Below is the Privacy Policy of PopularMedia, Inc., the provider of a suite of Social Media Marketing Solutions. To view the Privacy Policy of YOUR SITE GOES HERE, click here..
PopularMedia, Inc. Privacy Policy
Your Privacy
PopularMedia, Inc. ("PopularMedia") provides a suite of Social Media Marketing Solutions (which includes a Conversation Platform, Developer Tookits, Sharing Widgets, Benchmarking, and Data and Profiling Services) to websites and online marketers.
Privacy is of the utmost importance to us and this Privacy Policy is intended to inform both our partners and you, the end user, about how PopularMedia collects and handles consumer information that we process on behalf of the companies that use our services (our "Clients"), as well as the consumer information we process on websites owned and operated or controlled by PopularMedia ("PopularMedia Websites"), including our corporate website.
PopularMedia requires our Clients to fully inform their customers or users about the Client's information collection practices and use of PopularMedia's services. You should familiarize yourself with the privacy practices of any website you visit to understand what information the site collects, how the information is used, what choices you have, how to access the information and how it is safeguarded.
PopularMedia is a licensee of the TRUSTe Privacy Program. TRUSTe is an independent, non-profit organization whose mission is to build users' trust and confidence in the Internet by promoting the use of fair information practices. Because PopularMedia wants to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy, it has agreed to disclose its information practices and have its privacy practices reviewed for compliance by TRUSTe.
If you have questions or concerns regarding this privacy policy, you should first contact PopularMedia Customer Service by email at customerservice@PopularMedia.com. If you do not receive acknowledgment of your inquiry, or your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, you should contact TRUSTe at http://www.truste.org/consumers/watchdog_complaint.php. TRUSTe will then serve as a liaison with PopularMedia to resolve your concerns.
The Collection and Use of User Information
Personally Identifiable User Information
Users of the PopularMedia Websites and those websites operated by our Clients (a "Users" and collectively, "Users") may be asked to provide personally identifiable information, which may include their first and last names, email address, mailing address, telephone number, a user-chosen password, and date of birth, possibly along with other personal information. To combat online fraud, the IP address of the User may be recorded when submitting such information. All Users may decline to share such information by simply choosing not to participate in the programs being provided by PopularMedia and/or our Clients. Further, all Users may opt to remove any such information from our database or the databases of our Clients by contacting us at info@popularmedia.com and providing us with the name of the website(s) to which they submitted such information.
Personally identifiable User information will be used for the purposes of the services provided to Users on the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients. For example, email addresses of Users may be used to send notification of promotions being run by our Clients. PopularMedia will not sell, market or distribute the personally identifiable information of Users in any way to third parties, except as specifically provided for in the section below entitled "Law Enforcement."
Cookies and Passive Data Collection
On the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients, we may at times log standard User information and click-stream data for all Users, including a User's IP address, operating system and page views. When Users visit particular pages within the PopularMedia Websites or our Clients' websites, a User ID may be placed in the URL, allowing customized features for the Users. Users should be aware that other websites visited before entering a PopularMedia Website (including the websites of our Clients) might place personally identifiable information within a User's URL, and PopularMedia has no control over such websites. Accordingly, some of this information may be logged by a subsequent website that collects URL information.
In addition to the standard log information, PopularMedia uses a variety of technologies to create a more personalized experience for Users. Cookies are small data files sent by websites to a User's browser and hard drive that identify the computer to the website. Cookies may be used to provide enhanced features, such as allowing registered users to bypass typing their passwords before entering a website. Cookies may also be used to enable customizable content for Users, as it becomes available. Users have the option, within their Internet browsers, to disable cookies, but may not be able to continue to access the PopularMedia Websites and our Clients' websites if cookies are disabled.
Pixel tags are tiny graphic files that are included in HTML-encoded e-mail messages. Pixel tags may be used to gather information about the e-mails sent to Users. When such a message is opened in an HTML-capable e-mail program, the recipient's computer accesses our server to retrieve the pixel tag file, and allows us to record and store the date and time, the recipient's e-mail address and other standard logging information.
Web pages within the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients may also contain similar pixel tags that allow us to count Users who have visited those pages, to compile aggregated statistics about site usage, and to deliver co-branded services as they become available. These pixel tags collect only a limited set of information including a cookie number, time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the pixel tag resides. Web pages within the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients may also contain pixel tags placed there by third party ad servers, to monitor the effectiveness of their advertising.
PopularMedia.com uses cookie, IP address, URL information and pixel tags to improve the content of the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients, the quality of PopularMedia servers, and to provide enhanced features to Users, where available. We use cookies to save User IDs and session validators on Users' browsers and hard drives, and may use them to provide tailored products or services to those Users, as they become available. We may also cross-match User information, including their personally identifiable information, with information collected from cookies and click-stream data in order to test features of the PopularMedia Websites or the websites of our Clients, and to better personalize our various offerings and our Clients' various offerings for Users.
IP Addresses also help us to diagnose problems with our server, to administer the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients, and to otherwise provide the services to Users. IP addresses may be disclosed to a third party for law enforcement purposes as described below. From time to time we may extend offers from various partner companies, including news or additional details on products and services. A User's usage history may result in specifically tailored special offer screens or products. We may also produce aggregate reports for advertisers or other Clients. For example, we may report to advertisers the number of Users who clicked on an ad, or the number of Users that visited different portions of the PopularMedia Websites or the websites of our Clients. This information will not include personally identifiable information about a User, or a specific User's online usage patterns.
Address Book Data
As a convenience to Users that utilize major e-mail clients (such as but not limited to Hotmail, Yahoo!, MSN Outlook, AOL, and Gmail), we may allow such Users to access their existing e-mail address books through the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients as part of the services offered. This is done through an address book importer and makes it faster and easier for Users to make communications with other persons and, for example, share the offers of our Clients with other persons and earn potential rewards. This section describes the steps we take to protect the privacy of Users who access their e-mail address book data and of the people listed in their e-mail address books.
1) Protection of login and password information
Users must enter their e-mail username and password to access their address books. During the login process, the data is held in a temporary file, which is erased as soon as the process has been completed or terminated. We do not keep any records of usernames or passwords, nor do we allow others any access to Users' personal information.2) Protection of e-mail addresses
We are committed to protecting the privacy of Users and those persons with whom they communicate. We do not record or store any personally identifying information contained in address books, nor do we allow others to do so. Users are responsible for choosing the e-mail addresses to which communications will be sent, by selecting and deselecting individual email addresses before sending the communications.3) Selected email addresses: The email addresses selected by the User are copied to a temporary file in order to send the User's communications, then deleted as soon as the communications have been sent. Recipients receive only one e-mail communication, and are not contacted again unless they take action to become a User and participate in the services provided by PopularMedia and/or our Clients, or another User sends them a new communication. To ensure deliverability, the original User may send additional email communications, but our system prevents more than three emails communications being sent from one User to another.
5) Deselected email addresses: The email addresses de-selected by the User will not receive e-mail from us, unless another User sends them a communication. We do not record or store any personally identifying information, nor do we allow others to do so.
6) Non-identifying data
We may maintain and aggregate or profile statistical records of the e-mail address books accessed through the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of or Clients. These records are not associated with individual Users and contain no personal information or e-mail addresses, nor can e-mail addresses or other personally identifying information be extracted from the records. All personal information is eliminated from the records before they are stored on our secure servers. We use these records to ensure that we always have sufficient capacity to provide service to any User who wishes to participate in the services provided by PopularMedia and/or our Clients, to improve the quality of those services, and to provide anonymous reporting for Clients, including aggregated, benchmarked and/or profiled anonymous statistics.Client Data
PopularMedia keeps all information and data that is collected on behalf of, sent from and stored for our Clients strictly confidential, and we do not permit access to the information except as directed by our Client.
All information and data that is collected by PopularMedia on behalf of our Clients or sent to us from our Clients is stored and handled separately for each Client. We do not share or commingle information or data that is collected on behalf of, or sent to us from our Clients between or among our Clients. PopularMedia takes all commercially reasonable steps to ensure that all information collected on behalf of, or sent to us from our Clients is secured from unauthorized interception and to protect it from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction in storage while under our control. While we have taken efforts to guard such information, we cannot guarantee that it will not be disclosed or accessed by accidental circumstances or by the unauthorized acts of others.
Blogs, Message Boards and Chat
PopularMedia may at times offer Users the option to post content to a blog, message board or chat room. In order to do so, Users may be required to provide personally identifiable information. Users should be aware that any visitor may read their postings on a blog, message board or in a chat room. Furthermore, any information that a User may post to a blog, message board or in a chat room, including their profile information, is available to all Users of that message board or chat room, and thus neither private nor confidential. PopularMedia cannot guarantee the security of such information that is disclosed or communicated online in public areas such as blogs, message boards and chat rooms, and Users do so at their own risk. PopularMedia reserves the right at any time, in its sole discretion, to remove any content that a User may post on any blog, message board or chat room and restrict their access to any blog, message board or chat room. PopularMedia further reserves the right to republish User postings from blogs, message boards or chat rooms elsewhere on the Internet in any format.
Surveys and Contests
At various times we may offer surveys or contests to users for entertainment or marketing purposes. Surveys may ask for contact information or unique identifying information to increase the value of the results. Contests may require contact information or other demographic or personally identifiable information in order to determine eligibility. PopularMedia.com uses information collected from surveys and contests for the entertainment and informational purposes of Users, and to notify and contact winners of various contests.
Third Party Links and Ad Servers
The PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients may provide links to one or more third party websites, which may use cookies, pixel tags, web tags and/or other information and data collecting techniques. Other companies, known as third-party ad servers, may also be allowed to display advertisements on the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients. Ad servers may also use these tools to compile information about where Users saw particular advertisements, and to determine which ads were clicked on. We are not responsible for, and do not have any control over, the privacy policies of those third party websites and ad servers, and encourage all Users to read the privacy policies of each and every website visited when linking directly from the PopularMedia Websites or the websites of our Clients.
Law Enforcement
PopularMedia may disclose personally identifiable User information or any other information or data it collects pursuant to a subpoena or other judicial or administrative order, when required by law, or at our sole discretion, when we deem necessary to protect the safety of any individual or the public or to prevent the violation of the rights of PopularMedia, our Clients or any third party.
Security
PopularMedia uses industry standard security measures to protect the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. Although we make good faith efforts to store the information collected on the PopularMedia Websites and the websites of our Clients in a secure operating environment that is not available to the public, we cannot guarantee complete security. Further, while we make commercially reasonable efforts consistent with prevailing industry standards to ensure the integrity and security of our network and systems, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent third-party "hackers" from illegally obtaining this information.
Updating or Removing User Information
Users may, at any time, choose to correct or update the information they have submitted to us or to one of our Clients, by informing us of the website that they have submitted their information to and whatever corrections or updates need to be made at info@PopularMedia.com.
Users may remove their User information from a PopularMedia Website or a website of one of our Clients by informing us of the website that they have submitted their information to at info@PopularMedia.com.
Opt-Out
Any person receiving an email message from PopularMedia or one of our Clients has the opportunity to opt out of receiving future messages, simply by following the opt-out instructions provided in the message. Alternatively, any person has the opportunity to opt out of receiving future messages by contacting us at info@PopularMedia.com and indicating the website for which they would like to stop receiving messages.
Third parties may independently collect information about Users from the viewing of links or ads on the PopularMedia Websites or the websites of our Clients. Users should contact those third parties directly if they do not wish to receive communications from them, or do not want those third parties to collect information about them. PopularMedia has no control over such third parties and is not responsible for their actions or inactions in this regard.
No Spam Policy
PopularMedia is opposed to spam and fully supports and complies with the requirements of the federal CAN-SPAM Act. Users are prohibited from engaging in any activity involving spam on the PopularMedia Websites or the websites of our Clients. Violations of these policies may result in immediate termination of service and legal action against any spammer. The following activities are expressly prohibited: uploading, posting, emailing, transmitting or otherwise making available junk mail, commercial advertisements, or other form of commercial solicitation on the PopularMedia Websites, the websites of our Clients or through services provided by PopularMedia or our Clients.
Any violation of these policies will use or cause to be used PopularMedia's servers, which are currently located in California. Accordingly, any unauthorized use of PopularMedia computer systems and/or servers is a violation of our policies and certain federal and state laws, including the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (18 U.S.C. - 1030 et seq.), Section 502 of the California Penal Code and Section 17538.45 of the California Business and Professions Code. Such violations may subject the sender and his or her agents to civil and criminal penalties.
Service-Related Announcements
We will send you strictly service-related announcements on rare occasions when it is necessary to do so. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance, we might send you an email. Generally, you may not opt-out of these communications, which are not promotional in nature. If you do not wish to receive them, you have the option to deactivate your account.
Children Under Age 13
PopularMedia does not knowingly collect or solicit information of any nature from anyone under the age of 13 nor knowingly allow such persons to submit personally identifiable information absent parental or guardian consent. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without parental or guardian consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13 that has not been approved by the child's parent or guardian, please contact us immediately at info@PopularMedia.com.
Other Disclosures
Change of Ownership
In the event of a change in ownership, direct merger, acquisition by or consolidation with another entity or any other event modifying the ownership structure of us, we reserve the right to transfer all User information (including but not limited to email addresses), to a related entity of us or a third party involved in the ownership change. All Users will be notified of any such occurrence, and may choose to modify any of their User information at that time.
Revisions to This Policy
PopularMedia reserves the right to revise, amend, or modify this policy and our other policies and agreements at any time and in any manner. Notice of any such revision, amendment, or modification will be posted on the PopularMedia website at www.popularmedia.com, and a User's continued use of the PopularMedia websites or those of our Clients will signify agreement to such changes.
Contacting PopularMedia
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy and any of the aforementioned statements, you may contact PopularMedia at info@PopularMedia.com, or at:
PopularMedia, Inc.
1550 Bryant Street, Suite 925
San Francisco, CA 94103Fax: (210) 579-2101
USE OF THIS WEBSITE OR THE WEBSITES OF OUR CLIENTS SIGNIFIES YOUR AGREEMENT TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
Last Revised on January 15, 2008
