Privacy Policy

Last Updated: September 13, 2011

AdAdvisor services ("the Services") place a cookie containing non-personally identifiable information on a user's computer. A cookie is a small file created by a Web server, delivered through a Web browser and placed on a user's computer. AdAdvisor cookies enable Web sites using the Services to recognize users when they return to those Web sites.

The Services facilitate the delivery of the most relevant offers to the right consumers while both protecting the privacy of consumers and offering a choice about participating in such activities. The Services enable advertising clients to customize online display advertisements while incorporating rigorous privacy protections. 

Information Collection and Use and Retention

The cookies used by the Services do not contain, collect or convey any personally identifiable information (PII). Instead, the cookie contains anonymous, non-personally identifiable categories of information. These aggregated anonymous demographic categories are derived from off-line sources and the applicable category for an individual’s household is assigned to a cookie when a user registers through one of our registration partners. While registration data is used to associate an individual to a household which is already assigned to a general demographic category, that process is nearly instantaneous. Furthermore, we use a one-way process to anonymize the data for placement of the non-personally identifiable categories of information into the cookie, which is encrypted before being placed on the user’s browser. The one-way process means the Services cannot connect the cookie to PII. As a result of this methodology, the Services do not link the cookies to the PII collected by our partner(s) during the registration process.

The non-personally identifiable categories of information in our cookies enable our clients to create offers which are more likely to be of interest to their users and better customize the user experience.

Each cookie placed by the Services will expire in twelve (12) months although any additional user registration at a registration partner site results in the placement of a new cookie.

For data security purposes, all data storage and processing is performed by TARGUSinfo servers residing in managed Class-A co-location data center facilities that deploy the most stringent security measures for physical as well as virtual access to their facilities and the systems and data hosted within.

Potentially Sensitive Data Segments

TARGUSinfo's methodology around how we create segments, as well as what data we provide to our partners, ensures that we are not creating sensitive data segments, nor enabling our partners to tailor ads based on sensitive data. While we don't store any sensitive data in our cookies, we recognize that different consumers may have different opinions regarding which data segments are sensitive. So in order to provide additional transparency regarding the segments we do store in cookies, we invite you to visit our AdAdvisor Profile Manager by clicking here.

Some of the many steps we take to safeguard this information include the following:

• Our segments consist of groups of hundreds of thousands of households with similar demographic and life-stage characteristics.
• Our partners use our data to tailor ads to entire segments based on the segment's statistically modeled likelihood to have certain interests or propensities, not at an individual level.
• Our contracts with our partners disallow the use of our data to determine credit worthiness, eligibility for insurance, or for employment.

We feel it is important to provide this transparency to help consumers have a better idea of what our segments are and how they are used by our partners, so you can make informed decisions. If you wish to opt-out of our Service, please visit our AdAdvisor Opt-Out page here.

Opt-Out and Policy Updates

The Services also offer users a way to opt-out. If you prefer that we not provide any data to our partners, we provide an opt-out button below. Opting out here does not mean you will not see any advertising online. Rather, it means that the advertising and perhaps the content you see will not be as relevant or tailored to your interests. 

The AdAdvisor opt-out works by replacing the existing AdAdvisor cookie with a new cookie that clearly indicates that the user has elected to opt-out of the Services. Users should be advised that opting out of the Services does not mean the AdAdvisor cookie has been deleted. Moreover, if the opt-out cookie is deleted by a user, the user buys a new computer or the user changes the Web browser, the user will be required to repeat the opt-out process. 

Opt-Out

TARGUSinfo is a member of several leading industry organizations dedicated to promoting best practices around the use and protection of consumer information. We are a pending member of the Network Advertising Initiative (NAI), which provides information and guidance on how its member companies use and protect consumer information. To learn more about other NAI member companies’ practices and how you may also opt-out of their services, click the button below. 

Take Me to NAI

The AdAdvisor privacy policy may be updated periodically. In the event there are any material changes to the data collection or usage practices described herein, the Services will obtain a user’s consent prior to utilizing any previously obtained data using said new practices.