Privacy Statement Effective Oct. 28, 2011, is below
Information Regarding Ford Motor Company's Privacy Practices:
We reserve the right to change our Privacy Policy. A revised Privacy Policy will only apply to data collected subsequent to its effective date. Any revisions will be posted at least 10 days prior to its effective date.
Normal Web Site Usage:
If your browser permits, you may decline our cookies, but doing so may impact the optimal experience of certain parts of this site.
We use this information to generate statistics and measure site activity to improve the usefulness of customer visits.
Ford Motor Company and media.ford.com reserve the right to log off accounts that are inactive for an extended period of time (i.e., 10 months).
Collection of Personally Identifiable Information:
The information you provide is used by Ford to improve the services we provide you. Only your name and company affiliation will be used when we generate usage reports.
It is never provided to any other company for that company's independent use.
If you tell us that the information should not be used as a basis for further contact, we will respect your request. Simply send an email to paict@ford.com to request de-activation of your account.
Ford's Internet Services:
If you do not want to be contacted via email, we will honor your request. Click the Customize button on the homepage. Underneath your email field, select the box labeled "Check here if you do not wish to receive email from media.ford.com."
Electronic Mail Sent to Us that Contains Personal Information:
Copyright Notice:
Accredited journalists may use Ford Motor Company information and photography from media.ford.com for editorial use only. Personal or commercial use of this material is prohibited.
Trademark Notice:
Registered users of media.ford.com have access to proprietary content and agree to abide by the aforementioned conditions. A registered user may not share his/her user ID and password with anyone. Violation of these terms may result in loss of access to the media.ford.com site and legal action.
This document describes Ford Motor Company's policy regarding information received about you during visits to our web site. The amount and type of information received depends on how you use our site.
During normal web site usage we do not collect or store personally identifiable information such as name, mailing address, email address, or phone number. When you visit our web site, we may collect information about you that does not identify you as an individual. For example, "cookies" may be stored on your computer's hard drive to track your web activity. The only information we collect and store during normal web site usage is the name of your Internet service provider, the web site that referred you to us, the pages you request and the date and time of those requests.
There are instances where Ford requests personally identifiable information to allow access to certain restricted areas of the media site or to provide you with a service. This information, such as name, mailing address, email address and possibly additional information, is collected and stored in a manner appropriate to the nature of the data by Ford and is used to fulfill your request.
To use special features on media.ford.com, we require a certain amount of personally
identifying information (examples are: name, mailing address, phone number, and email) that we can use to verify you as a registered user and meet with any request you may have. We use this information to identify and access data in the existing relationship we have with you to provide you with requested services. We request electronic mail addresses (email) as an alternate means of contacting you.
Internet users may decide to send Ford personally identifying information in an email or other correspondence. Ford will only use this information to identify the user and to determine how to respond to the electronic mail. We will not use this information other than to resolve the matter identified in the email.
All rights reserved. All text, images, graphics, animation, videos, music, sounds and other materials on this site are subject to the copyrights and other intellectual property rights of Ford Motor Company, its affiliated companies and its licensors. Ford Motor Company owns the copyrights in the selection, coordination and arrangement of the materials on this site. These materials may not be copied for commercial use or distribution, nor may these materials be modified or reposted to other sites.
All trademarks displayed on this site are subject to the U.S. trademark rights of Ford
Motor Company, or are used under agreement in the U.S. by Ford Motor Company.
These trademarks include, but are not limited to, product brand names (e.g., Ford,
Lincoln, Mercury, Jaguar, Motorcraft), vehicle model names (e.g., Mustang, Taurus,
Explorer, F-150, Continental, Villager, Grand Marquis), slogans (e.g., What a Luxury
Car Should Be, Built Ford Tough), and logos and emblems. The unauthorized use of
any trademark displayed on this site is strictly prohibited.
The effective date of this privacy statement is October 28, 2011. 1. General Statement:
We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it. This privacy statement explains our policies and practices regarding online customer information. It is through this disclosure that we intend to provide you with a level of comfort and confidence in how we collect, use, and safeguard personal and other information we collect or that you provide through this website, and how you can contact us if you have any questions or concerns. It is our sincere hope that by explaining our data handling practices we will develop a trusting and long-lasting relationship with you. By using the site, you agree to the terms of this privacy statement.
2. Information About Our Organization and Website:
This Privacy Statement applies to www.media.ford.com and www.media.lincoln.com (collectively referenced herein as "the media website"). The media website is owned by Ford Motor Company, One American Road Dearborn, MI 48126, Attn: Corporate Communications
The business purpose of this website is to provide you access to information related to Ford Motor Company and our products including news articles, product information and executive biographies. If you register to use this site, you may utilize the "Briefcase" feature which provides a personal storage area for items of interest to you, and request emails. Accredited members of the news media may download high-resolution photographs and videos.
3. Personally Identifiable Information We Collect From You:
When you visit the media website we will not collect any personal information about you unless you provide it to us voluntarily. Personal data includes information that is particular to you such as name, street address, telephone number, and email address. If you opt not to provide us with personal information you can still access our website, however you may be unable to perform certain functions such as receive emails, utilize the "Briefcase feature, or download high-resolution photographs or videos if you are an accredited members of the news media.
Our primary goal in collecting personal information from you when you visit the media website is to provide you the functionality and services that you need to have a meaningful and customized experience while using the site features.
See Section 12 regarding links to third-party sites, including widgets.
This site may use session "cookies" to collect personally identifiable information. An explanation for how they work is included in Section 7 - Methods to Collect Information.
4. How We Use the Personally Identifiable Information We Collect:
Personally identifiable information collected on the media website may be used to:
- Fulfill a site user request (e.g., send emails, store saved items of interest in the Briefcase)
- Respond to your comments or requests for information
- Meet a request for or to develop new products or services
- Make the user experience more customer friendly
- Contact you if necessary in the course of processing your registration
- Generate site analytics that improve our site layout, content, product offerings and services
- Compile user data that is stored in our corporate database and may be used for marketing and other purposes
- Match personal data collected here with data about you that we collect through other sources
- Identify who downloaded photographs and videos (where functionality is provided)
- Comply with legal requirements
5. Other (Non-Personally Identifiable) Information We Collect From Site Visitors:
The media website collects other information, non-personally identifiable information from site visitors. This means that we do not track these items on an individual basis that identifies the site visitor, but rather gather and collect this information on an aggregate [or anonymous] basis that includes all site visitors. Non-personal information includes tracking the site pages that are visited or the amount of time spent on our site.
Our primary goal in collecting aggregate information from you is to be able to perform site metrics that allow us to improve the functionality of the website. We need to collect aggregate information in order to track page visits and peak site usage times, and to perform site clickthrough analysis and site layout re-design.
We may use session and persistent "cookies," session logs, spotlight ads/web beacons/GIF/pixel tags, banner ads or links, and third-party click tracking analytics tools (such as DART, Omniture tags, DoubleClick, Efficient Frontier, and Google Analytics) to collect aggregate or other non-personally identifiable information about site visitors. An explanation for each of these items and how they work is included in Section 7 - Methods to Collect Information.
6. How We Use the Aggregate or Non-Personally Identifiable Information We Collect:
Non-Personally identifiable information collected on the media website may be used to:
- Compile aggregate and statistical data to help in website design and to identify popular features
- Measure site activity to allow us to update our site to better meet user wants and needs
- Make the user experience more customer friendly
The media website utilizes non-personal data for the purpose of performing analytics on the user's experience while visiting this site. This analysis:
- Is performed on an aggregate level and does not identify you or your information personally
- May involve the use of a third-party vendor acting on behalf of the media website
- Is performed in order to improve our website and the user experience
- May include the use of session and/or persistent cookies to track user movement across this and other Ford Motor Company websites or to track other events within or across this and other Ford Motor Company websites
- Third-party vendors with which Ford has entered into contracts to perform site analytics and which are provided aggregate information covered by this privacy statement are to use that information only to perform those services, and they may not share or resell this information
7. Methods to Collect Information:
A "cookie" is a small text file that helps us in many ways to make your visit to our website more enjoyable and meaningful to you. For example, cookies avoid you having to log in every time you come back to one of our websites. They also allow us to tailor a website or advertisement to better match your interests and preferences. There are a couple different types of cookies.
A "session" cookie is stored only in your computer's working memory (RAM) and only lasts for your browsing session. When you close all your browser's windows, or when you shut down your computer, the session cookie disappears forever.
A "persistent" cookie is stored on your computer's hard drive until a specified date, which could be tomorrow, next week, or 10 years from now. Persistent cookies stay on your computer until either a) they expire, b) they are overwritten with newer cookies, or c) you manually remove them. Most browsers can be configured not to accept cookies, however, this may prevent you from having access to some site functions or features.
This site may use a third-party click tracking analytics tool (such as DART, Omniture tags, DoubleClick, Efficient Frontier, and Google Analytics) to capture clickthrough statistics.
The media website may use spotlight ads/web beacons/GIF/pixel tags which are site instrumentation tools that help us to determine, for instance, whether a page has been viewed or not and, if so, how many times. Emails or electronic newsletters we send may use tools (e.g., pixel tags or web beacons) to gather email metrics and information to improve the reader's experience such as how many of the emails are opened, if they were printed or forwarded, the type of device (e.g., mobile or PC) from which they were opened, and the city, state, and county associated with the applicable IP address. In general, any electronic image viewed as part of a webpage, including an ad banner, can act as a web beacon.
When you visit our website the server housing the pages automatically generates a "session log." We use session logs to help us determine how people travel through our site. In this way, we can structure our pages so that the information most frequently visited is easier to find. By tracking page visits, we can also determine if the information we're providing is being used. The only data gathered is the Internet Protocol (IP) address from which you came, the website that referred you, the pages you visited and the date and time of those visits.
Users may be directed to the media website via banner ads or site links. Ads or site links that are placed by the media website use cookies or web beacons to deliver metrics on the effectiveness of the ads or links. They do not collect personal information from the user.
If you visit this site with an open ID, you may integrate with third-party social media sites, and the media website may track on an aggregate level the number of visits to this site with an open ID, the number of items "liked" on this site, or items on this site that you choose to share with a third-party social media site.
Online Advertising: Ford may contract with vendors to place advertisements on non-Ford websites. When you visit a non-Ford website, these vendors may target Ford advertisements to you based on information about your previous online activity that the vendor has collected using web tracking tools (e.g., cookies and web beacons). Additionally, Ford advertisements may contain web tracking tools such as cookies and web beacons to collect information on the effectiveness of the advertisements and to deliver future targeted advertisements and other messages to you. These web tracking tools collect information such as IP address, the page visited, and time of day.
8. Sharing Your Information:
The media website does not share, sell, or rent personally identifiable information with independent companies for their own use without providing you a choice.
Personal information that you provide to us in the course of using our site features or requesting a product or service through this website may be gathered and stored in one or more of our corporate databases and be used for purposes of contacting you for things like promotional offers, marketing programs, or other communications from this website or other Ford Motor Company programs and services.
We may share personal information that we collect about you with other companies within the Ford Motor Company family of companies or subsidiaries. Our "family of companies" is the group of companies related to us by common control or ownership. We share information within this "family" as a normal part of conducting business and offering products and services to our customers.
Vendors, contractors or partners of the media website who have access to your personal information in connection with providing services for the media website are required to keep the information confidential and are not permitted to use this information for any other purpose than to carry out the services they are performing for the media website.
Site metrics for the media website may be shared with other Ford Motor Company websites or subsidiaries or affiliates. The information shared will be aggregate data and will not include any of your personally identifiable information.
The media website will disclose your personal information, without notice, if (1) in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) conform to the edicts of the law or comply with legal process served on Ford Motor Company, its affiliates or the site; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of Ford Motor Company, its affiliates or this site; or (c) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of Ford Motor Company or affiliate personnel, users of their websites, or the public; or (2) if required to do so by law.
9. Access To and Control Over the Use of Your Information:
To correct or update your personal information, log in to the website, and go the "Customize My Media" to access and update your personal information and preferences.
The scope of access available for this request is for information stored in the database that holds the data for the media website. Any personal information that has been collected from you on other Company websites will not be accessible or changeable through the processing of this request.
10. Security of Your Information:
Safeguarding information of visitors to our website is important to us. We use systems, policies and procedures to maintain accuracy of information and to protect information from loss, misuse or alteration.
When you send personal information, such as email address or telephone numbers, to the media website we use "Secure Socket Layers" or SSL to protect your data. SSL is encryption technology that helps safeguard your personal information against misuse by unauthorized individuals.
Vendors, contractors or partners of the media website who have access to your personal information in connection with providing services for the media website are required to keep the information confidential.
Vendors are not permitted to use this information for any other purpose than to carry out the services they are performing for the media website.
11. Processing of Personal Data:
By visiting this site and by providing your personally identifiable information to us, you understand and consent to the collection, use, processing, transfer, and disclosure of your personally identifiable and
non-personally identifiable information globally --- including to the United States - in accordance with this Privacy Statement. Therefore, by visiting this site and by providing such information, you consent to the transfer of such information across country borders, and to the use, processing, and disclosure of such information in global locations. Your consent shall be deemed to include your consent to transfer of the personally identifiable or non-personally identifiable information to locations that may have different levels of privacy protection than in your own country.
12. Links to Other Sites:
The media website provides links to other websites. We encourage you to review the privacy statements of all sites that you visit, including those whose links are provided so that you can understand how those sites collect, use and share your information. The media website is not responsible for the privacy statements, content or data handling practices on other websites.
If you choose to utilize the ShareThis widget to share content on this website with your friends, please note that ShareThis is an independent third party and is not a vendor, contractor or partner of the media website. All information (personally identifiable or aggregate) that is collected by the ShareThis widget is collected by ShareThis and is subject to the ShareThis Privacy Policy and not the media website Privacy Statement.
13. Children's Privacy:
The media website does not knowingly intend to collect personal information from children under 13 years of age.
If a child has provided us with personal information a parent or guardian of that child may contact us at the email address listed in section 14 if they want this information deleted from our records. We will then make reasonable efforts to delete the child's information from the database that stores information for the media website.
14. Contacting Us:
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this online privacy statement for the media website, the media website privacy practices, or have any questions regarding the contents of this website please contact us by emailing media@ford.com.
The media website is committed to working with consumers to obtain a fair and rapid resolution of any complaints or disputes about privacy and the handling of your data. The media website will be happy to respond to your questions and comments.
15. Privacy Statement Effective Date and Revision Days:
Occasionally we may update the privacy statement for the media website in order to reflect any changes to the website or our privacy practices. If we update this statement, the new statement will be posted to the website ten (10) days prior to the changes taking effect.
The effective date of this privacy statement is October 28, 2011.