Last Updated: 2012/12/10
This Privacy Policy discloses the privacy practices of MaxMind, Inc.
(sometimes referred to in this Privacy Policy as "MaxMind", "we", or "us")
which operates the MaxMind.com website (the "Website"). We have provided
this statement of our Privacy Policy to answer your questions about the
types of information that we gather and the ways in which we use and share this information.
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By visiting and using the Website,
you agree that your use of the Website is governed by this Privacy Policy.
In addition to our Privacy Policy, your use of the Website is governed by our Website Terms of Use
which govern in the event of any conflict with this Privacy Policy.
1. SCOPE OF PRIVACY POLICY
This Privacy Policy applies to MaxMind and the MaxMind.com website and
related services provided by MaxMind. It does not apply to other companies'
or organizations' sites to which we link or to companies that MaxMind does
not own or control, even if such companies are contractors or business partners of MaxMind.
2. US-EU AND US-SWITZERLAND SAFE HARBORS
MaxMind is a participant in the US-EU Safe Harbor program of the United
States Department of Commerce and the European Union Commission, as well as
the Safe Harbor program of the United States and the Federal Data Protection
and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) of Switzerland (together, the "Safe Harbors").
Information on the Safe Harbors is available at export.gov/safeharbor.
As a part of MaxMind's participation in the Safe Harbors, data collected
from individuals or entities within the European Economic Area (namely, the 27
states of the EU, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, collectively the "EEA")
or Switzerland, shall receive separate treatment under certain provisions of this
Privacy Policy. The term "EU/Swiss Data" shall mean, for purposes of this
Privacy Policy, any Personally Identifiable Information (as defined in
Section 4, below) that originates within the EEA or Switzerland and is transferred
to the United States from the EEA or Switzerland. MaxMind offers to owners of
EU/Swiss Data assurances that it complies with various privacy principles
embodied in the European Union Directive 95/46/EC (the "EU Data Directive")
and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (the "FADP"). In particular,
the privacy principles to which MaxMind adheres for all EU/Swiss Data are as follows:
Notice
When MaxMind collects EU/Swiss Data from users, it will inform them about
the information that is being or will be collected, the uses that MaxMind makes
of such data, and the choices available to the user with respect to MaxMind's use
of such data. When MaxMind receives EU/Swiss Data from a third party in the EEA,
MaxMind requires that the entity transmitting such data make the foregoing notices
to the corresponding users. In most cases, this Privacy Policy will accurately describe
all uses of any EU/Swiss Data collected by MaxMind, however in the event that any data
is collected or used in a manner not described herein, MaxMind shall provide notice of such
additional use to the corresponding user. MaxMind does not collect or use any Sensitive
Personal Data, which is data: (a) that reveals an individual's race, ethnic origin, political
opinions, religious, ideological, or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, views,
or activities, (b) concerning health or sexual information, information about social
security benefits, or information on criminal or administrative proceedings and sanctions
other than in the context of pending proceedings, or (c) is received from a third party
where such third party identifies and treats the information as sensitive personal
data pursuant to the EU Data Directive and/or the Swiss FADP.
Choice
MaxMind permits all owners of Personally Identifiable Information to exercise
choice in how that data is used by MaxMind. Details on your right to opt-out of MaxMind's
use or disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information is set forth in Section 7 of this Privacy Policy.
Data Integrity
MaxMind will take all reasonable steps to ensure that any EU/Swiss Data is used
only as described in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise authorized by the relevant
individual. MaxMind will take all reasonable steps to ensure that EU/Swiss Data is
relevant to its intended use and is accurate, complete, and current.
Transfer to Agents
Except as described in this Privacy Policy, MaxMind will transfer EU/Swiss Data only
to those third parties who have provided assurances that such data will be treated
consistently with the requirements of this Privacy Policy. In particular, except as
described in this Privacy Policy, MaxMind will transfer EU/Swiss Data only to third
parties who are contractually obligated to comply with the principles of the Safe Harbors,
or who are otherwise legally required to comply with the EU Data Directive, the Swiss FADP,
or any related safe harbor program meeting the requirements of such regulations in the third party's
home jurisdiction. In the event that MaxMind has knowledge that any third party to whom it
has transferred EU/Swiss Data has used or disclosed EU/Swiss Data in a manner contrary
to this Privacy Policy, MaxMind will take reasonable steps to prevent or stop such use or disclosure.
Access and Correction
Upon request and in compliance with the Safe Harbors, MaxMind shall grant to individuals
reasonable access to their EU/Swiss Data that is held by MaxMind. In the event that
such data is deemed by the responsible individual to be inaccurate or incomplete,
MaxMind will permit individuals to correct, amend, or delete such data. MaxMind may
limit access or correction of data as permitted by the Safe Harbors, for example, in
the event that the cost or burden of providing such access or correction would be
prohibitve or could not be provided without harming the rights of other individuals.
In the event that a request for access or correction is denied, the requesting individual
will be notified of the reason for denial and given an opportunity to discuss the matter
with MaxMind and/or appeal the decision through the dispute resolution procedures referenced below.
Security
MaxMind will take reasonable precautions to prevent the loss, misuse, or unauthorized
access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of any EU/Swiss Data. However, MaxMind
does not guarantee that any of its data will be protected in all circumstances,
including those beyond its reasonable control.
Enforcement
MaxMind will conduct regular audits to confirm its compliance with the principles
of the Safe Harbor. Any MaxMind employee who is determined to have violated this
Privacy Policy with respect to EU/Swiss Data shall be subject to disciplinary action,
up to and including termination of employment.
Dispute Resolution
Any inquiries relating to this Privacy Policy, including any requests for access
or correction of EU/Swiss Data, may be addressed to the person identified in Section 11
of this Privacy Policy. MaxMind will investigate and attempt to resolve any inquiries
brought to its attention. For any complaints that cannot be resolved by MaxMind and the
complainant, MaxMind has agreed to participate in the Better Business Bureau Safe Harbor
Dispute Resolution Program. Individuals wishing to avail themselves of the foregonig dispute
resolution program should follow the procedures set forth in Section 11, below.
Limitations
Adherence by MaxMind to these Safe Harbor Principles may be limited (a) to the extent
required to respond to a legal or ethical obligation; (b) to the extent necessary to meet
national security, public interest, or law enforcement obligations; and (c) to the extent
expressly permitted by an applicable law, rule, or regulation, including but not limited
to the EU Data Directive, the Swiss FADP, and/or the principles of the Safe Harbors.
3. ABOUT MAXMIND
MaxMind provides multiple services and products (the "Services") based on its proprietary
GeoIP technology. The GeoIP technology uses Internet Protocol addresses ("IP addresses")
to estimate geographic location. Your IP address is a number that is automatically assigned
to the computer that you are using by your Internet service provider (ISP) or by another
organization. An IP address, by itself, cannot identify you personally. However, when
combined with other information, your IP address can be used to identify the computer
originating a message. As part of its GeoIP technology, MaxMind uses algorithms with
user-entered location data to identify, extract, and extrapolate geographic locations
for specific IP addresses.
The GeoIP technology provides businesses with a non-invasive way to determine geographical
and other information about their Internet visitors in real-time. MaxMind customers use the
Services to customize content, implement digital rights management, prevent fraud from online
card not present transactions, and similar business uses. MaxMind does not distribute
Personally Identifiable Information of consumers to customers purchasing the Services.
4. INFORMATION MAXMIND COLLECTS
Information Collected During Your Visits to the MaxMind Website
If you register or make a purchase while on the Website, MaxMind may ask for
personal data such as your name, email address, or physical address. In addition,
MaxMind collects and analyzes traffic on the Website by keeping track of the IP
addresses of our visitors and by collecting log file information. We discuss log
file information further in a later paragraph of this Section 4.
Cookies
The Website does enable "cookies" and similar technologies. A cookie is a file
that identifies an individual as a unique user by storing certain personal preferences
and user data. MaxMind uses these technologies to identify authorized users of the MaxMind
Member Center, track affiliate referrals, complete online purchases through MaxMind's shopping
carts, and similar Website monitoring activities.
Information Provided During Your Online Transactions at Our Customer's Websites
As discussed above, one of the services offered by MaxMind is a fraud screening
service, the minFraud service, used by ecommerce and other websites to detect and
prevent fraudulent online transactions and account registrations. For example, if
you make a credit card purchase on the website of one of our customers, the MaxMind
customer will send us your IP address and other relevant information, including
Personally Identifiable Information you submit during such purchase (e.g., cardholder name,
billing address, email, phone number) so that we can evaluate the risk of the transaction
being fraudulent. MaxMind will use such Personally Identifiable Information only
internally for the purposes of providing and improving its IP geolocation, fraud
detection, and demographic targeting services and products. With respect to EU/Swiss Data:
(1) our receipt, storage, and use of any EU/Swiss Data received from third parties are
subject to the principles set forth in Section 2, above, and (2) Personally Identifiable
Information shall include any information that identifies or could be used to identify any individual.
Log File Information
Your web browser automatically sends information to every website you visit
including ours. In addition, our customers' use of our fraud detection and other
Services is often accompanied by certain log file information that MaxMind's servers
automatically record. For example, our server logs may receive and record information
such as the URLs you visit, your browser type, your operating system, the date and time
of your visit, and the duration of your visit to each page.
User Agent Strings
Log file information may also include a user agent string, a series of characters
automatically sent with your Internet requests that provide information necessary for
smooth Internet communications such as the operating system and browser you used.
Similar to an IP address, a user agent string, by itself, does not identify you personally.
However, when combined with other information, a user agent string might be used to
identify the computer originating a message.
Unique Identification Number
MaxMind may assign your computer or mobile device a unique identification number ("Unique ID").
MaxMind may obtain log file information associated with that Unique ID when the relevant
computer or device is used to visit the MaxMind Website or visit the website of or conduct
business with a customer using our Services. MaxMind uses information generated from the
Unique ID for purposes of improving our Services, primarily our ability to detect fraud.
MaxMind does not share the Unique ID or any associated data with unaffiliated third parties.
We encourage MaxMind customers and business partners to adopt and post privacy policies.
However, this Privacy Policy does not cover how MaxMind customers may treat your information
as the use of your information by such parties is governed by the privacy policies of such
parties and is not subject to MaxMind's control. With respect to any EU/Swiss Data that
is transferred from our customers in the EEA to us, we require that such customers comply
with the EU Data Directive in their collection, use, or transfer of such data.
MaxMind may collect additional information from or about you in other ways, including
responses to customer surveys or your communications with our customer service team.
MaxMind may retain all information it collects for an indefinite period of time.
Whenever MaxMind collects data directly from individuals, it will provide: (a) notice
of such collection; (b) a copy of or link to this Privacy Policy, including a
description of how such data will be used and the rights of individuals whose information is being collected.
5. HOW MAXMIND USES INFORMATION
Use of Personally Identifiable Information
As stated above, MaxMind may use Personally Identifiable Information such
as your name, address, telephone number, e-mail address, or other contact
information we obtain from you, our customers, or our business partners, for
the purposes of providing, enhancing, or improving our IP geolocation, fraud
detection, and demographic targeting services and products.
Communications with You
MaxMind maintains one or more contact lists (with email addresses and other
information) to allow MaxMind to communicate with individuals who do business
with MaxMind or who have expressed an interest in the Services. We may contact
you to confirm your purchases or respond to requests that you make, notify you
of changes to your account or the Services, or to otherwise inform you of information
related to our business or your account with us.
Website Administration and Customization
MaxMind may use the information we collect about you for a variety of website
administration and customization purposes. For example, we use your information
to process your registration request, provide you with services and communications
that you have requested, send you email updates and other communications, customize
features and advertising that appear on the Website, deliver the Website content to you,
measure Website traffic, measure user interests and traffic patterns, and improve
the Website and the services and features offered via the Website.
Usage of Non-Identifying Information
Non-identifying information includes information collected from or about you that
does not personally identify you. MaxMind treats IP addresses, log file information,
user agent strings, computer IDs, and related information as non-identifying information,
except if applicable law or the Safe Harbor principles require us to do otherwise.
MaxMind may use non-identifying information for any purpose. We may also combine your
non-identifying information with third party data sources (including data obtained from
offline sources) in our effort to improve our Services. Unless you opt-out,
MaxMind may share such non-identifying information with customers, affiliates, and other
third parties, for any purpose.
IP Addresses and EU/Swiss Data
Certain jurisdictions, including the European Union, may deem IP addresses to be
Personally Identifiable Information. Accordingly, for persons in such jurisdictions,
our use of Non-Identifying Information as described in this Privacy Policy, including
in Section 6, below, should be assumed to include IP address data.
6. HOW MAXMIND SHARES INFORMATION
Sharing with Our Service Providers
We may provide your information to our third party service providers, contractors,
business partners, and advertisers, for the purpose of delivering Services to you as
well as for purposes related to Website administration and operation. When sharing
information for the purpose of providing you with the Services you request, we will
share your personal information only as necessary for the third party working on MaxMind's
behalf to complete its work for us. For example, if you use a credit or debit card to
complete a transaction on the Website, we may share your personal information and
credit card number with a credit card processing and/or a fulfillment company
in order to complete your transaction.
Sharing with Our Customers
One aspect of MaxMind's products and services is the provision of databases to
our customers. These databases include information such as IP addresses and corresponding
data pertaining to such IP addresses, such as geolocation data, fraud analysis data, and
related information. Such databases are compiled using numerous data sources, including
information we receive from our customers when individuals make purchases or conduct other
transactions with our customers. With regard to EU/Swiss Data, IP addresses may be considered
to be Personally Identifiable Information in certain EU jurisdictions. As such, we are required
to notify you that we share such information, in the limited forms and for the limited purposes
described above. Owners of EU/Swiss Data may opt out of our disclosure of such data pursuant
to Section 7 of this Privacy Policy.
Security and Compliance with the Law
We reserve the right to disclose your personal information to appropriate third parties
if we are required to do so by law or we believe that such action is necessary in order
(a) to comply with legal process such as a search warrant, subpoena, or court order; (b)
to protect the company's rights and property; (c) to investigate reports of users sending
material using a false email address or users sending harassing, threatening, or abusive
messages; (d) to protect against misuse or unauthorized use of the Website or Services; or
(e) to respond to emergencies, such as when we believe someone's physical safety is at risk.
Aggregate Information and Non-Identifying Information
MaxMind may share your non-identifying information (which may include
non-identifying log file information) with third parties. While MaxMind may
share such non-identifying information for any purpose (unless you opt-out of
such sharing), MaxMind typically shares such non-identifying information for industry analysis,
aggregated demographic profiling, and the delivery of targeted advertising about other
products and services. For example, MaxMind might provide such non-identifying information
to an industry analyst who wants to use the information to determine the popularity of various
web browsers and operating systems in different geographic areas.
Transfer of Business
As our business grows, we may buy or sell various assets. In the event that we
sell some or all of our assets, or our company is acquired by another company,
our databases and other personal information we collect may be among the transferred assets.
With regard to the transfer of any EU/Swiss Data, such transfer will only occur
with a third party in the event that such party has met the qualifications set forth in
Section 2, above, or as otherwise permissible under the Safe Harbor principles.
7. YOUR CONTROL OVER YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
Opt-Out of Email Communications
If you are a registered member of the Website, you can make changes to your account information
by logging in to the Website and modifying your preferences here.
If you do not wish to receive email notifications from us, you may opt-out by contacting us
at info@maxmind.com with your request. In addition,
certain email communications we send to you, such as newsletters and promotional announcements,
contain a clearly worded "Opt-Out" or "Unsubscribe" link allowing you to withdraw your
permission for future mailings.
Opt-Out of Information Sharing
MaxMind shares with unaffiliated third parties Personally Identifiable Information about
you only in limited circumstances (e.g., compliance with law, security concerns, etc.)
noted in this Privacy Policy. As discussed above in Section 6 of
this Privacy Policy, MaxMind may share non-identifying information about you. If you want to
opt-out of MaxMind sharing your non-identifying information, please send your request to
legal@maxmind.com or to the address set forth in
Section 11, below. Please note that the records maintained by MaxMind are not complete for
all consumers (i.e., many records do not contain name or email address information). As a
result, a record containing information about you may not be identifiable by an email address
search, IP address search, or other simple search criterion. Any individual whose record can be
identified has the option of having MaxMind cease from sharing with unaffiliated third parties
any of the individual's non-identifying information. This non-sharing has several important qualifications:
(a) MaxMind will cease sharing information in any databases created after your opt-out date.
We highlight that information about you in any databases shared with our customers is
non-identifying information (not personally identifying information). Versions of databases
created and released prior to your opt-out date may have been created using your non-identifying
information, and our customers may continue to have access to such earlier versions. Note that
the utility of a database diminishes over time and most customers eventually discard older
versions of a database in favor of an updated version.
(b) The non-sharing of information pertains to any information MaxMind can associate with
you. MaxMind sometimes receives anonymous log file information that cannot be linked to a
specific email address, IP address, or individual.
(c) If you do opt-out of having us share your information, MaxMind will continue to gather,
retain, use and share information for fraud detection purposes.
(d) If you opt-out based on your IP address, MaxMind will process the IP address
opt-out if the IP address is associated with one individual or one household (i.e., it is not
uncommon for a single IP address to be shared by hundreds of devices). Also, since IP address
assignments are subject to change, MaxMind will stop sharing information related to that IP
address until such time that MaxMind reasonably believes the IP address has been assigned
to another device (which period shall not be less than one year).
Blocking or Deleting Cookies
You can manually delete cookies which are normally located in your temporary Internet folder
or cookie folder. You can also reset the preferences in your web browser to notify you when you
have received a cookie or, alternatively, to refuse to accept cookies. Deleting or blocking
cookies will prohibit your ability to make online purchases on the Website and to use and
access portions of the Website that require logging in with a username and password.
Additional Information for Residents of Certain States
Consumers in certain jurisdictions of the United States have a right to access personal
information held or shared about themselves. Your right of access can be exercised in accordance
with applicable law. Please submit any requests for access to your personal data in writing
to our privacy agent indicated at the bottom of this webpage.
EU/Swiss Data Rights
In addition to the opt-out rights set forth above, MaxMind permits individual
owners of EU/Swiss Data the option of choosing to opt-out of: (a) the disclosure of their
EU/Swiss Data to third parties, and (b) the use of their EU/Swiss Data for a purpose other than
the purpose for which it was originally collected or subsequently authorized by the individual.
Individuals residing in the EEA and wishing to make an opt-out request should contact MaxMind directly
using the information at Section 11, below.
8. SECURITY
MaxMind implements reasonable security measures to secure data. However, no physical or electronic
security system is impenetrable. MaxMind cannot guarantee the security of the Website's servers
or databases, nor can we guarantee that information you supply will not be intercepted while being
transmitted to us over the Internet.
9. POLICY REGARDING CHILDREN
The Website is not intended for use by children under the age of thirteen years old. MaxMind
does not knowingly collect information from children under the age of thirteen.
10. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We will occasionally update this Privacy Policy in response to changing business circumstances
and legal developments. If there are material changes to this Privacy Policy or in how we use your
Personally Identifiable Information, we will prominently post such changes prior to implementing the
change. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to be informed of how we are
collecting and using your information.
11. CONTACT FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, OPTING OUT, DATA ACCESS AND CORRECTION, AND DISPUTES
If you have any questions or complaints about this Privacy Policy, or you wish to exercise
your opt-out rights hereunder or access or correct data applicable to you, you may email us at
legal@maxmind.com or contact us by postal mail at the following address:
Jason Ketola (Privacy Agent)
Legal Department
MaxMind, Inc.
24 Crescent Street, Suite 301
Waltham, MA 02453
U.S.A.
If you are an individual residing within the EEA and you wish to lodge a dispute resolution
proceeding in relation to a request that you have first made in good faith with us but found to
be unsatisfactorily resolved, you may file a complaint online at https://www.auto.bbb.org/EU-Safe-Harbor-Complaint-Form or by sending your complaint to the following address:
Council of Better Business Bureaus, Inc.
BBB EU Safe Harbor
3033 Wilson Boulevard, Suite 600
Arlington, VA 22201
U.S.A.
Additional information on filing a Safe Harbor complaint can be found at the following web site: http://www.bbb.org/us/consumer/european-dispute-resolution/complaint-info.