Privacy Policy

Iraq Energy Monitor ("IEM," "we," "us," or "our") operates iraqem.com and www.iraqem.com (the "Site") and its associated licensed data services (together, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies to visitors to the Site and to customers of our licensed data access product.

IEM is an independent data and analysis platform and is not affiliated with any government entity. This policy covers only our own collection and use of information — not the practices of the government bodies or institutions we cite as data sources.

IEM is not a registered company. It is currently operated by Salman Abdulhaleem in an individual capacity (sole proprietorship). References in this policy to "Iraq Energy Monitor," "we," "our," or "us" refer to this individual capacity unless and until the business is formally incorporated.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly. If you contact us through the Site's contact form, email us directly, or request licensed data access, we collect what you submit — such as your name, email address, organization, and the details of your inquiry.

Contact form submissions are processed using Web3Forms, a third-party form-delivery service. Web3Forms receives and forwards the information you submit so that it reaches us; see their own privacy documentation for how they handle data in transit.

Newsletter subscriptions. If you subscribe to our newsletter, your email address is collected and stored by Mailchimp, our email service provider, who sends the communications on our behalf. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email or by contacting us.

Licensed data / Premium Dataset purchases. Premium Datasets are currently ordered directly with us; a payment processor is not yet integrated into the Site. If and when online payment functionality is introduced, purchases will be handled by a third-party payment processor, and this policy will be updated to name that provider and describe what it collects (typically your name, contact details, and payment information, which we do not directly store).

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we automatically collect certain technical information when you visit, including your IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, referring URLs, and approximate location derived from your IP address. We use the following third-party tools to collect this information:

• Google Analytics — aggregate usage statistics (pages visited, session duration, traffic sources).
• Microsoft Clarity — session behavior analytics, which may include anonymized mouse movement, scroll, and click data used to understand how visitors use the Site.

Neither tool is used by us to build advertising profiles, and we do not sell this information. Google and Microsoft process this data under their own privacy terms as independent data processors/controllers; see Google's Privacy Policy and Microsoft's Privacy Statement for details.

Search queries. Text entered into the Site's search box is used only to return matching results within the Site and is not linked to your identity.

2. Cookies and Consent

We use cookies and similar technologies in two categories:

• Strictly necessary — required for basic Site functionality (e.g., remembering menu or display state, and remembering your cookie preference). These cannot be disabled without affecting how the Site works.
• Analytics/performance — set by Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity as described above.

The Site displays a cookie consent banner to visitors. Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity do not load, and no analytics cookies are set, until you provide consent through this banner. If you decline or dismiss the banner without consenting, only strictly necessary cookies are used. You can change your preference at any time by clearing your cookies and revisiting the Site, or through your browser's cookie settings.

We do not currently use advertising or cross-site marketing cookies. You can also opt out of Google Analytics specifically using the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

3. How We Use Information

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Site and the Service;
• To respond to inquiries submitted through the contact form and to provide customer support;
• To send newsletter communications to subscribers, and to manage unsubscribe requests;
• To process, deliver, and administer Premium Dataset orders, including future billing once online payment is available;
• To understand aggregate usage patterns and improve site performance and content;
• To detect, investigate, and prevent misuse, fraud, or security incidents;
• To comply with legal obligations.

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects, and we do not sell personal information to third parties.

4. How We Share Information

We share information only with the following categories of recipients:

• Service providers who process data on our behalf, specifically: Web3Forms (contact form delivery), Mailchimp (newsletter delivery), Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity (site analytics), Cloudflare (hosting and infrastructure for the Site, including our database and image storage), and, once integrated, a payment processor for Premium Dataset purchases;
• Professional advisors (legal, accounting) where necessary;
• Authorities, where required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request;
• A successor entity in connection with a sale of the business or its assets, subject to this policy or a materially similar one.

Each of these providers may process data outside of your home country as part of their own global infrastructure; see Section 7 below.

5. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purpose it was collected for — for example, for as long as needed to respond to your inquiry, administer your newsletter subscription, or service a dataset purchase, plus a reasonable period afterward for accounting, legal, or support purposes — after which it is deleted or anonymized.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you are located, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of your personal information, or to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@iraqem.com. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable law.

If you are in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. If you are a California resident, you have rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know, delete, and correct your personal information, and to not be discriminated against for exercising those rights; as noted above, we do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

7. International Data Transfers

Our Service is hosted on Cloudflare's global infrastructure and uses other service providers described above, which may process and store data in countries other than your own. Where personal information is transferred across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure it receives a level of protection consistent with this policy and applicable law.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is intended for a professional and institutional audience and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

9. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, including to reflect new service providers (such as a payment processor once one is integrated). Material changes will be reflected by updating the "Effective Date" above, and, where appropriate, through additional notice on the Site.

11. Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices can be directed to info@iraqem.com.