Policies - Passing Thru - For the Curious and Thoughtful Traveler

Welcome to PassingThru’s Policies

Editorial
Artificial Intelligence
Privacy and Terms of Use

Editorial Policy

At PassingThru, we strive to provide our readers with articles and content that are accurate, unbiased, impactful, and both informative and trustworthy. Here’s what we stand for:

Accuracy: Every word is written by a conscientious writer and checked by an experienced editor. We create our content based on reliable sources and present perspectives from various angles.
Integrity: We are independent and endeavor to be non-subjective. Our team does not represent any political stance; we separate opinion from fact and check that all our content is substantiated.
Openness: We’re transparent about our sources and quick to fix errors when they are brought to our attention. We credit our sources and give biographical information about our writers and editors.
Sensitive Reporting: When reporting tough stories, we approach them with sensitivity and avoid sensationalism, respecting the real experiences of those living those stories. Language is curated carefully and checked to prevent offense and stereotypes.
Editorial Independence: We are not associated or funded with a particular advertiser. We use affiliate links sparingly, consciously, and with the reader in mind.
Readers at the Heart: We love hearing from our readers, and your feedback shapes our content. There is a variety of ways by which readers can contact us.
Diversity in Stories: Our writers represent a variety of backgrounds and cultures, bringing stories and content from around the world. As a brand, we aim to represent voices from across the UK, U.S., and globally to illustrate the diversity of our readers.
Smart Social Sharing: At times, we use social media to share our stories and promote our brands and platforms. We differentiate our brands from any personal accounts and keep social media as a method to interact with the public and public opinion.
Legal Compliance: We stick to the legal script, respecting copyright and privacy laws.
Corrections: Mistakes happen, and when they do, we’re committed to correcting them openly and promptly. Whether it’s a typo or a factual error, we will make amends and corrections as soon as we see them.
Continuously Improving: Our policies are evolving. We regularly review and update them to ensure we are adhering to the guiding principles of content writing and journalism.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) Content Policy

PassingThru is committed to delivering high-quality, informative, and engaging content to our readers. As part of our commitment to innovation and staying at the forefront of technology, we occasionally utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) to assist in the creation of our content.

AI-Assisted Content:

Usage: A small percentage of our content may be generated with the assistance of AI technologies. This approach allows us to produce articles that are timely, data-driven, and diverse in perspective.
Editorial Oversight: Every AI-assisted article is thoroughly curated and reviewed by our experienced editorial team. Our editors ensure that all information is accurate, informative, and aligns with our editorial standards and values.
Transparency: Where AI has been used in the content creation process, we will clearly state this alongside the article.

Privacy Policy

The following terms (“Terms of Use”) constitute an agreement between PassingThru and you that governs your use of this website and all of its associated services, content, and functionality. This policy applies to the website administered by PassingThru (“Website”), located at fc9b5.bigscoots-temp.com. Your use of the Website constitutes your acceptance of and agreement to the following terms of use. PassingThru reserves the right to modify, alter, amend, or update its website, policies, and these terms of use. These Terms of Use are subject to change without notice. If you do not agree with or do not accept any part of these Terms of Use, you must not use the Website. What Information do we collect, and how is it used?

Information You Voluntarily Submit to the Website: The website may collect personal information from you, such as your name or email address. For example, you may voluntarily submit information to the Website by leaving a comment, subscribing to a newsletter, or submitting a contact form.
Information We Collect from Others: The website may receive information about you from other sources. For example, if you use third-party software through the site, they may transfer information to us for fulfillment.
Automatically-Collected Information: The website automatically collects certain information about you and the device with which you access the Website. For example, when you use the website, It will log your IP address, operating system type, browser type, referring website, pages you viewed, and the dates/times you accessed the website. The website may also collect information about actions you take when using the website, such as links clicked.
Cookies: The website may log information using cookies, which are small data files stored on your browser by the Website. The website may use both session cookies, which expire when you close your browser, and persistent cookies, which stay on your browser until deleted, to provide you with a more personalized experience on the Website.

How Your Information May Be Used

The website may use the information collected in the following ways:

To operate and maintain the website;
To send you promotional information, such as newsletters. Each email promotion will provide information on how to opt out of future mailings;
To send you administrative communications, such as administrative emails, confirmation emails, technical notices, updates on policies, or security alerts;
To respond to your comments or inquiries,
To provide you with user support;
To track and measure advertising on the website; or,
To protect, investigate, and deter unauthorized or illegal activity.

Third-Party Use of Personal Information

The website may share your information with third parties when you explicitly authorize us to share your information. Additionally, the website may use third-party service providers to service various aspects of the website. Their respective privacy policies dictate each third-party service provider’s use of your personal information. The website currently uses the following third-party service providers:

Google Analytics – This service tracks website usage and provides information such as referring websites and user actions. Google Analytics may capture your IP address, but Google Analytics captures no other personal information.
Email Service Provider – this service delivers email updates and newsletters. The email service provider stores your name and email address to deliver such communications if you provide this information.

Currently, your personal information is not shared with any other third-party applications. This list may be amended occasionally at the website’s sole discretion. Except when required by law, PassingThru will not sell, distribute, or reveal your email addresses or other personal information without your consent; however, PassingThru may disclose or transfer personal information collected through the website to third parties who acquire all or a portion of our business, which may be the result of a merger, consolidation, or purchase of all or a portion of our assets, or in connection with any bankruptcy or reorganization proceeding brought by or against us.

Anonymous Data

From time to time, PassingThru may use anonymous data, which does not identify you alone or when combined with data from other parties. This type of anonymous data may be provided to other parties for marketing, advertising, or other uses. Examples of this anonymous data may include analytics or information collected from cookies.

Cookies

The website uses cookies to store visitors’ preferences, record user-specific information on what pages users access or visit, ensure that visitors are not repeatedly sent the same banner ads, and customize content based on visitors’ browser type or other information that the visitor sends. Cookies may also be used by third-party services, such as Google Analytics, as described herein. Users may, at any time, prevent the setting of cookies by the website by using a corresponding setting of your internet browser and may thus permanently deny the setting of cookies. Furthermore, already set cookies may be deleted at any time via an Internet browser or other software programs. This is possible in all popular internet browsers. However, if users deactivate the setting of cookies in your Internet browser, not all functions of our website may be entirely usable.

Advertising

Display Ads

The website may use third-party advertising companies to serve content and advertisements when you visit the website, which may use cookies. No personally identifiable information is shared with the website’s ad providers.

Retargeting Ads

From time to time, the Website may engage in remarketing efforts with third-party companies, such as Google, Facebook, or Instagram, to market the website. These companies use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past visits to the website.

Affiliate Program Participation

The website may engage in affiliate marketing, which is done by embedding tracking links into the Website. If you click on a link for an affiliate partnership, a cookie will be placed on your browser to track any sales for purposes of commissions.

Newsletters

You may subscribe to our newsletter on the website, which may be used for advertising purposes. All newsletters sent may contain tracking pixels. The pixel is embedded in emails and allows an analysis of the success of online marketing campaigns. Because of these tracking pixels, PassingThru may see if and when you open an email and which links within the email you click. Also, this allows PassingThru to adapt the content of future newsletters to the interests of the user. This behavior will not be passed on to third parties.

Rights Related to Your Personal Information

Opt-out – You may opt out of future email communications by following the unsubscribe links in our emails. You may also notify us to be removed from our mailing list.
Access – You may access the personal information we have about you by submitting a request.
Amend – You may contact us to amend or update your personal information.
Forget – In certain situations, you may request that we erase or forget your personal data. To do so, please submit a request. Please note that we may need to retain certain information for recordkeeping purposes or to complete transactions, or when required by law.

Sensitive Personal Information

At no time should you submit sensitive personal information to the website. This includes your social security number, information regarding race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, criminal background, or trade union memberships. If you elect to submit such information to us, it will be subject to this privacy policy.

Children’s Information

The website does not knowingly collect any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 16. If a parent or guardian believes that the website has personally identifiable information about a child under the age of 16 in its database, please contact us immediately. We will use our best efforts to promptly remove such information from our records.

Affiliate Marketing

From time to time, the Website may engage in affiliate marketing. This means that if you use an affiliate link to make a purchase, the website will receive a commission on that purchase. All efforts are made to ensure that affiliate links are disclosed in accordance with the FTC.

FTC Disclosure

From time to time, the Website may post sponsored content from an advertiser. This means that an advertiser, which may be a brand, agency, or influencer network, will contract with PassingThru to create content featuring certain messages or product placement. Pursuant to the FTC’s requirements, all such advertisements on the Website are clearly and conspicuously disclosed. Even though compensation (e.g., cash, free product, or services) is received in exchange for this sponsored content placement, PassingThru gives its honest opinion, findings, beliefs, or experiences in such content. All views expressed on the Website are those of the content creator. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, or party in question.

General Disclaimer

PassingThru has made every effort to ensure that all information on the Website has been tested for accuracy. PassingThru makes no guarantees regarding the results you will see from the information provided on the Website.

Financial Information Disclaimer

PassingThru is not a professional financial advisor. Nothing presented on the website creates a professional relationship between you and PassingThru. From time to time, the website may discuss topics related to finance and investing. This information is not advice and should not be treated as financial advice. The financial and investing information provided on the website is provided “as is” without any representations or warranties, express or implied. The website makes no representations or warranties in relation to the financial and investing information on the Website. You must not rely on the information on the website as an alternative to advice from a certified public accountant, licensed financial planner, or professional financial advisor. There is no accountant-client relationship created from the publication of financial information on the website. You should never delay seeking financial advice, disregard financial advice, or discontinue professional financial services as a result of any information provided on the website.

Your Responsibility

The website was developed strictly for informational purposes. You understand and agree that you are fully responsible for your use of the information provided on the website. PassingThru makes no representations, warranties, or guarantees. You understand that results may vary from person to person. PassingThru assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions that may appear on the website.

Use of the Website

Unless otherwise stated, PassingThru owns the intellectual property and rights to all content and material on the website. Subject to the license below, all intellectual property rights are reserved. You may view, download (for caching purposes only), and print pages for your personal use, subject to the restrictions set out below and elsewhere in these terms of use. The following uses are not permitted:

Republication of content from the Website, unless content is specifically and expressly made available for republication;
Sale, rental, or sub-license of any content from the website;
Reproduction or duplication of any content on the website for commercial purposes;
Modification of any content on this website, unless content is specifically and expressly made available for modification;
Redistribution of content of the website, unless content is specifically and expressly made available for redistribution. Users are permitted to share content on social media channels, as long as a link to the website is included.

From time to time, the website will utilize various plugins or widgets to allow the sharing of content via social media channels, email, or other methods. The use of these plugins or widgets does not constitute any waiver of PassingThru’s intellectual property rights. Such use is a limited license to republish the content on the approved social media channels, with full credit to PassingThru. You must not use the website in a way that causes or may cause damage to the website or impair the availability of access to the website. You must not decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, or otherwise reduce the website except to the extent that such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law. You must not use the Website to copy, store, host, transmit, send, use, publish or distribute any material that consists of (or is linked to) any spyware, computer virus, Trojan horse, worm, keystroke logger, rootkit and/or other harmful code or malicious software. You must not conduct any systematic or automated data collection activities, including, but not limited to, scraping, data mining, data extraction, or data harvesting on or in relation to the Website without PassingThru’s express written permission. You must not use the Website to transmit or send any unsolicited commercial communications. You must not use the website for any third-party marketing without PassingThru’s express written permission.

Copyright

Unless otherwise noted, the design, content, and all components of the Website are copyrights owned by PassingThru or third parties and are protected by the United States and international copyright laws and should not be reused or republished without express written permission.

Trademarks

PassingThru trademarks and trade dress may not be used in connection with any product or service that is not PassingThru’s, in any manner likely to cause confusion among consumers, or in any manner that disparages or discredits PassingThru. From time to time, the website will legally utilize trademarks owned by third parties related to PassingThru’s services. These trademarks are the respective property of their owners.

Grant of Rights

You grant PassingThru a worldwide, irrevocable, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, adapt, publish, translate, and distribute any content you contribute to the website. This includes, but is not limited to, text, images, audio material, comments, video material, and audio-visual material. This license extends to all known and future media. You also grant PassingThru the right to sub-license these rights and the right to bring an action for infringement of these rights.

Content Contributed to the Website

Any content you contribute to the site, including, but not limited to text, images, audio material, comments, video material, and audio-visual material, must not be illegal or unlawful, may not infringe on any third party’s legal rights, and must not be capable of giving rise to legal action whether against you or PassingThru or a third party. PassingThru reserves the right to edit or remove (i) any material submitted to the website, (ii) stored on PassingThru’s servers, or (iii) hosted or published on the Website. PassingThru takes no responsibility and assumes no liability for any content posted by you or any third party. Notwithstanding PassingThru’s rights under the terms of use, PassingThru does not undertake to monitor the submission of all content to, or the publication of such content on, the website.

Takedown Requests

From time to time, the website will publish posts with images from other third-party websites. Any such use is intended to be considered fair use under copyright laws and is fully attributed to the owner. If you believe that your copyrighted work has been used on the website in a way that constitutes copyright infringement and falls outside of fair use, please send a request and we will remove the image within 24 to 48 hours.

Communication

If you send PassingThru an email, register to use the Website, or provide your email to WL in any other way, you consent to receive communications from WL electronically. You agree that all legal notices provided via electronic means from WL satisfy any requirement for written notice.

Third Parties

The Website contains links to third-party websites that are not governed or controlled by PassingThru. You represent and warrant that you have read and agree to be bound by all applicable terms of use and policies for any third-party website that relates to your use of the Website. PassingThru assumes no control or liability over the content of any third-party sites. You expressly hold PassingThru not liable for any and all liability related to your use of a third-party website. Prior to engaging in any events or commercial transactions with any third parties discovered through or linked on the Website, you must complete any necessary investigation or due diligence. If there is a dispute for any events or commercial transactions with a third party discovered through or linked on the Website, you expressly hold PassingThru is not liable for any disputes arising from events or transactions with third parties found or linked on the Website.

No Warranties

The Website is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis without any representations or warranties, expressed or implied. PassingThru makes no representations or warranties in relation to the website or the information and materials provided therein. PassingThru makes no warranty the website will meet your requirements; will be available uninterrupted, timely and free of viruses or bugs; or represents the full functionality, accuracy, and reliability of the website. PassingThru is not responsible to you for the loss of any content or material uploaded or transmitted through the website. The website is written in English and makes no warranty regarding translation or interpretation of content in any language.

Limitation of Liability

PASSINGTHRU WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, PUNITIVE, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, HOWEVER, CAUSED, INCLUDING LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, OR USE, INCURRED BY YOU, WHETHER UNDER THEORY OF CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), WARRANTY OR OTHERWISE, EVEN IF THE OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Indemnity

You agree to defend, indemnify and hold PassingThru, its members, employees, officers, directors, managers, and agents not liable from and against any and all losses, claims, suits, actions, liabilities, obligations, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and expenses) which PassingThru suffers as a result of third-party claims based on: (i) your negligence or intentional misconduct, (ii) your breach of any provision of the terms of use (including representation or warranty); (iii) materials prepared or provided by you including, but not limited to, any claims of infringement, or misappropriation of copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other intellectual property or proprietary right, infringement of the rights of privacy or publicity, or defamation or libel; or (iv) death, personal injury, or property damage arising out of, or relating to, your obligations hereunder.

Miscellaneous Provisions

If any provision(s) of the terms of use is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall be severable and enforceable. If a provision is excessively broad, such a provision shall be limited or reduced in scope so as to be enforceable. You may not assign the Terms of Use without PassingThru’s prior written consent. However, the terms of use may be assigned by PassingThru at its sole discretion. The terms of use are the final, complete, and exclusive agreement of the parties with respect to the website offered by PassingThru All notices with respect to the terms of use must be in writing.