Effective Date: January 1, 2020
Introduction
The Association of American Railroads (“AAR,” “Company,” “we”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your Personal Information. This Privacy Notice explains how AAR uses and discloses the Personal Information we collect when you use www.aar.org, https://my.aar.org (login required) or other digital services, as well as any offline products, programs and services that we own or operate and that link to this Privacy Notice (collectively, the “Services”). Personal Information is information that reasonably can be used to identify a specific person, such as a name, personal address, personal phone number, financial account information, geolocation data, etc. By using the Services, you confirm that you understand and agree to the use of your Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Notice. If you do not understand our Privacy Notice, please contact us using the information below. If you do not agree to our Privacy Notice or Terms, you may not use the Services.
Information We Collect
AAR collects information which you voluntarily provide in connection with your use of the Services. In particular, you may provide with your name, job title, company name, address, email address, telephone, and fax numbers, so that we can contact you.
When you access Services through your computer or mobile device, we and our vendors also may collect certain technical information including through cookies, and other technologies (collectively, “Online Identification Technologies”). The information we and our vendors collect may include your IP address, the content and features you use or view on the Services, how you navigate through the Services, the online services you visit immediately before and after you access our Services, and the search terms you enter on our Services. While AAR does not currently do this, or have any plans to do so in the future, AAR does have the ability to combine information collected through means such as cookies with Personal Information maintained by AAR.
If you are concerned about cookies, you may refuse or delete one or more cookies and still access our websites, but site functionality may be impaired. After you finish browsing our websites, you may delete site cookies from your system if you wish.
In addition, we collect and/or generate anonymized and aggregated information from your use of the Services. We use anonymized and aggregated information in various ways, including to measure interest in and use of portions or features of the Services. Anonymized or aggregated information is not Personal Information.
Use of Personal Information
How we use your Personal Information depends on your relationship with AAR. In general, we use your Personal Information for:
- Providing the Services and satisfying your requests. We use your Personal Information for the purposes you provided it to us, as stated at the point of collection (or as obvious from the context of collection).
- Monitoring, improving and developing Services. AAR may also use your information in order to administer and manage its websites.
- Communicating with you. We may use your information to communicate with you about the Services.
- Preventing illegal activities. We may use your information to detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent transactions, illegal activities, and violations of our Terms. We also may use your information to protect the rights and property of AAR and others.
Disclosure of Personal Information
AAR may share your Personal Information with third parties, including non-affiliated companies, under the following circumstances:
- To business partners and service providers: We may share Personal Information collected by AAR with third-party service providers, including AAR subsidiaries and/or affiliates, for the purposes set out in this Privacy Notice. Such information may be transferred or disclosed with business partners and vendors, including to third party contractors, subcontractors, subsidiaries, and/or affiliates, that perform business operations for AAR. These third parties are authorized by AAR to use your Personal Information only as necessary to provide these services to AAR.
- Research and survey solicitations: From time to time, we will share your Personal Information to perform survey research (online and offline). Participation is voluntary. We will use the information that we collect for research and reporting purposes, and to help us to improve the quality of our Services.
- When required by law and as necessary to provide and protect our services. There may be instances when we disclose your Personal Information to other parties:
- To provide you with the Services that you or your company request;
- To comply with our legal obligations, including providing information to auditors, lawyers, CPAs, or financial consultants;
- To respond to legal process or a request for cooperation by a government entity or law enforcement;
- To detect, limit, and prevent fraud, or verify and enforce compliance with the policies governing our Services;
- Where otherwise required by law;
- Or otherwise as set out in this statement.
Third Party Links and Services
AAR Services may link to other websites operated by organizations not affiliated with AAR. AAR does not review or endorse, and is not response for, the privacy policies and/or practices on other sites. We encourage visitors to review each site’s privacy policy before disclosing any Personal Information.
Retention
The Personal Information you submit may be retained by AAR. When determining how long this retention period may last, we take into account the length of time Personal Information is required to:
- Maintain business records for analysis and/or audit purposes;
- Comply with record retention requires under the law or AAR policy;
- Defend or bring any existing or potential legal claims; or
- Address any complaints regarding the Services.
Rights in Your Information: Access, Rectification, Erasure & Restriction
We value your rights to your Personal Information. Under applicable laws, you may have the right to (i) request confirmation of whether we store, use or share any of your Personal Information; (ii) obtain access to or a copy of your Personal Information; (iii) receive an electronic copy of Personal Information that you have provided to us, or ask us to send that information to another company (the “right of data portability”); (iv) restrict our uses of your Personal Information or, as described above, object to those uses; (v) seek correction of inaccurate, untrue or incomplete Personal Information; or (vi) request erasure of Personal Information held about you by AAR, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law.
We will process such requests in accordance with local laws. To protect your privacy, AAR will take steps to verify your identity before granting access or making any changes to your Personal Information. If you would like to exercise any of these rights under local laws, please contact us at the e-mail or physical addresses set out below.
Email Communications
We provide a means to unsubscribe in our marketing related email communications. Note we will continue to send transaction related emails regarding products or services that you have requested following an unsubscribe. We may also need to send you certain communications regarding operation and administration of the Services, and you will not be able to opt out of those communications.
Do Not Track
We do not currently alter our practices when a Do Not Track signal is received.
Information Security
AAR takes reasonable steps to protect your Personal Information from disclosure, loss, misuse, alteration or destruction. Only authorized AAR personnel are provided access to Personal Information and such employees agree to maintain the confidentiality of this information. You should keep in mind, however, that no data transmitted over the Internet is 100% secure and any information disclosed online can potentially be collected and used by parties other than the intended recipient. As a result, while we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any information you transmit to or from our Services, and you do so at your own risk.
Collection of Information From Children
Generally, our online Services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children. If we become aware that a child under 16 has provided us with Personal Information, we will delete such information from our files or obtain parental consent, in accordance with applicable law.
Changes to this Policy in the Future
AAR may update this notice at any time by publishing an updated version here. We reserve the right to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this Privacy Notice at any time and at our sole discretion. You can access the most current version of this Privacy Notice at any time on this site. When we update this Privacy Notice, we will post a new effective date.
Additionally, if we make material changes to this Privacy Notice, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as by posting an announcement on our website.
Questions or Comments
If you have any questions or comments regarding our Privacy Notice or use of your Personal Information collected through the Services, please contact us at privacy@aar.org.