytics service offered by Google that tracks and reports website traffic.

Google Analytics uses cookies (such as _ga and _gid) to collect information about how you interact with our site, including:

• The number of visitors to our site;
• Which pages are visited most frequently;
• How visitors found our site (e.g., search engines, direct links, social media);
• General geographic location based on IP address;
• Session duration and bounce rate.

The data collected by Google Analytics is aggregated and anonymous — it does not identify you personally. Google processes this information on our behalf and is bound by its own privacy policy. You can review Google's data practices at policies.google.com/privacy and learn how Google uses data from analytics at Google Analytics Terms.

You may opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, which prevents your data from being used by Google Analytics.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To operate and maintain the website — ensuring pages load correctly and function properly;
• To improve our content — understanding which articles are read most helps us decide what to write next and how to improve existing guides;
• To respond to your inquiries — replying to questions or feedback you send via email or the contact form;
• To display relevant advertising — using Google AdSense and affiliate links to fund the free content we publish;
• To analyze website traffic and user behavior — through tools like Google Analytics;
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, or abuse of the website;
• To comply with legal obligations and protect our rights.

We do not use your information to send unsolicited marketing emails, and we do not sell your personal data to third parties.

6. Cookie Policy

Cookies are small text files placed on your device when you visit a website. They allow the site to remember your actions and preferences over a period of time, so you do not have to re-enter them every time you visit.

We use the following categories of cookies:

Managing cookies: Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can usually:

• Block all cookies from being set;
• Allow only "first-party" cookies;
• Delete existing cookies;
• Set your browser to notify you when a cookie is being set.

Please note that blocking some types of cookies may impact your experience on our site — for example, some features may not function correctly, and you may see less relevant advertising. Instructions for managing cookies vary by browser; consult your browser's help documentation for details.

7. Data Retention

We retain information you provide voluntarily (such as email correspondence) only for as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry and for reasonable record-keeping purposes. Cookies and automatically collected usage data are retained in accordance with the retention policies of our third-party service providers (e.g., Google Analytics and Google AdSense), which typically range from a few months to a maximum of 13–14 months.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal data under applicable privacy laws, including the European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

GDPR Rights (European Economic Area & UK)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, you have the following rights:

• Right of access — you may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
• Right to rectification — you may request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten") — you may request that we delete your personal data;
• Right to restrict processing — you may request that we limit how we use your data;
• Right to data portability — you may request your data in a structured, machine-readable format;
• Right to object — you may object to our processing of your data, including for direct marketing;
• Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on your consent to process data, you may withdraw it at any time.

Our lawful basis for processing your data is consent (for cookies and advertising technologies) and legitimate interest (for operating and improving the website).

CCPA Rights (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) grants you the following rights:

• Right to know — you may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect about you;
• Right to delete — you may request that we delete your personal information;
• Right to opt out of "sale" — we do not sell your personal information. However, the sharing of data with advertising partners for personalized ads may be considered a "sale" or "share" under CCPA. You may opt out by using the tools linked in the Google AdSense section above;
• Right to non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within the timeframes required by law.

9. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

The TCM Home is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in compliance with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you are a parent or guardian and you believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly delete such information.

Our content is intended for adults who are interested in learning about Traditional Chinese Medicine self-care practices. While some practices (such as gentle acupressure) may be suitable for children under adult supervision, our guides are written for an adult audience and should not be used by minors without parental guidance.

10. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect the information we collect from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

11. International Data Transfers

Because we use third-party services based in the United States (such as Google AdSense and Google Analytics), your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States or other countries whose data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. By using this website, you consent to such transfers. Where required by law, appropriate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place to protect your data during international transfers.

12. Third-Party Links

Our website contains links to third-party websites, including Amazon, iHerb, and Google services. This Privacy Policy applies only to The TCM Home. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any website you visit by clicking on external links.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or the technologies we use. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your privacy.

If we make significant changes to the way we handle your personal data, we will provide a more prominent notice — such as on the homepage or via a notification on the website.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Email: contact@thetcmhome.com
Contact page: /contact.html

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.

This Privacy Policy is designed to comply with applicable privacy regulations, including the EU GDPR, the UK GDPR, the California CCPA/CPRA, and the U.S. COPPA, and to meet the requirements of the Google AdSense program policies.