StoryCorps Privacy Policy

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Last modified: September 14, 2023

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Introduction
The StoryCorps Online Platforms collect and share interview information through the websites currently available at:
storycorps.org (http://storycorps.org/) (together with any successor sites, the “SC Site”), storycorpsconnect.org (http://storycorpsconnect.org/) (together with any successor sites, the “SC Connect Site”),
archive.storycorps.org (http://archive.storycorps.org/) (together with any successor sites, the “Archive Site”), storycorps.org/discover/one (http://storycorps.org/discover/one) (together with any successor sites, the “OSS Site”, or “One Small Step Site”).

Collectively, the above shall be known as the “Sites”. The Sites, along with any mobile application or successor mobile applications (each an “App”), and any software, data feeds, widgets, materials, content and any other services available on or through the Sites and/or App are herein collectively known as the “Services”.

When you use the Services and any other services that StoryCorps may offer in the future, you’ll be sharing some information with us, and that affects your privacy. This privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) explains how and when StoryCorps, Inc. (“StoryCorps”) may collect, store, use and share your information when you use or access the Services. For purposes of this Privacy Policy, the terms “we,” “us” and “our” refer to StoryCorps. “You” refers to you as a user of the Services. If you are using the Services on behalf of an organization or company then the “You” shall be deemed to include such organization or company.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how it will be used in the Services. By using, accessing or downloading any of the Services, you agree to the collection, use and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, please do not use, access or download any of the Services.

IMPORTANT: Even if you have a permanent place of residence in a country outside the United States, your information will be treated in accordance with United States data privacy laws and may be transferred to, stored, processed and used (as described in this Privacy Policy) within the United States.

Information We Collect When you access or use the Services, we collect certain categories of information about you from a variety of sources.

Information You Choose to Give Us Some features of the Services may require you to directly provide us with certain information about yourself. You may elect not to provide this information, but doing so may prevent you from using or accessing these features. Information that you directly submit through our Services includes:

    • Contact Information. We may collect the following contact information: name, email address, physical address and phone number.
    • Account Information. When you create an account, we will collect the following account information: username and password, as well as any other information you choose to disclose such as your gender, hobbies, favorite activities and occupation. If you sign into the Services through your Facebook, Google or Apple account, we will have access to any information on your Facebook, Google or Apple account, as applicable, that you grant us permission to, such as your username, photos, and email address.
    • User Content. Some features of the Services allow you to submit User Content (as defined in Section V of the Terms of Use), which may include information about you. As StoryCorps seeks to build and share a lasting archive of humanity’s stories, User Content is information that you choose to submit (e.g. by uploading, recording, or transmitting) through the App or the Sites. When you share User Content via the Services, you should think carefully about what you are making public. You may change your interview privacy settings on the Services to make your information more private.
    • Signature Interview Content. You may provide certain information about yourself if you participate in any Signature Interviews (as defined in Section VI of the Terms of Use). Any information that you provide during a Signature Interview is public and non-confidential. You may change your interview privacy settings on the Services to make your information more private.
    • One Small Step Interview Content. If you participate in the One Small Step (“OSS”) Interview initiative, StoryCorps will ask you for information about your religious affiliation, your political beliefs, whether you are a registered voter, your age, your gender, your race/ethnicity, your marital status and any other information you choose to share in the OSS questionnaire in order to match you with an interview partner.

Information We Collect from Your Use of the Services

    • Activity. When you use our Services, we may collect information about your activity on the Services, such as interview selections and viewing history.
    • Location. When you use our Services, we may collect information about your location. With your consent, we may also collect information about your precise location using methods that include GPS, wireless networks, cell towers, Wi-Fi access points and other sensors. You typically have to choose to turn such services on or off. If such device-based location services are on, we may receive and record such information, such as the location where you are creating or uploading User Content.
    • Camera, photos and audio. Some of the Services allow us to collect images and/or audio from your device’s App, camera and camera roll. For example, you may upload User Content by providing us access to your camera roll for photos and other applications containing the interview audio file.
    • IP Address Information and Other Information Collected Automatically. We automatically receive and record certain information from your web browser when you access and use the Services, which may include your IP address, cookie information, hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers and mobile network information (including the mobile phone number).
    • Information Collected Using Cookies and Web Beacons. “Cookies” are small data files that are sent to your web browser when you access a website, and the files stored on your device’s hard drive. We use “session” cookies to keep you logged in while you use our Services, to track your preferences and to track trends and monitor usage and web traffic information on our Services. We may use “persistent” cookies to relate your use of our Services to other information about you and store information about your preferences to make your user experience consistent and customized. For example, we may create a persistent cookie that includes some basic information about you, like whether customer support responded to your inquiry. These cookies stay on your hard drive until you erase them or they expire and associate your information with your account even if you are logged out. Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can change your settings on the browser settings to refuse cookies or prompt you before accepting cookies. You can also use your browser settings or other tools to delete cookies you already have. However, if you disable or refuse cookies, then certain features of our Services may be inaccessible or not function properly.
      Our cookies do not, by themselves, contain personal information, and we do not combine the general information collected through cookies with other information to tell us who you are. As noted, however, we do use cookies to identify that your web browser has accessed aspects of the Services and may associate that information with your account if you have one. Certain features of our Services may use local shared objects (or “flash cookies”). Flash cookies are small files similar to browser cookies that collect and store information about your preferences and where you browse and what you look at on our Services. Flash cookies are not managed by the same browser or device settings that are used for browser cookies. You may adjust your Adobe Flash Player settings to prevent flash cookies from being placed on your hard drive. We may also use “clear GIFs” (aka “web beacons” or “pixel tags”) or similar technologies on our Services or in our communications with you to enable us to know whether you have visited a part of our Services or received a message. A clear GIF is typically a one-pixel, transparent image (although it can be a visible image as well), located on a website or in an email or other type of message, which is retrieved from a remote website on the Internet enabling the verification of an individual’s viewing or receipt of a website or message. We may also log information using digital images called web beacons on our Services or in our emails. We may use web beacons to manage cookies, count visits, and to learn what marketing works and what does not. We may also use web beacons to tell if you open or act on our emails. We do not track our users across third party websites and thus do not respond to Do Not Track signals. To opt out of tracking by Google Analytics, click here. This Privacy Policy only covers our use of cookies and does not cover the use of cookies by third parties. We do not control when or how third parties place cookies on your computer. For example, third party websites to which a link points may set cookies on your computer.
    • Information Collected for Push Notifications. When you access the Services through a mobile device, you will also be asked to allow push notifications to be sent to you outside or inside of the App. If you do so, a device token will be generated, which is associated with you until you log out. We will collect and store these device tokens on our servers.

Your Interview Privacy Settings
Any information or content that you voluntarily disclose for posting to the Service during an interview, including User Content, becomes available to the public and may be re-shared by others. Subject to your interview privacy settings, any information that you make public is searchable by other users of the Services and the general public. So, the same common sense that applies to the internet at large applies to StoryCorps and your use of the Service: do not send any messages or share any content that you do not want someone else to save or share.

You may change your privacy settings for your interviews and associated Interview Content (as defined in Section VI of our Terms of Use) through your account to make your information more private.

    • Fully Public. The default setting for an interview is a general public setting. Therefore, unless you change your interview privacy setting, your interview and associated information will be public and accessible by anyone.
    • Story Corps Registered Users. Only people with a registered account on the Services can view or access your interview and associated information. Your interview and associated information will not be accessible by the general public.
    • Private. Only you can view or access your interview and associated information. Your interview and associated information will not be accessible by the general public or other users of the Services if you choose to make your interview private.

Please note that even if you change your interview privacy settings on your account, your information, including any associated photographs, audio and materials, can still be accessed and used by StoryCorps and its partners, funders and sponsors, licensees and researchers for research purposes; which may include contact with a researcher requesting additional information. Participation in such research is entirely voluntary.

Also, please be aware that that your account profile will remain visible to other users of the Services and the general public regardless of your interview privacy settings.

Our Use of Your Information
StoryCorps is a story-sharing platform, and we will use the information we collect to provide you with products and services to further our mission to preserve and share humanity’s stories and to improve such products and services. StoryCorps will always have access to the information on your account regardless of your interview privacy settings and may use your information to maintain and provide the Services to you. For example, we may use your information, in either aggregated or individual form, in the following ways:

    • to archive and share stories with other people as part of StoryCorps’ mission to preserve the stories of people from all backgrounds and beliefs, including with other users of the Services by sharing and displaying your username, photograph, location and, depending on your interview privacy settings, your audio recording and metadata in connection with any User Content you upload to any of the Sites or App;
    • to share with our third party partners in order to provide you with a service you use or request. For example, StoryCorps may share your Personally Identifiable Information and Interview Content with third parties for data storage and hosting, and the U.S. Library of Congress for archiving purposes. This Section applies to any and all third party websites, services and applications that you access through the Services or that are used or will be used by StoryCorps to provide the Services, even if not expressly named herein;
    • to communicate with you and respond to you regarding the Services, content, features and products you use or that we think may interest you;
    • to customize and optimize the content or advertisements you receive or view when you use the Services, and otherwise improve your experience on our Services;
    • to provide, maintain, protect, analyze, understand and improve our Services, content, features and products, which may include tracking traffic, trends, usage and navigation patterns;
    • to develop new services; for research and educational purposes; which may include contact with a researcher requesting additional information (participation in such research is entirely voluntary);
    • in any other way we may describe when you provide the information;
    • for legal reasons, including, but not limited to, in response to a valid law enforcement request or legal process or to protect our rights and property or those of third parties; and
    • for any other purpose with your consent.

Disclosure of Your Information
In certain circumstances, we may disclose your information to third parties for legitimate purposes subject to this Privacy Policy. Such circumstances may include:

    • with our third party partners in order to provide you with a service you use or request. For example, StoryCorps may share your information with third parties for data storage and hosting, and the U.S. Library of Congress for archiving purposes. This Section applies to any and all third party websites, services and applications that you access through the Services or that are used or will be used by StoryCorps to provide the Services, even if not expressly named herein;
    • with other users as needed to participate in a Signature Interview or OSS Interview or any related Services;
    • with our third party partners, funders, sponsors, licensees and researchers for research and other non-commercial purposes;
    • with our affiliates or otherwise within our corporate group;
    • with vendors or other service providers (e.g., payment processors, data analytics vendors, cloud storage providers, fulfillment partners, IT service management vendors, email marketing services vendors, security vendors);
    • when you request us to share certain information with third parties, such as through your use of social media widgets or login integrations;
    • in connection with or anticipation of an asset sale, merger, bankruptcy, or other business transaction;
    • to comply with applicable law or any obligations thereunder, including cooperation with law enforcement, judicial orders, and regulatory inquiries;
    • to enforce any applicable terms of service and ensure the safety and security of StoryCorps and/or its users; and
    • with professional advisors, such as auditors, law firms, or accounting firms.

Retaining Your Information
Even if you change your interview privacy settings through your account to be private, your information may still be retained by StoryCorps and accessed by StoryCorps and its partners, funders and sponsors, licensees, researchers and other third parties for research purposes and any other non­ commercial purpose.
If you remove information that you posted to the Services, copies may remain viewable in cached and archived pages of the Services, or if other users or third parties have copied or saved that information prior to removal.

IMPORTANT
If you cancel your account and discontinue your use of the Services, we and our third-party partners (including the U.S. Library of Congress, third party hosting and storage sites and others) may continue to retain information submitted, uploaded or otherwise provided by you prior to your cancellation of your account and/or discontinuance of your use of the Services.

If you have any questions regarding how your Interview Content may be retained or accessed, please contact us at [email protected].

Third Party Sites
This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of third parties including any third party websites, services and applications that you access through the Services. If you follow links to sites or applications not affiliated or controlled by us, you should review their privacy and security policies and other terms and conditions. We cannot take responsibility for the content or privacy policies of those third parties and encourage you to carefully review the privacy and security policies and terms and conditions of any third parties websites, services and applications you access through our Services. We do not guarantee and are not responsible for the privacy or security of these sites, including the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of information found on these sites. Information you provide on public or semi-public venues, including information you share on third-party social networking platforms (such as Facebook) may also be viewable by other users of the Services and/or users of those third-party platforms without limitation as to its use by us or by a third party. Our inclusion of such links does not, by itself, imply any endorsement of the content on such platforms or of their owners or operators, except as disclosed on the Services.

User-Generated Content
By using the Services, you understand and agree that we are providing a platform for you to post content and information to the Services that will be made available publicly (“User-Generated Content”). Examples of User-Generated Content that will be publicly available on the Services include, but are not limited to, any interview audio files, video, images, photographs, text or data included in the interview, interview meta-data, comments and any other user-generated content that may be collected and uploaded by you, StoryCorps or third party partners. That means that other users of the Services and the general public may search for, see, use or share your content that you make available through the Services, consistent with the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use (/terms-of-use/). Please note that we do not control who will have access to the information that you choose to make available to others, and cannot ensure that parties who have access to such information will respect your privacy or keep it secure. We are not responsible for the privacy or security of any information that you make publicly available on the features permitting creation of User-Generated Content or what others do with information you share with them on such platforms. We are not responsible for the accuracy, use or misuse of any User-Generated Content that you disclose or receive from third parties through the forums or email lists.

Protecting Your Information
We implement and maintain reasonable measures to help safeguard your information. However, we make no guarantee that these reasonable efforts will make your information completely secure. Please do your part to help us. You are responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your unique password and account information. Again, we encourage users to think carefully before electing to share content on the internet.

Minors and Children Under Age 13
The Services and content on the Sites and the App are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect, solicit or store information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register or use the Services. In the event that we learn that we have collected information from a child under age 13, we will delete that information where reasonably possible. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please send a detailed message to [email protected].

Information Related to Advertising
To support and enhance the Services, we may use your information to serve advertisements on our Sites and on third party sites. These advertisements are sometimes targeted and served to particular users and may come from third party companies called “ad networks.” Ad networks include third party ad servers, ad agencies, ad technology vendors and research firms. Advertisements served through the Services may be targeted to users who fit a certain general profile category and may be based on (1) information inferred from information provided to us by a user, (2) usage patterns of particular users, or (3) your activity on a third party website. We do not provide information about you to any ad networks for use outside of the Services.

California Residents
Any California residents under the age of eighteen (18) who have registered to use the Services and who have posted content or information on the Services can request that such information be removed from the Services by contacting us at the e-mail or address set forth in the “Contact Us” section below. Such request must state that they personally posted such content or information and detail where the content or information is posted. We will make reasonable good faith efforts to remove the post from prospective public view or anonymize it so the resident cannot be individually identified. This removal process cannot ensure complete or comprehensive removal. For instance, third parties may have republished the post, and archived copies of it may be stored by search engines and other parties that we do not control.

Business Transfers
As we continue to develop our business, we may disclose your information in connection with a merger, reorganization, bankruptcy or sale of either our company, Services, App or Sites. In such transactions, customer information is often one of the transferred business assets but remains subject to the promises made in any pre-existing Privacy Policy (unless the customer consents otherwise). You acknowledge and consent that such transfers are permitted by this Privacy Policy, and that any acquirer of ours or our current assets may continue to receive, store, and process your information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. You also consent to us providing access to your information as part of diligence or review processes conducted by potential acquirers, entities providing financing to them, their advisors, us and our advisors.

Changes to Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy is effective as of the date stated at the top of this Privacy Policy. It may be necessary from time to time for us to modify this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in the way we collect and use information or changes in privacy-related laws, regulations and industry standards. Accordingly, we reserve the right to change this policy at any time by posting the revised policy on the Services and updating the “last modified” date at the top of this page. If we make material changes to the way in which we use information we collect, we will use reasonable efforts to notify you (such as by emailing you at the last email address you provided us, by posting notice of such changes on the Services, or by other means consistent with applicable law) and will take additional steps as required by applicable law. We encourage you to refer to this Privacy Policy on an ongoing basis so that you understand our current privacy practices. If revisions to the Privacy Policy are unacceptable to you, you must cease using the Services.

Contact Us
If you have any questions regarding our Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at [email protected] or StoryCorps, 80 Hanson Place, 8th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11217