Arkansas Economic Development Commission is committed to safeguarding the information collected through the agency’s websites (Sites). This privacy policy is intended to disclose to you our privacy practices in a manner that is easy to understand. If there is something you do not understand about our privacy practices, please feel free to contact the Arkansas Economic Development Commission at [email protected]
This privacy policy does not apply to products or services provided, other than through the Sites. We may change this policy from time to time so please check back often. Please keep in mind that some of the services mentioned specifically in this policy may not be available at this time, or on all of the Sites.
What information do we collect from you?
Some of the information we collect is personal to you. Other information is anonymous.
During registration or form completion, if applicable, we may ask for your name, email address, business name, information about your organization, mailing and billing addresses, phone number, credit card information. We collect this information to use in marketing and email communication and our provision of services to you. In addition to the information that you provide to us, we may collect your IP address, transaction and/or download history information, and other related information.
When you report a problem with our Sites or services, we will collect contact information along with a description of your problem.
When you contact us via the Company email address, we will collect your contact information and any information you include in your email.
When you order a product or service through the Sites, we ask for transaction information including your mailing address, phone number, email address, and payment information.
We also collect information you post in interactive areas of our Sites such as public forums.
To customize our service for you, we and our partners may collect location data, including the real-time geographic location of your computer or mobile device. This location data is collected anonymously in a form that does not personally identify you.
When you visit and navigate our Sites, use our applications or third party sites, or open our emails, we may collect technical information about your use of our Sites including IP address, device identifiers, and viewing information.
How do we collect information from you?
Direct Collection
We collect much of the information listed above directly from you when you submit it on our Sites. This includes information such as registration information, contact information, user submissions, and public postings. If you do not want to share your information, you can choose not to participate in a particular service or activity (such as downloading content that we offer you).
Indirect Collection – Cookies and Other Technology
We and our service providers use cookies, web beacons, and other technologies to receive and store certain types of information whenever you interact with us through your computer or mobile device. We may use these technologies to:
• Provide
you with personalized content based on your use of our Site.
• Enable you to more easily use our Sites by remembering and using contact information, purchasing information, and registration information.
• Evaluate, monitor, and analyze the use of our Sites and its traffic patterns to help improve our Sites and services.
• Assist us with ad reporting functions such as to learn which ads are bringing users to our Sites.
The types of technologies we use include:
• Cookies. A cookie is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a Web server and stored on your computer’s hard drive. Cookies enable us to identify your browser as a unique user. Cookies may involve the transmission of information from us to you and from you to us. The Help feature on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your browser from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Additionally, you can disable or delete similar data used by browser add-ons, such as Flash cookies, by changing the add-on’s settings or visiting the Site of its manufacturer. You may lose some features or functionality when you disable cookies.
• Web Beacons. We may also employ a software technology known as a pixel tag or Web beacon. These help us better manage content on our Sites by informing us what content is effective. You may not disable Web beacons.
• Log Files. Like most standard websites servers, we use log files. Log files track Internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, Internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, platform type, date/time stamp, and number of clicks. We utilize this information to analyze trends, administer the Sites, prevent fraud, track website navigation in the aggregate, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use.
Indirect Collection – Social Networking
The Sites may permit you to use third-party social networking platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. This may include the use of social media plugins such as Facebook “Like”, “Tweet”, “Share” buttons, etc. When you use these social networking platforms and plugins, your username and password for the available information about you or collected from you on these services may be shared with us. When you use social networking platforms and plugins, you share your information with them and their privacy policy applies disclosure of such information. In addition, they may be able to collect information about you, including your activity or may notify your connections on the social networking platform about your use of the Company's Sites. Such services may allow your activity to be monitored across multiple Sites for purposes of delivering more targeted advertising. Please note that the privacy policies of the social network platform providers will apply in those situations and we encourage you to read them. We may add new social networking plugins and buttons to our Sites from time to time.
Indirect Collection –– Third Party Advertising Services
We may employ over time various different advertising or remarketing services that serve you targeted advertisements to make your online experience more focused on your interests. These services collect data through the DoubleClick cookie and through our implementation of Google Analytics and AdWords. These tools and technologies collect and analyze certain types of information, including cookies, IP addresses, device and software identifiers, referring and exit URLs, onsite behavior and usage information, feature use metrics and statistics, usage and purchase history, MAC Address, mobile unique device ID, and other similar information.
How do we use your information?
Our main goal in collecting information is to improve the Sites and provide you with the best possible experience on the Sites.
We may also use your personal information to:
- Enable you to participate in online transactions
- Make our products, services, and Sites better
- Compile, analyze and do research on our users’ demographics and behavior
- Detect, investigate and prevent activities that may violate our policies or be illegal
- We use location data only to provide and improve our communication and service
Who is collecting information?
Except as provided in this Privacy Policy, only the Agency and our affiliates and service providers will have access to your personal account information. When you are on our Sites and are asked for personal information, you are sharing that information with the Agency and our affiliates and service providers. If you do not want your data to be shared, you can choose not to allow the transfer by not using that particular service.
Links to other websites
This Privacy Policy applies to the Sites only. Our Sites include links to other websites. If you submit personally-identifying information to any of those sites, your information is subject to their privacy statements. We encourage you to carefully read the privacy statement of any website you visit.
With whom does the Company share my information?
We will not disclose any of your personally identifiable information except when we have your permission or under special circumstances, such as when we believe in good faith that the law requires it or under the circumstances described below. These are some of the ways that your information may be disclosed:
Government Partners
We make available your personally identifiable information and other information collected through the Site to the government partner with which we have contracted to provide payment processing services on the Site; provided, however, the information made available is limited to the extent the information arises out of or is related to such services provided pursuant to that particular government partner’s contract with the Agency.
Service Providers
We may provide your personally-identifying information to companies that provide services to us (such as web-hosting providers, sweepstakes vendors, payment processors, data enhancement partners, fraud prevention providers, customer relationship management, and marketing automation partners) or that help us market and provide our products and services. These third parties are authorized to use your personally-identifying information only as necessary to provide these services to us.
Data in the Aggregate
We may disclose “blinded” aggregated data and user statistics to prospective partners and other third parties. Blinded data is data that does not identify an individual person.
Other
We also may disclose your information in special cases. For example, we may disclose such information as required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process, or when we believe that we must disclose information to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be violating our terms and conditions of use, or maybe causing injury to or interference with our rights or property, other websites users or customers and their information, or anyone else who may be harmed by such activities. The Agency and our service providers may disclose, access or monitor your personal information when we believe in good faith that the law requires it and for administrative and other purposes that we deem necessary to maintain, service, and improve our products and services and our information security.
We may also share your information at your direction or request, or with your express permission.
How do we respond to Do Not Track (DNT) signals?
Do Not Track (DNT) is a privacy preference that users can set in some web browsers to signal their preference regarding potential "tracking" by third party websites. While the United States Federal Trade Commission has endorsed DNT, our Sites do not currently support DNT codes. However, except as otherwise disclosed herein, our Sites limit tracking to the internal uses described above. Our Sites do not track your use across multiple websites, however, other websites to which we link may. Please review their privacy policies to understand how you may be tracked.
What security precautions are in place to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of my information?
Providing security for the personally identifying information you submit via our Sites is a priority for us. We maintain administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information. When we collect or transmit sensitive information such as a credit or debit card number, we use industry-standard methods to protect that information. However, no e-commerce solution, website, database, or system is completely secure or “hacker proof.” You are also responsible for taking reasonable steps to protect your personal information against unauthorized disclosure or misuse.
Children’s personal information
We recognize the particular importance of protecting privacy where children are involved. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information online from children under the age of 13. If a child under the age of 13 has provided us with personally identifiable information online, we ask that a parent or guardian contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at (501) 682-1121.
Opting out of email communications
If you subscribe to any of our email communications, including our email newsletters, we may send you promotional emails offering free downloadable reports, videos, and other content.
You can opt-out of receiving these email communications from us by following the instructions provided at the bottom of each email.
What else should I know about my privacy?
Please keep in mind that whenever you voluntarily disclose information online, that information is accessible to other customers and users. Ultimately, you are solely responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your passwords and/or any account information. Please be careful and responsible whenever you are online.
When you or we end your customer relationship with us, we will treat the information we have about you as if you were still our customer.
Disclosure and updates
This Privacy Notice may be revised periodically and this will be reflected by the “effective date” below. Please visit this page regularly to become apprised of any changes. In general, the Agency only uses your personal information in the manner described in the Privacy Notice in effect when the Agency received the personal information you provided. Your continued use of the Site constitutes your agreement to this Privacy Notice and any future revisions.
For revisions to this Privacy Notice that may be materially less restrictive on the Agency’s use or disclosure of the personal information you have already provided, the Agency will attempt to obtain your consent before implementing such revisions with respect to such information.
This Privacy Policy was last updated on February 15, 2023.
Who do users contact with questions or concerns about our Privacy Policy?
If you need further assistance, please send an e-mail with your questions or comments to [email protected], or write to us at:
Arkansas Economic Development Commission
1 Commerce Way, Ste. 601
Little Rock, AR 72202