July 17, 2012

unwasteNY℠ Website Privacy Policy

Welcome to the unwasteNY℠ program website.  This Privacy Policy applies to the website www.unwasteNY.org, which is owned by the New York State Public Service Commission (“PSC”). 

In browsing this website or in registering to use the website you are agreeing to the terms of this Privacy Policy and consenting to the collection of information about you as discussed in this Privacy Policy.   If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, you are not permitted to use or access this website.

WE MAY REVISE THIS PRIVACY POLICY AT ANY TIME BY MODIFYING THE POLICY ON OUR PROGRAM WEBSITE AT www.unwasteNY.org. WHEN WE DO, WE WILL ALSO REVISE THE "LAST UPDATED" DATE AT THE TOP OF THE PRIVACY POLICY. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR REGULARLY REVIEWING THIS PRIVACY POLICY. THE MOST CURRENT VERSION OF THE PRIVACY POLICY CAN BE REVIEWED BY CLICKING ON THE "PRIVACY POLICY" HYPERTEXT LINK LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF OUR WEB PAGES. YOUR CONTINUED ACCESS AND/OR USE OF THE SITE AFTER WE POST ANY REVISED PRIVACY POLICY CONSTITUTES YOUR AGREEMENT TO ANY SUCH REVISED PRIVACY POLICY.

The term “Host” or “us” or “we” refers to the New York Public Service Commission, the owner of this website.  The term “you” refers to the user or viewer of this website.

This Privacy Policy outlines how the Host uses and protects any information that you provide to the Host when you use this website.

The Host is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected.  Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

What We Collect

You can browse the public areas of this site without identifying yourself or revealing any personal information about yourself.         

We may collect your name, email address and other personally identifiable information when you complete our “Contact unwasteNY,” “Send Us Feedback” or other similar features on this website. 

When you register to use the registered user portion of this website or register in sweepstakes, we may collect additional information about you which you provide to us or authorize us to collect.  We may collect the following information:

• customer name
• contact information including email address and telephone number
• energy user information
• energy user profiles, tasks commitments and demographic data
• comments and feedback related to energy use
• date of birth (if relevant)
• other information relevant to participant surveys, sweepstakes and/or offers

When you register with or sign into the registered user portion of this website, you are not anonymous to us.

We may also collect information about you from other social media websites, such as Facebook, if you allow us to do so.  We will use that information to enhance information available on our website.  For example, we may obtain information identifying you and the community in which you live if you allow us to do so and make that information available on our website. 

Facebook Connect

The website allow users to access Facebook Connect to allow this website to access your Facebook profile pictures and your city and state as stored on Facebook and we may display this information on our website.  If you are already logged into this website and Facebook, you will be prompted to allow this website access to Facebook.  If you are already logged into this website but not logged into Facebook, you will be prompted to enter your Facebook credentials.  By proceeding, you are allowing this website to access your information and you are agreeing to the Facebook Terms of Use in your use of this website.

You have the option to disable Facebook Connect and our access to information you store on Facebook at any time by visiting the Facebook Application Settings page.  If you disable Facebook Connect or discontinue our access to information you store on Facebook, the information we collect will no longer be displayed on our website. 

What We Do With The Information We Gather

We may use the information described above to provide a response to questions or inquiries you submit to us.  We also use the above information to understand your energy related needs and to enroll you in unwasteNY℠ or a sweepstakes if you choose to register in the program or sweepstakes.

From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes.  We may contact you by email, phone, or mail. 

We may also share your energy use and profile data anonymously (associated with your program username only) to help other website users find their own energy savings opportunities and to limit their energy waste. We may also use the information to customize the website according to your interests and leverage your profile and energy use content for campaign communications.  We also share the information we collect about you with our vendors, consultants and agents so that they can perform services for us in connection withunwasteNY℠.  We may also share the information we collect about you if required to do so by law, administrative process or court order or when we believe it is appropriate to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal or suspected illegal activities, to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of this website, our users or others, and in connection with the enforcement of our Terms and Conditions of Use. 

We may continue to use your information and data indefinitely after you have withdrawn fromunwasteNY℠, but only as described in this Privacy Policy.

Security

We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to reduce the risk of unauthorized access to personal information. However, although we employ such safeguards, information transmitted on the Internet and/or stored on systems connected to the Internet is not 100% secure.  As a result, we cannot ensure, warrant or guarantee the security or integrity of such information.

Privacy of Children

The website is a general audience website.  We do not intentionally collect personally identifiable information from users of this website who are under the age of thirteen. 

How We Use Cookies

A cookie is a small file that helps analyze web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site.  Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual.  The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used.  This helps us analyze data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to the needs of those who visit our website.  We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not.  A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer.  This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Controlling Your Personal Information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information by contacting us at info@unwasteNY.org or at the PSC c/o GMMB at 1010 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20007.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties except as expressly described in this Privacy Policy.  If you so choose, we may use your personal information to send you information about New York energy efficiency programs which we think you may find relevant.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible, we will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

Email:  info@unwasteNY.org

Mail:  unwasteNY c/o GMMB at 1010 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 800, Washington, D.C. 20007.