morisy/gist:1356643

## gistfile1.txt
PRIVACY POLICY

Welcome to the Muckrock.com  web-site (the “Site”)!  Muckrock is committed to protecting your privacy and trust and will only use your data as set forth in this Privacy Policy and any amendments hereto.  This Privacy Policy discloses the privacy practices for the Site and explains how Muckrock (“us” or “we”) collect information and how we use the information that we collect.

Please read this information carefully before accessing the Site.  The privacy statement may be amended at any time, with or without notice to users.  You should periodically visit this page to review the then current Privacy Policy.  Your use of the Site constitutes your consent and agreement to abide by this Privacy Policy and your consent to the use of the information that we collection, including personally identifiable information, as set forth in this Privacy Policy.  Please regularly consult this Privacy Policy in order to be aware of updated practices.

Should you not wish Muckrock to collect and use your personal information in the manner set forth in this Privacy Policy, please do not provide the information to us.
Type of Information We Collect
Generally, when you subscribe to our products or services, contact us or participate in activities like: forums; message boards; chats; submitting a letter to the editor; rating, tagging and commenting on articles; or surveys, sweepstakes, contests, or games, we will collect certain non-identifying and aggregate information or Personal Information.
A.	Aggregate Information Collection and Use
1.	Collection.  We may collect and use non-identifying and aggregate information to improve the content of our Site, for systems administration, and for trouble-shooting purposes. This Site’s servers may also collect information, automatically, about your computer, including without limitation:
Your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, which can identify the location from which you entered the Internet;
The type of web browser you use;
The type of operating system you use, such as your company or the domain name of your Internet Service Provider (“ISP”);
Web-pages that you may visit and how many pages you visit;

Such information may be shared with other organizations for commercial purposes and with our affiliates.
2.	Use.  The use of non-identifying and aggregate information is sometimes used to help enhance your use of the Site and improve the design and content of our Site, content, publications, to analyze certain trends and to use in seeking advertisers and partners and to help diagnose technical problems.  Such information is also sometimes used to offer you, products and services.

B.	Personal Information Collection and Use
1.	Collection of Information
We also collect what we call “Personal Information, which is any personal information that you volunteer, such as:
Your name;
Email address;
Mailing address;
Telephone number or fax number;
Credit card information; and
Information about your interest in various products, programs and services ("Personal Information").

Often, we request this information when you:
Inquire about our Site, products, services, or support requests;
Join an on-line community, chat room, forum or message board;
Order any product or service;
Send an email to us;
Enter a sweepstakes or contest, or complete a survey;
Make a purchase, or otherwise contact use using Personal Information.

In certain circumstances, certain acts that you take on our Site will trigger the collection of additional Personal Information.  Here are some examples:
Purchases.  If you make a purchase on our Site we will typically ask for your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, credit card number, and the expiration date of the credit card number. If the product is provided or shipped by a third party, we will pass on to the third party the information needed to fulfill your order.
Promotions and Contests.  We may, from time to time, sponsor sweepstakes, contests, or other events ("Promotions") which require the collection, processing, and storage of individual contact information plus demographic information. These Promotions may also ask registrants to answer survey questions. Any personally identifiable information collected through promotions will be treated as "Personal Information," as defined above. No purchase is ever necessary to enter a Promotion. Please see the official rules of each Promotion for more information.
We may co-sponsor Promotions with other companies, in which case any information collected is likely to be shared with other participating sponsors, who may use this information as they wish. A registrant's personal contact and demographic information will not be released to any third-party organization other than named sponsors without the registrant's consent.
Chats, Clubs, Forums, and Message Boards.  Please consult our Terms of Use for a description of our chats, clubs, forums, and message boards ("Forums"). You should be aware that any Personal Information, such as your name and email address, as well as any other information or content that you post on a Forum, or otherwise specifically and knowingly disclose by use of a Forum, may be directly collected and used by us and third parties. Therefore, you may receive unsolicited email as a result of your disclosure of such information. You should have no expectation of privacy with respect to your communications through these Forums.
Surveys and Polls.  We will, from time to time, conduct anonymous surveys and polls of users to the Site to obtain aggregate demographic information about them. Such information may be compiled and shared in the aggregate with advertisers and other third parties, but no personal details will be traceable or associated with specific individuals unless otherwise disclosed in the survey rules.
Third Party Information.  Additionally, you may be able to sign up for certain promotions, newsletters, or affiliated publications for other people.  You may order a service as a gift for a third party and send it directly to the third party through a submission of the third party’s name, address, e-mail address and telephone number.  This also constitutes personally identifiable information.
	2.	Use of Collected Information
We use your Personal Information in certain of the following circumstances:
To supply you with and fulfill your requests for products, services, programs, subscriptions and offerings;
For purposes for which you specifically provide to us;
To send you information about your relationship and transactions with us;
To send you a confirmation, notify you that you have won a contest;
To provide you with notification of new products, programs or services, and features added to the Site;
To enhance or develop features, products or services;
To provide advertisers and other third parties with aggregate information about our subscribers;
To personalize content and advertising that you and others want to see on our Site;

We may use also use the Personal Information collected for internal purposes, which may require the transfer of such information to other of our offices, affiliates or third party service providers for administrative purposes, for technical maintenance purposes, the marketing and promotion of products and services that might be of interest to you, to communicate with you about customer service issues and to use in seeking advertisers and partners and to fulfill purchase requests, subscription delivery or audting.
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, prevent fraud, for risk management purposes, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
We reserve the right to share both aggregate and personal information collected from you with third parties if we are authorized to do so, if the law requires it, to protect the rights of Muckrock, or as part of a sale or other disposition of our assets (including our membership and/or customer records). We may also use and disclose Personal Information to prevent or trace abuses of the Web Site, including but not limited to use of a Forum.
We may also use and disclose Personal Information to comply with any court order or government investigation, subpoena or inquiry, or as otherwise required by law, or to protect the rights, property or personal safety of Muckrock, users of the Site, or the public. In addition, in our letters to the editor section, we typically disclose the city or town in which the letter-writer resides.
C.	Google Analytics.
We may also collect information about our Site’s traffic using a tool called Google Analytics.  Google Analytics involves the gathering of information from web users, such as browsers visitors use____ and ____.  This information is used to improve the usefulness of the Site to you and our other visitors.  Google Analytics also has a privacy policy that you may review at http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy.
Disclaimers
While we have taken reasonable steps to limit the uses of information provided by you, we cannot guarantee that the information will remain permanently secure. There is always a possibility that your information could be lost due to technical problems or stolen from our databases. We are not responsible for any such loss or theft or any other unanticipated security breach.
Cookies
We currently use a persistent Cookie with the Site. When you visit the Site you will be issued a "cookie," a small text file placed on your user's hard drive to track usage of the Site. Cookies help to prevent you from having to register or re-enter your information every time you visit the Site. Cookies are also used to authenticate your identity. Cookies from our Site provide us with certain information about your computer, but will not interfere with the operation of your computer.  We may use cookies to gain knowledge of Internet usage, improve content and advertisements.
Some cookies that are issued may contain your Personal Information, and such cookies may be shared with our affiliates.
If you would like to avoid cookies, your web browser may have an option that enables you to disable or not accept cookies.  It should be noted, however, that should you disable or not accept cookies, portions of the Site may not properly function.
Hyperlinks
We may post hyperlinks to the Web sites of third-party web sites (“Third Party Sites”). We cannot control the actions of such third parties or be held responsible for their use of any information that you provide directly to them. We advise you to take the time to educate yourself about the privacy policy and terms of use of any Web site that you visit.
We do not control or endorse Third Party Sites.
Web Beacons
We may use "web beacon" technology to gather metrics from anonymous web users and email recipients for the purpose of operating and improving the Site and email communications.  A web beacon is an electronic image that is imbedded in a web page or email which allows us to track web page views/hits or the opening of an email containing a beacon.  Web beacon tracking by us does not identify the name or email address of the web user or mail recipient.
Third Party Advertisements
Third party advertisements that appear on the Site are sometimes delivered (or "served") directly to users by third party advertisers. The advertisers may automatically receive your IP address when this happens. These third party advertisers may also download cookies to your computer, or use other technologies to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize advertising content. Cookies will allow the advertiser to recognize your computer each time they send you an advertisement. In this way, they may compile information about where individuals using your computer or browser saw their advertisements and determine which advertisements are clicked. We do not have access to or control of the cookies that may be placed by the third party advertisers. Third party advertisers have no access to your contact information stored on the Site unless you choose to share it with them.
This privacy policy does not cover the use of cookies or other tracking technologies by any of its advertisers.
Again, if you would like to avoid cookies, your web browser may have an option that enables you to disable or not accept cookies.  It should be noted, however, that should you disable or not accept cookies, portions of the Site may not properly function.
Children's Online Privacy
Consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"), this Site is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children through this Site. Minors between the ages of 13 and 17 must obtain the permission of their parents or legal guardians before making purchases of any type on this Site.
If you are a parent with concerns about children's privacy issues in conjunction with the use of this Site, or any other privacy issue, please contact us at __________________.
Revisions and Contact Information
We may at any time change this Privacy Policy. You should periodically visit this page to review the then-current Privacy Policy.
We may periodically update the features of the Site to better serve you and all our customers. We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy without advance notice and any modifications are effective when they are posted here. The date of the newest version will be posted below. You should periodically visit this page to review the then-current Privacy Policy.
	PRIVACY POLICY

	Welcome to the Muckrock.com web-site (the “Site”)! Muckrock is committed to protecting your privacy and trust and will only use your data as set forth in this Privacy Policy and any amendments hereto. This Privacy Policy discloses the privacy practices for the Site and explains how Muckrock (“us” or “we”) collect information and how we use the information that we collect.

	Please read this information carefully before accessing the Site. The privacy statement may be amended at any time, with or without notice to users. You should periodically visit this page to review the then current Privacy Policy. Your use of the Site constitutes your consent and agreement to abide by this Privacy Policy and your consent to the use of the information that we collection, including personally identifiable information, as set forth in this Privacy Policy. Please regularly consult this Privacy Policy in order to be aware of updated practices.

	Should you not wish Muckrock to collect and use your personal information in the manner set forth in this Privacy Policy, please do not provide the information to us.
	Type of Information We Collect
	Generally, when you subscribe to our products or services, contact us or participate in activities like: forums; message boards; chats; submitting a letter to the editor; rating, tagging and commenting on articles; or surveys, sweepstakes, contests, or games, we will collect certain non-identifying and aggregate information or Personal Information.
	A. Aggregate Information Collection and Use
	1. Collection. We may collect and use non-identifying and aggregate information to improve the content of our Site, for systems administration, and for trouble-shooting purposes. This Site’s servers may also collect information, automatically, about your computer, including without limitation:
	Your Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, which can identify the location from which you entered the Internet;
	The type of web browser you use;
	The type of operating system you use, such as your company or the domain name of your Internet Service Provider (“ISP”);
	Web-pages that you may visit and how many pages you visit;

	Such information may be shared with other organizations for commercial purposes and with our affiliates.
	2. Use. The use of non-identifying and aggregate information is sometimes used to help enhance your use of the Site and improve the design and content of our Site, content, publications, to analyze certain trends and to use in seeking advertisers and partners and to help diagnose technical problems. Such information is also sometimes used to offer you, products and services.

	B. Personal Information Collection and Use
	1. Collection of Information
	We also collect what we call “Personal Information, which is any personal information that you volunteer, such as:
	Your name;
	Email address;
	Mailing address;
	Telephone number or fax number;
	Credit card information; and
	Information about your interest in various products, programs and services ("Personal Information").

	Often, we request this information when you:
	Inquire about our Site, products, services, or support requests;
	Join an on-line community, chat room, forum or message board;
	Order any product or service;
	Send an email to us;
	Enter a sweepstakes or contest, or complete a survey;
	Make a purchase, or otherwise contact use using Personal Information.

	In certain circumstances, certain acts that you take on our Site will trigger the collection of additional Personal Information. Here are some examples:
	Purchases. If you make a purchase on our Site we will typically ask for your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, credit card number, and the expiration date of the credit card number. If the product is provided or shipped by a third party, we will pass on to the third party the information needed to fulfill your order.
	Promotions and Contests. We may, from time to time, sponsor sweepstakes, contests, or other events ("Promotions") which require the collection, processing, and storage of individual contact information plus demographic information. These Promotions may also ask registrants to answer survey questions. Any personally identifiable information collected through promotions will be treated as "Personal Information," as defined above. No purchase is ever necessary to enter a Promotion. Please see the official rules of each Promotion for more information.
	We may co-sponsor Promotions with other companies, in which case any information collected is likely to be shared with other participating sponsors, who may use this information as they wish. A registrant's personal contact and demographic information will not be released to any third-party organization other than named sponsors without the registrant's consent.
	Chats, Clubs, Forums, and Message Boards. Please consult our Terms of Use for a description of our chats, clubs, forums, and message boards ("Forums"). You should be aware that any Personal Information, such as your name and email address, as well as any other information or content that you post on a Forum, or otherwise specifically and knowingly disclose by use of a Forum, may be directly collected and used by us and third parties. Therefore, you may receive unsolicited email as a result of your disclosure of such information. You should have no expectation of privacy with respect to your communications through these Forums.
	Surveys and Polls. We will, from time to time, conduct anonymous surveys and polls of users to the Site to obtain aggregate demographic information about them. Such information may be compiled and shared in the aggregate with advertisers and other third parties, but no personal details will be traceable or associated with specific individuals unless otherwise disclosed in the survey rules.
	Third Party Information. Additionally, you may be able to sign up for certain promotions, newsletters, or affiliated publications for other people. You may order a service as a gift for a third party and send it directly to the third party through a submission of the third party’s name, address, e-mail address and telephone number. This also constitutes personally identifiable information.
	2. Use of Collected Information
	We use your Personal Information in certain of the following circumstances:
	To supply you with and fulfill your requests for products, services, programs, subscriptions and offerings;
	For purposes for which you specifically provide to us;
	To send you information about your relationship and transactions with us;
	To send you a confirmation, notify you that you have won a contest;
	To provide you with notification of new products, programs or services, and features added to the Site;
	To enhance or develop features, products or services;
	To provide advertisers and other third parties with aggregate information about our subscribers;
	To personalize content and advertising that you and others want to see on our Site;

	We may use also use the Personal Information collected for internal purposes, which may require the transfer of such information to other of our offices, affiliates or third party service providers for administrative purposes, for technical maintenance purposes, the marketing and promotion of products and services that might be of interest to you, to communicate with you about customer service issues and to use in seeking advertisers and partners and to fulfill purchase requests, subscription delivery or audting.
	To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, prevent fraud, for risk management purposes, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
	We reserve the right to share both aggregate and personal information collected from you with third parties if we are authorized to do so, if the law requires it, to protect the rights of Muckrock, or as part of a sale or other disposition of our assets (including our membership and/or customer records). We may also use and disclose Personal Information to prevent or trace abuses of the Web Site, including but not limited to use of a Forum.
	We may also use and disclose Personal Information to comply with any court order or government investigation, subpoena or inquiry, or as otherwise required by law, or to protect the rights, property or personal safety of Muckrock, users of the Site, or the public. In addition, in our letters to the editor section, we typically disclose the city or town in which the letter-writer resides.
	C. Google Analytics.
	We may also collect information about our Site’s traffic using a tool called Google Analytics. Google Analytics involves the gathering of information from web users, such as browsers visitors use____ and ____. This information is used to improve the usefulness of the Site to you and our other visitors. Google Analytics also has a privacy policy that you may review at http://www.google.com/intl/en/privacy.
	Disclaimers
	While we have taken reasonable steps to limit the uses of information provided by you, we cannot guarantee that the information will remain permanently secure. There is always a possibility that your information could be lost due to technical problems or stolen from our databases. We are not responsible for any such loss or theft or any other unanticipated security breach.
	Cookies
	We currently use a persistent Cookie with the Site. When you visit the Site you will be issued a "cookie," a small text file placed on your user's hard drive to track usage of the Site. Cookies help to prevent you from having to register or re-enter your information every time you visit the Site. Cookies are also used to authenticate your identity. Cookies from our Site provide us with certain information about your computer, but will not interfere with the operation of your computer. We may use cookies to gain knowledge of Internet usage, improve content and advertisements.
	Some cookies that are issued may contain your Personal Information, and such cookies may be shared with our affiliates.
	If you would like to avoid cookies, your web browser may have an option that enables you to disable or not accept cookies. It should be noted, however, that should you disable or not accept cookies, portions of the Site may not properly function.
	Hyperlinks
	We may post hyperlinks to the Web sites of third-party web sites (“Third Party Sites”). We cannot control the actions of such third parties or be held responsible for their use of any information that you provide directly to them. We advise you to take the time to educate yourself about the privacy policy and terms of use of any Web site that you visit.
	We do not control or endorse Third Party Sites.
	Web Beacons
	We may use "web beacon" technology to gather metrics from anonymous web users and email recipients for the purpose of operating and improving the Site and email communications. A web beacon is an electronic image that is imbedded in a web page or email which allows us to track web page views/hits or the opening of an email containing a beacon. Web beacon tracking by us does not identify the name or email address of the web user or mail recipient.
	Third Party Advertisements
	Third party advertisements that appear on the Site are sometimes delivered (or "served") directly to users by third party advertisers. The advertisers may automatically receive your IP address when this happens. These third party advertisers may also download cookies to your computer, or use other technologies to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize advertising content. Cookies will allow the advertiser to recognize your computer each time they send you an advertisement. In this way, they may compile information about where individuals using your computer or browser saw their advertisements and determine which advertisements are clicked. We do not have access to or control of the cookies that may be placed by the third party advertisers. Third party advertisers have no access to your contact information stored on the Site unless you choose to share it with them.
	This privacy policy does not cover the use of cookies or other tracking technologies by any of its advertisers.
	Again, if you would like to avoid cookies, your web browser may have an option that enables you to disable or not accept cookies. It should be noted, however, that should you disable or not accept cookies, portions of the Site may not properly function.
	Children's Online Privacy
	Consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"), this Site is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children through this Site. Minors between the ages of 13 and 17 must obtain the permission of their parents or legal guardians before making purchases of any type on this Site.
	If you are a parent with concerns about children's privacy issues in conjunction with the use of this Site, or any other privacy issue, please contact us at __________________.
	Revisions and Contact Information
	We may at any time change this Privacy Policy. You should periodically visit this page to review the then-current Privacy Policy.
	We may periodically update the features of the Site to better serve you and all our customers. We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy without advance notice and any modifications are effective when they are posted here. The date of the newest version will be posted below. You should periodically visit this page to review the then-current Privacy Policy.