MCG Privacy Policy
This privacy policy was Last updated on January 1, 2020. This version replaces the September 19, 2014 version in its entirety.
Effective Date of This Online Privacy Policy
This Online Privacy Policy is effective as of January 1, 2020.
Scope of This Online Privacy Policy
This Online Privacy Policy describes how Mahaska Communication Group, LLC (hereinafter "MCG", "we", "us", and "our") protects your privacy when you use the public (not password protected) www.mahaska.org (hereinafter "Site"). Please note that this Online Privacy Policy does not apply to the password-protected areas of our Site (which may be controlled, offered, or governed by third parties), nor to the personal information we may receive in connection with your use of our products and services. Your purchase and use of products and services offered by MCG are governed by separate contracts and policies, including separate privacy policies, that apply to specific products and services (hereinafter “Services”), even if you access those services through this Site. Where appropriate, this Site (including this Online Privacy Policy) may provide links to third-party websites relating to Services. Our failure to provide a link to third-party websites relating to Services shall not be deemed an implication of permissions, rights, or restrictions of Services or third-party content under this Online Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for examining, evaluating, or warranting any of the content or accuracy of third-party websites. The inclusion of a link to a third-party website does not imply our endorsement of said website. Before you use any website you should review the applicable contracts and policies.
Privacy Notices
This Online Privacy Policy may be modified or supplemented from time to time by posting relevant notices on specific areas of our Site (hereinafter "Privacy Notices"). For example, certain pages of our Site contain Privacy Notices providing details about the personal information we collect on those pages, why we need that information, and choices you may have about the ways we use that information.
Your Consent to This Online Privacy Policy
By using an MCG website, you are affirmatively agreeing to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Online Privacy Policy. If you do not consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Online Privacy Policy, you may not use our Site. Your physical location may differ from the physical location of a server hosting this Site, and the physical location where your personal information submitted to or collected by this Site is collected, used, transferred, or stored, may differ from your physical location, the physical location of a server hosting this Site, or both your physical location and the physical location of a server hosting this Site. Please note that your use of this Site constitutes your affirmative agreement to the collection, use, transfer, or storage (hereinafter collectively "processing") of your personal information in the United States of America or in any other country in the world. If you do not agree to the processing of your personal information anywhere in the world as described in this Online Privacy Policy, please exit this Site immediately and do not use this Site.
What Personal Information Do We Collect on Our Websites?
We have during the past twelve months and continue to collect various types of personal and non-personal information. Personal information is information that MCG can use to identify you as a natural person, including (i) identifiers such as your name, address, email address, and phone number; (ii) internet or other electronic network activity information, as more fully described below; (iii) commercial information, including records of services purchased, and (iv) professional or employment information provided to us by you. Non-personal information is any information that does not identify a natural person and includes such things as a business name, address, website, phone number, or email.
Information You Volunteer.
We collect the personal information you knowingly and voluntarily provide when you use our Site; for example, the information you provide when you submit a preliminary request for services or email us with questions or comments. We use this information to provide the information, products, and services you request and as set forth below.
Information Sent to Us by Your Web Browser.
We collect information that is sent to us automatically by your web browser. This information typically includes your IP address, the address of the web page you were visiting when you accessed our Site, the name of your operating system, the name and version of your browser, and the date and time of your visit. The information we receive depends on the settings on your web browser. Please check your browser if you want to learn what information your browser sends or how to change your settings. The information provided by your browser does not identify you personally. We use this non-personal information primarily to create statistics that help us improve our Site and make them more compatible with the technology used by our visitors. However, if you have created a user identity on one of your visits to our Site, or if you access an MCG website by clicking on a link in an email we have sent you, we may link the information provided by your browser to information that identifies you personally. In addition, we may review our server logs for security purposes, such as detecting intrusions into our network. If we suspect criminal activity, we might share our server logs -- which contain visitors’ IP addresses -- with the appropriate investigative authorities who could use that information to trace and identify individuals.
Information We Collect Using Cookies and Other Web Technologies.
Like many commercial sites, we use "cookies," and similar technologies to collect information and manage our Site. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your hard drive by a web server. Cookies cannot be used to install computer programs or deliver viruses to your computer. We may use two types of cookies -- session cookies and persistent cookies. A session cookie assigns a randomly-generated, unique identification number to your computer when you access our Site. A session cookie expires after you close your browser. Generally, we use session cookies to collect information about the ways visitors use our Site which pages they visit, which links they use, and how long they stay on each page. This information is known as "clickstream data". Session cookies may also be used to facilitate your interactions with our Site. We do not link clickstream data with any information that identifies you personally.
We may also use persistent cookies.
These cookies do not expire when you close your browser but stay on your computer until they expire or you delete them. By assigning your computer a persistent, unique identifier, we are able to create a database of your previous choices and preferences. This permits us to offer you a personalized experience when you use our Site. Assigning your computer a persistent, unique identifier also helps us keep a more accurate account of how many people visit our Site, how often they return, how their use of our Site may vary over time and the effectiveness of our promotional efforts.
Neither session cookies nor persistent cookies identify you personally. If, however, you have created an account on our Site or if you access the Site by clicking on a link in an email we have sent you, we may link the information collected by our cookies to information that identifies you personally. If you do not wish to receive cookies, you may set your browser to reject cookies or to alert you when a cookie is placed on your computer. You may also delete our cookies as soon as you leave our Site. Although you are not required to accept our cookies when you visit our Site, if you set your browser to reject cookies, you will not be able to use all of the features and functionality of our Site. In addition to cookies, we may also use "web beacons" and other web technologies to manage our Site and email. A web beacon is a small bit of computer code. Web beacons may be used to count how many people visit a web page or tell us whether an email has been opened. We may link the information we collect using web beacons and other web technologies to information that identifies you personally.
MCG may use the personal information collected through this Site for any of the following:
to provide the information, products, and services you request; to provide you with information about products and services offered by MCG and its affiliates; to send you survey invitations related to MCG services; to display personalized content and advertising when you visit our Site; to improve our services; to improve our Site; to better market our products and services, and for any other purpose we disclose to you in a specific Privacy Notice. We may also use the personal information you provide for other business purposes such as customer service, fraud prevention, and providing you with information and offers we believe may be of interest to you. In addition, we may delete information that identifies you personally and study the balance of the information we collect through our Site to improve our programs and services; to improve the content, functionality, navigation and usability of our Site; to better understand the needs and interests of our customers and potential customers; and to better market our products and services.
With Whom Do We Share Your Personal Information?
We have not in the past twelve months and will not sell your personal information.
Service Providers.
We may share personal information collected through our Site with companies and organizations that perform services on our behalf; for example, companies that provide support services to us (such as employment services and web hosting services) or that help us market our products and services. When we share personal information with our third-party service providers, these service providers are required to use the personal information we share with them to only perform services on our behalf and to protect the confidentiality of your personal information.
Protection of Our Websites and Others.
We may disclose the personal information we collect through our Site when we, in good faith, believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law (or court order or subpoena); to prevent or investigate a possible crime, such as fraud or identity theft; to enforce the terms of use or other agreements that govern your use of our Site; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of MCG, our users, or others; or to protect your vital interests.
Business Transfers.
Information submitted to our Site is an asset of MCG and/or its affiliates and will become part of our normal business records. In addition to the transfer of information between affiliates as described in this policy, your personal information may be transferred to another company (either an affiliate or an unrelated third party) that has acquired the stock or assets of MCG, one of our affiliates, or one of our operating divisions, for example, as the result of a sale, merger, reorganization, dissolution, or liquidation. If such a transfer occurs, the acquiring company’s use of your personal information will still be subject to this Online Privacy Policy, any applicable Privacy Notices, and the privacy preferences you have expressed to us.
Specific Situations.
Please read further to learn more about the ways we collect, use, and with whom we share personal information in specific situations:
Signing up for Communications Services.
When you complete an online application for communications services, such as telephone, email, high-speed internet, digital television, and other communication services, we collect the personal information you submit on the application and use that information as set forth in this Online Privacy Policy.
e-Bill and Online Payment Gateway.
Like most businesses, we provide customers with the ability to make electronic payments. This is accomplished using payment "gateways". A payment gateway is an e-commerce application service providers use to process credit card payments for e-businesses, online retailers, bricks and clicks, or traditional brick and mortar. Payment gateways protect credit card details by encrypting sensitive information, such as credit card numbers, to ensure that information is passed securely between the customer and the merchant and also between the merchant and the payment processor. When you sign up for our e-Bill service or make an online payment, we direct you to the payment gateway of our billing service provider. The use of personal information collected by our billing service provider is governed by their privacy policy. All credit card information submitted when you submit a payment via the payment gateway is collected, processed, and stored by our billing service provider in accordance with their privacy policy. When you provide credit card information through our billing service provider’s payment gateway, your information goes directly from your computer to a server operated by our billing service provider and is collected, processed, and stored per PCI Level 1 compliance standards; see here for additional information regarding PCI security standards. For your security, our billing service provider does not share your credit card information with us.
Contacting Us.
When you email an inquiry to us, we receive your name, address, email address, and any other information you choose to include in your email. The content of any email inquiries received by MCG shall be deemed to be non-confidential. Any inquiries or materials sent to MCG through this Site shall become the sole property of MCG and may be used by MCG for any purpose without payment of any compensation, including for marketing purposes. Please be assured, however, that we will not sell the information you include in your email to any third party unrelated to the Services you access through this Site or otherwise specified in this Online Privacy Policy.
Employment Applications.
When you follow the link to apply for employment at MCG, we direct you to the employment application located on the website and server of Musco Sports Lighting, LLC (hereinafter “Musco”). Because the employment application is hosted on Musco's server, the personal information you provide on the employment application is governed by the privacy policy posted on that Site. Please take a few minutes to review the Musco privacy policy before submitting your application. If you are hired by MCG, the information you provide during the recruiting process will become part of our employee records.
Access to Your Personal Information (Requests to Know or Requests to Delete)
Consumers have the right to request that MCG disclose the personal information it collects (Request to Know) and also have the right to request the deletion of such personal information (Request to Delete). To submit a Request to Know or Request to Delete, please email mcginfo@mahaska.org or call 641-676- 1000. We will confirm receipt of your request within the time limit set out by the applicable privacy legislation and will in turn request at least two (2) pieces of personal information from you to verify your identity prior to disclosure. You may also designate an authorized agent to request personal information on your behalf as provided by applicable privacy legislation. We will use reasonable efforts to comply with your request as required by applicable law. MCG will separately confirm Requests to Delete and will provide detail with respect to MCG's compliance with the request in its response. We will maintain records of all requests in accordance with applicable privacy legislation.
We respect your choice to exercise your privacy rights, and we will not discriminate against you for such an exercise. We also respect your choice to discontinue receipt of mail from MCG. In this event, please let us know by removing your name from the mailing list as instructed in the email messages we send to you.
Retention and Protection of Personal Information.
MCG retains the personal information collected on this Site as long as necessary to provide the services, products, and information you request or as permitted by applicable law. MCG has implemented an information and data security program that contains administrative, technical, and physical controls designed to reasonably safeguard data, including your personal information. We take reasonable precautions to provide a level of security appropriate to the sensitivity of the personal information we collect. Although we use reasonable measures to help protect your personal information against unauthorized use or disclosure, we cannot guarantee the security of information provided over the Internet or stored in our databases.
Submitting Requests to Know and Requests to Delete Or Questions Concerning This Policy.
If you would like to submit a Request to Know or Request to Delete your personal information or if you have any questions or concerns regarding this Policy, or would like to request a written copy of this Policy, please contact us by email or by writing us at:
Mahaska Communication Group, LLC
Attn: Mark Falck
PO Box 1038
Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577
Main Office Number - 641-676-1000
Or by visiting our main corporate office at:
210 South D Street
Oskaloosa, Iowa 52577
and requesting an update of your information.
This Online Privacy Policy May Change.
We reserve the right to update or modify this Online Privacy Policy, at any time and without prior notice, by posting the revised version of this Online Privacy Policy on the Site. These changes will only apply to the personal information we collect after we have posted the revised Online Privacy Policy on our Site. Your use of our Site following any such change constitutes your agreement that all personal information collected from or about you through this Site after the revised Online Privacy Policy is posted will be subject to the terms of the revised Online Privacy Policy.
To alert you to these changes, we will provide a notice at the top of this Online Privacy Policy for at least 30 days after the new effective date and highlight the changes so that you can locate them easily. Unless the change is a minor change (such as a change in our contact information) or a non-substantive change (such as the reformatting of our Online Privacy Policy), we will also post notices (a) on our home page and/or on the relevant pages of our Site and (b) on any notice providing highlights of this Online Privacy Policy for 30 days after the new effective date to alert you to the change.
From time to time, for example, because of changes in the law or technology or the way we operate our business, we may ask your permission to use the personal information we have collected from you in new or different ways. We will do this by sending you a notice by email or postal mail at the last email or postal address you provided us, asking you to agree to the change. If you do not expressly agree to the change, we may, at our discretion, delete all or some of your personal information from our databases to avoid using your information in ways to which you have not consented.
You may access the current version of this Online Privacy Policy at any time by clicking on the link marked "Privacy Policy" on the Policies page of our Site. You may print and keep a copy of this Policy.
Effective Date of This Online Privacy Policy.
This Policy is effective as of January 1, 2020.
Children Under 16.
This Site is not directed at nor targeted to children under the age of 16. We do not use our Site to knowingly solicit personal information from or market to children under the age of 16. If you are under the age of 16, do not provide us with any personal information. If we learn someone under 16 has provided personal information to our Site, we will use reasonable efforts to remove such information from our databases.
Governing Law.
MCG is a United States company. The servers that support this Site may be located in the United States or other countries. Data protection laws vary from country to country; however, we will protect and process your information in accordance with this Policy no matter where your data is collected or stored. If you are located in a country outside the United States, by using this Site you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.
This Policy shall be governed by the laws of the State of Iowa, the United States of America without regard to its conflicts of law provisions.
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