Your Privacy Rights

Document Sections


You have come to this page from a Web site produced by Minnesota Public Radio (MPR) or its production and distribution arm, American Public Media (APM). (When we refer to MPR, we mean both MPR and APM.) We recognize the importance of privacy to visitors to our Web sites, and we want every user (you) to know how we collect and use information about you when you visit our Web sites. This privacy policy explains what type of information is collected from you when you visit this and other MPR Web sites, and how we may use that information.

Information we automatically gather when you visit MPR and APM Web sites


Like virtually all other Web servers, our Web server automatically creates log files for each visitor who accesses our sites. These "access logs" allow us to make our site more useful to our visitors. The access logs do not record a visitor's name, address, phone number, credit card numbers, or any other personally identifying information. Rather, these log files may contain some or all of the following information:

  • The date of the visit
  • The time and length of the visit
  • The path taken through the Web site
  • The browser being used
  • A list of files downloaded or viewed
  • The amount of time spent listening to audio files
  • The Internet Protocol Address (IP Address) of the machine accessing our Web site*
  • Any errors encountered

Most Internet Service Providers use a "dynamic" form of assigning IP Addresses. This means that a visitor may have a different IP address each time he or she visits an MPR Web site. Also, many Internet Service Providers, including AOL, use "proxy servers," which provide even more anonymity for visitors.

We use this information to aid the technical administration of the sites and to better understand how each site is functioning for its users. This information may be correlated with your profile, if you have provided this data, to provide special "personalized" services. This information may also be used in aggregate form.

We may track your visit to sections of our Web sites in order for some site features to function properly for you. In some instances, "cookies" or a similar technology may be used to update your registration records with session information. If you do not wish to accept a cookie from our servers, you can adjust the settings on your browser accordingly. Refusing to accept cookies from the server may result in some limits on the benefits that we can automatically provide as you enjoy the MPR Web sites.

Information you give us

We do not collect personally identifying information from our Web sites unless you choose to provide that information to us. Visitors under the age of 13 must obtain permission from their parents or guardians before sending any personally identifying information to MPR.

Name and contact information

MPR may ask visitors (you) to provide certain personal information when you: register for a contest; sign up for an e-mail list; request information; purchase products or services; contribute material that may be used on the Web site (e.g., recipes or program reviews); participate in a discussion board or chat; or use a form to become a member of MPR. You will also have the opportunity to request future e-mail contact from us regarding our programs and Web sites. We tell you whether a specific piece of information is required at the time it is requested.

This information may be used by MPR to verify your identity, manage a contest, gather your editorial comments and feedback, contact you for additional information or administrative purposes, provide attribution for any submitted content of yours published by MPR and fulfill your order or request. If you opt-in to request future contact from us, you may receive e-mail regarding our programs and Web sites; otherwise, we will contact you only if necessary for the purposes above.

Unless explicitly stated otherwise at the time of submission, the personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than listed above.

Demographic and Personal Information

MPR occasionally conducts online surveys, sometimes in association with a contest or other offer. These surveys may ask you for demographic information such as ZIP code, age, education, or income level. Unless otherwise explicitly indicated at the time you provide the information, this information is used in an aggregate form to help us understand our audiences and improve our services. Demographic and profile information may be shared with selected third-party organizations, only on an aggregate basis, to describe the nature of our online audiences.

Credit-card information

You must be 18 to engage in money-related transactions on an MPR or APM site. When you do so, you may be asked for a credit card number. All financial transactions take place only on secure servers, and electronic communication of credit card information is sent only in a secured or encrypted format. Your credit card information is considered completely confidential. MPR and APM strive to be compliant with the Data Security Standard as prescribed by the Payment Card Industry.

Special note for MPR contributors

MPR does not sell, rent or trade its members' names, mailing addresses, telephone numbers or email addresses.

If you use MPR's secure online form to make a contribution to MPR, your name, complete contact information, and all contributions will go directly to the MPR Development Department. Your contribution information will be protected in full compliance with the Member List Policy.

Special Note for Public Insight Network Participants

The Public Insight Network (PIN) is a new way for people to share their insights, knowledge and expertise with journalists to make news coverage more accurate, relevant, transparent and trustworthy. If you sign up (link to appropriate partner smart Source URL) to be a source in the PIN, journalists authorized by American Public Media may contact you via telephone, texting, survey forms, email and social media to ask editorially relevant questions about topics related to their reporting.

Information provided to PIN
You may join the Public Insight Network via APM or one of the other organizations that uses PIJ in their newsrooms. When you join, you'll be asked to supply:

  • Your name and contact information.
  • Some personal background information that provides context for your insight. For example, you may be asked to provide your age and educational background.
  • Your insight on a topic that is relevant to our reporting.
How APM stores your data
The data you supply via PIN is stored in a separate, secure database. It may be accessed by PIN-authorized journalists as part of their reporting. It is never combined with information that you provide as a part of other relationships that you may have with APM or participating PIN newsrooms. For example, it is not combined with the information you provide to APM for membership purposes.
How APM may use your data
APM will not use your name, personal information, or the insights you share for any purpose other than the PIN. If you agree to let us broadcast, publish or make public a specific insight, then your permission will apply only to that insight. Permission for use of a specific insight is not deemed permission for the public use of any other prior or future insight. Your name and/or personal information will never be traded, sold, or rented to other organizations. You will never be solicited for a contribution or receive marketing materials from APM, Minnesota Public Radio, any PIN newsroom, or from any other organization as a result of your participation in PIN. Your participation in PIN, and the information and insights you share therein, will have no influence or effect on any other interaction you may have with APM, MPR, or any other PIN newsroom, and vice versa.
How other PIN newsrooms may use your data
APM has relationships with other organizations that use PIN in their journalism, editorial engagement and journalism education. You may sign up for the PIN via APM or any of the other organizations, and the information you share may be visible to participating organizations and may inform their news coverage. How to learn more about PIN: View additional information about the PIN including a list of PIN partners here.

This "Special Note for Public Insight Network Participants" supplements the other information contained in this "Your Privacy Rights" page. All other portions of "Your Privacy Rights" remain in full force and effect. If a discrepancy arises between the provisions of this Special Note and those found elsewhere on this page, then the provisions of this Special Note will apply.

Your California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, beginning on January 1, 2005, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 may entitle you to receive additional information from us regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes and your right to opt-out of such disclosure. Please direct all such requests to us at the email and/or regular mail address provided below under Contact Us. If you do not want your name and contact information to be shared with any company or organization, you may notify us at any time by writing to us at the email and/or regular mail addresses designated below.

Consent

Your use of the MPR Web sites constitutes consent to any policy then in effect.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or any practices on the MPR and APM sites, or wish to request information pursuant to California Civil Code §1798.83(a), please use our online contact form or send a letter by regular mail to: Minnesota Public Radio New Media 480 Cedar Street Saint Paul, MN 55101. We reserve the right to change this policy. Any changes to this policy will be posted to this page as soon as reasonably possible, so please check this page periodically.

Consent

Your use of the MPR and APM Web sites constitutes consent to any policy then in effect.

Nielsen//Net Ratings

The use of Nielsen//NetRatings' Web site measurement software assists MPR in analyzing the user experience on our Web sites and improving the structure and ease of use of our Web sites. Nielsen//NetRatings is used to collect such information as the number of unique visitors, how long visitors spend on our Web sites, and common entry and exit points into and from the Web sites. We do not collect personally identifying information from our Web sites unless you choose to provide that information to us.

Further information about Nielsen//NetRatings including their privacy policy can be found on the Nielsen//NetRatings Web site.

Effective date

This policy is effective September 12, 2010.