Privacy Policy

Architizer, INC. (“Architizer”) knows that you care about how your personal information is used and shared, and we take your privacy seriously. Please read the following to learn more about our privacy policy. By visiting the Architizer A+ Awards website located at architizerawards.com (the “Site”), you are accepting the practices outlined in this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy describes the types of information gathered by Architizer, Inc. (“Architizer”, “us” or “we”) when you visit, access or otherwise use this website and any associated websites, applications, services, tools, functionality, updates, email notifications, and similar materials that post a link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, the “Service”), how we use your information, with whom your information may be shared, and what choices are available to you regarding the collection, use and distribution of your information. By using the Service, you hereby consent to allow us to process information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Please also refer to our Terms of Use, which are incorporated as if fully recited herein.

This Privacy Policy is subject to change. If our information retention or usage practices change, including in any way that is material, we will let you know by posting a revised Privacy Policy on the Service and/or otherwise making you aware of the changes. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting of the revised Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our Service indicates your consent to the Privacy Policy then posted. Please refer to the “Effective Date” above to see when this Privacy Policy was last updated.

Privacy Shield

Architizer has applied to participate in the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information from the European Union, European Economic Area, and Switzerland. Architizer has certified or will certify to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles of notice, choice, accountability for onward transfer, security, data integrity and purpose limitation, access, and recourse, enforcement and liability. For purposes of this section, Architizer refers to the following U.S. legal entity: Architizer, Inc.

In accordance with our obligations under the Privacy Shield, and subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, we hereby affirm our commitment to subject to the Privacy Shield Principles all personal information transferred from the European Union, European Economic Area or Switzerland in reliance on the Privacy Shield. This means that, in addition to our other obligations under the Privacy Shield Principles, we shall be liable to you for any third party agent to which we transfer your personal information and that processes such personal information in a manner that violates the Privacy Shield Principles, unless we can demonstrate that we are not responsible for the resulting damages.

For inquiries or complaints regarding our compliance with Privacy Shield, please contact us via e-mail here or send us a letter to Architizer, Inc., P.O. Box 170146, Brooklyn, NY 11217, Attention: Legal. If we are unable to resolve your complaint directly, you may submit your complaint at no cost to you to JAMS at https://www.jamsadr.com/file-an-eu-us-privacy-shield-or-safe-harbor-claim. In the event there are residual complaints that have not been resolved by JAMS, or any other means, you may seek a non-monetary remedy through binding arbitration to be provided to you in accordance with the Privacy Shield Principles.

To learn more about the Privacy Shield Framework, please visit http://www.privacyshield.gov. A list of companies certified under the Privacy Shield Framework is available at the following link: https://www.privacyshield.gov/list.

Information Collected

We collect three types of information about persons who use the Service: voluntarily provided information, automatically collected information, and information from third party sources.

Information You Provide

Architizer and our Service Providers (defined below) collect information you provide directly via the Service. For example, we collect information when you sign-up for the Service, complete a survey, create or update an account, describe and enter your project for an award through the Architizer A+ Awards website, participate in a promotion, request services or otherwise submit information to us. The information collected may include Personal Information. “Personal Information” is information that identifies you personally (whether alone or in combination), such as your:

• Name;
• Address;
• Phone number;
• Email; and
• Username;

In addition, the Service may request permission to access your photo gallery, camera roll or other device storage area holding your images or videos, in order for you to upload and share those images through the Service. You may upload (i) a photo of yourself solely for your profile picture; or (ii) a photo or video of yourself solely as part of entering your project for an award through the Architizer A+ Awards website. These photos and videos may be accessible to our users and the public. Otherwise, do not submit any photos or videos of identifiable individuals or content where you do not own or have licenses to all underlying rights.

You may choose to voluntarily submit certain other information to us through the Service, including Personal Information, but you are solely responsible for your own Personal Information in instances where we have not requested that you submit such information to us.

Although the Service may ask for payment information, such as a credit card number, that information is collected by a third-party financial service provider, not by Architizer. We do not have access to or store your payment information.

Personal Information once “de-identified” is not subject to this Privacy Policy and we and our Service Providers may treat it as non-Personal Information and use it without obligation to you except as prohibited by applicable law.

Information Collected Automatically

We and our Service Providers may automatically collect certain information about you when you access or use the Service (“Usage Information”). Usage Information may include IP address, device identifier, browser type, operating system, data regarding network connected hardware, and information about your use of the Service. To the extent that we combine Usage Information with your Personal Information, we will treat the combined information as Personal Information under this Privacy Policy.

The methods that may be used on the Service to collect Usage Information include:

• Log Information: Log information is data about your use of the Service, such as IP address, browser type, internet service provider, referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamps, and related data, which is stored in log files.
• Information Collected by Tracking Technologies: The Service may utilize web beacons, pixel tags, cookies, embedded scripts, location-identifying technologies, device fingerprinting, in-app tracking methods, and other tracking technologies now and hereafter developed (“Tracking Technologies”) to collect information about your interactions with the Service, including information about your browsing and activity behavior.
  • Cookies: A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user’s device, which may be a session ID cookie or tracking cookie. Session cookies make it easier for you to navigate the Service and expire when you close your browser. Tracking cookies help in understanding how you use the Service, and remain longer. Cookies may remain on your hard drive for an extended period of time. Although it may be possible to block or remove cookies through your device, that will interfere with your use of certain features and functionalities of the Service. The Service may associate some or all of these types of cookies with your devices.
  • Embedded Scripts: An embedded script is programming code designed to collect information about your interactions with the Service. It is temporarily downloaded onto your device from our web server or a third party with whom we work, is active only while you are connected to the Service, and deleted or deactivated thereafter.
  • Location-identifying Technologies: GPS (global positioning systems) software, geo-filtering, and other location-aware technologies locate (sometimes precisely) you for purposes such as verifying your location and delivering or restricting relevant content based on your location.
  • Device Fingerprinting: Device fingerprinting is the process of analyzing and combining sets of information elements from your device’s browser, such as JavaScript objects and installed fonts, in order to create a “fingerprint” of your device and uniquely identify your device and applications.
  • In-App Tracking Methods: There are a variety of tracking technologies that may be included in mobile applications, and these are not browser-based like cookies and cannot be controlled by browser settings. Some use device identifier, or other identifiers such as “Ad IDs” to associate app user activity to a particular app and to track user activity across apps.

Some information about your use of the Service and certain Third Party Services (defined below) may be collected using Tracking Technologies across time and services and used by us and third parties for purposes such as to associate different devices you use, and deliver relevant ads and/or other content to you on the Service and certain Third Party Services.

For further information on Tracking Technologies and your choices regarding them, please see “Third Party Services, Social Features, and Advertising” and “Your Choices” below.

Information from Other Sources

In addition, Architizer may collect information about you from third party sources, including Service Providers and Third Party Services, and combine it with data we have collected about you. To the extent we combine such third party sourced information with Personal Information we have collected about you on the Service, we will treat the combined information as Personal Information under this Privacy Policy. We are not responsible for the accuracy of any information provided by third parties or third party policies or practices.

Use of Information

We may use information about you, including your Personal Information, for any purposes consistent with our statements under this Privacy Policy or as permitted by applicable law, including to:

• Fulfill your requests;
• Manage our Service;
• Respond to your comments, questions, and requests, and provide customer service;
• Send you technical notices, updates, security alerts, information regarding changes to our policies, and support and administrative messages;
• Prevent and address fraud, breach of policies or terms, and threats or harm;
• Monitor and analyse trends, usage, and activities.
• Conduct research, including focus groups and surveys;
• Develop and improve the Service or other Architizer websites, applications, marketing efforts, products and services;
• Tailor our Service to meet your interests;
• Manage and administer the Architizer A+ Awards;
• Send you advertisements and communicate with you regarding our and third party products, services, offers, promotions, and events we think you may be interested in (for information about how to manage these communications and marketing efforts, please see “Your Choices” and “Your European Privacy Rights” below); and
• Fulfill any other purpose disclosed at the time you provide Personal Information.

Sharing of Information

We may share Personal Information and/or Usage Information with our agents, business associates, vendors, consultants, advisors, and other service providers (collectively, “Service Providers”), in connection with their work on our behalf, in order for them to provide services to us, to you, and to enable us to provide the Service. For example, our host and internet service provider may have access to this information. These Service Providers are prohibited from using your Personal Information for any purpose other than to provide this assistance, although we may permit them to use aggregate information which does not identify you or de-identified information for other purposes. We may also share such information with our affiliates for the same purpose.

We may disclose your profile, images, videos, and uploaded content as featured users on our service, for business and marketing purposes. We may also share your information with third parties in order to inform you about products or services that may be of interest to you, supplement their information about you, or for other business purposes, such as to help manage and administer the Architizer A+ Awards.

We must disclose Personal Information about you in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. Further, we may disclose collected information to the extent we believe it necessary to comply with the law, such as in response to a subpoena or court order, to defend a legal claim or otherwise as permitted by applicable law.

We may transfer your information to a successor in interest, which may include but may not be limited to a third party in the event of an acquisition, sale, merger or bankruptcy. We may also share your information to protect the rights, property, life, health, security and safety of us, the Service or any third party.

We may share information about you with third parties with your consent or at your direction, or for any purposes consistent with our statements under this Privacy Policy.

Without limiting the foregoing, in our sole discretion, we may share aggregated information which does not identify you or de-identified information about you with third parties or affiliates for any purpose.

The Service is designed to permit you to make certain information public. If you do so, it may be accessible to the public without restrictions.

Third Party Services, Social Features, Analytics, and Advertising.

Our Service may contain links to other websites, locations, platforms, or services operated by third parties (“Third Party Service(s)”). These Third Party Services may use Tracking Technologies to independently collect information about you and may solicit Personal Information from you.

Certain functionalities on the Service permit interactions that you initiate between the Service and certain Third Party Services, such as third party social networks (“Social Features”) and job application services. For example, the Service may allow you to sign-in through a third-party social network, such as Facebook or Twitter, or “like” or “share” our content or otherwise connect our Service to a Third Party Service. If you use Social Features, and potentially other Third Party Services, information you post or provide access to may be publicly displayed on our Service or by the Third Party Service that you use. Similarly, if you post information on a Third Party Service that references our Service (e.g., by using a hashtag associated with Architizer in a tweet or status update), your post may be used on or in connection with our Service. Also, both Architizer and the third party may have access to certain information about you and your use of our Service and the Third Party Service.

Our Service may use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”), and other Service Providers for analytics services. These analytics services may use Tracking Technologies to help us analyze how users use the Service. Information generated by these services (e.g., your IP address and other Usage Information) may be transmitted to and stored by these Service Providers on servers in the U.S. (or elsewhere) and these Service Providers may use this information for purposes such as evaluating your use of the Service, compiling statistical reports on the Service’s activity, and providing other services relating to Service activity and other internet usage.

We may also engage and work with third parties to serve advertisements on the Service and/or on Third Party Services. These third parties may use Tracking Technologies to tailor ads to your interests based on your browsing of the Service and elsewhere on the internet, sometimes referred to as “interest-based advertising” and “online behavioral advertising (“Interest-based Advertising”), which may include sending you an ad on a Third Party Service after you have left the Service (i.e., “retargeting”).

To the extent we combine information from Third Party Services with Personal Information we collect directly from you on the Service, we will treat the combined information as Personal Information under this Privacy Policy. Otherwise, the information collected and stored by third parties remains subject to their policies and practices, including whether they continue to share information with us, the types of information shared, and your choices on what is visible to others on Third Party Services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of any third parties or Third Party Services. When you leave our Service to visit another website or application, please read the privacy policy and terms of use of that Third Party Service. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by Architizer through the Service.

For further information on Tracking Technologies and your choices regarding them, please see “Information Collected Automatically” above and “Your Choices” below.

Data Security

We employ procedural and technical safeguards designed to secure your information against loss, theft, alteration, and unauthorized access, use and disclosure. We also employ security procedures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access by users inside and outside the company. Regardless of the precautions taken by Architizer, no transmission of data over the Internet is guaranteed to be completely secure. It may be possible for third parties not under our control to intercept or access transmissions or private communications unlawfully. We cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us.

Your Choices

Access and Control

You have the right to access the Personal Information we have about you. You may access, update, or remove your information by contacting us via e-mail here. We may require additional information from you to allow us to confirm your identity. Please note that we will retain and use your information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Tracking Technologies Generally

Regular cookies may generally be disabled or removed by tools available as part of most commercial browsers, and in some instances blocked in the future by selecting certain settings. Browsers offer different functionalities and options so you may need to set them separately. Please be aware that if you disable or remove these technologies some parts of the Service may not work and that when you revisit the Service your ability to limit browser-based Tracking Technologies is subject to your browser settings and limitations.

Your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “Do Not Track” signal to online services you visit. Note, however, there is no industry consensus as to what site and app operators should do with regard to these signals. Accordingly, we do not monitor or take action with respect to “Do Not Track” signals or other mechanisms. For more information on “Do Not Track,” visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com.

Analytics and Advertising Tracking Technologies

You may be able to opt-out of data collection through Google through Google Analytics. Please visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout or download the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

You may choose whether to receive Interest-based Advertising by submitting opt-outs. Some of the advertisers and Service Providers that perform advertising-related services for us and our partners may participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. To learn more about how you can exercise certain choices regarding Interest-based Advertising, visit http://www.aboutads.info/choices, and http://www.aboutads.info/appchoices for information on the DAA’s opt-out program for mobile apps. Some of these companies may also be members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”). To learn more about the NAI and your opt-out options for their members, see http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices. Please be aware that, even if you are able to opt out of certain kinds of Interest-based Advertising, you may continue to receive other types of ads. Opting out only means that those selected members should no longer deliver certain Interest-based Advertising to you, but does not mean you will no longer receive any targeted content and/or ads (e.g., from other ad networks). Architizer is not responsible for effectiveness of, or compliance with, any third-parties’ opt-out options or programs or the accuracy of their statements regarding their programs.

Communications

We may offer electronic newsletters, e-mails and push notifications concerning promotions, new products and services, or other marketing materials as a service to our users. You may opt-out of receiving certain promotional communications (e-mails and push notifications) from us at any time by (i) for e-mails, following the unsubscribe instructions included in each e-mail or contacting us via e-mail here with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject field of the e-mail; and (ii) for push notifications or in-app messages, adjusting the permissions in your mobile device. Please note that your opt-out is limited to the e-mail address or device used and will not affect subsequent subscriptions or non-promotional communications, such as those about your account, transactions, servicing, or Architizer’s ongoing business relations.

Children and Privacy

Our Service is not directed toward anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information as defined by the U.S. Children’s Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) in a manner that is not permitted by COPPA. If we become aware that a customer is under the age of 13 and has registered without prior verifiable parental consent, we will remove his or her personally identifiable registration information from our files. If you are the parent or guardian of a person under the age of 13 and believe Architizer has collected information in a manner not permitted by COPPA, please inform us by contacting us via e-mail here and we will remove such information to the extent required by COPPA.

California Privacy Rights

California law allows customers in California to request information regarding how certain types of their information are shared with third parties and, in some cases, affiliates, for those third parties’ and affiliates’ own direct marketing purposes.

Architizer does not share personal information as defined by California’s “Shine the Light” law with third parties and/or affiliates for such third parties’ and affiliates’ own direct marketing purposes. If you are a California resident and wish to obtain information about our compliance with this law, please contact us via e-mail here or send us a letter to Architizer, Inc., P.O. Box 170146, Brooklyn, NY 11217, Attention: Legal with “Request for Privacy Information” in the subject line. Please include enough detail for us to locate your file; at a minimum, your name, e-mail, and username, if any. We will attempt to provide you with the requested information within thirty (30) days of receipt. We reserve our right not to respond to requests sent more than once in a calendar year, or requests submitted to an address other than the one posted in this notice. Please note that this law does not cover all information sharing. Our disclosure only includes information covered by the law.

Processing in the United States

Regardless of where our servers are located, your personal data may be processed by us in the United States, where data protection and privacy regulations may or may not be to the same level of protection as in other parts of the world. BY VISITING THE WEBSITE AND USING THE SERVICE, YOU UNEQUIVOCALLY AND UNAMBIGUOUSLY CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION AND PROCESSING IN THE UNITED STATES OF ANY INFORMATION COLLECTED OR OBTAINED BY US.

Your European Privacy Rights

If you are a resident of the European Union, European Economic Area, or Switzerland and would like us not to process your personal information (or provide it to third parties to process) for direct marketing purposes, please contact us via e-mail us here or send us a letter to Architizer, Inc., P.O. Box 170146, Brooklyn, NY 11217, Attention: Legal. We will try to make the requested changes in our active databases as soon as reasonably practical.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding our Privacy Policy, including regarding our compliance with Privacy Shield, please contact us via e-mail here or send us a letter at Architizer, Inc., P.O. Box 170146, Brooklyn, NY 11217, Attention: Legal.

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