Privacy Policy
Your privacy is critically important to us, so at Public Media, SBC we have a few fundamental principles. If you find content on the Public Media, SBC website you believe violates our Privacy Policy, please contact us immediately. We don’t ask you for personal information unless we truly need it. (We can’t stand services that ask you for things like your gender or income level for no apparent reason.) We don’t share your personal information with anyone except to comply with the law, develop our products, or protect our rights. We don’t store personal information on our servers unless required for the on-going operation of one of our services.
There are many different ways you can use our services. When you share information with us, we can make those services even better. As you use our services, we want you to be clear how we’re using information and the ways in which you can protect your privacy. Therefore, this Privacy Policy explains: what information we collect and why we collect it; how we use that information; and the choices we offer, including how to opt out of certain services or communication and how to update information.
1. Public Media, SBC operates a website at publicmedia.com (the “Website”). It is Public Media, SBC’s policy to respect your privacy regarding any information we may collect while operating our website. If you have questions about deleting or correcting your personal data please contact our support team at support@publicmedia.com.
2. Website Visitors. Like most website operators, Public Media, SBC collects non-personally-identifying information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Public Media, SBC’s purpose in collecting non-personally identifying information is to better understand how Public Media, SBC’s visitors use its website. From time to time, Public Media, SBC may release non-personally-identifying information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website. How we will handle information we learn about you depends upon what you do when visiting our site.
Public Media, SBC also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses for logged in users and for users leaving comments on articles published. Public Media, SBC only discloses logged in user and commenter IP addresses under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information as described below, except that blog commenter IP addresses are visible and disclosed to the administrators of the blog where the comment was left.
3. Personally-Identifying Information. Certain visitors to Public Media, SBC’s websites choose to interact with Public Media, SBC in ways that require Public Media, SBC to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that Public Media, SBC gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who sign up for membership at to provide a username and email address.
Those who engage in transactions with Public Media, SBC – by purchasing services, for example – are asked to provide additional information, including as necessary the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. In each case, Public Media, SBC collects such information only insofar as is necessary or appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the visitor’s interaction with Public Media, SBC. Public Media, SBC does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below. And visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.
4. Aggregated Statistics. Public Media, SBC may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its website. For instance, Public Media, SBC may monitor the most popular pages and articles on the Public Media, SBC.org site or use spam screened by the Akismet service to help identify spammers. Public Media, SBC may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, Public Media, SBC does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.
5. If you identify yourself by sending us an e-mail containing personal information, then the information collected will be solely used to respond to your message. The information collected is for statistical purposes. Public Media, SBC uses software programs to create summary statistics, which are used for such purposes as assessing the number of visitors to the different sections of our site, what information is of most and least interest, determining technical design specifications, and identifying system performance or problem areas.
6. For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, Public Media, SBC uses software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Public Media, SBC will not obtain personally-identifying information about you when you visit our site, unless you choose to provide such information to us, nor will such information be sold or otherwise transferred to unaffiliated third parties without the approval of the user at the time of collection.
7. California Privacy Rights. Residents of the State of California, under certain provisions of the California Civil Code, have the right to request from companies conducting business in California a list of all third parties to which the company has disclosed certain personally identifiable information as defined under California law during the preceding year for third party direct marketing purposes. You are limited to one request per calendar year. In your request, please attest to the fact that you are a California resident and provide a current California address for our response. You may request the information in writing at: Public Media, SBC, d/b/a publicmedia.com, 8500 Normandale Lake Blvd Suite 350Bloomington, MN 55437, and legal@publicmedia.com.
8. Ads. The Website may use third parties such as network advertisers to serve advertisements on the Website and may use traffic measurement services to analyze traffic on the Website. Network advertisers are third parties that display advertisements based on your visits to the Website and other Websites you have visited. Third-party ad serving enables us to target advertisements to you for products and services in which you might be interested. The Website‘s third party ad network providers, the advertisers, the sponsors and/or traffic measurement services may themselves set and access their own cookies on your computer if you choose to have cookies enabled in your browser and track certain information regarding users of your computer via a Device Identifier. These third party cookies are set to, among other things: (a) help deliver advertisements to you that you might be interested in; (b) prevent you from seeing the same advertisements too many times; and (c) understand the usefulness to you of the advertisements that have been delivered to you. Note that any images (or any other parts of a web page) served by third parties in association with third party cookies may serve as web beacons, which enable third parties to carry out the previously described activities. Third party cookies and web beacons are governed by each third party’s specific privacy policy, not this one.
9. Cookies. A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. Public Media, SBC uses cookies to help Public Media, SBC identify and track visitors, their usage of Public Media, SBC website, and their website access preferences. Public Media, SBC visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using Public Media, SBC’s websites, with the drawback that certain features of Public Media, SBC’s websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
10. Public Forums. We may offer chat rooms, message boards, bulletin boards, or similar public forums where you and other users of our Website can communicate. The protections described in this Privacy Policy do not apply when you provide information (including personal information) in connection with your use of these public forums. We may use personally identifiable and non-personal information about you to identify you with a posting in a public forum. Any information you share in a public forum is public information and may be seen or collected by anyone, including third parties that do not adhere to our Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for events arising from the distribution of any information you choose to publicly post or share through our Website.
11. Keeping Your Information Secure. Public Media, SBC discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on Public Media, SBC’s behalf or to provide services available at Public Media, SBC’s websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using Public Media, SBC’s websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. Public Media, SBC will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone.
Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, Public Media, SBC discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only in response to a subpoena, court order or other governmental request, or when Public Media, SBC believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of Public Media, SBC, third parties or the public at large. If you send us a request (for example via a support email or via one of our feedback mechanisms), we reserve the right to publish it in order to help us clarify or respond to your request or to help us support other users. Public Media, SBC takes all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorized access, use, alteration or destruction of potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information.
12. Security Measures. We have implemented security measures we consider reasonable and appropriate to protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of the information under our control. Please be advised, however, that while we strive to protect your personally identifiable information and privacy, we cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any information you disclose or transmit to us online and are not responsible for the theft, destruction, or inadvertent disclosure of your personally identifiable information. In the unfortunate event that your “personally identifiable information” (as the term or similar terms are defined by any applicable law requiring notice upon a security breach) is compromised, we may notify you by e-mail (at our sole and absolute discretion) to the last e-mail address you have provided us in the most expedient time reasonable under the circumstances; provided, however, delays in notification may occur while we take necessary measures to determine the scope of the breach and restore reasonable integrity to the system as well as for the legitimate needs of law enforcement if notification would impede a criminal investigation. From time to time we evaluate new technology for protecting information, and when appropriate, we upgrade our information security systems.
13. Other Sites; Links. Our Website may link to or contain links to other third party Websites that we do not control or maintain, such as in connection with purchasing products referenced on our Website and banner advertisements. We are not responsible for the privacy practices employed by any third party Website. We encourage you to note when you leave our Website and to read the privacy statements of all third party Websites before submitting any personally identifiable information.
14. Email Communications. If you are a registered user of an Public Media, SBC website and have supplied your email address, Public Media, SBC may occasionally send you an email to tell you about new features, solicit your feedback, or just keep you up to date with what’s going on with Public Media, SBC and our services. We primarily use our website to communicate this type of information, so we expect to keep this type of email to a minimum. Public Media, SBC sends a newsletter and occasional nonprofit marketing updates that we believe will be useful to individuals that subscribe to our website or blog, download a whitepaper, or request updates. Users may remove themselves from this mailing list by following the link provided in every email. We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law.
15. Contact and Opt-Out Information. You may contact us as at support@publicmedia.com if: (a) you have questions or comments about our Privacy Policy; (b) wish to make corrections to any personally identifiable information you have provided; (c) want to opt-out from receiving future commercial correspondence, including emails, from us or our affiliated companies; or (d) wish to withdraw your consent to sharing your personally identifiable information with others. We will respond to your request and, if applicable and appropriate, make the requested change in our active databases as soon as reasonably practicable. Please note that we may not be able to fulfill certain requests while allowing you access to certain benefits and features of our Website.
16. Business Transfers. If Public Media, SBC, or substantially all of its assets, were acquired, or in the unlikely event that Public Media, SBC goes out of business or enters bankruptcy, user information would be one of the assets that is transferred or acquired by a third party. You acknowledge that such transfers may occur, and that any acquirer of Public Media, SBC may continue to use your personal information as set forth in this policy.
17. Changes. Our Privacy Policy may change from time to time. We will not reduce your rights under this Privacy Policy without your explicit consent. We will post any privacy policy changes on this page and, if the changes are significant, we may provide a more prominent notice (including, for certain services, email notification of privacy policy changes).
18. Sole Statement. This Privacy Policy as posted on this Website is the sole statement of our privacy policy with respect to this Website, and no summary, modification, restatement or other version thereof, or other privacy statement or policy, in any form, is valid unless we post a new or revised policy to the Website.