Sunday | 23 November, 2008
LinuxWorld.com.au

Privacy Policy

Privacy Statement for IDG Communications Pty Ltd

IDG Communications has created this privacy statement to demonstrate our firm commitment to the confidentiality of user data. The following discloses the information gathering and dissemination practices for IDG Communications on-line products.

We are committed to notify you of the following:

  • What personally identifiable information IDG Communications collects from you and how the information is used;
  • With whom this site shares the information it collects;
  • How you can correct or make changes to this information;
  • What choices are available to you regarding the collection, use, and distribution of information;
  • What security procedures are in place to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of information under IDG's control.

If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, please contact:

Cheryl Podda
IDG Communications Pty Ltd
88 Christie Street
St Leonards NSW 2065
E-mail: privacy@idg.com.au

What information does IDG Communications collect?

There are two main ways we collect information from you:

  • Non-use of an IDG Communications log-in password: Whenever you visit an IDG site site, our servers automatically record information about your usage of the network such as the time of the visit, its duration and the page which you visit. This is intended to help us understand what parts of the site users enjoy. The information we collect remains anonymous. If you do not register through the IDG member information site, you remain anonymous and we will not link your usage to you personally.
  • Using an IDG site after registering: If you register to receive IDG Communications e-mail newsletters, information about your interests are collected and stored. This helps us to build a profile of what information would be of interest and relevant to you. Any further collection of information will only occur with your consent. By using this information we can tailor our content to user interests and help our advertisers better understand the audience they are reaching.

How is our registration data used?

IDG offers optional services that require registration. IDG provides some of those services directly; others may be provided on behalf of vendor companies or by IDG partners. Customer contact information that is collected on behalf of IDG is used to send relevant information about our company and promotional material from some of our partners. This information is sent only to users who have chosen to receive it and is delivered by IDG. No third party is ever allowed direct access to the information held by IDG Communications. In addition, users may opt out of receiving future mailings. (See the Opt Out section below). For example, if a customer requests to be notified when information on a selected topic becomes available, IDG will be the provider of the information on behalf of the third party. These services are clearly labelled as third party communications. Customers always have the option to discontinue services.

How do I access my personal information?

You may update the information stored in your profile at any time while online by visiting http://www.idg.com.au/user. You will be prompted for your username and password in order to access your profile. If you have questions, you may also contact IDG customer service by sending an email to privacy@idg.com.au

How do I control my personal information?

You may review and update all of your information at any time while online by logging in to your personal profile. You control what information IDG has access to and the types of information that IDG can send to you. For example, you have the opportunity to receive special offers/updates on behalf of selected third party companies OR from IDG OR you can choose to opt out of these mailings at any time. See section below on Opt Out.

Who else may receive my personal information?

IDG does not share any of your personally identifiable information with any person or entity.All third party messages that are sent to you will be sent by IDG. You can unsubscribe from this service at anytime.

Ad Serving Technology

IDG Communications has contracted with DoubleClick to serve all advertising on the IDG Network comprised of Web sites and email newsletters. When DoubleClick serves ads to the user, it uses cookies to track certain types of non-personally identifiable information: for example, a user's IP address, browser version or type, operating system, service provider, and local time. In addition, IDG uses clear GIFs, or pixel tags, provided by DoubleClick to allow the browser's cookie to be recognised when the browser visits an IDG site. Information collected and shared through this technology is not personally identifiable (i.e., it does not include your name, address, telephone number, or email address). DoubleClick does share non-personally identifiable information, such as user profiles based on clickstream profile data, with IDG, but strictly in aggregate form.

For more details about the information DoubleClick collects and the opportunity to opt out of such data collection, please visit: http://www.doubleclick.net/privacy_policy/.

IP Addresses

Our Web server automatically records a visitor's domain and IP address. We use the IP address to identify server problems and administer our Web site, and to analyse click-stream data to better understand user behaviour.

Security

IDG has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information we control. Our security systems include authenticated access to internal databases, audits of procedures, and regular reviews of overall Web security. Access to personal user data is also limited to the database administrator(s).

Opt-Out

IDG Communications provides the following statement at registration:

"IDG occasionally likes to inform our subscribers about special offers, new products, as well as information from relevant, qualified businesses and organisations. Tick the boxes below if you would like to receive these notices."

By default, this box is checked. Users who opt NOT to receive communication from IDG should uncheck this box. Users can also remove their personal information from IDG's database in three ways:

Future Enhancements

We are committed to maintaining IDG as the foremost IT industry publisher. From time to time we will add new features to our e-mail services and web sites. Because of this, our Privacy Policy will be reviewed and revised. IDG reserves the right to change its Privacy Policy at any time and notify you by posting an updated version of the policy on its web site.

Further Information

For more information about privacy issues in Australia and protecting your privacy, visit http://www.privacy.gov.au.