Privacy at ACNielsen

This Policy applies to ACNielsen Australia Pty Ltd and ACNielsen Research Pty Ltd (ACNielsen).

This Policy outlines the obligations of ACNielsen in managing personal information we hold about clients, research respondents, contractors and others.

ACNielsen is bound by the National Privacy Principles ('NPPs') which were introduced into the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) ('Privacy Act') by the Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000.

ACNielsen abides by the Market Research Society of Australia's Code of Professional Behaviour.

Due to an exemption in the Privacy Act, this Policy does not apply to ACNielsen's treatment of an employee record, where that treatment is directly related to the current or former employment relationship between ACNielsen and the individual.

In summary, 'personal information' is information or an opinion relating to an individual which can be used to identify that individual.

Why does ACNielsen collect personal information?

ACNielsen collects personal information in order to conduct market research, to provide and market our services and to meet our legal obligations.

Market Research is undertaken to provide accurate and timely information to government, commercial and not-for-profit organisations about issues relevant to their activities to support their decision-making processes. The majority of this information is de-identified. Your input into these decisions is important and the more people that participate, the more the results we obtain truly reflect the spectrum of Australian society.

Participation in our market research is voluntary.

About whom do we collect personal information?

The type of personal information ACNielsen may collect and hold includes (but is not limited to) information about:

• research respondents
• customers, clients and suppliers;
• prospective employees, employees, and contractors;
• and other people who may come into contact with ACNielsen or one of its related companies.

What kinds of personal information do we collect?

In general, the type of personal information ACNielsen collects and holds includes (but is not limited to): contact details (e.g. names, phone numbers and addresses, email addresses), basic demographics (e.g. age, gender, occupation, education) and other information relating to individuals' socio-economic profile, behaviour, needs, attitudes, opinions and motivations.

How do we collect personal information for market research?

Personal information you provide: ACNielsen will generally collect personal information from individuals directly in the course of a research exercise such as a telephone survey, an online survey, a face-to-face questionnaire, a self-completion questionnaire, being a member of our continuous consumer and media panels, or participating in a discussion group or interview. Sometimes, our clients want us to conduct research with their customers.

Personal information provided by others: Sometimes, our clients want us to conduct research with their customers. In these cases, our clients might give us a list of their customers so that we can contact them to invite them to participate in the research.

We also collect personal information about householders from others in the house.

How do we collect personal information for business purposes?

Personal information you provide: ACNielsen will generally collect personal information by way of forms filled out by people, face-to-face meetings, interviews, business cards, telephone conversations and from third parties (eg, referees). We also collect personal information from our website via the completion of self -completion forms and questionnaires.

Personal information provided by other people: In some circumstances ACNielsen may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party, for example a reference from another person.

How might we use and disclose personal information?

ACNielsen may use and disclose your personal information for the primary purpose for which it is collected, for reasonably expected secondary purposes which are related to the primary purpose and in other circumstances authorised by the Privacy Act.

In general, we may use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:

• to investigate the behaviour, needs, attitudes, opinions, motivations or other characteristics of a whole population or particular part of a population;
• for quality control or validation of research;
• as a source of potential research participants;
• to contact past participants to conduct further, follow-up research;
• to contact a research panel member to install or retrieve data collection equipment;
• to send panel members panel rewards and information;
• to communicate with you;
• to provide and market our services;
• to purchase from you;
• to comply with our legal obligations; and
• to help us manage and enhance our services.

Apart from in the above circumstances, your personal information will generally not be disclosed without your consent.

Personal information about research respondents will only be used in compliance with the Privacy Act.

To whom might we disclose your personal information?

We may disclose your personal information to:

• related companies of ACNielsen;
• other companies or individuals who assist us in providing services or who perform functions on our behalf (such as mailing houses) and organisations that carry out activities essential to our research activities (including for quality control activities, data entry, data processing, conduct of interviewing, contacting people to ask them to participate in research exercises, contacting research panel members to install or retrieve data collection equipment, and sending panel members rewards and information); or
• anyone else to whom you authorise us to disclose it (eg, our client).

Unless required or authorised by law, the identity of market research respondents will not be disclosed to anyone not directly involved with the market research project or to clients requesting the research nor will it be used for any non-research purpose without the individual's consent.
Sending information overseas:

We generally do not transfer personal information overseas unless required for an international research project. We will not send your personal information to recipients outside of Australia without:

• obtaining your consent (in some cases this consent will be implied); or
• otherwise complying with the NPPs.

ACNielsen may disclose your personal information to its related companies, including those located outside Australia. We take steps to ensure that such recipients respect the confidentiality of this information by abiding by the NPPs or equivalent privacy laws.

Sensitive information

Some personal information which we collect is 'sensitive information'. Sensitive information includes: information relating to a person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, sexual preferences and criminal record, that is also personal information; and health information about an individual.

Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose, unless you agree otherwise, or where certain other limited circumstances apply (eg, where required by law).

Management of personal information

The NPPs require us to take reasonable steps to protect the security of personal information. ACNielsen staff are required to respect the confidentiality of personal information and the privacy of individuals.

ACNielsen takes steps to protect personal information held from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, for example by use of physical security and restricted access to electronic records.

We keep the contact details of members of our consumer and media panels in order to maintain contact with them for research purposes.

Where we no longer require your personal information for a permitted purpose under the NPPs, we will take reasonable steps to de-identify or destroy it.

How do we keep personal information accurate and up-to-date?

ACNielsen takes reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Our contact details are set out below.

You have the ability to seek access to your personal information.

Subject to the exceptions set out in the Privacy Act, you may seek access to personal information that ACNielsen holds about you by contacting ACNielsen's Privacy Officer.

Research respondents may ask us to destroy or delete personal information about them that we hold, while it remains identifiable.

If you are a panel member and seek access to or deletion of your personal information, it may be necessary to remove you from the panel in which case all our obligations to you will cease.

We will require you to verify your identity and to specify what information you require. A fee may be charged for providing access. We will advise you of the likely cost in advance.

Updates to this Policy

This Policy will be reviewed from time to time to take account of new laws and technology, changes to our operations and practices and the changing business environment.

Enquiries

If you have any questions about privacy-related issues please contact ACNielsen's Privacy Officer:

Last updated 7 March, 2002.