Survey Sampling International - Your Trusted Partner in Sampling

Safe Harbor Policy for Privacy Protection

1. NOTICE

Description. Survey Sampling International (SSI) is in the business of providing statistical sample to organizations that conduct survey research generally for marketing or for social science purposes. SSI's headquarters and principal place of business is at One Post Road, Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824,USA. Jim Follett is the president and CEO.

Privacy Commitment. Survey Sampling respects and protects the privacy of any individuals whose details are contained within its sampling databases as well as any other personally identifiable information that SSI, or any of the research organizations it serves, may come to possess. We are committed to each individual's privacy because:
•   of our company's personal corporate ethics;
•   the integrity of the research process requires a privacy commitment;
•   state, federal, and international laws require us to respect and protect respondent privacy; and
•   we are bound by the professional standards and ethics of the survey research industry as reflected in the codes of conduct of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO) and ESOMAR, The World Association of Research Professionals.
This Privacy Policy will describe the information that we at Survey Sampling International provide and how the research organizations to whom we provide it make use of it. It will also state how you can verify the accuracy of your Personal Information and how you can delete or correct your Personal Information and Demographic Information.

SSI's privacy practices and policies described herein apply only insofar as permitted by applicable standards, laws, and requirements. Many of the companies that receive the results of research, conducted using our samples in order to provide goods and services to the public, are themselves required by federal, state, and in some cases international law to protect the confidentiality, privacy, and security of individuals who use those goods and services. While research organizations never give the users of their research any Personal Information about study participants, such companies nonetheless are often required to enter into a contract that obligates them to meet the same confidentiality standards with respect to the information that they provide.

2. DATA INTEGRITY

Personal and Demographic Information. During the process of compiling sampling databases, SSI may obtain Personal Information, such as your name, address, and the names of members of your household. In addition, SSI databases often contain additional characteristics and attributes, such as age or income bracket, or gender, which is called Demographic Information. This information may have been obtained directly or indirectly from you, from public records or modeled using computer programs.

To better ensure the quality and integrity of the research services we provide, it is important to maintain accurate Personal Information and Demographic Information. We will make reasonable efforts when requested to provide you with the opportunity to access, correct, or delete such Personal Information and Demographic Information as described below.

Operating Information. In the course of the survey research process, research organizations gather information by asking respondents questions about their interests, opinions, attitudes, and needs as well as obtaining or confirming personal and demographic information. These responses (data), collectively called Operating Information, are put together (aggregated) and scientifically analyzed to allow research organizations to draw conclusions and make recommendations to their clients about such things as products, services, political, social or environmental events and situations, and the like.

Personal and Demographic Information provided by SSI is used by research organizations to communicate with respondents, and to develop aggregated categories of types of respondents (such as women, aged 35-50; or male head of household). Personal and Demographic Information ensures that the group of survey respondents (sample) accurately represents the specific population our clients want to survey. Research agencies are not primarily interested in information pertaining to any particular individual but rather the larger, aggregate population that each respondent represents.

Operating Information is used solely in the conduct of research business. Operating Information may be combined with other information we collect or information obtained from public records or from other information sources that are legally allowed to provide such information.

3. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

SSI believes it is especially important to protect children's privacy and encourages parents and guardians to monitor their children's participation in any survey research, whether Internet, in-person, telephone, or mail.

SSI complies with all applicable national and international children's privacy regulations.

For online research with children under the age of 13, SSI's research users comply with the regulations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), which requires, among other things, prior parental consent, followed by independent confirmation of that consent.

Survey Sampling also affords children's Personal Information all of the protections that we provide to our other respondents.

If you would like to contact us about your child's Personal Information or Demographic Information, or to find out how you can have your child's Personal Information removed from our database, please read the "ACCESS" section below.

4. ONWARD TRANSFER AND DATA-SHARING

Personal Information will never be shared with any third party other than for the express survey research purpose described in this document, except that we may disclose your information if:
•   we believe we are required to do so by law;
•   we need to do so to protect someone's safety or our rights and property; or
•   in order to comply with this policy or other policies that may be applicable.
Research Organization's clients (the users of the research) will never receive Personal Information of respondents, nor will they be able to identify individual respondents, without express permission of the respondent.

In addition, SSI occasionally shares Personal Information, such as name and address, with sub-contracted third parties with whom we have partnered to provide specific services to our company or our respondents. As a part of its research business, SSI may also share anonymous Demographic Information with third-party sub-contractors who use the data in aggregate for completion of a phase of a research project, such as data collection and tabulation. These third-party partners have agreed not to share or resell these data or to use any personally identifiable information except for the purpose of providing these services, unless you enter into a relationship with them that would directly allow them to do so. Further, these third-party sub-contracted services must also be in compliance with existing privacy rules and regulations and with the U.S. Safe Harbor Principles of the European Union Directive on Data Protection.

On occasion, mergers, acquisitions, and sales of business assets occur in the survey research industry. In the event that SSI is ever involved in such a transaction, then Personal Information may be disclosed to the Company that acquires, is acquired by, or merges with Survey Sampling or purchases any of its assets. Survey Sampling will never enter into such a transaction unless the other party or parties agree to maintain Personal Information that is in the possession of SSI confidential to the same or greater extent as does Survey Sampling.

Demographic Information and Operating Information is shared with SSI's clients in an anonymous form.

5. CHOICE

Individuals may at any time request to have their Personal Information removed from our database or decide not to participate in SSI's samples by sending us an email (Info@Surveysampling.com), by writing to us (Survey Sampling International, One Post Road, Fairfield, CT 06824, USA), or by calling us (+1.203.255.4200). We will use reasonable efforts to immediately remove them from our respondent list and stop asking them to participate in surveys. Parents or legal guardians of any child under the age of 18 may opt-out on behalf of the child in the same way. Please note that opting-out of our surveys will not automatically cause us to delete Personal, Demographic, or Operating Information about an individual (or child) that we have previously collected. We will use reasonable efforts to do so, however, upon request as set forth below.

6. ACCESS

Individuals may access their (or their child's) Personal and Demographic Information in order to review, correct, or delete such information, by contacting SSI via email (Info@Surveysampling.com), mail (Survey Sampling International), or telephone (1 203 255 4200). Survey Sampling will use reasonable efforts to provide the information requested in order to correct, update, or remove Personal or Demographic Information from records.

7. SECURITY

SSI is committed to keeping the data pertaining to individuals secure and will take reasonable precautions to protect your Personal Information from loss, misuse, or alteration.

SSI also safeguards its internal database of Personal Information, Demographic Information, and Operating Information from unauthorized access. Only authorized SSI employees or agents who need to know and use specific Personal or Demographic information to carry out permitted business functions are allowed to access these databases via a secure, personal password. In addition, each employee of SSI is required to sign a confidentiality agreement requiring him or her to keep confidential all Personal Information of respondents. Employees who violate the confidentiality agreement are subject to disciplinary action, including termination when appropriate, and any legal action as appropriate. SSI's Privacy Compliance Officer reviews, monitors, and evaluates the internal privacy protection system on an on-going basis.

Personal Information, Demographic Information, and Operating Information will generally be stored in Survey Sampling's databases, which are located in Fairfield, CT, USA, and in Rotterdam, Netherlands.

SSI's data protection standards are the same, regardless of where the information is stored.

8. ENFORCEMENT

Complaints. SSI is committed to working with our respondents to obtain a fair and rapid resolution of any complaints or disputes about privacy. Our commitment to privacy is demonstrated and documented by our internal Privacy Compliance Officer, by our adherence to the Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research of the Council of American Survey Research Organizations (CASRO), ESOMAR, The World Association of Research Professionals, and by our compliance with the United States Safe Harbor Principles of the European Union Directive on Data Protection. Individuals who have a complaint or concern about our privacy policy, or have questions or comments, may contact our Privacy Compliance Officer at the above address.

9. LIMITATIONS

SSI is not responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sampling companies. We recommend that you carefully read the privacy policies of each sampling or research company to ensure that they are compliant with existing laws and professional standards.

10. AGREEMENT

By agreeing to participate in SSI's research services or to become a SSI panel member, you signify your acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy. Survey Sampling may make changes to this Privacy Policy from time to time, and we will post such changes on our website for you to review on a regular basis.

For more information, contact SSI by:
•   phone at +1.203.255.4200;
•   fax at +1.203.254.0372; or
•   e-mail at info@surveysampling.com.