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AOL Privacy Policy

This privacy policy applies to the information AOL Inc. collects about you from any device you use to access AOL products, services, software, websites, and other goods and services offered, owned, or operated by AOL Inc. (collectively “Services”). Some of these Services may provide you with additional information and choices about your privacy, which you should review.

This policy does not apply to information about you collected by third party websites and offerings linked to or otherwise accessible from AOL. The information collected or received by third parties is subject to their own privacy policies.

Collection of Your AOL Information

We collect or receive information about your interactions with AOL. Registering with AOL is optional and we may collect information even if you do not register. Depending on how you use AOL's Services, your AOL information may include:

• registration-related information (such as name, addresses, e-mail addresses, telephone numbers, birth date, or gender);
• information about the AOL Services that you use, how frequently you use them (such as your use of email or instant messenger); and your responses to the offerings and advertisements presented on AOL or other features made available by AOL, including those available on third party websites;
• information about the searches you perform through AOL Services and how you use the results of those searches;
• personal financial information related to the use of AOL financial features (such as My Portfolios). Your use of AOL financial features is subject to additional privacy terms.
• transaction-related information (such as credit card or other preferred means of payment, billing or shipping information, or a history of products purchased through AOL);
• customer service information about you as an AOL user;
• location data and other information about devices used to access and interact with AOL; or
• other information specifically related to your use of Services, including information that you publicly post using tools made available by AOL.

Your AOL information may be supplemented with additional information from other companies such as publicly available information, information about households, and other information which we may append or match to your AOL information.

AOL may also receive or collect certain technical information when you use our Services. This may include: your browser or operating system, your manner of connecting to the Internet (including the type of device you are using) and the name of your Internet service provider or wireless carrier; your Internet protocol (IP) address; information about AOL Services that you used prior to registering with AOL; and data relating to malfunctions or problems occurring when you use AOL Services. Additionally, we may collect information about other software on your device for the limited purpose of protecting your security or improving your online experience.

How Your AOL Information is used

Your AOL information is used for purposes that include:

• to operate and improve the Services available through AOL;
• to personalize the content and advertisements provided to you (including to present offers to you on behalf of business partners and advertisers);
• to fulfill your requests for products, programs, and services;
• to communicate with you and respond to your inquiries;
• to conduct research about your use of AOL; and
• to help offer you other products, programs, or services that may be of interest.

AOL may use cookies, web beacons, or other technologies in combination with your AOL information to enhance and personalize your experience on AOL. 

AOL may use information about your use of certain communication tools (for example, AOL e-mail or AOL Instant Messenger); however, when you use AOL communication tools, AOL does not read your private online communications without your consent.

Sharing of Your AOL Information

AOL does not rent or sell your AOL information (such as name, address, telephone number, screen name, and credit card information) to third parties for their marketing purposes. AOL may share your AOL information with third parties to provide products and services you have requested, when we have your consent, or as described in this Privacy Policy.

Your AOL information may be shared with sites and services consistent with this Privacy Policy. You have choices about how your AOL information is used.

The contents of your online communications, as well as other information about you as an AOL user, may be accessed and disclosed under the following circumstances: in response to lawful governmental requests or legal process (for example, a court order, search warrant or subpoena), in other circumstances in which AOL has a good faith belief that a crime has been or is being committed by an AOL user, that an emergency exists that poses a threat to the safety of you or another person, when necessary either to protect the rights or property of AOL, or for us to render the service you have requested.

Please note that if you use AOL communications tools to disclose information about yourself publicly (for example, in chat rooms or online message boards made available by AOL), others outside of AOL may obtain access to information you provide.

AOL’s offerings may include features or functionalities provided by third parties. In the process of providing such functionalities within AOL Services, your browser may automatically send certain technical information to the third party provider. The use of these third-party provided features or functionalities is subject to their own privacy policies.

Business partners or other third parties may receive data about groups of AOL users, but do not receive information that personally identifies you.

We may use agents and contractors in order to help operate AOL. Their use of information is limited to these purposes.

In the event that ownership of AOL was to change as a result of a merger, acquisition, or transfer to another company, your AOL information may be transferred. If such a transfer results in a material change in the use of your AOL information, you will be provided notice about the choices you have to decline to permit such a transfer.

Display of Advertising

Your AOL information may be used for the presentation of advertisements. AOL may use ad networks to customize and display advertising on AOL Services. AOL may share certain information about you as a user (such as age, zip code, or other information we have collected or received) with certain ad network and service providers to help them deliver more relevant content and advertisements through their networks. You can learn more about advertising displayed on AOL as well as how you can control the use of your AOL information for such advertising.

Your Choices about Your AOL Information

• AOL provides you with access to your registration information and any billing or shipping information as well as the ability to edit this information and to cancel AOL fee-based Services at My Account.
• Visit AOL Marketing Preferences to review your AOL marketing preferences and make choices about how your AOL information may be used to provide marketing offers to you. These preferences do not apply to communications that are directly related to your registration with AOL or the fulfillment of a specific transaction you have requested (for example, a service advisory from AOL or an acknowledgment of a purchase order).
• Visit AOL Advertising, Analytics, and Privacy to learn more about your choices related to online advertising.
• Some AOL Services (AOL Search and Netscape ISP, for example) may also offer you the ability to manage and control information collected or used when you use these services.

Our Commitment to Security

AOL has established safeguards to help prevent unauthorized access to or misuse of your AOL information, but cannot guarantee that your information will never be disclosed in a manner inconsistent with this Privacy Policy (for example, as a result of unauthorized acts by third parties that violate applicable law or AOL and its affiliated providers' policies). To protect your privacy and security, we may use passwords or other technologies to register or authenticate you and enable you to take advantage of AOL Services, and before granting access or making corrections to your AOL information.

Protecting Children

AOL Services are intended for a general audience, and children under the age of thirteen should not register without the consent of a parent or guardian. AOL offers services directed toward children such as the AOL Kids service and parentally controlled screen names. For information about our practices for the handling of children's online data please review our Note to Parents.

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about the AOL Privacy Policy or its implementation, you may contact us.

AOL has been awarded TRUSTe's Privacy Seal signifying that this privacy policy and practices have been reviewed by TRUSTe for compliance with TRUSTe's program requirements including transparency, accountability and choice regarding the collection and use of your personal information. The TRUSTe program does not cover information that may be collected through downloadable software. TRUSTe's mission, as an independent third party, is to accelerate online trust among consumers and organizations globally through its leading privacy trustmark and innovative trust solutions. If you have questions or complaints regarding our privacy policy or practices, please contact us. If you are not satisfied with our response you can contact TRUSTe.

Changes to this Privacy Policy and Additional Information

AOL may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, and so you should review this Policy periodically. If there are significant changes to AOL’s information practices, you will be provided with appropriate online notice. You may be provided other privacy-related information in connection with your use of offerings from AOL as well as for special features and services not described in this Policy that may be introduced in the future.

European Union Residents:  AOL adheres to the EU-US Safe Harbor Privacy Principles of Notice, Choice, Onward Transfer, Security, Data Integrity, Access and Enforcement, and is registered with the U.S. Department of Commerce's Safe Harbor Program.

Last Updated
05-14-2013