Privacy Policy

The Shield Online Privacy Policy
Effective Date of This Online Privacy Policy is August 16, 2010.

Scope of This Online Privacy Policy

This online privacy policy describes how usishield.com/USI Student Publications (“THE SHIELD”) protects your privacy when you use the THE SHIELD’s www.usishield.com website, as well as any other websites linking to this page, (hereinafter collectively referred to as the “Websites”). This Online Privacy Policy applies only to personal information collected through the Websites. “Personal information” means information that identifies you personally, either alone or in combination with other information available to us. This Online Privacy Policy is part of and incorporated into the Terms and Conditions of Use for the Websites.

Your Consent to This Online Privacy Policy

By using the Websites, you are agreeing to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Online Privacy Policy. If you do not consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Online Privacy Policy, you may not use the Websites. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Online Privacy Policy or THE SHIELD’s privacy practices, please email us at [email protected].

This Online Privacy Policy May Change

THE SHIELD reserves the right to update or modify this Online Privacy Policy, at any time and without prior notice, by posting the revised version of this Online Privacy Policy on the Websites. Your use of the Websites following any such change constitutes your agreement that all personal information collected from or about you through the Websites after the revised Online Privacy Policy is posted will be subject to the terms of the revised Online Privacy Policy. You may access the current version of this Online Privacy Policy at any time by clicking on the link marked “Privacy Policy” at the bottom of each page of the Websites.

What Personal Information Do We Collect?

Information You Volunteer. THE SHIELD collects the personal information you knowingly and voluntarily provide when you use the Websites, for example, the information you provide when you register on the Websites, post comments, or when you provide feedback or letters to the editor.

Information Sent to Us by Your Web Browser. THE SHIELD may collect information that is sent to it automatically by your web browser, such as your IP address, the address of the web page you were visiting when you accessed the Websites, information on your operating system and browser, and the date and time of your visit. The information THE SHIELD receives depends on the settings on your web browser. The information provided by your browser does not identify you personally. THE SHIELD uses this non-personal information primarily to create statistics that help it improve the Websites and make them more compatible with the technology used by their visitors. However, if you have registered on the Websites, THE SHIELD may link the information provided by your browser to information that identifies you personally. In addition, THE SHIELD may review its server logs for security purposes, such as detecting intrusions into its network. If THE SHIELD suspects criminal activity, THE SHIELD might share its server logs – which contain visitors’ IP addresses – with the appropriate investigative authorities who could use that information to trace and identify individuals. Information Collected Using “Cookies” and Other Web Technologies. THE SHIELD uses “cookies,” and similar technologies to collect information and manage the Websites. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard disk by a Web server. Each time you visit the Websites, the THE SHIELD’s web server will recognize you by “searching” the information contained in these cookies. This permits THE SHIELD to offer you a personalized experience when you use the Websites. These cookies do not identify you personally. If, however, you have created a user identity on the Websites, THE SHIELD may link the information collected by its cookies to information that identifies you personally. If you do not wish to receive cookies, you may set your browser to reject cookies or to alert you when a cookie is placed on your computer. You may also delete the cookies as soon as you leave the Websites. Although you are not required to accept cookies when you visit the Websites, if you set your browser to reject cookies, you will not be able to use all of the features and functionality of the Websites.

How Do We Use Your Personal Information?

THE SHIELD may use the personal information collected through the Websites to maintain your registration on the Websites, to improve the Websites, and for any other purpose THE SHIELD may disclose to you from time to time. THE SHIELD may also use personal information sent by your web browser or by cookies to perform statistical analyses of THE SHIELD’s server logs in order to study the use and popularity of various areas of the Websites. THE SHIELD also reviews IP addresses to analyze where it is getting its audience.

With Whom Do We Share Your Personal Information?

It is not THE SHIELD’s policy to sell or make available your personal information to unrelated third parties for marketing purposes, or for any other purposes not expressly described herein. THE SHIELD may share your personal information with other divisions and publications of Central Michigan Life/CMU Student Publications. THE SHIELD may inform advertisers of the results of its analyses of server logs, including details regarding usage of the Websites and general information about THE SHIELD’s audience; however, such disclosures will refer only to general, aggregate usage data from these analyses – never specific identifying information. THE SHIELD may share personal information collected through the Websites with companies and organizations that perform services on its behalf, for example, companies that provide support services (such as data storage and web hosting services). THE SHIELD may disclose the personal information it collects through the Websites when it, in good faith, believes disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law (or a court order or subpoena); to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to enforce the terms of use or other agreements that govern your use of the Websites; to protect the rights, property or safety of THE SHIELD, its users or others; or to protect your vital interests. Information submitted to the Websites is an asset of THE SHIELD and will become part of its normal business records. Your personal information may be transferred to another company that acquires the stock or assets of THE SHIELD, for example, as the result of a sale, merger, reorganization, dissolution or liquidation. If such a transfer occurs, the acquiring company’s use of your personal information will still be subject to this Online Privacy Policy.

Caution in Posting Information

Users should keep in mind that, when posting their user name, e-mail address, or other personal information on Interactive Areas on the Websites, that information can be read by any third parties and may result in unsolicited messages from other posters or third parties. THE SHIELD has no control over the use of any information you make publicly available on the Websites, and THE SHIELD urges you to use caution in disclosing your e-mail address or any other information that would enable a third party to contact you. In addition, please be aware that THE SHIELD may make use of or refer to content posted by individual users of the Websites for the purposes of promotion of the Websites (including without limitation taking screen shots of a particular area of the Websites and using that screen shot as a graphic in an advertisement).

Modifying Your Information

THE SHIELD respects your right to make choices about the ways THE SHIELD collects, uses, and discloses your personal information. You may update or modify your information or change your preferences at any time by logging in to the Websites or contacting us at [email protected].

Security

Although THE SHIELD has security measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information as it travels over the Internet, “perfect security” does not exist on the Internet, and THE SHIELD cannot guarantee the safety of transmitting personal information over the Internet. Likewise, although THE SHIELD takes reasonable steps to limit the disclosure of personal information as outlined in this Online Privacy Policy, THE SHIELD cannot guarantee that your personal information will be secure permanently. For example, it is possible that personal information could be lost due to technical problems or stolen. THE SHIELD is not responsible for any loss or theft of personal information.

Children’s Privacy

The Websites are not directed at nor targeted to children under the age of 13. THE SHIELD does not use the Websites to knowingly solicit personal information from or market to children under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, do not provide THE SHIELD with any personal information. If THE SHIELD learns that someone under 13 has provided personal information to the Websites, THE SHIELD will use reasonable efforts to remove such information from its databases.