Privacy Policy

Stephen Cheung DDS - Family Dentist in Lodi (“we,” “our,” or “us”) respects the privacy of every person who visits our website. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through familydentistlodi.com, how we use it, and the choices you have. It applies to information collected through this website only. Information we collect when you become a patient of the dental practice is governed by a separate document, our Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF), which describes our practices under the federal HIPAA Privacy Rule.

Notice at collection

This section serves as our “notice at collection” under the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, “CCPA/CPRA”). It tells you, at or before the point of collection, the categories of personal information we collect, the purposes for which we use that information, the categories of third parties to whom we disclose it, how long we retain it, and whether we sell or share it.

Categories of personal information we collect

In the 12 months preceding the “Last updated” date above, we have collected, or may collect, the following categories of personal information through this website (using the categories listed in Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140(v)):

• A. Identifiers: name, postal address, email address, phone number, IP address, and similar identifiers you submit through forms or that are recorded automatically when you visit.
• B. Customer-records information: the contents of any message you send us through the contact form, online appointment requests, or email.
• F. Internet or other electronic network activity: pages viewed, referring URL, browser and device information, time on page, and similar usage information collected via Google Analytics 4 and standard server logs.
• G. Geolocation data: approximate (city- or region-level) location inferred from your IP address by Google Analytics. We do not collect precise GPS location through this website.
• K. Inferences: limited inferences drawn from the data above, such as which pages tend to be useful to visitors.

We do not collect categories C (protected characteristics), D (commercial information), E (biometric information), H (sensory data), I (professional or employment information), or J (education information) through this website.

Sensitive personal information

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information through this website (as that term is defined in Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140(ae)). Because we do not collect or use sensitive personal information for any purpose other than those permitted under Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.121(a) and the implementing regulations, no separate right-to-limit notice is required. Information you share when you become a dental patient (including health information) is collected through the practice itself, not this website, and is governed by HIPAA and our Notice of Privacy Practices.

Sources of the information

• Directly from you, when you submit a form, send an email, call, or text us.
• Automatically from your device, when your browser loads pages on this website (server logs, analytics).
• From service providers we use to operate the website (for example, our online appointment-request and patient-portal vendor).

Business and commercial purposes for collection

• To respond to inquiries, schedule appointments, and provide patient support.
• To operate, maintain, secure, and improve the website.
• To detect and prevent security incidents, fraud, and unauthorized activity.
• To comply with legal, regulatory, professional-licensing, and operational obligations.
• For short-term, transient use as authorized by Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140(e)(4).

Categories of third parties to whom we disclose information

We disclose categories A, B, F, G, and K above to the following types of recipients, only for the business purposes listed:

• Service providers and contractors who help us operate the website (analytics, hosting, online forms, appointment scheduling, payment processing). These providers are contractually bound to use the information only to perform services for us.
• Government, law-enforcement, and regulatory authorities when we are required to respond to a subpoena, court order, or other legal process, or when necessary to protect rights, property, or safety.
• Professional advisors (legal counsel, accountants, insurers) under duties of confidentiality.
• Successors in the event of a merger, sale, or transfer of practice assets, subject to confidentiality obligations.

Sale and sharing of personal information

We do not sell personal information for monetary or other valuable consideration. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising (the activity CPRA defines as “sharing”). We have not sold or shared personal information in the 12 months preceding the “Last updated” date above. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of consumers under 16 years of age.

Even though we do not sell or share personal information, California residents may submit a Do Not Sell or Share request through our Do Not Sell My Personal Information page, and we will honor it.

Retention

We retain each category of personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described above and to meet our legal, accounting, or reporting obligations. As a general rule:

• Form submissions and email correspondence: retained for up to 7 years to support patient communications, follow-up, and dispute resolution, then deleted or anonymized.
• Server logs: retained for up to 90 days for security and troubleshooting.
• Google Analytics data: retained inside the GA4 property for 14 months (the minimum standard period offered by Google).
• Cookie-consent records: retained on your device for the life of your browser’s local storage or until you clear it. We do not store an off-device copy.

Cookies, analytics, and your choices

We use cookies and similar technologies (such as your browser’s local storage) to keep the site working, remember your accessibility and consent preferences, and measure site usage. Categories used:

• Strictly necessary: small bits of data stored on your device to remember your accessibility settings (text size, contrast, motion preferences) and your cookie-consent choice. These are stored in your browser only and are required for the site to function as you expect.
• Analytics: Google Analytics 4 (property G-7HL6Z72G66) helps us understand which pages are useful. GA4 collects a randomized client identifier, page-view information, approximate (region-level) location, and similar usage signals. We have IP-anonymization enabled, Google Signals disabled, and ad-personalization signals disabled.
• Marketing: none currently in use. The practice does not run cross-context behavioral advertising at this time. The cookie banner exposes a marketing preference for completeness, in case that changes in the future.

How analytics behaves on this website. Because we are a California-based practice operating under California’s opt-out model, Google Analytics is enabled by default for visitors who appear to be in the United States. Visitors who appear to be in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or the European Economic Area receive an opt-in default and analytics does not run unless they accept.

How to opt out. You can decline analytics at any time by clicking “Reject non-essential” in the cookie banner or by selecting “Cookie preferences” in the website footer. Your choice is stored on your device and applied automatically on future visits.

Global Privacy Control. This website honors the Global Privacy Control (GPC) browser signal as a valid request to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information and to disable analytics cookies, in accordance with the California Privacy Protection Agency’s guidance. If your browser sends GPC, analytics will be turned off automatically and you will not see the cookie banner.

You can also opt out by installing the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, enabling “Do Not Track” in your browser, or blocking cookies in your browser settings.

Third-party services

To run the practice, we rely on a small number of third-party services that may receive information when you interact with this website. Each operates under its own privacy policy:

• Google Analytics 4: site-usage analytics (Google LLC).
• Google Maps Embed: embedded map of our office location (Google LLC). The map iframe loads when the contact page renders.
• MyDentistLink: patient portal, online new-patient forms, and appointment-request links.
• JotForm: intake form on the Do Not Sell My Personal Information page.
• DB4Commerce: secure online bill-payment processor. We do not collect or store payment-card numbers on this website.

We do not control how these third parties handle data on their own platforms. We encourage you to review each service’s privacy policy. We choose providers we believe handle information responsibly and in accordance with applicable law.

How we keep information secure

We use commercially reasonable physical, administrative, and technical safeguards to protect information collected through this website. The website itself is served over HTTPS. Despite these safeguards, no transmission over the internet is ever 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children’s privacy

This website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the website. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us at [email protected] and we will delete it.

Your California rights

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), gives you specific rights regarding personal information we collect about you. You have the right to:

• Know what categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties to whom we disclose it.
• Delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to legal exceptions (for example, completing a transaction you requested, complying with legal obligations, or detecting security incidents).
• Correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
• Receive a portable copy of your personal information in a readily usable, machine-readable format.
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information, but you may still submit an opt-out request and we will record and honor it.
• Limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information to purposes permitted by law. We do not collect sensitive personal information through this website for any other purpose, so this right does not currently apply, but we will honor any such request you submit.
• Not be discriminated against for exercising any of these rights. We will not deny you services, charge a different price, or provide a different level of quality because you exercised your CCPA/CPRA rights.

How to submit a request

You may submit a verifiable consumer request by any of the following methods:

• Online form: use our Do Not Sell My Personal Information page to submit an opt-out request. For other California privacy rights, use the email, phone, or mail methods below.
• Email: [email protected] with the subject line “California Privacy Request.”
• Phone: (209) 369-3617 during business hours.
• Mail: Stephen Cheung DDS - Family Dentist in Lodi, 1420 S Mills Ave, Lodi, CA 95242.

How we verify a request

To protect your information, we verify the identity of every requester before we act on a request. The level of verification we require depends on the sensitivity of the information involved. We will ask you to confirm specific information we already have on file (such as an email address or phone number you have used to communicate with us). For more sensitive requests we may require additional information. We will only use information you provide for verification to verify the request and respond to it. If we cannot verify your identity, we may decline the request and will tell you why.

Authorized agents

You may use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf. The agent must provide written authorization signed by you, and we may ask you to verify your identity directly with us before we process the request. This protects you from someone else submitting a request without your knowledge.

Response time

We will confirm receipt of a verifiable consumer request within 10 business days and will respond substantively within 45 calendar days of receipt. If we need more time, we will tell you why and may take up to an additional 45 days (90 days total) as permitted by California law.

Information governed by HIPAA, not CCPA/CPRA

Information we hold as part of your protected health information (PHI) as a dental patient is governed by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and our Notice of Privacy Practices (PDF), not the CCPA/CPRA. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected through this website.

Text-message communications (SMS)

If you provide your mobile number through a form, by phone, or in person, we may send appointment confirmations, reminders, and other care-related messages by text. Message and data rates may apply. You can stop these messages at any time by replying STOP to a message you receive from us, or by asking the office to remove your number. Reply HELP for assistance. We do not share mobile numbers with third parties for their independent marketing.

Links to other sites

This website may link to third-party websites (insurance carriers, informational resources, our online booking partner, our payment processor, and similar services). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and recommend you review their privacy policies before providing any information.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:

• Stephen Cheung DDS - Family Dentist in Lodi
• 1420 S Mills Ave, Lodi, CA 95242
• Phone: (209) 369-3617
• Email: [email protected]