Encounters Privacy Policy
Yale University acting through Yale University Press ("Yale") takes your privacy seriously, and understands that you care about how your personal information is used and shared. Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy. By accessing the Encounters Service, including any registration-based features, you are accepting the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy.
What Does This Privacy Policy Cover?
This Privacy Policy covers Yale's treatment of personal information that Yale gathers when you are on the EncountersChinese.com website, and when you use the Encounters Service. This policy does not apply to the practices of third parties that Yale does not own or control, or to individuals that Yale does not employ or manage.
What Personal Information About Customers Does Yale Collect?
Our primary goal in collecting personal information is to provide you with a friendly, customized, and efficient experience. We collect the following types of information from our customers:
• Information You Provide to Us:
We receive and store any information you enter on our website or provide to us in any other way. You can choose not to provide us with certain information, but then you may not be able to take advantage of many of our special features. The personal information you provide is used for such purposes as responding to your requests for certain products and services, customizing the content you see, and communicating with you about sales promotions and new products.
• Registration:
In order for you to use our registration-based services, you must complete a registration form. We require you to provide us with accurate contact information (e.g., name, email address, etc.).
• Automatic Information:
Unless you take steps to browse the Internet anonymously, Yale tracks web browsing patterns to inform its understanding of how the Encounters Service is being used. Generic information is collected through the use of “cookies,” which are text files placed on your computer, to evaluate usage patterns so that we can improve both content and distribution. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however, doing so may prevent you from using the full functionality of the Encounters Service. The generic information we collect is based on IP address, which is the location of a computer or network, and is not linked to your specific email address in any of the reports or formulations compiled by Yale. Yale will not associate your IP address and web usage data with any other information held by Yale that can specifically identify you unless required to do so by law.
The Encounters Services uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users use our sites. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the website includes your IP address. This information will be transmitted to and stored by Google on their servers. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity and providing other services relating to Internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. By using this website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above. Please visit the following pages for more information on Google Analytics terms of use and Google’s privacy practices: www.google.com/analytics
We also collect and use information for internal purposes. For example, if you are a user of Encounters registration-based services, we may keep records in your account history of your complaints about other registered users online behavior, and any reported violation of our Terms of Use that you or someone on your account may have committed.
• E-mail Communications:
We may receive a confirmation when you open an e-mail from the Encounters Service if your computer supports this type of program, in order to help us make e-mails more interesting and helpful. We may also send out emails with news or promotions. If you are a user of the Encounters registration-based services and do not want to receive news or promotions e-mails from us, you can opt-out of receiving such messages by logging into the “My Account” section of the EncountersChinese.com website.
• Information From Other Sources:
For purposes such as improving personalization of our service, we may receive information about you from other sources and add it to our account information.
What about Cookies?
Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that we transfer to your computer's hard drive through your browser to enable our systems to recognize your browser and tell us how and when pages in our site are visited and by how many people. Again, Encounters Service cookies do not collect personal information, and we do not combine information collected through cookies with other personal information to tell us who you are or what your account name or email address is.
The "help" portion of the toolbar on the majority of browsers will direct you on how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to command the browser to tell you when you receive a new cookie, or how to fully disable cookies. We strongly recommend that you leave the cookies activated, however, because cookies enable you to take advantage of some of our most attractive features.
How is your Information used?
The type of information you provide governs how it will be used:
• The information you provide to us via the ”Leave Feedback” link is used to assist Yale to improve this website.
• The information you provide us through our “Contact Us” form is used to assist Yale in delivering the information you have requested.
• The information you provide us through our “Press Contact” form is used to assist our press team in delivering the information you have requested.
• The information you provide us through our “Question about an Order” form is used to assist our Customer Service Department in delivering the information you have requested.
• The information you provide us through our “Question from an Instructor” form is used to assist our Sales Representative in delivering the information you have requested.
• The information you provide us through our “Question about Distribution” form is used to assist our Business Development Department in delivering the information you have requested.
• The information you provide us through our “Question about Special Sales” form is used to assist our Sales Department in delivering the information you have requested.
• The information you provide us through our “Question about Tech Support” form is used to assist our Technical Support Department in delivering the information you have requested.
• The information you provide us through the Class Testing Survey is used to improve the Encounters Program.
• The information you provide us through the Annotate section of the website is used to improve the Encounters Program.
Will Yale Share Any of the Information it Receives?
Information about our customers is an integral part of our business. We neither rent nor sell your personal information to anyone. We share your personal information only with the entities that are controlled by or control Yale and as described below.
• Agents:
We employ other companies and people to perform tasks on our behalf and need to share your information with them to provide products or services to you. Examples may include fulfilling orders, sending postal mail and e-mail, removing repetitive information from customer lists, analyzing data, providing marketing assistance, processing credit card payments, providing customer service and providing technical services. We may also provide your personal information to agents who will use it to verify aggregate usage data that we provide to our partners.
• Business Transfers:
In some cases, we may choose to buy or sell assets or businesses. In these types of transactions, customer information is typically one of the business assets that are transferred. Moreover, if the Encounters Service, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, customer information would be one of the assets that are transferred.
• Protection of Yale and Others:
We may release personal information when we believe in good faith that release is necessary to comply with the law; enforce or apply our Terms of Use [Linked to TOU] and other agreements; or protect the rights, property, or safety of Yale, our employees, our users, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
• With Your Consent:
Except as set forth above, you will be notified when your personal information may be shared with third parties.
Is Information About Me Secure?
Your Encounters Service account information is protected by a password for your privacy and security. You need to work to protect against unauthorized access to your password and to your computer by signing off once you have finished using a shared computer.
Only employees who need personal information to perform a specific job (for example, a customer service representative) are granted access to it. All of our employees are kept up to date on our privacy and security practices.
What Information Can I Access?
You can access your personal information on our site and correct, amend, or delete information that is inaccurate.
What Choices Do I Have?
As stated previously, you can always opt not to disclose information, even though it may be needed to make a purchase or take advantage of certain Encounters Service functionality.
You are able to add or update certain information on pages, such as those listed in the "What Information Do I Have" section above. When you update information, however, we may retain a copy of the unrevised information in our records.
If you are a registered user of Encounters registration-based Services, you may request deletion of your Encounters account by logging into “My Account” section of the website and selecting the link to delete your account. Please note that some information may remain in our records after deletion of your account.
If you are a registered user of Encounters’ registration-based services and do not wish to receive promotional e-mail from us, please indicate this desire in the “My Account” section of the website. However, all registered users receive regular system emails to confirm their continued participation in the Encounters Service.
As explained earlier, the "help" portion of the toolbar on the majority of browsers will direct you on how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to command the browser to tell you when you receive a new cookie, or how to fully disable cookies. Please note, however, that if you do not enable cookies, you will not be able to take advantage of some of our most attractive features.
Can Children Use the Encounters Service?
Our site and the services available through Encounters are not intended for children under the age of 13. Yale does not knowingly or specifically collect information about children under the age of 13 and believes that children of any age should get their parents' consent before giving out any personal information. We encourage you to participate in your child's web experience. Yale recommends that parents use Web filtering technology to supervise their children’s access to the Web.
Conditions of Use
If you decide to visit the EncountersChinese.com website, your visit and any possible dispute over privacy is subject to this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use [Linked to TOU], including limitations on damages, arbitration of disputes, and application of the laws of the State of Connecticut, United States of America.
Third Party Sites
The Encounters Service may permit you to link to other websites on the Internet, and other websites may contain links to the EncountersChinese.com website. These other websites are not under Yale’s control, and such links do not constitute an endorsement by Yale of those other websites or the services offered through them. The privacy and security practices of websites linked to or from the Encounters site are not covered by this Privacy Policy, and Yale is not responsible for the privacy or security practices or the content of such websites.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
Yale may amend this Privacy Policy. Use of information we collect now is subject to the Privacy Policy in effect at the time such information is used. If we make changes to our privacy policy, we will notify you by sending you an email or posting a notice of the change on our website so you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances if any, it is disclosed.
Questions or Concerns
If you have any questions or concerns regarding privacy at the EncountersChinese.com website, please send an email to Encounters.Chinese@yale.edu
Effective Date: Nov 18, 2009.