Privacy Policy
This serves as the policy Lynx Research Consulting adheres to as it pertains to the privacy and security of personal information we obtain about individuals through our website (the “Site”) and in the course of doing business. This includes information we are given by 3rd Parties (such as client supplied lists of customers) and information we collect in the process of conducting marketing research surveys.
Lynx Research Consulting is a custom marketing research firm founded in the year 2000 and is based in the United States of America. We collect marketing research studies for a number of clients who operate in the US and in other countries. Much of the basis of these research studies involves conducting surveys among specific end users (both consumer customers and business customers). Lynx routinely partners with both its clients and third parties (such as internet panel companies) to identify individuals for their potential participation in research surveys. This Lynx privacy statement applies only to the data Lynx collects from visitors to the Site and the data collected by or provided to Lynx for Lynx-initiated and Lynx-managed surveys. Information you may have provided to other companies independently (such as when you provided information on a retailer’s website, or when you registered with a panel company to engage in surveys), is subject to the privacy policies and/or terms of use of those companies. Lynx is not responsible for the practices of these outside companies. Survey research serves an important role in helping promote flow of information in open societies. Lynx Research Consulting’s primary business engagements involve gaining consumer feedback for the purpose of improving or developing products and services and/or public and social policies. As a participant in surveys, your responses assist with these activities and result in better, consumer-focused products and services being developed, and better policies being implemented. Lynx’s clients hire us to design, implement, manage, analyze and report on data gained from the surveys which we administer. When you participate in a survey with Lynx, these principles apply:
· Your individual survey responses are confidential and not attributed to you in our reports to our clients unless you expressly permit otherwise. · Lynx is NOT in the business of selling goods or services to consumers or end users. From time to time, we may ask survey respondents to rate their likelihood to purchase a product or service, but we WILL NOT present you with live offers to buy our clients products or services. · Most of our research surveys do not collect contact information. In the event we do collect this information, we will be clear as to why we are collecting the information and WILL NOT sell that information to anyone. · Most of our research surveys do not collect contact information. In the event we do collect this information, we will be clear as to why we are collecting the information and WILL NOT sell that information to anyone. · Occasionally, we may contact you to validate your survey responses. If and when we do, we will not misrepresent ourselves or what we are doing. · Your participation in a study is voluntary and your decision to do so will be respected.
INFORMATION WE COLLECT
As a matter of practice, we collect the domain name, Uniform Resource Locator (URL), and Internet Protocol (IP) address of visitors to our Site. In addition, we collect aggregate information on what pages customers access or visit, as well as opt-in information volunteered through surveys, e-mails, or site registrations. We will provide the information collected from a California resident to that resident upon receipt of a verifiable consumer request, subject to the provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018.
However, the vast majority of the data that we collect through our survey process consists of attitudinal and behavioral information and is not considered personal data, sensitive data or personally identifiable information (PII). Occasionally, we collect or are provided with data which may be considered personal data, sensitive data or PII as part of the survey process.
In general, there are a few ways in which Lynx may obtain this type of data in the research process:
• Occasionally, our clients provide us with lists of individuals to contact about their industry, products or services. In these cases, the client has given us with the proper assurances that the lists conform to their own privacy policy, confidentiality policy, or terms of use related to your consent to share the information. The contact information, which may include sensitive data, personal data or PII, is deemed as necessary to conduct the research. For example, if a client engages us to conduct an opinion survey over the phone, they may provide us with names and telephone numbers of their consumers of interest to them in the survey for proper identification purposes.
• Occasionally, Lynx provides respondents incentives for their participation in our surveys. These incentives may take the form of drawings/sweepstakes, cash, gift cards, or other items of value to participants. In these cases, we must collect information, which may include personal data, sensitive data or PII, to ensure that the incentives are properly delivered. This data might include items such as name, telephone number, mailing address, and email address or other relevant information. You always have the right to decline to provide this information to us.
• Lynx may engage with third party partners, such as web hosting companies, to assist in collecting data. Some of these partners utilize cookies and similar methods to provide such information as date and time you access a survey, IP address, the sites from which you arrived, your device specifications and similar data.
• Cookies are small text files containing information about the user of a website. Cookies are widely used in order to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the owners of the website. In the case in which this information is collected through cookies, Lynx will use this technology only to ensure the integrity of its survey results, such as ensuring that a survey respondent is not taking a survey multiple times. Lynx will not use this technology to track the online activities of the user of a computer, disrupt or interfere with the use or control of a computer, or alter, modify or change the settings or functionality of a computer.
• Depending upon the governing laws in country for the survey participant at time of data collection, the information provided by cookies or similar devices may or may not be considered personal data, sensitive data, or PII.
• We routinely collect demographic data (such as age, gender, education level) which allows us to analyze data in total and in groups. In some instances, specific types of similar such data may be considered personal data, sensitive data or PII. When we collect this type of data, it is aggregated into anonymous groups for analysis and reporting without identifying individuals.
INFORMATION WE STORE
The data that Lynx collects is stored in the USA either on (1) company-owned encrypted equipment or (2) industry leading third-party storage vendors, both meeting applicable requirements for data protection. Lynx will retain the data described in this document, only for as long as it is of value to our clients (according to their data retention request) or as long as is necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
INFORMATION WE PROCESS OR TRANSFER
Your individual survey responses are handled confidentially. We combine your survey responses with responses of others who participated and report the aggregated responses (without identifying individual respondents) to the client who commissioned the survey. The only exceptions when we may disclose your personal information or individual survey responses to unaffiliated third parties are as follows:
• You consent to sharing your personal information and individual responses with an unaffiliated third party for a specified purpose.
• In accordance with industry guidelines, we work with a third party (such as a vendor or service provider) who is obligated to keep the disclosed information in a confidential and protected manner and uses it only for research or statistical purposes.
• In the rare but possible circumstance that the information is subject to disclosure pursuant to a subpoena or similar legal process.
INFORMATION SECURITY
Lynx maintains all necessary physical, electronic and procedural security measures to help safeguard client data and information we collect, including personal information. Third parties that provide us with support or services may also receive survey data and/or personal information, and we require them to maintain security measures similar to ours with respect to such information.
CHILDREN
Our services are generally designed for and target adults 18 years of age or older. On rare occasions, we design studies to include Children 13-17 years of age. When we become aware that any information from a child under 13 has been collected without parent or guardian’s consent, we will use all reasonable efforts to delete such information promptly from our database.
DATA ACCESS
You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information that we may have collected. Upon receipt of a verifiable consumer request from a California resident to delete the consumer’s personal information, we will delete the consumer’s personal information from its records and direct any service providers to delete the consumer’s personal information from their records UNLESS it is necessary for the Lynx to maintain the consumer’s personal information for one of the reasons delineated in Section 1798.105 of the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018.
Upon receipt of a verifiable request from a California resident requesting such information, Lynx will disclose to the consumer the following:
(1) The categories of personal information it has collected about that consumer.
(2) The categories of sources from which the personal information is collected.
(3) The business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling personal information.
(4) The categories of third parties with whom the business shares personal information.
(5) The specific pieces of personal information the business has collected about that consumer.
The methods for submitting requests for information required to be disclosed under this Policy and the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 are via (1) toll-free number 833.203.3125, (2) email at privacy@lynxresearch.net, or (3) by completing the web form below.
MISCELLANEOUS
From time to time, Lynx may use customer information for new, unanticipated uses not previously disclosed in our privacy policy. If our information practices change at some point in the future, we will post the policy changes to the Site to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check our site periodically.
Lynx will not discriminate against a consumer because the consumer exercised any of the consumer’s rights under this Policy, including, but not limited to, by:
(1) Denying goods or services to the consumer.
(2) Charging different prices or rates for goods or services, including through the use of discounts or other benefits or imposing penalties.
(3) Providing a different level or quality of goods or services to the consumer, if the consumer exercises the consumer’s rights under this title.
(4) Suggesting that the consumer will receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.
