PRIVACY POLICY
Privacy Policy
Last updated: 1.1.2024
EMpanel Online Inc., a leader in market research, endeavors to conform to the CASRO Code of Standards and Ethics for Survey Research and ALL relevant international regulations regarding privacy, including, without limitation, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act with California Privacy Rights Act amendments (“CCPA/CPRA”).
We understand the need to have a formal privacy policy and are committed to protecting the privacy of our clients, panelists and visitors. We have therefore developed the following Privacy Policy which applies to EMpanel Online (www.empanelonline.com), Bizpinion (www.bizpinion.com), SurValidate (www.survalidate.com), and any current or future sites created or developed by EMpanel Online (collectively, “EOL”, “we”, or “us”). This Privacy Policy is further governed by our User Agreements specific to each product or service.
EMpanel Online Inc. assists brands and corporate entities in making better decisions through the use of information. We invite website visitors to join Research Communities of Opinion Leaders who are able and willing to express opinions on various topics.
We do not share, sell, rent or trade personally identifiable information with third parties for their promotional or marketing purposes.
Personal Information
Information fuels the research process. EOL gathers your personal and professional information upon registration to become part of our Research Community including, but not limited to, your demographics and career information. After registering we may ask members to provide us with additional personal information in order to invite them to appropriate opportunities. We require your email address in order that we can send you email invitations to participate in our upcoming research opportunities. The additional information we gather, such as your address, gender, birthday, and employment status, is used to match you with the appropriate market research projects.
EOL conforms its privacy and security practices to applicable laws, codes, and regulations, including, without limitation, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the California Consumer Privacy Act with California Privacy Rights Act amendments (“CCPA/CPRA”).
As used in this Policy, “personal data” and “personal information” mean information that identifies, relates to, describes, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked with a particular data subject, consumer, or household. Personal information includes information such as real names, postal addresses, email addresses, and social security numbers.
Under CCPA/CPRA’s broad definition, “personal information” may also include unique identifiers, IP addresses, biometric information, internet or other network activity (such as browsing history, search history, etc.), geolocation data, audio/visual data, and even inferences which may be drawn from any of the above to create a profile about a consumer.
EOL may collect personal information when you voluntarily provide it, or when we receive it from third parties who have secured your consent to share it. Your participation in a survey or other research is voluntary. Surveys and other research administered by EOL’s clients, partners or other third parties and the information collected therein are not subject to this Policy; provided, however, that if EOL collects personal information in connection with a third party’s survey or research, such personal information collection is subject to this Policy.
We use your information to operate, evaluate, and improve our business, including for such purposes as developing new products and services, managing our communications, and analyzing our products. If you provide us with your name and contact information, we will use this information to answer requests from you, communicate with you regarding any services we are providing to you, inform you about new products and services (unless and until you opt-out of marketing information), and deliver email updates, newsletters, or other communications to which you’ve subscribed. We may also use information derived from cookies, pixels, and other technologies to determine your interests in particular surveys, advertisements, and other communications.
Any e-mail communications to you regarding new products and services, or any email updates, newsletters, or other communications to which you’ve subscribed, will contain a link with instructions for how to opt out of future communications of that type.
Information Tracking
In the previous 12 months, we’ve collected, used, and shared personal information as described below:
Info Collected |
Sources of Info |
Business Purposes |
Shared With |
Names, email addresses, phone numbers |
Provided directly via the Site, or direct communications with EOL |
Incentive fulfillment, communicating with you; newsletters; advertising new offerings; to communicate insights to our clients |
1. PRIMARILY FOR INTERNAL USE 2. EOL Clients (with personal consent) |
Log files, including Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, ISP, browser language, the date and time of your request, operating system, referring/exiting pages, clickstream data, plug-in etc. |
Collected directly from online users |
Analyzing web traffic and survey usage, optimizing survey platforms for different operating systems and analyzing authenticity of respondent; to communicate insights to our clients; |
1. PRIMARILY FOR INTERNAL USE 2. EOL Clients (with personal consent) 3. Third-party service providers |
Browsing information, such as date and time you visited our website, number of pages you viewed, time in seconds you spend on each page, and details of the any website you visited before and/or after participation in one of our surveys or other research program |
Collected from internet cookies attached to users while visiting website. |
Site optimization for different operating systems. User optimization for survey participation and future research |
1. PRIMARILY FOR INTERNAL USE 2. EOL Clients (with personal consent) 3. Third-party service |
Self-reported demographics (i.e. age, gender, education, etc.) |
Provided directly via the Site, or direct communications with EOL |
Communicating with you for new offerings and opportunities; to communicate insights to our clients |
1. PRIMARILY FOR INTERNAL USE 2. EOL Clients |
Self-reported firmographics (i.e. employment-related information such as title and profession etc.) |
Provided directly via the Site, or direct communications with EOL |
Communicating with you for new offerings and opportunities; to communicate insights to our clients |
1. PRIMARILY FOR INTERNAL USE 2. EOL Clients |
Self-reported profile information (i.e. political affiliation, technology usage, consumer preferences and ownership etc.) |
Provided directly via the Site, or direct communications with EOL |
Communicating with you for new offerings and opportunities; to communicate insights to our clients |
1. PRIMARILY FOR INTERNAL USE 2. EOL Clients |
System Metrics inclusive of survey status (completed survey, terminated etc.) Length of time spent in a survey. |
Collected via internet survey redirection |
Analyzing survey usage and tracking successful completion of a survey; to communicate insights to our clients |
1. PRIMARILY FOR INTERNAL USE 2. EOL Clients 3. Third-party service providers |
Under a broad definition of “personal information,” we may share information about you to our vendors or other partners. When shared, your demographic/firmographic profile information will be anonymized or pseudonymized, in order to maintain your personally identifiable information. Categories of information we’ve otherwise disclosed for a business or commercial purpose (for example, for confidential use by our service providers) in the previous 12 months include:
Categories |
Log files, including Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, ISP, browser language, the date and time of your request, operating system, referring/exiting pages, clickstream data, plug-in etc. |
Self-reported demographics (i.e. age, gender, education, etc.) |
Self-reported firmographics (i.e. employment-related information such as title and profession etc.) |
Self-reported profile information (i.e. political affiliation, technology usage, consumer preferences and ownership etc.) |
System Metrics inclusive of survey status (completed survey, terminated etc.) Length of time spent in a survey. |
Your Data Rights
As a member of our Research Community, you also have the following special rights:
Your Right to “Know” and to Request Deletion
You have the right to know the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you. You have the right to know the categories of sources from which the personal information has been collected, the business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling personal information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share personal information.
Your right to request deletion of personal information we’ve collected or maintain.
To exercise these rights contact us at contact@empanelonline.com. In addition to using the email address associated with your account, we may ask you to provide additional information, such as first and last name and email in order to verify who is making the request.
Please note that any requested disclosures will only apply to the 12-month period preceding the request, and you are entitled to request disclosure regarding your personal information twice in any 12-month period.
Your Right to Opt-Out of the “Sale” of Your Information
You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. For more information on how to opt out, please contact us at contact@empanelonline.com.
Your Right to Non-Discrimination
You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment by EOL for the exercise of the privacy rights conferred by the CCPA/CPRA, including but not limited to by denying you services, charging different prices or rates, or providing you with a different level or quality of services. Please understand, however, that certain exercises of your rights may render it impossible for us to render services to you.
Your Right to Use an Authorized Agent
You have the right to designate an authorized agent to make a request under the CCPA/CPRA on your behalf. To designate an authorized agent, please contact us as provided below. In order to verify you have authorized an agent we will require a signed, written authorization from you.
Verification Process
If you make a request to access or delete your information, or to opt out of the sale of your personal information, we may ask you for additional information to verify your identity. This information may include: your full name, birth date, phone number, email address, or other basic personal information about you that we already have on file.
Cookie Policy and Information Tracking Technologies
Survey research participation requires the use of cookies for successful qualification and completion of research opportunities. The applicable laws and regulatory frameworks state that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this purpose. For all other types of cookies we need your permission.
We may use or allow third parties to use web beacons on our Site to monitor the effectiveness of survey qualification. Web beacons are small, graphic images on web pages, web-based documents, or in email messages that allow us or third parties to monitor who is visiting our Site or if an email has been read. Web beacons collect the IP address of the device where the web beacon is sent, the URL of the page where the web beacon originates, and the time it was viewed. Web beacons may be linked to your personal information. We may also use third-party devices, services, links, or electronic mail to deliver surveys to you, which may use cookies, web beacons, or other technology to collect information about your visits to our Site (or other sites) in order to present surveys that may be of interest to you.
We will, in the act of connecting respondents to online surveys, redirect respondents to third-party websites, including programs and sites with marketing and advertising partners. Respondents or participants in survey panels that are hosted on, accessed by, or routed through the Site should consult the privacy and other policies of third parties through whom they are providing information.
We shall not use cookies for: 1) direct marketing, 2) advertising/exposure tracking, 3) sell to a 3rd party, 4) develop a behavioral profile of your interests, habits, and purchase preferences, 5) share publicly, without additional and specific consent.
Combination
We may combine information that your device transmits, information that you actively submit, and information that we obtain from third party sources, including suppliers of market research sample and data marketing platforms that may direct you to our Site, as well as web publishers, advertisers, and online service providers that may have obtained information from you or your devices via cookies, pixels, and other tracking technologies.
Information Retention and Accuracy
EOL makes efforts to ensure that personal information we receive, process, or maintain is accurate, complete, and reliable. We rely on the accuracy of the information provided directly to us but accept responsibility for the management and confidentiality of the personal information collected. In general, we keep personal information only as long as we need it to provide you the services you requested. We may also process data on behalf of third parties who have engaged us. We keep personal information processed on behalf of third parties for as long as needed to provide services to third party in question. However, we reserve the right to retain personal information for any period required by law or to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
Access and Correction
EOL believes you should be in control of your personal information. If at any time you wish to change the information you have provided to us, you may do so by logging in to your account and updating or deleting your personal information within the “My Account” section of the member website.
Data Protection and Security
It is imperative that you protect against unauthorized access to your password and to your computer. Be sure to choose and maintain a secure password and to always sign off when you have finished your session.
EOL employs reasonable security measures in an effort to prevent loss, misuse, and alteration of information under our control. We rely on various security procedures and systems to ensure the secure storage and transmission of data, including encryption and authentication technology licensed from third parties, to effect secure transmission of confidential information. However, we have absolutely no control over the security of other sites you might visit, interact with, or do business. We cannot guarantee the security of information on or transmitted via the Internet.
If we learn of a security systems breach, we may attempt to notify you electronically so that you can take appropriate protective steps, by posting a notice on EOL Site and/or sending an email to you at the email address you have previously provided to us. Depending on where you live, you may have a legal right to receive notice of a security breach in writing.
Notice to US Residents
California’s Consumer Privacy Act, CCPA/CPRA defines the term “sell” broadly. Its meaning includes “renting, releasing, disclosing, disseminating, making available, [and] transferring…for monetary or other valuable consideration.”. Other US States, including but not limited to, Colorado, Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Virginia, have imposed similar regulation. Empanel Online, Inc. maintains compliance with all privacy regulations within these United States.
Notice to Non-US Residents
The data that we collect from you may be transferred to and/or stored outside your territory. It may also be processed by staff operating outside your territory who work for us or for one of our suppliers. If your personal data is transferred to, stored at or otherwise processed outside your country or territory, and that country or territory has not been recognized as providing an adequate level of data protection, we will put in place additional safeguards to protect your personal data, as required by applicable law. For example, if you are in The European Economic Area (EEA), standard contractual clauses would be used if we process your data outside the EEA.
Children
Consistent with the federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), we do not knowingly collect or solicit response data nor personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of thirteen (13). Any person who provides their personal information to EOL represents that they are 13 years of age or older. In the case you are a parent or legal guardian who discovers that your child has provided us with any of the foregoing, you may email contact@empanelonline.com to delete their information.
Transfer of Ownership
In the event that another company acquires some or all of the assets related to EOL, or if we experience some other change of control event such as insolvency, merger, bankruptcy or receivership, we reserve the right to include any or all Personal Information among the assets transferred to the acquiring or newly created company. EOL will commit the surviving entity in the case of a merger, or the acquiring entity in the case of an acquisition or sale, to agree in writing to protect and maintain the security and integrity of the transferred Personal Information in accordance with any applicable laws. Any entity receiving such information in connection with any of these transactions must comply with all the terms of this Privacy Policy, unless advanced notice has been provided to EOL members.
Choice/Opt-Out
Participation in our research communities and all survey invitations are always voluntary. A member can always willingly not participate in a particular opportunity or terminate their membership. If a member desires to end his or her membership with EOL, such panel member may terminate their membership by (a) following the instructions set forth in their membership account, (b) sending an email request to contact@empanelonline.com from the email address associated with their membership, or (c) selecting the opt-out link contained in each email invitation sent to members of our research communities and following the applicable steps. Regardless of the method used, opting out deactivates the member’s account and terminates their membership (including all redemption reward points earned). EOL will then deactivate the applicable membership account and the individual will not receive any further opportunities.
Do Not Track
Some browsers have a “do not track” feature that lets you tell websites you do not want to have your online activities tracked. Because these features are not yet uniform, we do not presently respond to “do not track” signals. We will treat any “do not track”, “do not sell”, or similar signals as opt-out requests under the CCPA/CPRA.
Customer Information
We may collect employee contact names, addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses of our business partners, including buyers, suppliers, and vendors, for the administration of our business relationships. To opt-out of business-related email campaigns, (a) send an email request to contact@empanelonline.com from the associated email address or (b) selecting the opt-out link contained in each email and following the subsequent steps.
Future Updates to this Privacy Policy
EMpanel Online Inc. reserves the right, to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this Privacy Policy at our discretion at any time for any reason. With any changes to the Privacy Policy, we will display a “last updated” date found at the top of this Privacy Policy.
By agreeing to participate, you signify your acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Privacy Policy. When we do update the Privacy Policy, we will inform you of these changes and we will revise the “last modified” date at the top of this Privacy Policy to alert. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy. Your continued participation constitutes your acceptance of a revised Privacy Policy, as amended.
Contact Information
If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, you can contact us by e-mail, direct mail or telephone:
Mailing Address:
EMpanel Online Inc.
Attn: Privacy Concern
6017 Catamaran Court
Flowery Branch, GA 30542 USA
E-Mail: contact@empanelonline.com
Phone: +1 (678) 825-4348
Contact Us
678.390.5177
hr@empanelonline.com
Have a Question?
Georgia HQ / California / Pennsylvania / Utah / Colorado / Global
EMpanel Online, 6017 Catamaran Court, Flowery Branch, GA 30542 678.825.4348 sales@empanelonline.com