Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: January 2, 2024

This Privacy Policy explains how the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) collects and uses the information you provide to us, to help you make informed decisions when you use our various websites ("Sites"), consumer choice tools, the AppChoices mobile application (“App”), and the Protect My Choices browser extension (“Extension”), collectively our Digital Properties. Please be sure to read this entire Privacy Policy before using our Digital Properties. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, then you should not use our Digital Properties. This Privacy Policy is specifically incorporated into the Terms of Service, which governs your use of our Digital Properties.

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

When you visit or use our Digital Properties, we may collect the following types of information:

• Personal information you choose to provide to us such as your name, mailing address, phone number, and email address. You may provide this information, for example, when you make requests for information or assistance or use our choice tools.  We also may generate a “token” based on information you provide to operate certain of our Digital Properties.
• Technical information including, but not limited to, browser type, IP address, mobile device type and identifier, screen resolution, operating system, the date and time of a visit or use, the pages visited on this Site and areas accessed in the App and Extension, the time spent viewing the Digital Properties, and return visits to the Digital Properties.
• Aggregated information as you and others browse and use our Digital Properties.
• When you download, install and use the Extension we provide your preferences selected through our Digital Properties to the Extension in the form of a “string” that includes alphanumeric codes representing the timestamp of your choices, what those preferences are (e.g., opt-outs, category preferences, etc.), and an identifier associated with the companies for which you made choices (“Choice String”). 

2. USES OF INFORMATION

We may use the information we collect from you for purposes such as:

• To respond to your inquires and requests;
• To operate our Digital Properties and improve your experience;
• To identify or remediate possible threats to the Site’s security;
• To conduct research about your use of the Digital Properties and our services;
• To effectuate your choices and preference selections; and
• For any other purpose specified at time of collection.
  
  Additionally, the Choice String is made available to participating companies either    through the Extension or via direct integrations. In the case of direct integrations, the Choice String will also include an identifier (such as a Token, described herein).  Participating companies use the Choice String to recognize and apply those choices and preferences within their own systems where relevant.  We also use the information to provide the Extension and the direct integration service, enhance our Digital Properties’ features, maintain security, for research and product development purposes, and any other purpose identified at the time of collection.

3. ANALYTICS, OPERATIONAL & RESEARCH SERVICES USE OF COOKIES OR SIMILAR TECHNOLOGY

We use Google Analytics to better understand how visitors interact with our Sites. This service provides technical data including but not limited to data on where visitors came from, what actions they took on our Sites, and where visitors went when they left our Sites. We use this information to improve your experience when visiting our Sites. Please click here to learn more about this service and how to opt out of data collection by Google Analytics. We may also work with other partners to conduct research surveys in order to improve the user experience on our Digital Properties. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of these partners to learn about their data practices.  We may also work with partners to help operate our Digital Properties and features offered therein.  These partners may use cookies or similar technologies for these purposes.

To operate some of our Digital Properties we may use cookies and similar technologies to store your choices and the generated token to enable those choices to be included in browser extensions and other tools.  The Extension operates in conjunction with cookies and other similar technologies set by our other Digital Properties in order to populate your choices within the Extension without you having to re-select the choices and preferences manually in the Extension.  Additionally, companies may use technology like cookies, pixels, or other code to read the contents of the Extension and store and operationalize your choices and preferences. 

4. SHARING INFORMATION WITH THIRD PARTIES

Through some of our Digital Properties, you are able to request choices and preferences with respect to certain data practices of companies participating in the tools we provide. When you request choices or preferences, we may share some information collected from you, your computer, or your mobile device with these companies so that they may honor your requests concerning their data collection and use practices. Additionally, we may share information with service providers who may assist us in responding to your inquiries or requests, or otherwise perform some business or operational function for us. To operate the DAA’s Token Tool, we share the identifier you provide to us with third-party verification partners to communicate with you, verify your requests and operate that tool.  We also share the token generated by the DAA’s Token Tool with the participating companies to provide your requests with them. We may also disclose personal information about you if required to do so by law, including without limitation, by search warrant, subpoena or court order; to protect our and third party rights; and for purposes disclosed at time of collection.

The Extension provides access to the information stored within it to any entity able to access the extension, including websites, third parties, and anyone with access to your browser.  This access is provided to allow you to review your preferences, and for companies to access those choices and preferences in order to operationalize them within their systems.

5. RETENTION OF INFORMATION

We retain the email addresses, phone numbers, and other identifiers you provide through the DAA’s Token Tool for 31 days.  Other information is retained as long as it is necessary for our operational purposes.

The Extension retains the information stored within it for as long as you keep those preferences and do not delete the Extension from your browser to help companies honor your requests for choices and preferences. If the Extension is deleted/removed from your browser, companies without a direct integration with DAA will not be able to read your choice and preference requests. If you reinstall the Extension more than 7 days after the time you made choices with the DAA tools, you must use the DAA tools again to repopulate your choices and preference request.

6. SECURITY

We take reasonable measures to help maintain data we collect through our Digital Properties in a secure manner.

7. LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY SITES

Our Digital Properties may contain links to other websites operated by third parties we do not control and this Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected through our Digital Properties. We encourage you to read the privacy statements of these other websites.

8. CHANGES IN OUR PRIVACY POLICY

From time to time, we may update this Privacy Policy. We will notify you of any material changes to our Privacy Policy by posting any updated policies on this page. We encourage you to visit this area frequently to stay informed.

9. CONTACT US

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at privacy@aboutads.info.