Effective date: September 26, 2013
Welcome to the online and mobile service(s) of Astron
International, Inc. (“Astron International,” “Astron,” “we,” or “us”).
Our Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information
that applies to our services, and your choices about the collection and use of
your information.
1. HOW
WE COLLECT AND USE INFORMATION
We collect the following types of information about you:
1.1 Information
you provide to us directly: We may ask for certain information such as your first and last name,
phone number and e-mail address when you register for an Astron International
service, or if you correspond with us. We may also retain any messages
you send through our services, and may collect information you provide our
services, including but not limited to posts to a blog. We use this
information to operate, maintain, and provide to you the features and
functionality of our services, and as further detailed below.
1.2 Analytics
information: We may directly collect or
use third-party analytics tools to help us measure traffic and usage trends for
our services. These tools collect information sent by your browser or
mobile device as part of a web page request, including the web pages
you visit, your browser add-ons, your browser’s width and height, and other
information that assists us in improving our services. We collect and use
this analytics information in aggregate form such that it cannot reasonably be
manipulated to identify any particular individual user.
1.3 Cookies information: When you visit one of our services, we may send one or more cookies
— a small text file containing a string of alphanumeric characters — to your
computer that uniquely identifies your browser and lets Astron International
help you log in faster and enhance your navigation through the site. A
cookie may also convey information to us about how you use our services (e.g.,
the pages you view, the links you click and other actions you take on our services),
and allow us or our business partners to track your usage of our services over
time. A persistent cookie may remain on your hard drive after you close your
browser. Persistent cookies may be used by your browser on subsequent
visits to the site. Persistent cookies can be removed by following your
web browser’s directions. A session cookie is temporary and disappears
after you close your browser. You can reset your web browser to refuse
all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent, however some
features of our services may not function properly if the ability to accept
cookies is disabled.
1.4 Log file information: Log file information is automatically reported by your browser each
time you access a web page. When you use our services, our servers
automatically record certain log file information. These server logs may
include anonymous information such as your web request, Internet Protocol
(“IP”) address, browser type, referring / exit pages and URLs, number of clicks
and how you interact with links on our services, domain names, landing pages,
pages viewed, and other such information.
1.5 Clear gifs/web beacons information: When you use our services, we may employ clear gifs (also known as
web beacons) which are used to anonymously track the online usage patterns of
our users. In addition, we may also use clear gifs in HTML-based emails
sent to our users to track which emails are opened and which links are clicked
by recipients. The information allows for more accurate reporting and
improvement of our services.
1.6 Device identifiers: When you access our services by or through a mobile device
(including but not limited to smart-phones or tablets), we may access, collect,
monitor and/or remotely store one or more “device identifiers,” such as a
universally unique identifier (“UUID”). Device identifiers are small data
files or similar data structures stored on or associated with your mobile
device, which uniquely identify your mobile device. A device identifier may
be data stored in connection with the device hardware, data stored in
connection with the device’s operating system or other software, or data sent
to the device by Astron International. A device identifier may convey
information to us about how you browse and use our services. A device
identifier may remain persistently on your device, to help you log in faster
and enhance your navigation through our services. Some features of our
services may not function properly if use or availability of device identifiers
is impaired or disabled.
1.7 Commercial and
marketing communications: We use the information we collect or receive to communicate directly with
you. We may send you emails or push notifications on your mobile device
containing newsletters, promotions and special offers. If you do not
want to receive such email messages, you will be given the option to opt out or
change your preferences. You may opt-out of push notification messages by
changing your settings on your mobile device. We will not send you marketing
communications using SMS text messages. We also use your information to
send you service-related notices (e.g., account verification,
changes/updates to features of our services, technical and security notices) to
your email address or mobile device via push notification. You may not
opt out of service-related messages.
1.8 Use of certain service type
information we collect about you: We use or may use cookies, log file, device identifiers, location data and
clear gifs information to: (a) remember information so that you will not
have to re-enter it during your visit or the next time you visit the site; (b)
provide custom, personalized content and information; (c) to provide and
monitor the effectiveness of our services; (d) monitor aggregate metrics such
as total number of visitors, traffic, and demographic patterns; (e) diagnose or
fix technology problems; (f) help you efficiently access your information after
you sign in; (g) to provide advertising to your browser or device, and
(h) automatically update an Astron International application on your mobile
devices.
2. SHARING
OF YOUR INFORMATION
We will not rent or sell your information into third
parties outside Astron International and its group companies (including any
parent, subsidiaries and affiliates) without your consent, except as noted
below:
2.1 Who we may share your information with: We may share your information with third-party business partners for the
purpose of providing our services to you. Those business partners will be
given limited access to your information as is reasonably necessary to deliver
our services, and we will require that such third parties comply with this
Privacy Policy.
2.2 Who you may choose to share your
information with: Any information or
content that you voluntarily disclose for posting to our services, such as user
content or blog posts, becomes available to the public, as controlled by any
available privacy settings. Any user content or blog post that you
voluntarily make public is searchable by other users. In addition, Astron
International allows for the RSS syndication of all of its public content
within our services, and may allow third parties to access such information via
the Astron International application programming interface (“API”).
If you remove information that you posted to our services, copies may
remain viewable in cached and archived pages of our services, or if other users
have copied or saved that information.
2.3 What happens in the event of a
change of control: We may buy or
sell/divest/transfer our company (including any shares in the company), or any
combination of its products, services, assets and/or businesses. Your
information such as customer names and email addresses, user content and other
user information related to our services may be among the items transferred in
these types of transactions. We may also sell, assign or otherwise
transfer such information in the course of corporate divestitures, mergers,
acquisitions, bankruptcies, dissolutions, reorganizations, liquidations,
similar transactions or proceedings involving all or a portion of the company.
2.4 Instances where we are required to share
your information: Astron International
will disclose your information where required to do so by law or subpoena or if
we reasonably believe that such action is necessary to (a) comply with the law
and the reasonable requests of law enforcement; (b) to protect the security or
integrity of our services; and/or (c) to exercise or protect the rights,
property, or personal safety of Astron International, our users or others.
2.5 Sharing certain service type information
we collect about you: We may share
certain service type information, including information obtained through tools
such as cookies, log files, device identifiers, location data and clear gifs
(such as anonymous usage data, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform types,
number of clicks, etc.) with our third-party business partners for the purposes
described in the section above on “How
We Collect and Use Information.” We may also aggregate or
otherwise strip data of all personally identifying characteristics and may
share that aggregated, anonymized data with third parties.
2.6 Ads on Astron International websites
and services: We may also share certain
information such as your location, browser and cookie data and other data
relating to your use of our services with our business partners to deliver
advertisements (“ads”) that may be of interest to you. Astron
International may allow third-party ad servers or ad networks to serve
advertisements on our services. These third-party ad servers or ad
networks use technology to send, directly to your browser or mobile device, the
ads and ad links that appear on our services, and will automatically receive your
IP address when they do so. They may also use other technologies (such as
cookies, JavaScript, device identifiers, location data, and clear gifs, see
above) to compile information about your browser’s or device’s visits and usage
patterns on our services, and to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to
personalize the advertising content. Astron International does not sell,
rent, or share the information we collect directly from you or about you
from third parties with these third-party ad servers or ad networks for
such parties’ own marketing purposes, unless you choose in advance to have your
information shared for this purpose. Additionally, you may wish to opt-out
of receiving cookies by adjusting your browser settings to refuse cookies or to
alert you when a cookie is placed. See “Your Choices About Your
Information” below.
Please note that an advertiser may ask Astron
International to show an ad to a certain audience of users (e.g., based on
demographics or other interests). In that situation, Astron International
determines the target audience and Astron International serves the advertising
to that audience and only provides anonymous aggregated data to the
advertiser. If you respond to such an ad, the advertiser or ad
server may conclude that you fit the description of the audience they are
trying to reach.
The Astron International Privacy Policy does not apply
to, and we cannot control the activities of, third-party advertisers.
Please consult the respective privacy policies of such advertisers or contact
such advertisers for more information.
3. HOW
WE STORE AND PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
3.1 Storage and Processing: Your information collected through our services may be stored and
processed in the United States, or any other country in which Astron
International or its subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain
facilities. Astron International may transfer information that we collect about
you, including personal information, to affiliated entities, or to other third
parties across borders and from your country or jurisdiction to other countries
or jurisdictions around the world. If you are located in the European
Union or other regions with laws governing data collection and use that may
differ from U.S. law, please note that we may transfer information, including
personal information, to a country and jurisdiction that does not have the same
data protection laws as your jurisdiction, and you consent to the transfer of
information to the U.S. or any other country in which Astron International or
its parent, subsidiaries, affiliates or service providers maintain facilities
and the use and disclosure of information about you as described in this
Privacy Policy.
3.2 Keeping your information safe: Astron International cares about the security of your information,
and uses commercially reasonable safeguards to preserve the integrity and
security of all information collected through our services. To protect
your privacy and security, we take reasonable steps (such as requesting a
unique password) to verify your identity before granting you access. You
are responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your unique password and account
information, and for controlling access to your email communications from
Astron International, at all times. However, Astron International cannot
ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to Astron
International or guarantee that information on our services may not be
accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed.
3.3 Compromise of information: In the event that any information under our control is compromised
as a result of a breach of security, Astron International will take reasonable
steps to investigate the situation and where appropriate, notify those
individuals whose information may have been compromised and take other steps,
in accordance with any applicable laws and regulations.
4. YOUR
CHOICES ABOUT YOUR INFORMATION
4.1 You control your account information and
settings: Where applicable, you may update your account
information and email-communication preferences at any time by logging into
your account and changing your profile settings. You can also stop
receiving promotional email communications from us by clicking on the
“unsubscribe link” provided in such communications, by sending an email
message to info@astroninc.com, with the word "No email" in the
subject field, or by sending mail to the following postal address:
Customer Support
Astron International
P.O. Box 218275
Houston, TX 77218
Opting out may prevent you from receiving email messages
regarding updates, improvements, or offers. You may not opt out of
certain service-related notices.
If you have any questions about reviewing or modifying
your account information, you can contact us directly at info@astroninc.com.
4.2 Opting out of collection of your
information for Tracking / Advertising:
Please refer to your mobile device or browser’s technical information for
instructions on how to delete and disable cookies, and other tracking/recording
tools. Depending on your type of device, it may not be possible to delete
or disable tracking mechanisms on your mobile device. Note that disabling
cookies and/or other tracking tools prevents Astron International or its business
partners from tracking your browser’s activities in relation to our services,
and for use in targeted advertising activities by third parties. However,
doing so may disable many of the features available through our services.
4.3 How long we keep your user content: Following termination or deactivation of your user account, Astron
International may retain your profile information and user content for a
commercially reasonable time for backup, archival, or audit purposes.
5. CHILDREN’S
PRIVACY
Astron International does not knowingly collect or
solicit any information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such
persons to register as users. Our services and its content are not
directed at children under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please do
not send any information about yourself to us, including your name, address,
telephone number, or email address. In the event that we learn that we
have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without
verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as
possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about
a child under 13, please contact us at info@astroninc.com.
6. LINKS
TO OTHER WEB SITES AND SERVICES
We are not responsible for the practices employed by
websites or services linked to or from our services, including the information
or content contained therein. Please remember that when you use a link to
go from our services to another website, our Privacy Policy does not apply to
third-party websites or services. Your browsing and interaction on any
third-party website or service, including those that have a link or
advertisement on our website, are subject to that third party’s own rules and
policies. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information we collect by
other means (including offline) or from other sources other than through our
services.
7. HOW
TO CONTACT US
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or
our services, please contact us at info@astroninc.com.
8. CHANGES
TO OUR PRIVACY POLICY
Astron International may modify or update this Privacy
Policy from time to time to reflect the changes in our business and practices,
and so you should review this page periodically. When we change the
policy in a material manner we will let you know and update the ‘last modified’
date at the bottom of this page.
This privacy policy was last
modified on September 26, 2013.
Questions?
Please e-mail info@astroninc.com.