COMPORIUM COMMUNICATIONS PRIVACY POLICY
Your privacy is very important to us. We have created this Privacy Policy to demonstrate our firm commitment to privacy and security, as well as to inform you of the type of information we may gather about you, either as a Visitor to Comporium’s Web site, or when you register to use a Comporium service or order a Comporium product, either online or through contact with a Comporium Sales Agent or Customer Service Representative. The Privacy Policy also explains how Comporium may use that information, whether we disclose it to anyone, and your ability to control the use of that information. Comporium’s privacy policy governs data collection and usage for all Comporium products and service. Comporium requests that you read this Privacy Policy carefully.
CUSTOMER PROPRIETARY NETWORK INFORMATION
“Customer Proprietary Network Information,” or “CPNI” as it is commonly referred to, is a broad term that encompasses two main categories of information which carriers like Comporium collect and use in order to conduct business and offer telephone products and services. The first category, “individually identifiable” customer information includes, among other things, to whom, where, and when a customer places a call, as well as the types of service offerings to which the customer subscribes and the extent to which the service is used. The second category, “aggregate customer” information, is collective data that relates to a group or category of service or customers from which individual customer identities and characteristics have been removed.
COLLECTION, USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR CPNI
It is common practice for companies like Comporium to collect the data described above through the ordinary course of the customer-carrier relationship. When necessary, Comporium uses such information to fulfill orders, provide service, and communicate with customers. We may also use such data to develop new products or service tailored to fit customers’ specific needs.
It is Comporium’s policy to protect all CPNI belonging to, or in the control of Comporium, and treat such information in a manner consistent and in compliance with FCC requirements.
“Individually Identifiable” Customer Information
Comporium will not sell, trade, or disclose to unaffiliated third parties any individually identifiable customer information. As used in this Privacy Policy, “unaffiliated third parties” do not include Comporium’s agents or affiliates that provide communications-related services, its joint venture partners, or independent contractors.
However, Comporium, its agents and affiliates that provide communications-related services, its joint venture partner or independent contractors may use, disclose, or permit unaffiliated third parties to access customers’ individually identifiable CPNI in order to (1) initiate, render, bill, and collect for telecommunications service; (2) protect Comporium’s rights or property, or to protect customers and other carriers from the fraudulent, abusive, or unlawful use of, or subscription to, such service; or (3) to provide any inbound telemarketing, referral, or administrative service to the customer for the duration of the call, if such call was initiated by the customer and the customer approves of the use of such information to provide such service.
Also, Comporium and its affiliates reserve the right, afforded by law, to use your CPNI to market additional local, long distance and wireless services to you in the future, if we already provide those services to you.
In instances where Comporium and an affiliate jointly promote service, Comporium may provide the affiliate with certain personal information (such as the name, address, and username of persons who subscribed to the service as a result of the joint promotion) for the exclusive purpose of implementing the promotion and allowing Comporium and its affiliate to assess the results of the promotion. In this instance, personal information may not be used by the affiliate for any other purpose.
“Aggregate Customer” Information
Comporium also gathers a variety of aggregate customer information, including, but not limited to, the number and frequency of calls into our Customer Service Department and visits to Comporium’s Web site and its different pages. Web visits are monitored through the use of ”cookies.” A cookie is a small data file that can be placed on your hard drive when you visit certain Web sites. Comporium may use cookies to collect, store, and sometimes track information for statistical purposes to improve the products and service we provide and to manage our telecommunications networks.
As explained in more detail below, Comporium may share with unaffiliated third parties such aggregated statistical information in order to sell advertisements on its services. Comporium does not disclose your individually identifiable CPNI information from your calls to our Customer Service Department or your individual visits to the Comporium Web site to unaffiliated third parties.
Please note that you have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most Web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, however, you may not be able to fully utilize the Comporium Web site.
Advertisers and partners may also use their own cookies. We do not control use of these cookies and expressly disclaim responsibility for information collected through them.
ONLINE SHOPPING
At some Web sites, you can purchase products and services or register to receive materials, such as a catalog or new product and service updates. In many cases, you may be asked to provide contact information, such as your name, address, email address, phone number, and credit/debit card information. If you complete an order for someone else, such as an online gift order sent directly to a recipient, you may be asked to provide information about the recipient, such as the recipient's name, address, and phone number. Though Comporium may provide Internet services to an unaffiliated third party, Comporium has no control over the unaffiliated third party's use of any personal information you provide when placing such an order with the unaffiliated third party. Please exercise care when doing so.
ONLINE ADVERTISEMENTS
Comporium displays online advertisements. We share aggregated, non-individually identifiable information about our visitors and customers collected through the registration process, as well as through online surveys and promotions with these advertisers. Additionally, in some instances, we use this aggregated, non-individually identifiable information to deliver tailored advertisements. For instance, an advertiser tells us the audience they want to reach (for example, males between 25 and 55 years of age) and provides us an advertisement tailored to the audience. Based upon the aggregated, non-individually identifiable information we have collected, we may then display the advertisement to the intended audience. Comporium does not share personal information about its visitors or customers with these advertisers.
RESPONSES TO EMAIL INQUIRIES
When visitors or customers send email inquiries to Comporium, the return email address is used to answer the email inquiry we receive. Comporium does not use the return email address for any other purpose and does not share the return email address with any unaffiliated third party.
VOLUNTARY CUSTOMER SURVEYS
We may periodically conduct customer surveys. We encourage our customers to participate in these surveys because they provide us with important information that helps us to improve the types of services we offer and how we provide them to you. Your personal information and responses will remain strictly confidential, even if an unaffiliated third party conducts the survey. Participation in our customer surveys is voluntary. We take the information we receive from individuals responding to our customer surveys and combine (or aggregate) it with the responses of other Comporium customers to create broader, generic responses to the survey questions (such as gender, age, residence, hobbies, education, employment, industry sector, or other demographic information). We then use the aggregated information to improve the quality of our services to you, and to develop new services and products. This aggregated, non-individually identifying information may be shared with unaffiliated third parties.
COMPORIUM’S COMMITMENT TO CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
Protecting children's privacy is especially important to us. It is our policy to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 and all other applicable laws. Web sites can be fun for our younger audience; however, we believe that there is no substitute for proper parental supervision. For further information about tips, tools, age-appropriate or kid-friendly Web sites and how to report online trouble, please visit www.getnetwise.org. Finally, Comporium recommends that children ask a parent for permission before sending personal information to Comporium, or to anyone else online.
PUBLIC FORUMS
Please remember that any information you may disclose in our Member Directory, or other public areas of our Web sites or the Internet, becomes public information. You should exercise caution when deciding to disclose personal information in these public areas.
COMPORIUM’S COMMITMENT TO DATA SECURITY
Services and Web sites we sponsor have security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under our control. While we make every effort to ensure the integrity and security of our network and systems, we cannot guarantee that our security measures will prevent third-party "hackers" from illegally obtaining this information.
HOW TO MODIFY YOUR INFORMATION
Comporium customers can modify information provided during registration. To modify such information, contact our Customer Service Department at 877-433-6435.
YOUR RIGHTS
In accordance with federal law, customers have the right to restrict the use and/or disclosure of their individually identifiable CPNI. If you would like to restrict Comporium from using your individually identifiable CPNI to market communications-related service, either call us at the telephone numbers listed below or e-mail us with your telephone number at optout@comporium.com. Your election will be valid until you affirmatively revoke or limit it. Please note that, while restricting Comporium’s use of CPNI will not affect the provision of any service to which you currently subscribe, Comporium will be restricted in its ability to offer you products and services tailored to meet your specific needs. Customers also have the right to require Comporium to disclose their CPNI to any person or entity upon a written request from the customer.
WHERE TO DIRECT QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPORIUM'S PRIVACY POLICY
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices described herein, or wish to modify the status of your CPNI, you may contact:
Comporium Communications
Attn: Customer Service
PO Box 470
Rock Hill, SC 29731
Business Services 803-326-6011
Residential Services 803-326-9011
Comporium Communications
Attn: Customer Service
PO Box 1299
Fort Mill, SC 29716-1299
Business Services 803-548-5000
Residential Services 803-802-9050
Comporium Communications
Attn: Customer Service
PO Box 400
Lancaster, SC 29721
Business Services 803-286-9000
Residential Services 803-283-9011
REVISIONS TO THIS POLICY
Comporium reserves the right to revise, amend, or modify this policy and our other policies and agreements at any time and in any manner. We therefore encourage you to review this Policy from time to time.
LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Comporium assumes no liability, whether in contract or tort, for any direct, indirect, special, consequential or punitive damages, including (without limitation) damages for loss of anticipated profits or revenue or other economic loss in connection with or arising from any act or omission by Comporium, its agents, affiliates, joint venture partners, independent contractors, or unaffiliated third parties as a result of any act or omission in fulfillment of or in breach of this Policy.