Ask Sponsored Listings Client Console Privacy Policy
Last Updated: March 20, 2008
Ask Sponsored Listings (ASL) is a wholly owned business of IAC Search & Media. ASL respects and values your privacy and the confidentiality of your campaign data. This Privacy Policy details our collection and use of end user information in the performance of our advertising services (Part I) and our treatment of the information that our clients submit through the Ask Sponsored Listings Client Console for the management of their Ask Sponsored Listings accounts and campaigns (Part II).
Part I
Collection and Use of End User Information in the Performance of our Advertising Services
ASL places text based advertisements on web pages and web services of its network of publishers. In the course of serving ASL advertisements on third party publisher sites and services, ASL may place cookies on computers of end users who view or click on the ASL advertisements. A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user’s computer for record keeping purposes. The cookie that ASL uses contains a unique identifier, an anonymous code that identifies the user. ASL uses persistent cookies, which means the cookies remain on the user’s hard drive for an extended period of time. We use cookies to collect information about users who view or interact with our advertisements.
Use of such cookies enables us to aggregate data about the performance of a particular advertisement or advertising campaign, and to optimize such campaign performance for our advertisers. We may also use cookies to collect information about where users saw and/or clicked on the advertisements we deliver, and possibly associate this information with user’s subsequent visits to the sites and services of our publisher network for delivering targeted advertisements to users. ASL will not combine cookie information with any personal information that users may submit to ASL or to the sites and services of our network. ASL may share data that it collects from its use of cookies with third parties, including advertisers, but only after such data has been aggregated in such a manner that it may not uniquely identify any particular user.
Users may delete or decline cookies by changing their browser settings. (Click ‘Help’ in the toolbar of most browsers for instructions.).
Part II
Collection and Use of Advertiser account information through the Ask Sponsored Listings Client Console
By using the Ask Sponsored Listings Client Console (the Console) and the Ask Sponsored Listings services (the Services), you consent to the collection and use of your information as we outline in this Privacy Policy.
What Personally Identifiable Information do we collect through your use of the ASL Client Console?
Upon creating an Ask Sponsored Listings account, we ask you to submit certain information regarding you and your company. Such information includes your name, company name, position in your company, e-mail address, physical address, telephone number, fax number and other contact or personally identifiable information.You may also submit additional information when you provide comments, submit a problem, or request information from our Client Service representatives.
You are also asked to submit your credit card information.Your credit card information is passed on directly to our vendors and credit card payment processing partners. We store only the last 4 digits of your credit card, your credit score, and billing information, to enable us to charge your account appropriately.Your full credit card information is stored and processed by our credit card payment processing vendor Cybersource.Please refer to Cybersource’s privacy policy at http://www.cybersource.com/privacy.xml.
What Campaign Data do we collect through your use of the ASL Client Console?
While you are creating and managing ads and campaigns, we collect the campaign data that you submit through the Console including your ads title, description, display and destination URLs, the keywords you select, the Max CPCs you select for your keywords, your campaign daily budgets and the refill amounts for your accounts. In addition to the information you submit to us, we also gather additional campaign performance data such as click through rates.
What other Non-personally Identifiable Information do we collect through your use of the ASL Client Console?
ASL collects some information regarding use of the Services by observing browser functions and the files (pages) our clients access. We may track your activities on the Console (for example, we could track how many times you click on a help or FAQ link). Such information is used only in aggregate form.
Cookies and Log Files
ASL collects information about clients’ behavior on the Console using cookies. A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s computer tied to information about the user. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personally identifiable information. We may use session ID cookies and persistent cookies to enhance the Services. For the session ID cookie, once you close your browser, the cookie simply terminates. A persistent cookie is a small text file stored on your hard drive for an extended period of time. Persistent cookies can be removed by following Internet browser help file directions. If you reject the cookie, you may still use our site. Persistent cookies enable us to track and target the interests of our visitors to enhance the experience on our site.
IP Addresses
An Internet Protocol (‘IP’) address is a set of numbers that is automatically assigned to your computer each time you connect to the Internet. When you use your web browser to request a web page from another computer on the Internet, your web browser automatically gives that computer your IP address so that the data you request can be sent to your computer. Through your IP address, ASL may track the referral site from where you accessed the Console and the site you go to upon exiting the Console, as well as your activities while in the Console. This information collected by ASL though your IP address is not personally identifiable.
How do we use the information you submit to us?
Personally Identifiable Information
Your contact information is used for billing, marketing and customer care purposes (notably to ensure we are properly charging your account) as well as for the purpose of approving and enabling your participation in the Services and your submission of ads for display across our network. Contact information specifically provided in connection with problems, comments or requests is used only to respond to those problems, comments or requests.
Campaign Data
We also use campaign information in an aggregate and anonymous form for general reporting, including the compilation of statistics, scheduling and optimization of the delivery of ads across all campaigns and all sites and services that are part of our network. We track and use campaign performance information to monitor the quality of the traffic on the sites in our network.This enables us to improve the performance of our Services and our clients’ campaigns.We may also create compile and create statistics in aggregate and anonymous form for marketing purposes.
Non-personally Identifiable Data
We use the information on our Clients’ and visitors’ activities on the Console in aggregate and anonymous form to generally improve the Console and the Services and to market and promote the Services.This includes using cookies to save your Console preference settings and to identify from which sites our clients and visitors are coming, so that we can monitor our partnerships and, where necessary, pay our open platform partners. We may also use your IP address to analyze trends, administer the Console and gather broad demographic information to monitor and improve our Services.
We may also use your IP address, data on your activities on the Console and campaign data to send you targeted email messages to help you optimize your campaigns or to promote additional services of ASL.
Do we share the information we collect?
ASL employs other companies to perform functions on our behalf, such as hosting and other technical services. To perform those functions, it may be necessary for ASL to share certain information you submit with such companies. These companies are subject to confidentiality and security requirements to keep your information secure. ASL may also disclose personally identifiable information to its independent auditors, consultants and attorneys, all of whom are obliged to keep such information confidential.
ASL may also disclose the information it collects if required by law or to comply with a government agency request. In addition, as companies grow and change, we may buy and sell companies, subsidiaries and assets. In such transactions, customer information is generally one of the transferred business asset. In the event that ASL is acquired, your information may be one of the transferred assets.
ASL may share campaign information it collects with certain selected third parties, but only in anonymous form, to optimize client campaigns and overall performance of our network. ASL may also disclose the information it collects in aggregated and non-personally identifiable form to promote and market the Services.
Other than as described above, we do not share any personally identifiable information that we collect with any third party. Except for responses to court orders or other information requests pursuant to legal process, your account or email information is not shared with anyone, unless we first obtain your written approval (for example, when we wish to use your information for specific case studies).
Information Submitted to Third Party Sites
You may find on the Console links to websites operated by third parties. ASL is not responsible for the information collection or privacy practices of third parties, including open platform partners to which your information may be submitted. Any submission of personally identifiable information or campaign related information to these third party websites is subject to their respective privacy policies.
What kind of Email Communications will you receive from ASL after creating an account?
Receiving emails from ASL is an important part of managing your account and campaigns effectively. If you are not receiving any emails from us, be sure to check your spam filters or check with your system administrator.
There are three types of email notifications for account and campaign management:
- Billing emails concern billing issues related to your account, including ad purchase receipts and monthly activity summaries.
- Traffic emails concern any event that affects to the display of your ads, including the approval of pending ads by ASL. For example, an email may be sent when the display of your ads has been suspended.
- Account emails concern changes to your account information.
We may also use the email addresses that you submit to us to send you Ask Sponsored Listings Newsletters and other promotional communications to inform you of new features or ways to improve performance of your campaigns.
You can change your email notifications settings by clicking on Manage Account Access under the Accounts menu. Then click on the check boxes for the notifications you wish to receive and save the changes.
Security
Your information provided to us via our website is protected in the same way that all sensitive information of is protected. ASL uses security procedures and practices including the use of firewalls to protect the data it stores on its servers. The servers on which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.In addition, only employees who need the information to perform a specific job are granted access to personally identifiable information.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
ASL reserves the right to modify this privacy policy from time to time. Changes to the privacy policy will be posted on the Console and the effective date of the policy will be modified to reflect the effective date of the most recent version. If a material change to our data collection and use practices occurs in the future, we will only use data collected from the time of the policy change forward for these new purposes unless we have your consent.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about anything in this Privacy Policy or about our collection and use of personally identifiable and other information, please contact us as follows:
Ask Sponsored Listings
Legal Department
555, 12th Street, Suite 500
Oakland, CA94607