Effective Date: 14th December 2020

 

Thank you for taking our survey. For decades, Nielsen has set the global standard for market and consumer insight research. Our insights are based on representative samples of the population and help our clients (e.g., manufacturers, retailers, media companies, non-profits and governments) learn about what consumers watch, listen to, and buy. Your participation in this survey helps companies understand your behaviours and preferences, which often helps them provide better consumer products and services.

 

By participating in a Nielsen survey, you are contributing your data to a pool of data from which broad participant statistics are derived.  These statistics are relied upon by a wide variety of other companies to set pricing, advertising, merchandising, and other key business decisions. You have legal rights with respect to your personal data, as described in “Your Choices and Your Legal Rights,” below.

 

As the controller of personal data processed in connection with your participation in the survey, [NetRatings UK Ltd., D/B/A Nielsen Online, ACNielsen, Nielsen House, John Smith Drive Oxford OX4 2WB United Kingdom] (“Nielsen”, “we,” or “us”), is committed to protecting your privacy and handling personal data about you in an open and transparent manner.   This Privacy Notice explains what data we collect from or about you, how we use and protect that data, and your legal rights. Please note that this Privacy Notice applies only to your participation in this survey, and not your participation in any other Nielsen panels, studies, or surveys, or your interaction with or use of any other Nielsen websites, applications, or online services administered or provided by Nielsen’s group of companies.  Other Nielsen panels, studies, surveys, websites, applications, and online services are governed by their own privacy notices, and we encourage you to review those privacy notices before disclosing any data.

 

To learn more about Nielsen’s group of companies, one or more of which may also process personal data about you in connection with your participation in the survey, please click here. 

 

Participation in the survey is always voluntary. If you have any questions about the survey, this Privacy Notice, or personal data processed about you, please contact us.

 

1.     Our Privacy Commitment

2.     The Data We Collect

3.     How We Use Data 

4.     legal Basis for Processing Personal Data About You

5.     When We Share Your Data 

6.     Your Choices and Your Legal Rights 

7.     About Children

8.     Data Security and Transfers of Data

9.     Data Retention


 

1.             OUR PRIVACY COMMITMENT  

 

Nielsen complies with all applicable privacy laws, including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the UK GDPR. Indeed, it is crucial for us to keep Nielsen participant data confidential in order to prevent any interference with participants that could affect their behavior and the accuracy of our data. We will NOT use data that identifies you to advertise, promote, or market or sell third party goods or services directly to you or members of your household. 

 

 

2.             THE DATA WE COLLECT

 

A.            Data you provide to us.

 

As part of this survey, you provide us directly with information by responding to the survey. This includes:

 

      demographic data such as age, gender, marital status, occupation and income range;

      your behaviors and preferences to help us better understand consumer behavior, use, and trends. “Behavior data” is when, why or how you do things such as how frequently you shop for groceries, use your computer, TV or the Internet. “Preference data” means the choices you make such as which breakfast cereals you buy, which stations to listen to or watch, or websites you visit; and 

      responses to survey questions, and any other information, content, or material you choose to submit, upload or transmit to Nielsen in connection with the survey.

 

B.            Data we get from other sources:

 

We receive additional information about you from other sources, generally relating to your demographic characteristics, and your exposure to certain content or advertising. These outside sources include, for example:

 

 

      Your participation in the non-Nielsen panel, including demographic data and unique identifiers such as the panel ID the third party issued you.

 

      If you have previously agreed to the use of Nielsen’s Advertising Effectiveness Cookie, when you visit certain online advertisements we (or another member of the Nielsen group) are able to read the information stored in the cookie (cookie ID, non-Nielsen panel ID), record the time that you viewed the advertisement, and collect additional information about your device and browser (e.g., device type and model, operating system and version, IP address (collected but not stored), and location (derived from the device’s IP address)). For more information about the Advertising Effectiveness Cookie, or to opt-out of the Advertising Effectiveness Cookie, please see Section 6 “Your Choices and Your Legal Rights”.

 

We combine the information we obtain from you with information from these additional sources. We will use it only for the purposes described in this Privacy Notice.

 

C.            Data we do NOT collect:

 

We do not collect data like your driver's license, financial or bank account numbers, or credit cards.  Additionally, we do not seek sensitive or special categories of personal data (e.g., data relating to an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions or other similar beliefs, health or medical conditions, criminal background, or trade union membership).  

 3.  HOW WE USE DATA

 

We use the data we collect (in particular data such as non-Nielsen panel ID and the fact you visited an online advertisement measured by Nielsen or a member of the Nielsen group) to identify members of the non-Nielsen panel that viewed the online advertisement.  We provide the list of non-Nielsen panel IDs exposed to the advertisement to the non-Nielsen panel provider who then invites their panelists to take the survey based on exposure or non-exposure to the online advertisement.  Please note, Nielsen does not control who is or is not invited to take the survey - that is the responsibility of the non-Nielsen panel provider of which you are a member.    

 

We use the data we collect (in particular information you provide in response to the survey, such as demographic data and information about your behaviors and preferences) to create a variety of market research insights for our clients. We help companies to better understand consumer behavior, which in turn helps them to make smart decisions about their products and services, such as the products they manufacture or stock in their stores, and which advertising method(s) to use (e.g., online/digital advertising, mobile advertising, print advertising, broadcast advertising, etc.). 

 

We use tools and methods to make sure that there is no reasonable possibility of identifying you from the reports that we create for our clients. For example, if you complete a survey, we will combine the responses we collect from you with the responses of other respondents in order to produce aggregated reports from which you cannot be uniquely identified.

 

We process personal data about you for the foregoing purposes based on legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6(1) lit. f, GDPR, as further discussed in Section 4.

 

In addition to using personal data about you for research purchases as described above, we will also process personal data about you to: 

 

         for quality assurance and research and development purposes, such as data analysis, audit, developing new products, producing predictive data models, improving our services, identifying usage trends, and determining the effectiveness of our communications;

         to de-identify data about you and use it or allow others to use it for historical, academic, or longitudinal research.  In such cases, we take make sure there is no reasonable possibility of identifying you from the data used;

         operate and manage our IT and security systems, including to monitor such systems and identify and respond to security events;

         facilitate the day-to-day operations and financial management of the Nielsen group of companies and any corporate transactions (e.g., a reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment transfer, etc.);

         protect the rights, safety, property, or operations of one or more members of the Nielsen group, you, or others;

         comply with applicable laws and regulations and establish, exercise, and/or defend the legal rights of one or more members of the Nielsen group; and

         respond to requests and communications from law enforcement authorities or other government officials. 

 

We process personal data about you for the purposes based on legitimate interests pursuant to Article 6(1) lit. f, GDPR, and where necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject pursuant to Article 6(1) lit. (c), GDPR, as further discussed in Section 4 below. 

 

4.  LEGAL BASIS FOR PROCESSING PERSONAL DATA ABOUT YOU

 

Applicable law in your country of residence may require us to set out in this Privacy Statement the legal basis upon which we rely in order to process personal data about you.  If you are based in the European Union (“EU”)/European Economic Area (“EEA”) or are otherwise subject to the General Data Protection Regulation or the UK GDPR, we will process personal data about you for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Statement based on one or more of the legal bases listed below. 

 

        Legitimate Interest.  We process personal data based on our legitimate interest or the legitimate interest of a third party (e.g.,the Nielsen group of companies), provided that such interests are not overridden by your interests, fundamental rights, or freedoms.  In particular, among other things, we process personal data in reliance on a legitimate interest in: 

o   effectively and lawfully providing the survey, operating our business, and producing reports for clients;

o   conducting research and producing analyses;

o   communicating relevant information to you;

o   effectively delivering, developing, and improving our products and services; and

o   running and operating our business on a day-to-day basis by (i) managing, maintaining, and operating the IT and security systems of one or more Nielsen entities; (ii) adequately protecting, defending, and safeguarding the networks of one or more Nielsen entities; (iii) evaluating business and other corporate transactions: (iv) complying with laws and regulations to which one or more Nielsen entities is subject, including, where applicable, laws and regulations of countries other than your country of residence; and (v) managing risks to which one or more Nielsen entities is exposed. 

         Compliance with Legal Obligations.  We process personal data about you if necessary for us to comply with a legal obligation arising under applicable law to which we are subject. 

 

 

 5. WHEN WE SHARE YOUR DATA

 

We may share data about you with:

      Other Nielsen affiliates or subsidiaries within the Nielsen group of companies;

      Our service providers, such as companies that provide website or application hosting; data analysis or processing; IT services; email; auditing services; data matching services; and recruitment, reward, incentive, sweepstakes, or market research product development purposes. These companies are contractually required to keep this information confidential and secure and are prohibited from using this data for any purpose other than carrying out the services that they are performing for us.

      As otherwise outlined in this Statement.  For example, we provide a list of non-Nielsen panel IDs exposed to advertisements to the non-Nielsen panel provider to distribute the survey. 

      Other market research companies and our clients, in accordance with market research industry ethical guidelines as well as organizations and institutions engaged in historical, academic, or longitudinal research.  This may include audits by our clients or other third parties.   

      A third party in the event of any reorganization, merger, sale, joint venture, assignment, transfer or other disposition of all or any portion of our business, assets or stock (including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings).

      As we believe to be necessary or appropriate: (a) under applicable law; (b) as required by law, including legal process from public and government authorities (including those outside your country of residence); (c) to enforce our terms and conditions; (d) to protect our operations or those of any of our affiliates; (e) to protect the rights, privacy, safety or property of any person; or (f) to allow us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain.

 

 

6.  YOUR CHOICES & YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS

 

Participation in our survey is always voluntary.  You also have rights regarding personal data about you we collect or otherwise obtain. Your privacy rights include: 

 

      The right to obtain confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed, and, where that is the case, access a copy of the data we hold about you;

      Request that we update personal data we hold about you or correct such information where it is inaccurate;

      The right to request that certain data about you be erased (note that this right is not absolute, but applies in certain cases);

      The right to object to our processing of personal data about you where we process personal data about you (a) based on legitimate interests, (b) for direct marketing, or (c) for statistical/research purposes;

      The right to propose other restrictions on the processing of data about you if there is a disagreement about its accuracy or we are not lawfully allowed to process it; and

      The right of data portability for data you have provided (to the extent applicable).

 

In addition, where you have provided your consent to the use of cookies or to the processing of personal data you also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.  Withdrawal of consent will not affect the lawfulness of the use of cookies or processing of personal data based on consent before its withdrawal. 

 

If you are interested in exercising one or more of the rights described above, please contact us. To opt-out of Nielsen’s Advertising Effectiveness Cookie, you may click here.   For more information about Nielsen’s Advertising Effectiveness Cookie, and the opt-out process (and limitations), please click here and select “Choices”. 

 

If you believe Nielsen has not complied with privacy laws or the terms of this Notice, you may lodge a complaint with Nielsen’s Data Protection Officer using the contact information found at the top of this Notice, or with the appropriate Data Protection Authority in your country of residence or where the activity that is the subject of the complaint occurred (current contact information available here).

 

 7.  ABOUT CHILDREN

 

For our research studies, we never knowingly collect data directly from minor children (under age 16) without first obtaining consent from a parent or guardian. If our research seeks to study children and we have obtained consent from a parent or guardian, minor children may participate in some survey opportunities.

 

All of the provisions of this notice apply to data about children of any age (up to 16), if data collection about them has been authorised by a parent or guardian.

 

8.   DATA SECURITY AND TRANSFERS OF DATA

 

Nielsen maintains a global data security organisation that uses reasonable organisational, technical and administrative measures to protect your data while under our control.

We may store and process your data in your home country and/or we may transfer and export these data outside of the European Economic Area to any country where we have facilities or in which we engage service providers and processors, including the United States and India. The data protection laws of other countries may differ from those in your home country. When we transfer data outside the European Union, we ensure that we do so in compliance with the EU's rules for data.

 

9.  DATA RETENTION

 

We will retain your data for as long as needed for the purposes described in this Notice and in accordance with applicable law. When you are no longer an active respondent, we will continue to use data about your demographic characteristics, as well as behavior and preference data for historical and statistical research, but we keep this data separate from data that could be used to identify you, and strictly limit access to your identifying data, even within Nielsen. All data will be permanently de-identified when we no longer need to identify you for disaster recovery, audit, legal, fraud prevention or related purposes. 

 

 

This Notice replaces any other statement, whether written or oral, made to you about our practices with respect to Nielsen’s collection and use of personal data about you.

 

 

THANK YOU – WE APPRECIATE AND VALUE YOUR PARTICIPATION!

 

Nielsen Holdings plc (NYSE: NLSN) is a global measurement and data analytics company that provides the most complete and trusted view available of consumers and markets worldwide. The company’s approach marries proprietary Nielsen data with other data sources to help clients around the world understand what’s happening now, what’s happening next, and how to best act on this knowledge.  For more information, please visit www.nielsen.com.