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Privacy Notice

Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy outlines the information collection process when you engage with our products, services, or interact with us. This includes activities such as registering for and receiving our print publications, digital communications, accessing our website, enrolling in membership products, attending events and conferences, downloading content, viewing videos, podcasts, and using our digital applications and social media channels. All of these activities are collectively referred to as “Independent for Longer’s” or “our Products” in this Privacy Policy, unless stated otherwise. These Products are provided by Independent for Longer in the United States.

This policy also clarifies your choices regarding how we utilize your information, including modifying your marketing preferences, objecting to certain uses of your information, and accessing or updating specific details about you.

If you do not agree with this policy, please refrain from accessing or using our Products or engaging with any other aspect of our business.

This policy aims to provide clarity on:

  1. Information Collection: What information we gather about you.
  2. Information Usage: How we employ the collected information.
  3. Information Sharing: Circumstances under which we share your information.
  4. Information Security: How we store and protect the data we collect.
  5. Access and Control: How you can access and manage your information.
  6. International Data Transfer: The protocols for transferring collected information internationally.
  7. Other Privacy Information: Additional important privacy details.

In cases where we provide the Products under an organization’s contract (e.g., your employer), that organization governs the information processed by the Products. Please refer to the “Notice to End Users” section for more information.

Data Collection

We acquire information about you through multiple channels, including when you provide it directly, use our Products, or when other sources furnish it to us. Here’s how:

Information You Provide to Us

  • Account and Profile Information: When you register for an account, create or edit your profile, set preferences, make purchases, or provide contact and billing information, we collect relevant details. Additionally, you may choose to add a display name, job title, industry, and other particulars to your profile.
  • Content on Our Websites: Our Products encompass websites we own or operate, and we gather content submitted by you, such as comments, feedback, or participation in interactive features, surveys, contests, promotions, and events on these websites.
  • Information via Support Channels: When you engage with our customer support, we may ask for information about issues you’re experiencing with our Products. This could include contact information, issue descriptions, and supporting documentation.
  • Payment Information: For specific paid Products, we collect payment and billing information, including payment card details processed securely through payment services.

Automatic Information Collection during Product Usage

When you utilize our Products, which encompass activities such as browsing our websites and engaging in various actions within the Products, we automatically gather certain information about your interactions and device usage.

Usage of Our Products: We track specific details when you visit and interact with any of our Products. This data includes the features you utilize, the links you click, the content you download, and your interactions with other users within the Products.

Device and Connection Data: Information pertaining to the device you use to access our Products is collected, whether it’s a computer, phone, tablet, or another device. This encompasses data about your connection type and settings during installation, access, updates, or utilization of our Products. Additionally, we gather device-related information, such as your operating system, browser type, IP address, URLs of referring and exit pages, and device identifiers. We use your IP address and, where applicable, country preference to approximate your location, enhancing your user experience. The extent of information collected varies depending on your device type and settings. Administrators of server and data center services can disable this data collection through settings or block transmission at the local network level.

Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies:

Types of Technologies Employed:

  • Cookies, Web Beacons, and More: We utilize cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to enhance our Products and tailor your experience. These technologies allow you to access and use our Products without repeatedly entering your login credentials, understand how our customers use our Products, determine email interactions, and present you with relevant advertisements. For each visitor to Independent for Longer’s Products, our servers may endeavor to identify the user through a browser-set cookie to provide appropriate access. Periodically, we may track aggregate information about pages and features users access or view, storing this activity in our server log files. We may also log Internet Protocol (IP) addresses or your computer’s location on the Internet for system administration and troubleshooting purposes.

Usage of These Technologies:

  • Strict Necessity: Some cookies and technologies are indispensable for enabling specific Product features, like remembering your login status.
  • Functionality: Others, including cookies and similar tech, remember your preferences, such as language or search settings, to tailor your Product experience.
  • Performance and Analytics: Certain cookies and related technologies collect data on how users interact with our Products, helping us enhance their functionality.
  • Targeting and Advertising: These cookies record your browsing patterns to provide relevant advertising based on your interests, sharing this information with advertising technology service providers and advertisers.
  • Social Media Cookies: When you use social media sharing or “like” buttons on our websites, or when you link your account or interact with our content through social media platforms, social network providers and related service providers may track and record your actions for targeting and advertising purposes.

Opting Out

To opt-out of cookie usage, you can direct your browser to change its settings, either to cease accepting cookies or to prompt you before accepting cookies from websites you visit. It’s important to note that if you choose not to accept cookies, some features of our Products may become inaccessible. Additionally, we and our third-party partners employ web beacons, also known as “tracking pixels,” for data collection.

Many browsers come equipped with tools to manage local storage objects and handle “flash cookies.” Below, under “Your Choices,” you can also explore the option of opting out of personalized advertisements.

However, it’s important to understand that you won’t be able to opt-out of cookies or other technologies that are deemed “strictly necessary” for the functioning of our Products.

Information Received from Other Sources

We obtain information about you from various sources, including other users, third-party services, our affiliated companies, and business and channel partners. Here’s how:

Other Users of the Products: Other users of our Products may contribute information about you when they submit content via our Products. Your email address, for instance, may be shared by other users when they wish to forward an article or invite you to use the Products. Similarly, your employer might provide your contact details when designating you as a recipient of the Products.

Integration with Other Services: If you or your administrator connect or link a third-party service to our Products, we receive information about you. For example, if you create an account or log in via Facebook or Google credentials, we may receive your name and email address to authenticate you. Integration may also occur with other services you use, allowing access, storage, sharing, and editing of content from third-party sources through our Products. The information we acquire through these integrations depends on the settings, permissions, and privacy policies controlled by the respective third-party services. It’s advisable to review the privacy settings and notices within these third-party services to comprehend what data may be disclosed to us or shared with our Products.

Independent for Longer Companies: We receive information from companies owned or operated by Independent for Longer, aligned with their terms and policies.

Independent for Longer Partners: We collaborate with global partners that offer consulting, implementation, training, and related services for our products. Some of these partners assist in marketing, lead generation, and reselling our products. Information we receive from these partners includes billing data, technical contact information, company details, your product interests, evaluations provided, events attended, and your geographical location.

Other Partners: We receive information about your interactions with our Products and online advertisements from third-party partners like advertising and market research firms. They furnish us with data about your engagement and interests related to our Products.

Usage of Collected Information

Our utilization of the information we collect hinges on which Products you use, how you use them, and any preferences you’ve communicated to us. Here are the specific purposes for which we employ the information gathered about you:

  • Provision of Products and Personalization: We use your information to deliver our Products, process transactions, verify your login credentials, offer customer support, and manage Product operations. Your account details, such as name and picture, aid in identification and facilitate tailored features that enhance your experience. This may include notifications and recommendations tailored to your preferences. For instance, we might use your job title and activity to provide pertinent information. Additionally, your email domain may be used to infer your affiliation, tailoring content and your website experience accordingly. When you use multiple Products, we amalgamate your information and activities to provide an integrated experience.

Research and Development: We are continually striving to enhance the usefulness, relevance, speed, and security of our Products. We use insights gained from how people use our Products and direct feedback to troubleshoot issues, identify trends, understand usage patterns, and pinpoint areas for integration and improvement. We also analyze and aggregate frequently accessed articles to enhance the relevance of suggested topics that appear when you use the search feature. These insights may be applied across our Products to enhance existing features or develop new ones. Certain new features may be tested and analyzed with select users before being rolled out to all.

Communication about the Products: Your contact information is utilized for transactional communications via email and within our Products. This includes confirming your purchases, reminding you of subscription expirations, addressing your comments, inquiries, and requests, providing customer support, sending technical notices, updates, security alerts, and administrative messages. We also provide tailored communications based on your interactions with us. For instance, specific actions within our Products may trigger the delivery of requested content. Most of these communications offer opt-out options, either within the communication itself or in your account settings.

Marketing and Promotion of the Products: We employ your contact information and your Product usage information to dispatch promotional communications that are likely to interest you. These communications may be delivered via email or by displaying Independent for Longer Product advertisements on third-party websites, applications, platforms, and websites of other companies. The aim is to engage you more fully with our Products, providing information about new features, survey requests, newsletters, and events we believe align with your interests. We also inform you about new product offers, promotions, and contests. You have control over whether you receive these communications, as explained below under “Opt-out of communications.”

Customer Support: Your information helps us address technical issues you may encounter, respond to your assistance requests, analyze crash data, and enhance our Products.

Safety and Security: We employ information about you and your Product usage to verify accounts and activities, monitor suspicious or fraudulent behavior, and identify violations of our terms and conditions and usage policies.

Protection of Our Business Interests and Legal Rights: When required by law or deemed necessary to safeguard our legal rights, the interests of others, and compliance, we use your information in connection with legal claims, regulatory matters, audits, and disclosures related to business acquisitions, mergers, or sales.

With Your Consent: In instances where you have provided us with consent for a specific purpose not mentioned above, we use your information accordingly.

Legal Basis for Processing (for EEA Users): For individuals within the European Economic Area (EEA), we collect and process your information only when there is a legal basis for doing so under applicable EU laws. This depends on the Products you use and how you use them. We collect and use your information only when:

  • It is necessary to provide you with the Products, including operation, customer support, personalized features, and Product safety and security.
  • It serves a legitimate interest that is not overridden by your data protection rights, such as marketing, research and development, and protection of our legal rights.
  • You have provided explicit consent for a specific purpose.
  • There is a legal obligation necessitating data processing.

If you have granted consent for us to use your information for a specific purpose, you retain the right to withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting prior processing. In cases where we or a third party have a legitimate interest in processing your data, you have the right to object, though this may impact your access to the Product in certain situations.

Sharing of Collected Information

We share the information we gather about you as described below, which includes scenarios involving potential business transitions:

Sharing with Other Users

When you use our Products, we disclose specific information about you to other users.

  • Collaboration: You can generate content that might contain details about you for other users to view. For instance, when you comment, your profile picture and name are displayed alongside your comments to identify the contributor.
  • Managed Accounts: If you register or access our Products using an email address associated with your employer or organization, and your organization requests access, certain information about you, including your name, contact information, content, and past account usage, may become accessible to the organization’s administrator. If you serve as an administrator for a specific site or group of users within our Products, we may share your contact information with current or past users to facilitate service-related requests.
  • Community Forums: Our websites may offer publicly accessible comment areas and blogs. It’s important to note that any information you provide on these websites, including profile information linked to the account used for posting, may be read, collected, and utilized by members of the public who access these websites. Your posts and specific profile information may persist even after you terminate your account. We advise you to consider the sensitivity of the information you share on these Products. If you wish to have your information removed from publicly accessible websites operated by us, please contact us as indicated below. In some instances, we may be unable to remove your information, and we will inform you if such an issue arises.

Sharing with Third Parties

We share information with third parties who assist us in operating, providing, enhancing, integrating, customizing, supporting, and marketing our Products.

  • Service Providers: We collaborate with third-party service providers to deliver services such as website and application development, hosting, maintenance, backup, storage, virtual infrastructure, payment processing, and analysis. In some cases, these providers may need to access or utilize information about you to carry out their services. However, they do so under our close guidance, adhering to policies and procedures designed to safeguard your information.
  • Independent for Longer Partners: We work with third parties that offer consulting, sales, and technical services related to the implementation of customer solutions involving our Products. We may share your information with these third parties in connection with the services they provide. This may include assisting with billing and collections, providing localized support, and offering customizations. Such information sharing with third parties occurs when you have given your consent.
  • Links to Third-Party Sites: Our Products may contain links redirecting you to other websites or services with different privacy practices from ours. If you submit information to any of these third-party sites, their privacy policies, not ours, govern your information. We encourage you to carefully review the privacy policy of any website you visit.
  • Third-Party Widgets: Some of our Products incorporate widgets and social media features, like the Twitter “tweet” button. These widgets and features may collect your IP address, identify the page you are viewing, and possibly set a cookie to ensure proper functionality. Widgets and social media features may be hosted by third parties or directly on our Products. Interactions with these features are subject to the privacy policy of the providing company.
  • With Your Consent: We share information about you with third parties when you grant us consent or when we are authorized to do so under applicable laws.
  • Compliance with Enforcement Requests and Applicable Laws; Enforcement of Our Rights: In exceptional circumstances, we may share information about you with third parties if we believe that such sharing is reasonably necessary to (a) comply with applicable laws, legal processes, or governmental requests, (b) enforce our agreements, policies, and terms of service, (c) protect the security or integrity of our products and services, (d) safeguard Independent for Longer, our customers, or the public from harm or illegal activities, or (e) respond to an emergency situation where we, in good faith, believe that disclosing information is necessary to prevent death or serious bodily injury.

Sharing with Affiliated Companies

We share information we collect with affiliated companies and, in certain cases, with potential affiliates. Affiliated companies are those owned or operated by us, and the protections outlined in this privacy policy extend to the information shared in these situations.

  • Business Transfers: We may share or transfer information we collect as outlined in this privacy policy, as part of a merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or part of our business by another entity. In the event of such a transaction, you will be notified via email or a general notice on our Products, and you will be informed of any choices you may have regarding your information.

Storage and Security of Information

Information Storage and Security

We employ data hosting service providers in the United States, the UK, and Denmark to host the information we collect, and we implement technical measures to secure your data. While we put in place safeguards designed to protect your information, please be aware that no security system is entirely immune to intrusion, and due to the inherent nature of the Internet, we cannot guarantee absolute security against external threats. Refer to the section below titled “How we transfer information we collect internationally” for details regarding the transfer of data of EU citizens outside of the EU.

Retention of Information

The duration for which we retain the information we collect depends on the type of information, as outlined in further detail below. Once this period elapses, we will either delete or anonymize your information. In cases where deletion is not immediately feasible, such as when the information is stored in backup archives, we will securely store your data and isolate it from any further use until deletion becomes viable.

  • Account Information: Your account information is retained for as long as your account remains active, and for a reasonable period afterward, should you choose to reactivate our Products. We also retain certain information to meet our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, support business operations, and continue to enhance our Products.
  • Managed Accounts: In cases where you access our Products through an organization, such as your employer, we retain your information as long as necessary according to your employer’s requirements. Refer to the “Managed accounts and administrators” section above for more details.
  • Marketing Information: If you opt to receive marketing emails from us, we retain information about your marketing preferences for a reasonable period from the date of your last expressed interest in our Products. This includes instances when you last opened an email from us or ceased using your Independent for Longer account. Information derived from cookies and other tracking technologies is retained for a reasonable period from the date of creation.

Accessing and Controlling Your Information

You have various choices available to you regarding your information. Below, we summarize these choices, how to exercise them, and any associated limitations:

Your Choices:

  • Access and Update Your Information: Our Products provide tools to access and update certain information about you from within the Product. For instance, you can access your profile information via your account and update it within your profile settings. You can also modify content containing information about you using the editing tools associated with that content.
  • Deactivate Your Account: If you no longer wish to use our Products and you have the necessary permissions, you can deactivate your account. Deactivation options are available in your account settings if you can deactivate your own account. Alternatively, please reach out to your employer. Deactivating your account, however, does not result in the deletion of your information.
  • Delete Your Information: In certain cases, you can request that we delete your information. To do so, please contact customer service. Keep in mind that we may need to retain specific information for record keeping purposes, to complete transactions, or to comply with legal obligations.
  • Request the Cessation of Information Usage: In specific situations, you may ask us to cease accessing, storing, using, and otherwise processing your information if you believe we lack the appropriate rights to do so. For instance, if you believe an account was created without your consent or if you are no longer an active user, you can request the deletion of your account as outlined in this policy. Additionally, if you previously provided consent for a specific purpose, you can contact us to withdraw that consent. This withdrawal, however, does not affect prior processing. You can also opt out of our use of your information for marketing purposes by contacting us.
  • Opt Out of Communications: You can opt out of receiving promotional communications from us by utilizing the unsubscribe link found within each email, updating your email preferences within your Product account settings menu, or by contacting us. It’s important to note that even after opting out of promotional messages, you will continue to receive transactional messages (e.g., purchase receipts) related to our Products.

Please be aware that some requests and choices may be subject to limitations. For example, we may need to investigate and facilitate your request, and if there is a delay or dispute concerning our right to continue using your information, we will restrict its further use until the request is honored or the dispute is resolved, unless your employer objects (where applicable).