The Media Website Privacy Policy

 

A revised privacy policy effective September 26, 2017 is posted below the existing privacy policy.

 


 

Privacy policy is effective April 4, 2016.

 

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 and General Data Collection Practices:

This Privacy Statement applies to www.media.ford.com and www.media.lincoln.com (collectively referenced herein as “The Media Website,” “site” and “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. 

 

For added convenience, a select set of site features are accessible from web-enabled mobile devices as a mobile-optimized web experience. These site features may be limited in functionality. 

 

Online Tracking Information

When you visit this site analytics providers may collect information about your online activity over time and across websites.

 

Because there is not yet a common understanding of how to interpret web browser-based “Do Not Track” (“DNT”) signals other than cookies, Ford Motor Company does not currently respond to undefined “DNT” signals to its US websites.

 

Most browsers can be configured not to accept cookies, however, this may prevent you from having access to some functions or services on our sites.

 

See Sections 5 and 7 for more information.      

 

3.  Personally Identifiable Information We Collect From You:

When you visit The Media Website we will not collect any personally identifiable information about you unless you provide it to us voluntarily.  For purposes of this Privacy Statement, personally identifiable information is information that identifies you as an individual such as your name, street address, telephone number, and email address.  If you opt not to provide us with personally identifiable information you can still access our website, however you may be unable to perform certain functions such as create log in credentials, receive emails, or utilize the “Briefcase” feature.   

 

Our primary goal in collecting personally identifiable 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.    

 

This site may use session “cookies” to collect personally identifiable information in order to verify log in credentials.  An explanation on collection methods is included in Section 7 – Methods to Collect Information.   

 

See Section 12 regarding links to third-party sites, including widgets.

 

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., create log in credentials, 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

·         Develop new and improved products, services and marketing

·         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

·         Comply with legal requirements

 

5.  Other (Non-Personally Identifiable) Information We Collect From Site Visitors:

The Media Website collects other “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-personally identifiable information includes tracking the site pages that are visited or the amount of time spent on our site.  

 

If you visit this site using a mobile device, we collect additional non-personally identifiable information which may include the type/model of the mobile device viewing the site and the mobile device’s service provider and operating system.

 

Our primary goal in collecting non-personally identifiable information from you is to be able to perform site metrics that allow us to improve the functionality of the website.     

 

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 Adobe and Google Analytics) to collect aggregate or other non-personally identifiable information about site visitors.  An explanation on collection methods and how they work is included in Section 7 - Methods to Collect Information, below.   

 

Google is independently owned and operated, and data collected by Google is subject to its privacy policy.  We encourage you to review the Google privacy policy at http://www.google.com/privacy.html and Google’s How Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps (located at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/) so that you can understand how the data is collected, used and shared. 

 

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

·   Provide you content that may be of interest to you based on pages visited and items viewed

·   Make the user experience more customer friendly

·   Develop new and improved products, services and marketing       

 

The Media Website utilizes non-personally identifiable information 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

·   May be combined with data collected by third parties on other sites and apps and across devices

·   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

 

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 third-party click tracking analytics tools (such as Adobe and Google Analytics) to capture clickthrough statistics.  These parties may collect information about your use of the site and across different sites and mobile apps, and across devices over time. 

 

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.    

 

This website may generate a “session log” when you visit our site.  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 personally identifiable information from the user.   

 

This site may provide visitors who visit with an Open ID the opportunity to integrate with third-party social media sites, and The Media Website may track on an aggregate level things like 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. 

 

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.

 

Personally identifiable 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 personally identifiable 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. 

 

We may share personally identifiable information with vendors, contractors or partners in the normal course of business.  Vendors, contractors or partners of The Media Website who have access to your personally identifiable 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 Media Website will disclose your personally identifiable 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 personally identifiable information, log in to the website, and go to our profile to access and update your personally identifiable 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 personally identifiable 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.  While no systems, applications or websites are 100% secure, we use systems, policies and procedures to reasonably protect information from loss, misuse or alteration. 

 

Vendors, contractors or partners of The Media Website who have access to your personally identifiable 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 personally identifiable information from children under 13 years of age. 

 

If a child has provided us with personally identifiable 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 April 4, 2016.    

 


 

The effective date of the below privacy policy is September 26, 2017.

 

1.  Introduction:

Ford Motor Company ("Ford", "we", "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it. It is our sincere hope that by explaining our data handling practices, we will develop a trusting and long-lasting relationship with you.

This privacy policy (the "Media Website Privacy Policy") sets out how we use the personal data you provide through this website and explains how you can contact us if you have any questions or concerns or would like to access or correct the information we hold about you. 

The Media Website is owned by Ford Motor Company US, whose registered address is One American Road, Dearborn, MI 48126, U.S.  The Media Website is administered in the U.S.

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. 

This Media Website Privacy Policy applies only to the personal data you provide on the Media Website (your "Media Website Personal Data"). It does not cover data we collect about the way you interact with the Media Website, for example through cookies and third-party analytics tools. 

 

Cookies and Other Tools

Please refer to the www.Ford.co.UK Cookie Guide by clicking here for further information about these tools and how they are used. 

To allow visitors to share content from this website with their friends, this Website provides the ShareThis widget. ShareThis collects visitor interests based on content viewed and shared.  ShareThis and its advertising partners serve on other third-party sites online advertisements that may be of interest to you.  You can opt out of such advertisements, per browser, and read the ShareThis Sharing Tools Privacy Policy by clicking here.  Please note that ShareThis is an independent third party and is not a vendor, contractor or partner of The Media Website.  All information 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 Policy.  

 

U.S. Residents

Online Tracking Information

When you visit this site analytics providers may collect information about your online activity over time and across websites.

Because there is not yet a common understanding of how to interpret web browser-based “Do Not Track” (“DNT”) signals other than cookies, Ford Motor Company does not currently respond to undefined “DNT” signals to its US websites.

Most browsers can be configured not to accept cookies, however, this may prevent you from having access to some functions or services on our sites.

See Sections 5 and 7 for more information.      

 

2.  Personal data We Collect From You:

You are able to provide the following categories of personal data on the Media Website:

  • Name
  • Contact Information
  • Log in credentials

 

3.  How We Use the Personal data We Collect:

We may use your Media Website Personal Data to:

  • Fulfill a site user request (e.g., to allow media members to be considered for access to the website, create log in credentials, 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
  • Develop new and improved products, services and marketing
  • 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 Match personal data collected here with data about you that we collect through other sources
  • Comply with legal requirements

 

4.  Sharing Your Information:

Ford will not share, sell, or rent Media Website Personal Data to independent companies for their own use without your consent.

We may share Media Website Personal Data with other companies within the group of companies related to us by common control or ownership ("Ford Affiliates") for purposes connected with the Media Website. Ford Affiliates will comply with this Media Website Privacy Policy in their treatment of Media Website  Personal Data.

We may also share Media Website Personal Data with our vendors, contractors or partners for purposes connected with the Media Website, and to send you emails if you opt in.          

We may disclose Media Website Personal Data to any law enforcement agency, court, regulator, government authority or other third party where we believe this is necessary to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, or otherwise to protect our rights or the rights of any third party.

We may disclose Media Website Personal Data to any third party that purchases, or to which we transfer, all or substantially all of our assets and business. Should such a sale or transfer occur, we will use reasonable efforts to try to ensure that the entity to which we transfer your personal information uses it in a manner that is consistent with this Media Website Privacy Policy.

 

Transfer of your data

By submitting Media Website Personal Data to us, you understand and consent to its collection, use, processing, transfer, and disclosure globally in accordance with this Media Website Privacy Policy.  Therefore, by submitting Media Website  Personal Data to us, you consent to its transfer across country borders.  Your consent shall be deemed to include your consent to transfer of Media Website Personal Data to jurisdictions that may have different levels of privacy protection than the European Economic Area. 

 

5.  Security of Your Information:

Safeguarding your data is important to us.  While no systems, applications or websites are 100% secure, we use systems, policies and procedures to maintain the accuracy of your data and to protect information from loss, misuse or alteration. 

Vendors, contractors or partners who have access to Media Website Personal Data in connection with providing services for Ford are required to keep it secure.

 

6.  Links to Other Sites:

The Media Website provides links to other websites.  We encourage you to review the privacy policies 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 Policys, content or data handling practices on other websites.    

 

7.  Children’s Privacy:

We do not knowingly intend to collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. 

If a child has provided us with personal data 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. 

 

8.  Access to Information and Contacting Us:

To correct or update your personal data, log in to the website, and go to our profile to access and update your personal data 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. 

 

European Residents

  • You are entitled to find out if we hold any personal data about you by making a 'subject access request' under the Data Protection Act 1998. If we do hold personal data about you, we will:
  • Give you a description of it;
  • Tell you why we are holding it;
  • Tell you who it could be disclosed to; and
  • Let you have the data in intelligible form

 

To ask us for this information, please contact us at the address provided in Section 10. We may ask you to prove your identity before providing you with any information.

If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this online Privacy Policy 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. 

 

9.  Privacy Policy Effective Date and Revision Days:

Occasionally we may update the Privacy Policy 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 Policy is September 26, 2017.