This Privacy Policy and the User Agreement (and, if you register as a Member of the Website, the Terms of Membership which you enter into as part of the registration process) together govern your use of this website (the "Website"). By using the Website, you signify your acceptance to this Privacy Policy and to us processing your personal data in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, you should not use the Website. If you have further questions or comments about our privacy policies or practices after reading this Privacy Policy, please contact us at info@trace.com or mail us at:
MyThings, Inc.
428 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
U.S.A.
Scope
We take your privacy very seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect your personal data on the Website, how we protect such data, and the choices you have concerning our use of such data. This Privacy Policy governs the URL http://www.trace.com. MyThings professionals control the information about you described in this document.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, "we", "us", and "our" means MyThings, Inc. ("MyThings"). This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by the Website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of websites that are operated or owned by third parties. Please assist us in protecting your privacy by contacting us or by using the contact information on the Website if you become aware of any abuse of your privacy by any person, if you are unhappy with the treatment of your personal information or if you are asked to provide any information that you consider to be inappropriate.
This Privacy Policy is effective upon acceptance for new users and is otherwise effective on December 7, 2006. We may from time to time review and revise our privacy practices and will post any changes to this Privacy Policy here. Please refer back to this Privacy Policy on a regular basis. Your continued use of the Website following changes posted to this Privacy Policy will mean that you accept those changes.
Collection of Personal Data
Personal data is information that identifies you or can be used to identify or contact you, e.g. your name, e-mail address, address, or phone number ("Personal Data"). The Personal Data that MyThings requires from you when you register on the Website is your e-mail address and home postal address. However, you may voluntarily provide additional Personal Data to the Website by registering information on your personal profile, by posting messages on our community boards, chat rooms or other message areas. MyThings will collect all Personal Data that you provide to the Website or to MyThings, but we will not sell, share, licence, trade or rent your Personal Data other than as specified in this Privacy Policy. MyThings does not collect any sensitive personal data (for example, information relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, or religious or similar beliefs) from users.
Any information included in messages or comments that you have posted on the Website's community boards, chat rooms or other message areas or included on a personal profile which you have designated to be "public" may be viewed by anyone who accesses the Website and cannot be subject to any expectations of privacy.
Information that you provide to the Website is accessible to any visitor of the Website who knows your username and password. For this reason, please safeguard your username and password carefully and do not disclose it to any other person.
Protection of children's online privacy
MyThings understands the importance of protecting children's privacy, especially in an online environment. The Website is not intentionally designed for or directed at children less than 14 years of age. It is MyThings policy to never knowingly collect or maintain information about individuals under the age of 14.
Collection of Monitoring Data and Use of Tracking Tools
In addition to Personal Data, MyThings may collect and/or track information that by itself cannot be used to identify or contact you, e.g., demographic information, domain names, computer type, browser types, screen resolution, IP address and other anonymous statistical data involving the use of the Website ("Monitoring Data"). We use Monitoring Data to help us understand who uses the Website and to improve and market the Website.
To enhance the Internet experience on the Website, MyThings may use various Internet technologies such as 'cookies,' action tags, web bugs, .gif tags, and 'JavaScript' (together, "Tracking Tools"). Tracking Tools are files or tools that are placed on your computer in order to identify your Web browser and the activities of your computer on the Website. MyThings uses these technologies to customize and enhance the Internet experience of individual users. When you revisit the Website, MyThings may recognize you by a Tracking Tool and customize your experience accordingly. For example, once you have completed the registration process, you will have the option of agreeing to MyThings remembering you and, if you agree, a cookie will be used to avoid having you register again. You may decline Internet cookies, if any, by using the appropriate feature of your Web browser software, if available. If cookies are disabled, however, all features of the Website may not operate as intended. Information about the procedure you are required to follow in order to disable cookies can be found on your Web browsers help feature.
We believe Tracking Tools add value to the user experience, and the information resulting from these technologies is not sold or otherwise made available to third parties by MyThings.
You may encounter 'cookies' or other similar devices on certain pages of the Website that are placed there by third parties. For example, if you view a webpage created by a user, there may be a cookie placed within that webpage. We do not control the use of cookies by third parties.
Use and Disclosure of Data Collected
MyThings may use Personal Data it collects for editorial and feedback purposes, marketing and promotion, statistical analysis of users behaviour, product development, delivering products and services, providing customer support, customizing and improving the content and layout of the Website, completing business transactions, administering individual accounts and meeting government regulatory requirements such as sales tax collection. Monitoring Data may be used for internal or external purposes such as researching and identifying market segments and needs.
MyThings will disclose Personal Data to comply with valid legal processes such as a search warrant, subpoena, or court order, or to protect our rights and property. We will disclose Personal Data when we believe in good faith that the law requires such disclosure. MyThings also will disclose your Personal Data when necessary to comply with applicable laws, rules or regulations, when you have expressly consented to such disclosure, or when necessary to preserve MyThings legal rights in the Websites content.
MyThings reserves the right to transfer your Personal Data within the My Things group (the details of which can be found on the www.mythings.com website), or to successors to the relevant part of any of MyThings' businesses. MyThings also reserves the right to transfer your Personal Data when necessary to enable an independent contractor to assist with the operation of the Website.
Except as specifically set forth above, MyThings will not disclose any of your Personal Data to third parties.
Marketing
MyThings does not sell or rent your Personal Data to third parties for marketing purposes without your explicit content. We may combine your information with information we collect from other companies (such as demographic data) to improve and personalize our services.
Your Choices Regarding Personal Data Collection and Use
If you are a member of the Website, you may "opt-out" to MyThings sending its own promotional correspondence to you, and/or opt-in to MyThings sending Third Party Providers' promotional correspondence to you at your internal MyThings e-mail ("My Messages") address by checking or unchecking (as appropriate) the appropriate boxes on the Registration Form now, or at any time in the future, by changing the "User Profile" of your account, or by contacting MyThings via postal mail, e-mail, or telephone at the address set out in the "Contact Information" section below. Except as described in the section above entitled Use of Data Collected, MyThings will not share any Personal Data with a third party unless you "opt-in" and authorize us to disclose your Personal Data.
Upon request via postal mail or e-mail, MyThings will provide to you a summary of any Personal Data retained by MyThings regarding you. You may modify, correct, change or update Personal Data that MyThings has collected via the Website. You may refuse to have your Personal Data processed by MyThings or you may request that your Personal Data be removed from MyThings database by contacting MyThings via postal mail or e-mail, provided, however, that such requests may result in you ceasing to be a registered user of the Website. You should be aware that it may not be technologically possible to remove or verify each and every record of information you have provided to us from our system. The need to back-up our systems to protect information from inadvertent loss means that a copy of your Personal Data may exist in archived systems. However, promptly after receiving your request, all Personal Data stored in databases we actively use and other readily searchable media will be updated, corrected, changed, deleted or confirmed to you, as applicable, as soon as reasonably practicable. MyThings will take all commercially reasonable steps to remove any Personal Data stored on our systems if you so request.
Links
The Website may contain links to other Internet websites. MyThings does not endorse, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices or the content of these third party websites. You should review the applicable privacy policies in connection with your use of such third party websites.
Security Measures
MyThings has established reasonable precautions to protect collected Personal Data from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction, which include contractual, administrative, physical, and technical steps. Technical measures include use of firewall protection and encryption technology where appropriate. Although MyThings takes reasonable precautions to assess the reliability of such technology, it relies on the statements of the vendors of those products and services as part of its security evaluation. However, as you probably know, third parties may unlawfully intercept or access transmissions or private communications, and other users may abuse or misuse your Personal Data that they may improperly collect from the Website. Therefore, although we work very hard to protect your privacy, we do not promise, and you should not expect, that your Personal Data or private communications will always remain private.
Export of Personal Data
By using the Website, you acknowledge and consent to the fact that Personal Data provided by you or collected by us through your use of the Website is stored and processed by us in a country where data protection laws may not afford the same level of protection as those of the country in which you are located (particularly for users located in the European Economic Area).
Contact Information for MyThings or the Website
Questions or concerns regarding MyThings' data protection practices should be addressed to:
MyThings, Inc.
Attention: Data Protection Practices
428 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
U.S.A.
If you choose to contact MyThings via e-mail about this Privacy Policy, please mark the subject heading of your e-mail "Privacy Enquiry."
We shall keep a copy of this Privacy Policy and if, at any time, you would like to see a copy of it, you should write to the following address:
MyThings, Inc.
Attention: Data Protection Practices
428 University Avenue
Palo Alto, CA 94301
U.S.A.
BY USING THE WEBSITE AND/OR BECOMING A MEMBER OF MYTHINGS, YOU SIGNIFY YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY AND OF US PROCESSING YOUR PERSONAL DATA IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TERMS OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY, YOU SHOULD NOT USE THE WEBSITE. YOUR CONTINUED USE OF THE WEBSITE FOLLOWING THE POSTING OF CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY WILL MEAN THAT YOU ACCEPT THOSE CHANGES.
SPECIAL NOTICE TO CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS
As a California resident, you have certain rights under state law that relate to the sharing of your Personal Data with third parties for their own direct marketing purposes. MyThings has chosen to comply with California law SB-27 in the following way:
First, individual customers who reside in California and who have provided their Personal Data to MyThings may request (no more than once per calendar year) information about our disclosures of certain categories of Personal Data to any third parties. To make such a request, please send an e-mail to info@trace.com and provide us with your name, address, and e-mail address. Within thirty days of receiving such a request, MyThings will provide a list of the categories of Personal Data disclosed to third parties during the immediately preceding calendar year, along with the names and addresses of such third parties.
All inquiries relating to California SB 27 should be directed to us at info@trace.com.