taking privacy and piracy seriously

Krux delivers technology to help website operators and users manage and protect consumer data. Our overarching goal is to make digital media less creepy and more productive for consumers, publishers, and advertisers. That's why we take data privacy and data piracy very seriously.

There are very clear guidelines and laws governing the collection, retention, and use of personally identifiable information (PII). Similarly, there are very strict laws regarding the collection of any information about children (COPPA). Beyond these two categories, the industry relies on self-regulation, and there is much debate right now about appropriate standards of practice.

Because of this self-regulatory stance, there are many practices on the web today that, while not illegal, are unethical and inappropriate. Two of the more egregious examples include the distribution of spyware or malware, and the emerging practice of reaching into a user's browser during a website visit to read and record past web surfing habits. Serious questions can also be raised about the increasing number of third parties who are skimming or stealing audience data from a website through rogue cookie and pixel activities.

Krux is not in the business of setting industry standards, but we do all that we can to advance industry dialogue and improve standards of practice. To that end we will enable our clients to manage their data in a responsible way; we will empower consumers to determine what data is collected and how it is used; and we will expose inappropriate or unethical practices in data collection and ad targeting whenever we discover them.

our privacy principles

1. We enable and manage collection of data across the internet, but only at the request of individual consumers or our publisher clients.
2. We make website operators aware of uninvited, unauthorized entities who are skimming data from their sites, and we give them tools to mitigate and control such data flow within the technical limitations induced by existing internet protocols and standards.
3. We use data collected via our technology only to enhance our products, improve the performance of our systems, and support our customers' business needs within the bounds established by this privacy framework.
4. We aim to keep PII data off of our platform whenever possible. If we are required to host PII data, we will do so only at the specific request of the publishers or consumers from whom it originates and will protect that data in accordance with all applicable state and federal laws.
5. Under no circumstances do we make data stored on our platform available to anyone except with the express approval of the data owner.
6. In the case of PII data, we do not make that available to anyone except the party for whom we are administering it.
7. In accordance with industry standards and the COPPA regulations, we do not knowingly collect, administer, or enable the commercial use of data relating to kids under 13 years of age.
8. Through our technology, we will expose bad actors and their actions, educating the industry and consumers on the impact of any unethical, inappropriate, or illegal activities we discover.

In all of our work, we will seek to maintain alignment with standards established by groups such as the IAB, NAI, and OPA. When we feel industry standards fall short, we will take all reasonable steps to ensure that our customers and consumers receive greater protection. Above all, our priorities are to advance the interests of publishers and consumers and to expose and correct bad data practices. By doing so, we will enable the industry to become a more responsible steward of audience data.

our privacy promise

• The information we collect: When you visit the Krux website (the "Site") or a website that runs the Krux infrastructure (the "Publisher"), you may be asked to provide some information about yourself. This may include your name, home or business address, e-mail address, and/or telephone number. We (Krux or the Publisher) may also collect additional demographic data, which may include your age, gender, preferences, interests and favorites. Some Krux Digital services or Publisher services may require personal information such as an e-mail address and password to access such services. Krux or the Publisher may gather data about your use and interaction with the Site or the Publisher's site and Krux services. This may include tools that collect information about how you came to the Site, which search engine(s) and search terms you used to find our site, your experience on the Site, and similar information. Cookies help us to gather data about the Site pages you visit, which links you select, and your movement on and around the Site. Additionally, we collect certain standard information that your browser sends to every website you visit, such as your IP address, browser type and language, access times, and referring Web site addresses.
• How we use collected information: Krux uses your information to operate and enhance our Site, the Publisher's site (in accordance with the Publisher's request), and Krux services. We or the Publisher may also use your information to communicate with you. Your information may be stored and processed in the U.S. or any other country where Krux or its service providers, or its or their affiliates, conduct business.
• When we might share your information: Krux does not share PII without the user's permission. If we discover that the Publisher is using or sharing PII without the user's permission, we will immediately alert the Publisher. If the Publisher does not take aggressive, feasible steps to remedy the infraction within 15 days, we will terminate our services and sever our contractual relationship. From time to time, Krux engages with partners to perform services on behalf of Krux or other publishers who use our services. In those cases, Krux partners must maintain the confidentiality of PII and may not use it for purposes other than performing the services on Krux's behalf or on behalf of other publishers who use Krux and adhere to Krux's privacy policy. In those cases, PII information will never be used or shared. The only scenario in which Krux may disclose PII is if such disclosure is required for Krux to comply with applicable law or to respond to legal requirements, to protect Krux's rights or property (or that of Krux customers), and/or where needed to protect personal safety.
• Accessing and controlling the information you transmit and receive: Krux will provide a mechanism for PII owners to view and/or correct their information on the Site, to control the delivery of promotional emails from Krux, and to "opt out" from receiving cookies. Additionally, Krux will, through participating Publisher partners, enable each user to specify on the Publisher's site what information publishers, advertisers, or marketers may use to present targeted offers, notifications, ads, etc. to the user. Krux will ensure that such user preferences are respected across all of the publishers who use Krux infrastructure. If Krux sees one of its customers deploying targeting practices that are in conflict with user-specified preferences, we will alert the customer of the infraction and require them to cease and desist. If they fail to do remedy the infraction within 15 days, we will terminate our services and sever our contractual relationship.
• Cookies (Consumer Data Signatures): A cookie is a small text file sent by a website's server to be stored on the user's web-enabled device that is returned unchanged by the user's device to the server on subsequent interactions. The cookie enables the website domain to associate data with that device and distinguish requests from different devices. We do not use cookies on our own site for any other purpose than to enable consumers to opt in or out of our privacy framework. We will not enable Publishers via or own technology to link the information stored in cookies that we see or help manage on behalf of our Publisher customers to any personally identifiable information. We will actively enjoin our Publisher customers from engaging in any activity that resembles or approximates linking cookies to personally identifiable information. Users have the ability to accept or decline cookies. If you accept cookies, you will be able to later delete the cookies. Please refer to information provided by your browser and follow the instructions regarding deleting cookies.
• About pixel tags: Pixel tags (also known as beacons) are small strings of html or JavaScript code that provide a method for delivering a graphic image on a Web page or other document. Pixel tags allow the operator of the Web page or other document, or a third party who serves the pixel tag, to set, read, and modify the Krux Digital targeting cookies. Pixel tags may also be used to obtain information about the computer being used to view that Web page such as the IP address of the computer to which the pixel tag is sent, the time it was sent, the user's operating system and browser type, and similar information.  No personally identifiable information is collected through the use of pixel tags.
• Changes to the privacy policy: From time to time, we may update this privacy policy to reflect changes in industry standards or evolving legal requirements. If we revise this policy, it will be only when urgently required, under the plain light of day, and always with a view towards advancing consumers' privacy and control over their personal information, irrespective of what regulatory, legal, or industry standards strictly allow or prescribe. We will update the date listed on the statement, to indicate that the policy has been changed. Please review this privacy policy from time to time to remain informed regarding how Krux is protecting your information.

questions?

If you have any questions regarding this privacy policy, or if you would like additional information, please contact us at info@kruxdigital.com, or via mail to 188 South Park, #3, San Francisco, CA 94107.

Last Updated: August 2, 2010