1.Generally.
This Member and Non-Member Privacy Policy (this “Privacy Policy”) applies to all panel members of Survey Sampling International, LLC’s (“SSI”) panels, including without limitation SurveySpot Research Panel (“SurveySpot”), OpinionWorld Research Panel (“OpinionWorld”), any sub-panel(s) of SurveySpot and OpinionWorld, and any other panel(s) created, maintained, and/or operated by SSI and/or its affiliates, subsidiaries and/or divisions (collectively referred to herein as “SSI”), and to non-panel members participating in a survey(s) offered, provided, hosted, or administered by SSI. SSI strives to conform its privacy practices, policies and/or procedures with any and all applicable international, country specific, Federal, state and/or local laws, codes, regulations, and requirements (collectively “Laws”); and the industry codes, standards and regulations of various market and opinion research professional associations and/or organizations, including without limitation the ICC/ESOMAR International Code on Market and Social Research and the Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (“CASRO”), with whom SSI is a member (collectively the “Codes”).
SSI is committed to protecting the security and integrity of all Personal Information (as defined herein) collected by, or disclosed to, SSI. SSI will not use any Personal Information for direct marketing or advertising purposes and membership as a panel member and/or participation in any survey(s) are completely voluntary. This Privacy Policy identifies the Personal Information that SSI collects; how such Personal Information will be used and protected; and your rights.
2.Types of Personal Information Collected.
Individuals may join SSI’s growing databases of survey respondents by registering with any of SSI’s panels at each panel’s website. The term “Personal Information” includes, without limitation, an individuals’ first and last name, residential address, email address, telephone number, age, gender, and date of birth. SSI collects Personal Information about panel members during the registration process and collects demographic information, including, without limitation information regarding employment status, hobbies, interests and product ownership (“Demographic Information”) after the registration process. SSI collects Personal Information and Demographic Information about non-panel members both before and during the non-panel member’s participation in a survey(s).
In the United States, SSI collects and maintains social security numbers of panel members for tax purposes in connection with incentive fulfillment. Social security numbers are protected as Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and are collected, maintained, used, and disclosed in accordance with applicable Laws.
SSI may collect the internet protocol address (the “IP Address”) that is publicly available on your computer. The IP Address is not collected for the purpose of tracking or monitoring your activity on the Internet. In non-United States jurisdictions an IP Address may be classified as personal information or personal data under applicable Laws; therefore, to the extent that SSI collects IP Addresses, SSI will collect, use, maintain, secure and/or disclose IP Addresses in accordance with applicable Laws.
Individuals may be recruited on behalf of SSI by SSI’s partners. The recruitment may occur through websites maintained by SSI’s partners. The Personal Information collected by SSI’s partners in connection with the recruitment process will be transferred to SSI only if the recruited individuals provide written consent to such transfer. SSI is neither responsible nor liable for the privacy and business practices and procedures of any of SSI’s partners.
3.Uses of Personal Information.
Generally, SSI uses Personal Information for the purpose of contacting and communicating with individuals in connection with their panel membership and/or their participation in a survey(s), and SSI uses Personal Information and Demographic Information to tailor survey invitations to individuals. In addition to the permitted uses of Personal Information as set forth in Section 2, above, SSI collects email addresses to enable SSI to send email invitations to individuals for participation in upcoming surveys; and SSI requests Demographic Information including, without limitation, age, gender, date of birth, employment status, hobbies, interests and product ownership, to match individuals with appropriate surveys.
4.Onward Transfer and Data Sharing of Personal Information.
Generally, SSI will only share data and/or information with its clients in an aggregated form or format, which does not permit the client to identify individual respondents. SSI limits the use of Personal Information only for legitimate market research purposes and in accordance with applicable Laws and Codes.
Personal Information is never transferred, disclosed or otherwise shared with any third party or third parties without the prior written consent of the data subject, except as follows:
In the event that SSI is required to disclose Personal Information pursuant to any applicable Laws and/or Codes or as required by a valid court or governmental order or subpoena.
In order to protect the safety of an individual or to protect SSI’s rights and/or property.
In the event that an individual signs up for more than one panel or sub-panels owned and/or operated by SSI; in which case, the panels will disclose, transfer and share the data subjects’ Personal Information among the various panels and/or sub-panels with whom the data subject has registered.
SSI may disclose or share Personal Information to authorized and approved agents, consultants, vendors and/or subcontractors of SSI and/or of SSI’s clients (individually a “Subcontractor” and collectively the “Subcontractors”) in connection with a Subcontractor’s performance of services for SSI and/or SSI’s clients. Prior to performing services, SSI requires Subcontractors to agree in writing to protect and maintain the security and integrity of the Personal Information disclosed by SSI and to use the Personal Information only in accordance with the specific purpose for which such Personal Information was disclosed by SSI.
SSI may transfer Personal Information in the event of a merger or an acquisition or a sale of any or all of SSI’s business assets. In the event of a merger or an acquisition or a sale of any or all of SSI’s business assets, which includes the transfer of Personal Information, SSI will require the surviving entity in the case of a merger, or the acquiring entity in the case of an acquisition or sale, to agree in writing to protect and maintain the security and integrity of the transferred Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
As otherwise permitted pursuant to this Privacy Policy.
5.Data Security.
SSI is committed to protecting the security and integrity of Personal Information. SSI maintains commercially reasonable technical, administrative and physical safeguards to protect and secure Personal Information from unauthorized disclosure to, and/or use and/or access by, a third party or third parties.
SSI’s internal databases that contain Personal Information are password protected and SSI limits access to such databases to only those SSI employees and/or agents with a “need-to-know” such Personal Information. Additionally, SSI’s employees and/or agents are bound by, and agree to comply with, confidentiality obligations and requirements. In the event that an SSI employee violates his or her confidentiality obligations and restrictions, the employee will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. In the event that an agent of SSI violates its confidentiality obligations and restrictions, SSI may terminate the relationship between SSI and the agent. SSI reviews, monitors, and evaluates its internal privacy protection system on a regular basis. Personal Information collected regarding panel and non-panel members is stored in secured data centers.
SSI uses its best efforts to comply with the United States European Union (“EU”) Safe Harbor Framework, which is administered by the United States Department of Commerce regarding transfers of data from the EU to the United States (“Safe Harbor Principles”).
6.Cookies.
SSI uses cookies to provide a better experience for individuals participating in surveys. SSI limits the use of cookies for quality control and validation purposes. Cookies are used temporarily during the time individuals are actively completing a survey or filling out the registration forms and SSI does not store or retain information collected by a cookie. Respondents always have the option to disable cookies while registering or completing a survey without affecting their participation in the survey. Except as otherwise set forth herein, no Personal Information is collected or transmitted via these cookies. SSI may invite individuals to take part in a survey(s) where a client requires the use or placement of cookies in order for survey participants to take part in a particular survey opportunity. These cookies will never be used or placed without the individual’s informed knowledge and consent.
7.Digital Fingerprinting.
In general, digital fingerprinting technologies assign a unique identifier or “Machine-ID” to a user’s computer to identify and track the computer. SSI will not use digital fingerprinting technology (the “Technology”) to collect Personal Information, or track the online activities, of the user of a computer; and will not disrupt or interfere with the use or control of a computer or alter, modify or change the settings or functionality of a computer. SSI will use the Technology to assist SSI’s clients in ensuring the integrity of survey results. The Technology will analyze publicly available information and data obtained from the computer’s web browser and from other publicly available data points, including without limitation the technical settings of the computer, the characteristics of the computer, and the computer’s IP Address, to create a unique identifier assigned to the computer. The unique identifier will be an alpha-numeric id. After creating the unique identifier, SSI does not retain the information analyzed by the Technology to create the unique identifier. In furtherance of SSI’s efforts to assist its clients in protecting and ensuring the integrity of survey results, SSI (a) may link or associate your unique identifier to you and any of your Personal Information; (b) may share your unique identifier with SSI’s clients and with other sample or panel providers; and (c) may receive or obtain a unique identifier linked to you from a third party, including without limitation a sample or panel provider or a client of SSI. Any unique identifier(s) received or obtained by SSI and linked to a specific individual will be protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
SSI shall use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that the Technology is safe, secure and do not cause undue privacy or data security risks.
SSI shall use and distribute the Technology in a professional and ethical manner and in accordance with (a) SSI’s privacy policy, (b) any statements and/or disclosures made by SSI to respondents, and (c) applicable Laws and Codes.
In the event that SSI discovers or learns of any unethical conduct in connection with the use of the Technology, or that the Technology is being used in a manner that is inconsistent with the statements and/or disclosures made by SSI to respondents or in violation of applicable Laws and Codes, SSI will take immediate action to prohibit such unethical conduct and to ensure the proper administration of the Technology.
8.Children’s Privacy Protection.
SSI strongly believes that it is important to protect the online privacy of children and SSI encourages parents or guardians to spend time online with their children to participate and monitor their Internet activities. Accordingly, SSI complies with applicable Laws and Codes pertaining to the protection of Children’s privacy, including without limitation the United States Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, the European Union Data Directive (95/46/EC), to the extent applicable, and all applicable international and country specific laws.
For online research conducted within the United States, with children thirteen (13) years of age or younger, SSI obtains the prior consent of the parents/guardians, prior to commencing with such online research.
For online research conducted outside of the United States, SSI complies with all applicable international and country specific laws regarding obtaining consent from parents/guardians for a child’s participation in such online research.
Parents or guardians are encouraged to contact SSI to discuss the Personal Information collected from their child or children and the rights set forth in Section 10 of this Privacy Policy, shall apply to the parents/guardians of any child registered as a panel member or participating in a survey(s).
9.Links.
From time-to-time SSI may provide panelists and/or respondents with the ability to voluntarily link or connect to websites maintained and/or operated by third parties (“Third Party Websites”). SSI does not endorse the Third Party Websites or any products or services advertised, offered and/or sold by, through or in connection with the Third Party Websites. The Third Party Websites have not been, and will not be, reviewed by SSI. SSI is neither responsible for the privacy practices, policies and/or procedures of the operators of the Third Party Websites nor the content contained on or in the Third Party Websites. SSI does not make any representations and/or warranties concerning the Third Party Websites; the business and/or privacy practices of any third party or third parties operating or owning the Third Party Websites and/or the products and/or services offered by or through the Third Party Websites.
10.Rights Pertaining to Personal Information.
A.Access to Personal Information; Updating Personal Information.
Individuals may access their Personal Information in order to review, correct, or delete any Personal Information by:
Accessing their individual membership account and following the instructions contained therein;
Sending an email request to the appropriate member services team for the appropriate SSI panel
B.Opting-Out of Panel.
If a panel member desires to end his or her membership with an SSI panel, such panel member may terminate his or her membership by (a) following the instructions set forth in their membership account, or (b) sending an email request to the appropriate member services team for the appropriate SSI panel. Upon resignation of panel membership, SSI will deactivate the applicable membership account and the individual will not receive any further survey invitations; although the individual may continue to receive some previously prepared survey invitations for a few days following the termination of membership. SSI apologizes for any inconvenience. SSI will retain the Personal Information of a terminating member for an indefinite period of time; however, SSI will continue to protect such Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
11.Enforcement.
SSI is committed to working with individuals to obtain a fair resolution to any complaints or disputes about privacy and Personal Information. SSI’s commitment to privacy is demonstrated and documented by our internal Privacy Compliance Officer, by our adherence to the applicable Laws and Codes, and by our compliance with the Safe Harbor Principles. Any complaints or concerns about this Privacy Policy should be sent via regular mail, postage prepaid, addressed to:
Tracy Vollaro
General Counsel
Survey Sampling International, LLC
International Place
6 Research Drive
Shelton, Connecticut 06484
12.AGREEMENT.
By agreeing to participate in SSI's research services or to become a SSI panel member, you signify your acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy, including the General Website Privacy Policy located on SSI’s homepage. SSI hereby reserves the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy, from time to time, and SSI will post such changes on the website for you to review on a regular basis. Your continued participation in SSI’s research services, or continued membership as a panel member, after SSI revises this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of this Privacy Policy, as amended.