This privacy statement discloses the practices of TechOnline Pty Ltd to protect your privacy. The "Services" provided by TechOnline (“We”) to its subscribers ("You") are provided under and more fully described in TechOnline’s “Terms of Use” found on TechOnline’s website www.TechOnline.com.au
1. Information Collection and Use
TechOnline is the sole owner of the information collected on this site. We will not sell, share, or rent this information to others in ways different from what is disclosed in this statement. TechOnline collects information from our users at several different points on our Web site to verify your identity, provide the Services you subscribe to, administer and manage those Services including appropriate use, and understand how to improve the Services offered.
1.1 Sign-up. In order to access Subscriber Only sections of this Web site, you must first complete the sign-up form. During sign-up you are required to give your contact information (such as name and e-mail address), and you will be provided with a unique identifier (i.e. logon name and password).
1.2 Payment Information. If you register to use the Services provided by TechOnline, we will collect credit card information, and other payment information necessary to complete a payment from you. TechOnline uses a bank to process and verify credit cards for billing purposes on a secure site (SSL environment), which requires us to share your name, credit card number, expiration date and billing address with the bank. When processing a payment transaction, TechOnline will also obtain information regarding the amount of the payment and other transaction data. We may transfer or disclose this payment information to a third party only to the extent necessary in order to complete the payment processing.
1.3 Computer System Information
(a) Screen Sharing. The Screen Sharing tool allows you to grant control of your computer to an Expert remotely over the Internet, so that the Expert can diagnose or correct problems. Experts are not allowed to use the Screen Sharing software until and unless they have received adequate training in its use, and you have consented to its use. In addition, Experts will not use Screen Sharing tools to obtain confidential or sensitive information stored on your computer or network, deliberately destroy information on your computer or network, or cause you to experience system problems.
(b) System Audit. The system audit application collects a wide variety of useful information about the state of a computer system and the applications on it. This information is packaged into a document containing all the essential details needed by Experts and is sent securely over the Internet to the TechOnline server. Experts analyse this information to help diagnose and solve subscriber problems. Information collected by this application will not contain any sensitive information such as Web sites visited, e-mail messages, e-mail addresses sent to, passwords, profiles, etc. Use of the Screen Sharing and system audit applications is also subject to the terms and conditions in the respective software license agreements.
(c) Third Parties. TechOnline may employ or arrange for a third party to perform services for TechOnline subscribers. In such circumstances, TechOnline will only disclose information that is required by the third party to perform the necessary services.
1.4 Live Help Session Records. TechOnline reserves the right to monitor on-line and off-line sessions between you and an Expert for quality control of the Service provided by Experts. In addition, we may record on-line and off-line sessions conducted on the Web site for your reference and to assist in resolution of disputes and/or potential complaints. The session records will also be used to improve the Service, build a support knowledge base, and/or conduct internal market research. Session record data will not be correlated with personally identifiable data about individual customers.
1.5 Cookies. A cookie is a message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser stores the message in a text file called cookie.txt. The main purpose of cookies is to identify users and possibly prepare customized Web pages for them. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personally identifiable information while on our site and cannot infringe the privacy of our customers.
1.6 Log Files. We use log files to assess our services and to check that they have been correctly delivered to subscribers. These log files also provide valuable information to assist in resolving a subscriber’s computer problem. The data captured in the log files relates specifically to the performance of the TechOnline security and maintenance applications and also the performance and security of your computer. The information contained in these log files does not include personal details, any information about Internet activity or any other tracking data.
1.7 Sharing. We may share aggregated demographic information with our partners and any future advertisers. This is not linked to any personal information that can identify any individual person.
1.8 Surveys & Contests. From time-to-time TechOnline may request information from you via surveys or contests. Participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary and you therefore have a choice whether or not to disclose this information. Information requested may include contact information (such as name and shipping address), and demographic information (such as postcode, age level). Contact information will be used to notify the winners and award prizes. Survey information will be used for purposes of monitoring or improving the use and satisfaction of this site.
2. Security
This Web site takes every precaution to protect information on users. When you submit sensitive information via the Web site, your information is protected both on-line and off-line.
When our sign-up form asks you to enter sensitive information (such as credit card number), that information is encrypted and is protected with industry best practice encryption software - SSL. While on a secure page, such as our Sign up form, the lock icon on the bottom of Web browsers such as Microsoft Internet Explorer becomes locked, as opposed to un-locked, or open, when you are just 'surfing'. By clicking the GeoTrust seal on our site, you may also check to what extent the Web site is secure.
While we use SSL encryption to protect sensitive information online, we also do everything in our power to protect subscriber information off-line. All of our subscribers’ information, not just the sensitive information mentioned above, is encrypted and access is restricted in our offices. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, a billing clerk or a customer service representative) are granted access to personally identifiable information. Our employees must use password-protected screen-savers when they leave their desk. When they return, they must re-enter their password to re-gain access to your information. Furthermore, ALL employees are kept up-to-date on our security and privacy practices and what they can do to ensure our customers' information is protected. Finally, we manage our servers that we store personally identifiable information appropriately and our firewall infrastructure is strictly adhered to.
All TechOnline employees, Experts and Third Parties sign confidentiality undertakings with TechOnline to ensure the security of subscriber information.
In situations that are required by law, we may disclose some information about our users to law enforcement agencies when they are required to investigate offensive and/or illegal activities under State and/or Federal Laws.
3. Other Information
In order for this Web site to properly fulfill its obligation to our subscribers, it is necessary for us to supplement the information we receive with information from 3rd party sources. For example, to determine our subscribers’ creditworthiness, we may use their name and other related information to request a credit report. Once we determine their creditworthiness, this document is destroyed.
3.1 Special Offers. We send all new members a welcoming e-mail to verify password and logon name. Established subscribers will occasionally receive information on products, services, special deals, and a newsletter.
3.2 Correction/Updating Personal Information. If Your personally identifiable information is incorrect or changes (such as your address details), or if You no longer desire the Service, we will endeavour to provide a way to correct, update or remove Your personal data provided to us by contacting us via our website.
3.3 Notification of Changes. If we decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on our website on our Privacy Policy page so that You are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. If at any point we decide to use personally identifiable information in a manner different from that stated at the time it was collected, we will notify you via e-mail. We will use information in accordance with the privacy policy under which the information was collected.
3.4 Linked Sites and the Internet. TechOnline may contain links to other websites. TechOnline is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of such websites. While TechOnline will strive to protect your personal information, we cannot ensure or guarantee the security of the information you provide us online and so we urge you to take every precaution to protect your personal data when you are on the Internet. TechOnline will use all reasonable means to keep Your personal information as safe as possible and will use industry standard technologies and maintain current security standards to ensure that this information is protected against unauthorised access, disclosure, inappropriate alteration or misuse.
3.5 Updating Privacy Policy. TechOnline may amend this Policy from time to time. Any additions, modifications or removal of parts to our Privacy Policy and information handling practices will be made in a timely manner by updates on TechOnline’s website.
If you have any questions about the privacy policy at our Web site, you can e-mail your inquiries to admin@techonline.com.au
Last Updated: 20 December 2004
TechOnline copyright © 2004