We take privacy seriously
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Privacy Statement
At Always Be Forward LLC (‘FWD.’), your privacy is very important. We are committed to protecting your privacy and the information you provide while conducting research with us (whether hosted on our own website, other websites on our behalf or by any other means, including video conferencing, telephone, or face to face). This privacy statement explains in general terms how we collect, store, use, and disclose your personal information and certain other information that we receive from you.
PRIVACY RIGHTS
FWD. will respect the legal requirements that exist regarding the privacy of personal information and we are committed to complying with all applicable laws. FWD. will, from time to time, review its personal information collection, use, and disclosure practices in order to assure compliance with laws and regulations. We will also maintain procedures to assure that information about children or other categories of sensitive information is only collected with explicit consent and is protected against improper use, consistent with applicable law. Prior to conducting a research project with children or young people, FWD. will identify and comply with any applicable laws including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) which requires verifiable parental or legal guardian’s consent for interviewing children below the age of 13.
DATA COLLECTION
In the course of conducting our marketing research activities, FWD. collects data from individuals who have agreed to participate in research after being informed about the nature and general objectives of the research. The purpose of our research is to provide answers and guidance to our clients as they relate to marketing and consumer science related questions. Data is often collected using marketing research surveys and interviews involving consumers, and/or business professionals. In most cases, prior to being shared with a research client, the survey data is combined into aggregate form without any personally identifiable information. Similarly, in most cases, information from research interviews or focus groups is combined and summarized without any personally identifiable information being provided to our clients. In the event that personally identifiable information is to be shared with a research client or its affiliates, the participant will be notified prior and provided an opportunity to opt- out of participation or discontinue with the research, and no personally identifiable information will be shared.
FWD. may disclose personal information, including personally identifiable information, collected during research activities to data controllers or data processors contracted by FWD. to perform or assist in the performance of marketing research surveys or other marketing research activities as specified by FWD. (research suppliers). Any research supplier engaged by FWD. is contractually obligated to comply with the principles set forth in this policy.
Personal information is used for research purposes only and will not be used to market any products or services unless that possibility has been clearly disclosed in advance to research participants and explicit, opt-in consent has been given by the research participant.
The data types collected and purpose for collection:
Contact information: Some or all of the following – name, postal address, email address, and telephone number. Such actively submitted, personally identifiable information is used to reply to any information request or comment; to respond to survey technical support needs, or other communication that you, the survey participant, may direct to Always Be Forward LLC, and to process incentive payment.
Self-reported survey research responses: Such information, usually collected via online surveys is reported in aggregate and reported without contact information for the purpose of providing marketing research guidance to our research clients.
Audio and video recordings: This data is most often collected in the qualitative research context during interviews or focus groups and used by research moderators and interviewers as a reference for research report writing and is not shared with research clients without explicit consent of research participant. In some types of marketing research, we use recordings for behavioural coding. The purpose of the behavioural coding information is to quantify and operationalize the activities that participants do when interacting with a product or environment.
Online survey application passive electronic information: Our online survey application uses “transient cookies” also known as session cookies for the purposes of holding a session key that will enable an online survey participant to log back into a survey if for any reason the participant must stop, or their internet connection is interrupted. Once the browser is closed, the cookie is removed. IP addresses are stored for the duration of a research study to avoid responder duplication and for data security purposes. Web browser user agent data is collected to indicate web browser client and version so that we can deliver the optimal survey experience to the user and debug any technical survey issues.
Please be advised that FWD. may be required to disclose personal information in response to a lawful request by public authorities, including meeting national security or law enforcement requirements or when required by court order.
OPTIONS
FWD. ensures that participation is voluntary, and the nature and purpose of the research is disclosed to research participants in advance of research.
FWD. will respect the right of anyone to refuse requests to participate in research and the right of those already engaged in research to terminate their participation.
Personal information is used for research purposes only. If personal information is to be disclosed to a third party other than agents performing research tasks on behalf of FWD. or to be used for a purpose that is materially different from that originally disclosed to or authorized by individuals, research participants will be provided with clear and explicit, choices regarding the use of their information.
Sensitive information such as health or medical information, race, ethnicity, political opinions, religious beliefs, trade union membership, sex life of an individual, or criminal history, will require affirmative, express, opt-in consent from individuals if that information is to be disclosed to a third party other than agents performing research tasks on behalf of FWD. or used for a purpose other than that for which it was originally collected or authorized for use by individuals via an opt-in choice.
SECURITY AND DATA INTEGRITY
FWD. will maintain the security of personal information, and protect the integrity of such information, with a commercially reasonable and appropriate degree of care. FWD. limits the personal information that it processes to that which is relevant for the purposes of the particular data processing. Personal information is not processed in a way that is incompatible with the purposes for which it has been collected or subsequently authorized by the individual. To the extent necessary for these purposes, reasonable steps are taken to ensure that personal information is reliable for its intended use, accurate, complete and current.
FWD. retains personally identifiable information only for as long as it serves a purpose for processing that is compatible with the purposes for which the information was collected or subsequently authorized by the individual.
ACCESS
Individuals have the right to access their personal information provided as a part of our marketing research and be able to correct, amend or delete that information where it is inaccurate or processed in violation of the terms of this Policy except where the burden or expense of providing access would be disproportionate to the risks to the individual’s privacy or where the rights of persons other than the individual would be violated. Upon request, FWD. will permit individuals to access their personal information as indicated in this paragraph, however, for security purposes, adequate identification and verification will be required.
CONTACT
If you have any questions concerning this policy or our research, or would like to make an access request, please email us at hello@alwaysbeforward.com or by mail at:
Always Be Forward LLC 95 Grand Street, Floor 3 New York, NY 10013
Our policy may be updated periodically, and the latest version will always be available here at the point of taking part in online research.
Last updated March 12, 2020.
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