PRIVACY STATEMENT
We recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of all information provided
by users of our web sites, subscribers to our magazines, registrants for our events,
recipients of our e-mail newsletters and all other customers of our products and
services. We created this policy with a fundamental respect for our customers' right
to privacy and to guide our relationships with our customers. This Privacy Statement
discloses the privacy practices for all products and services owned by us.
INFORMATION COLLECTION AND USE
We collect information from our website users, subscribers and other customers.
In this section of our Privacy Statement, we describe the type of information we
collect and how we use it to provide better services to our customers.
Registration and Ordering
When attending our trade shows and other in-person events, participating in our
customer-sponsored webcasts, using some of our websites and signing up for certain
selected services (such as free subscriptions), users must first register. During
registration, users are required to give their contact information (such as name,
e-mail address, mailing address and phone number). For internal purposes, we use
this information to communicate with users and provide requested services, and,
for our website visitors, to provide a more personalized experience on our sites.
We also may collect demographic information (such as job title and purchasing responsibilities,
company information and professional certification). We use aggregate demographic
information about our audience to improve our service, for marketing purposes and/or
industry reporting purposes.
Many of our products and services are free to subscribers who meet certain demographic
criteria. Independent auditors may need to certify the eligibility of these subscribers.
In order to do that, we may collect unique identifiers (such as mother's maiden
name) that we disclose to the auditors strictly for industry reporting and audit
verification purposes.
For our services that require payment (such as certain events, products and subscriptions),
we also collect credit card information (such as account name, number and expiration
date), which is used for our or our agent's billing purposes only, and is not otherwise
shared.
E-mail Newsletters
If users wish to subscribe to our e-mail newsletters, we ask for contact information
(such as name, e-mail address and, occasionally, demographic information). We use
this information in the same manner as we use contact information in the registration
and ordering process described above. Recipients of our newsletters can unsubscribe
using the instructions listed at the end of the e-mail newsletter.
Surveys and Contests
From time to time we invite web site users and other customers to provide information
via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely
voluntary and the website user or other customer therefore has a choice whether
to disclose requested contact information (such as name and mailing address) and
demographic information (such as zip code or job title). In addition to the other
uses set forth in this policy, contact information collected in connection with
surveys and contests is used to notify the winners and award prizes and to monitor
or improve the use of, and satisfaction with the website or other products or services.
Subject to the given customer's preferences (as described in the "Permission" section
below), such information also may be shared with third party sponsors of such surveys
or contests.
Interactive Features
At some of our sites, we offer interactive and community features such as discussion
boards, webcasts and user profiles. Note that all personal information sent or posted
via such features becomes public information for which we are not responsible.
Tell-A-Friend
If customers elect to use our referral service for informing a friend about our
sites and services, we may ask them for the friend's name, job title and e-mail
address. We will store and use this information to send the friend an invitation.
This information may also be used to provide information about our company and related
products and services. The friend may contact us as specified in the tell-a-friend
message to request that no further communications be sent.
Communications with Us
We have features where our customers can submit information to us (such as our feedback
forms). Where such submissions include requests for service, support or information,
we may forward them to our agents, as needed, to best respond to the specific request.
In addition, we may retain e-mails and other information sent to us for our internal
administrative purposes, and to help us to serve customers better. Please note that
letters to the editor and similar submissions may be made public.
Communications from Us: Service Updates, Special Offers
In order to best serve our customers, we may send updates that contain important
information about our products and services. For example, we send new members a
welcoming message, and verify password and username for our password-protected web
sites. We may also communicate with a customer to provide requested services and
for account-related issues via e-mail, phone or regular mail. In addition to such
service and product-essential messages, we offer our customers the option to receive
information about our company, related products, services and special deals. Users,
however, can choose not to receive these communications from us, as set forth in
the "Permission" section below.
Automatic Data Collection
Our web sites, newsletters and, from time to time, certain other products and services
have features that automatically collect information from customers, to deliver
content specific to customers' interests and to honor their preferences. This information
assists us in creating products and services that will serve the needs of our customers.
For example, we use "cookies," a piece of data stored on the user's hard drive containing
information about the user. Cookies benefit the user by requiring login only once,
thereby saving time while on our web site. If users reject the cookies, they may
be limited in the use of some areas of our web site. For example, the user may not
be able to participate in sweepstakes, contests or drawings. Additionally, we may
note some of the pages the user visits on our web sites and via our email newsletters
through the use of pixel tags (also called clear gifs) and web beacons. The use
of cookies, pixels and web beacons enable us to track and target the interests of
our users to enhance the experience on our sites and via our email newsletters.
In addition, some of our business affiliates use cookies on our web sites and in
our email newsletters, in ads or promotions. However, we have no access to or control
over these business affiliates' cookies; we urge users to read their privacy policies
for information. In particular, we use third-party advertising technology to serve
ads for our products and services when you visit certain of our Web sites. This
technology uses information about your visits to our Web sites (not including your
name, address, or other personal information), to serve our ads to you. In the course
of serving our advertisements to you, a unique third-party cookie may be placed
or recognized on your browser. In addition, we use web beacons, provided by our
ad serving partner, to help manage our online advertising for our products and services.
These web beacons enable our ad server to recognize a browser's cookie when a browser
visits these sites and to learn which banner ads bring users to our Web sites. The
information used in this process is not personally identifiable.
We also use an email delivery and marketing company to send emails (including newsletters)
for which you have registered (or otherwise agreed to receive). Web beacons and
cookies may be used in such email messages to help us measure the effectiveness
of our advertising and how customers use our web sites and other products and services.
Demographic information about our user base for aggregate use.
We may combine demographic information supplied by a customer at registration with
web site usage data to provide general profiles, in aggregate non-personally identifiable
form, about our customers and their preferences in the content of the site and advertising.
We may share this composite information with our advertisers and business affiliates
to help them better understand our services.
WITH WHOM YOUR INFORMATION IS SHARED
When we have co-branded, customized, private label, "powered by" or sponsored products
and services, or when we join with other parties to provide specific services (however
we do not share credit card information with such third parties), then we may share
(provide and receive) personal information with such third party, subject to the
customer's preferences (as described in the "Permission" section below).
In particular, please note that information collected in connection with online
webcasts, will be shared with the sponsor of the particular webcast(s)/seminar(s),
subject to the given customer's preferences (as described in the "Permission" section
below).
These sponsors will use the information according to their own privacy policies,
and we urge participants to read those policies and be aware of their privacy practices
before registering.
On some of our related sites, if a user affirmatively clicks through to access sponsored
content or materials at those sites, that user's information may be shared with
the sponsor.
In addition, at some related sites, information may be shared with selected advertisers
if a user affirmatively clicks through on a link/ad to such advertiser at those
sites or in e-mails.
Finally, on occasion, we may provide targeted lists of names and offline and online
contact information for marketing purposes to third parties, subject to our Permission
policies, as described below, pursuant to which we give customers the option of
not having their name or contact information disclosed to third parties.
Other than as set forth above, we do not share personally identifiable information
with other companies, apart from those acting as our agents in providing our product(s)/service(s),
and which agree to use it only for that purpose and to keep the information secure
and confidential. Also, our parent, subsidiary and affiliate companies, entities
into which our company may be merged, or entities to which any of our assets, products,
sites or operations may be transferred, will be able to use personal information.
We will also disclose information we maintain when required to do so by law, for
example, in response to a court order or a subpoena or other legal obligation, in
response to a law enforcement agency's request, or in special cases when we have
reason to believe that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact
or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference
with (either intentionally or unintentionally) our rights or property. Users should
also be aware that courts of equity, such as U.S. Bankruptcy Courts, might have
the authority under certain circumstances to permit personal information to be shared
or transferred to third parties without permission.
We may share aggregate information, which is not personally identifiable, with others.
This information may include usage and demographic data, but it will not include
personal information.
CORRECTION/UPDATING PERSONAL INFORMATION
If your personally identifiable information changes (such as zip code), or if you
no longer desire our product(s)/service(s), we provide a way to correct or update
your personal data: you may either contact Customer Support for the applicable product
or service or, to change your preferences, complete the "Feedback" page as described
in the "Permission" section below.
PERMISSION
Our customers are given the opportunity to choose whether to receive information
from our affiliates and us not directly related to the product or service for which
they registered (or which they otherwise agreed to receive). Other than the sharing
of user information with certain sponsors by Techonline.com and related sites, as
set forth in the "With Whom Your Information Is Shared" section above, Customers
also have the opportunity to choose whether to have personal information shared
with third parties for marketing purposes. Customers also can go to our "Feedback"
page at any time to change their preferences. In addition, for those customers that
are California residents, you may have additional rights, as described in the "Your
California Privacy Rights" section below.
Please note that we will endeavor to implement your permission requests within a
reasonable time, although for a time you may continue to receive mailings, etc.,
transmitted based on information released prior to the implementation of your request.
In addition, please note that even after such request is implemented, you will continue
to receive information directly related to the product or service for which you
registered (or which you otherwise agreed to receive), so you always are kept informed.
YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
Beginning on January 1, 2005, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits those
customers that are California residents to request that we not share your personal
information with third parties for their direct marketing use. To make such a request,
[click here] or write us at: Legal Department - Privacy Officer, STAR , 460 North
Victoria Park Road, Fort Lauderdale, Florida 33301
We use reasonable precautions to protect our customers' personal information and
to store it securely. Sensitive information that is transmitted to us online (such
as credit card number) is encrypted and is transmitted to us securely. In addition,
access to all of our customers' information, not just the sensitive information
mentioned above, is restricted. Only employees who need the information to perform
a specific job (for example, a billing clerk or a customer service representative)
are granted access to personally identifiable information. Finally, the servers
on which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.
LINKS
Our web sites contain links to other sites. We are not responsible for the privacy
practices or content of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when
they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each web site to which
we may link that may collect personally identifiable information.
CHILDREN
Our websites are not directed at individuals under thirteen years of age, and we
do not intend to collect any personally-identifiable information from such individuals.
NOTIFICATION and CHANGES
If we change our Privacy Statement, we will post those changes on this page so our
users are aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under which circumstances,
if any, we disclose it. Users should check this policy frequently to keep abreast
of any changes.
For questions about this Privacy Statement, [click here] or write us at:
Legal Department - Privacy Officer, STAR, 460 North Victoria Park Road, Fort
Lauderdale Florida 33301