Privacy Policy - Visit North Carolina

Effective Date: March 15, 2022

This Privacy Policy describes how Visit North Carolina (“Visit NC,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses and shares information about you as well as your rights and choices about such use and sharing, and applies to your use of any online service location that posts a link to this Privacy Policy (including, but not limited to, visitnc.com, retirenc.com, sportsnc.com, filmnc.com, partners.visitnc.com, annualreport.visitnc.com, project543.visitnc.com and any other Visit NC campaign websites or microsites) and all features, content, and other services that we own, control, and make available through such online service location (collectively, the “Service”) or offline locations that makes this Privacy Policy available to you.

By using the Service, or interacting with us offline, you agree to our Terms of Use and consent to our collection, use and disclosure practices, and other activities as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree and consent, discontinue use of the Service.

If you are a California resident, please see the Additional Disclosures for California Residents section below. If you have any questions or wish to exercise your rights and choices, please contact us as set out in the Contact Us section below.

Information Collection

Information You Provide

We collect information when you use the Service or interact with us offline, including information you provide when participate in a sweepstakes, contest, survey, or promotion (“Promotion”), or contact customer support. The following categories of information we collect and have collected in the last twelve (12) months:

The information we collect includes information that identifies you personally (whether alone or in combination). Some examples of information you provide include the following:

Contact Data, including your first and last name, email address, postal address, and phone number;
Demographic Data, including your age, gender, and country; and
Content, including content within any messages you send to us (such as feedback and questions to customer support).

You may choose to voluntarily submit other information to us through the Service that we do not request, and, in such instances, you are solely responsible for such information.

Information Collected Automatically

We automatically collect information when you use the Service. The Categories of information we automatically collect and have collected in the last twelve (12) months, include:

Device Data – Device Data includes connectivity and configuration data including data about the type of device or browser you use and your settings, the Internet domain and IP address from which you access our site, your device’s identifiers and operating software, and your internet service provider.
Service Use Data – Service use data includes the date and time you access our site, the length of time you spend on our site, the pages you visit, the features you use, the emails and advertisements you view, and your referring and exiting pages.
Location Data – Location data includes imprecise location data (such as location derived from an IP address or data that indicates a city or postal code level) and, with your consent, precise location data (such as latitude/longitude data).

We collect this information to measure the use of our site, to improve the content of our site, to evaluate technical performance, to identify problem areas, and to be used by us and other parties for business and commercial purposes such as to deliver relevant ads and/or other content to you on the Service.

We use various current – and later – developed technologies to automatically collect information (“Tracking Technologies”), including the following:

Log Files, which are files that record events that occur in connection with your use of the Service.
Cookies, which are small text files that we place in your computer’s browser to store your preferences. We use two types of cookies: session cookies and persistent cookies. Session cookies make it easier for you to navigate our website and expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies help with personalizing your experience, remembering your preferences, and supporting security features. Additionally, persistent cookies allow us to bring you advertising both on and off the Service. Persistent cookies may remain on your device for extended periods of time, and generally may be controlled through your browser settings. We use cookies to understand site usage and to improve the content and offerings on our sites. For example, we may use cookies to personalize your experience on our web pages (e.g., to recognize you by name when you return to our site). We also may use cookies to provide you tailored offers of products and services. Cookies are essential to the proper functioning of VisitNC.com

If you want to control which cookies you accept, you can configure your browser to accept all cookies or to alert you every time a website’s server offers a cookie. Most browsers automatically accept cookies. You can set your browser option so that you will not receive cookies and you can also delete existing cookies from your browser.

Pixels, (also known as web beacons), which is code embedded in a website, video, email, or advertisement that sends information about your use to a server. There are various types of pixels, including image pixels (which are small graphic images) and JavaScript pixels (which contains JavaScript code). When you access a website, video, email, or advertisement that contains a pixel, the pixel may permit us or another party to drop or read cookies on your browser. Pixels are used in combination with cookies to track activity by a particular browser on a particular device. We may incorporate pixels from other parties that allow us to track our conversions, bring you advertising both on and off the Service, and provide you with additional functionality, such as the ability to connect our Service with your social media account.
Location-Identifying Technologies, which are technologies used to collect your location. For example, GPS, WiFi, and Bluetooth may be used to collect precise location data when you consent to precise location tracking through our Service. Location data may be used for purposes such as verifying your device’s location and delivering or restricting relevant content and advertising based on that location.
Information from Other Sources.

We also collect information from other sources. To the extent we combine outside sourced information with information we have collected through the Service, we will treat the combined information in accordance with the practices described in this Privacy Policy, plus any additional restrictions imposed by the source of the data. the categories of sources we collect information from including in the last twelve (12) months, include:

Data brokers from which we purchase data to supplement the data we collect.
Social networks when you engage with our content, reference our Service, or grant us permission to access information from the social networks.
Partners that offer co-branded services, sell or distribute our products, or engage in joint marketing activities.
Publicly available sources, including data in the public domain.

How We Use your Information

We collect and use information about you for business and commercial purposes in accordance with the practices described in this Privacy Policy. Our Business purposes for collecting and using information, including in the last twelve (12) months, including to:

Operate, manage, and maintain our Service;
Perform services requested by you, such as to respond to your comments, questions, and requests, and provide customer service;
Send you technical notices, updates, security alerts, information regarding changes to our policies, and support and administrative messages;
Prevent and address fraud, breach of policies or terms, and threats or harm;
Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities;
Conduct research, including focus groups and surveys;
Serve advertising tailored to your interests on our Service; and
Improve the Service or other of our websites, apps, marketing efforts, products and services.

We use your information for our commercial purposes with your consent in order to properly respond to you or to fulfill requests for the following:

Brochures or other mailed information;
Email newsletters;
Promotions and sweepstakes entries and eligibility verification;
Sharing your opinions through surveys;
Send you communications regarding our and other parties’ products, offers, promotions, rewards, events, and services that may be of interest to you;
Develop and display content, features, and advertising tailored to your interests on our Service as well as on other platforms and services;
Using Contact Us for correspondence;
Submitting a request for proposal for Group Tour Planning; and
Fulfill any other purpose disclosed to you and with your consent.

When you contact us via email, we will only use the information to respond to your request. We may occasionally redirect your message to another government agency or person who is in a better position to answer your question.

Notwithstanding the above, we may use information that does not identify you (including information that has been de-identified) without obligation to you except as prohibited by applicable law. For information on your rights and choices regarding how we use your information, please see the section entitled Your Rights and Choices below.

Sharing of Information

We share information we collect in accordance with as the practices described in this Privacy Policy. The types of entities to whom we disclose and have shared information with in the last twelve (12) months, include the following:

Service Providers for Business Purposes. We share information with our agents, vendors, and other service providers (collectively “Service Providers”) in connection with their work on our behalf. Service Providers assist us with services such as payment processing, data analytics, marketing and advertising, website hosting, and technical support. Service Providers are contractually prohibited from using information about you for any purpose other than to provide this assistance, although we may permit them to use information that does not identify you (including information that has been aggregated or de-identified) for any purpose except as prohibited by applicable law.
Affiliates for Business Purposes. We share information with our related entities including our parent and sister companies. For example, we share information with our affiliates for customer support, marketing, and technical operations.
Partners for Business and/or Commercial Purposes. We share information with our partners in connection with offering co-branded services, selling or distributing our products, or engaging in joint marketing activities.
Vendors and Other Parties. We may share your information with vendors for business purposes of facilitating your requests (such as when you choose to share information with a social network or other gaming platform about your activities on the Service) and for commercial purposes in connection with tailoring advertisements, measuring and improving our Service and advertising effectiveness, and enabling other enhancements.
Facilitating Requests. We share information with other parties for purposes of facilitating your requests or enabling enhancements, such as when you choose to share information with a social network about your activities on the Service.
Promotions. Our Promotions may be jointly sponsored or offered by other parties. If you voluntarily choose to enter a Promotion, we may share your information with other parties for those commercial purposes as set forth in the official rules that govern the Promotion as well as for administrative purposes and as required by law (e.g., on a winners list). By entering a Promotion, you agree to the official rules that govern that Promotion, and may, except where prohibited by applicable law, allow the sponsor and/or other parties to use your name, voice and/or likeness in advertising or marketing materials.
Security and Compelled Disclosure. We share information to comply with the law or other legal process, and where required, in response to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements. We also share information to protect the rights, property, life, health, security and safety of us, the Service or any other party.
Merger or Acquisition. We may share information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any proposed or actual merger, purchase, sale or any other type of acquisition or business combination of all or any portion of our assets, or transfer of all or a portion of our business to another business or other entity.
Consent. We may share information to fulfill any other purpose disclosed to you or with your consent.

We do not generally disclose personal information about you to any other party for commercial purposes and do not sell personal information as the term “sell” is traditionally understood. However, to the extent the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) is interpreted to include advertising technology activities such as those disclosed below in the Analytics and Interest-Based Advertising section as a “sale,” we will comply with applicable law as to such activity. For more information about how to opt-out of sale of personal information, see the Your California Privacy Rights section below.

Notwithstanding the above, we may share information that does not identify you (including information that has been aggregated or de-identified) with other parties except as prohibited by applicable law. For information on your rights and choices regarding how we share information about you, please see the Your Rights and Choices section below.

Social Media and Technology Integrations

We offer parts of our Service through websites, platforms, and services operated or controlled by separate entities. In addition, we integrate technologies operated or controlled by separate entities into parts of our Service. Some examples include:

Links. Our Service includes links that hyperlink to websites, platforms, and other services not operated or controlled by us.
Liking, Sharing, and Logging-In. We may embed a pixel or SDK on our Service that allows you to “like” or “share” content on, or log-in on to your account through social media. If you choose to engage with such integration, we may collect any information from the social media network that you have authorized to share with us (such as your user ID, billing information, public profile information, email address, birthday, friends list, and other account and profile data). Please note that the social network may independently collect information about you through the integration.
Brand Pages and Chatbots. We may offer our content on social networks such as a Facebook and Twitter. Any information you provide to us when you engage with our content (such as through our brand page or via our chatbot on Facebook Messenger) is treated in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Also, if you publicly reference our Service on social media (e.g., by using a hashtag associated with Visit NC in a tweet or post), we may use your reference on or in connection with our Service.

Please note that when you interact with other entities, including when you leave our Service, those entities may independently collect information about you and solicit information from you. The information collected and stored by those entities remains subject to their own policies and practices, including what information they share with us, your rights and choices on their services and devices, and whether they store information in the U.S. or elsewhere. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with and consult their privacy policies and terms of use.

Analytics and Interest-Based Advertising

Our Service contains Tracking Technologies owned and operated by other parties. For example, we use Tracking Technologies from analytics provides, such as Google Analytics, to help us analyze your use of the Service, compile statistic reports on the Service’s activity, and provide us with other services relating to Service activity and internet usage. We also work with ad serving services, advertisers, and other parties to serve advertisements on the Service and/or services on other websites. These other parties may use Tracking Technologies on our Service (including in emails and advertisements) to track your activities across time and services for purposes of associating the different devices you use, and delivering relevant ads and/or other content to you (“Interest-based Advertising”).

We also use audience matching services to reach people (or people similar to people) who have visited our Service or are identified in one or more of our databases (“Matched Ads”). For example, we use Facebook Custom Audiences to serve Matched Ads. This is done by us uploading a customer list to the technology service or incorporating a pixel from the technology service into our own Service, and the technology service matches common factors between our data and their data.

We consider our advertising technology partners to be Service Providers. However, regulators may interpret newer data protection laws such as the CCPA as characterizing certain kinds of digital advertising activities as “sales.” In such an event, we will comply with applicable laws in connection with its use of such advertising technology services on our Service. These other parties may act as our service providers, or in certain contexts, independently decide how to process your information. We encourage you to familiarize yourself with and consult their privacy policies and terms of use.

For further information on Tracking Technologies and your rights and choices regarding them, please see the Information Collected Automatically and Your Rights and Choices sections.

Your Rights and Choices

Tracking Technology Choices

Cookies and Pixels. Most browsers accept cookies by default. You can instruct your browser, by changing its settings, to decline or delete cookies. If you use multiple browsers on your device, you will need to instruct each browser separately. Your ability to limit cookies is subject to your browser settings and limitations.
Do Not Track. Your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “Do Not Track” signal to online services you visit. Note, however, there is no industry consensus as to what site and app operators should do with regard to these signals. Accordingly, unless and until the law is interpreted to require us to do so, we do not monitor or take action with respect to “Do Not Track” signals or other mechanisms. For more information on “Do Not Track,” visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com.

Please be aware that if you disable or remove Tracking Technologies some parts of the Service may not function correctly.

Analytics and Interest-Based Advertising

You can opt-out of your data being used by Google Analytics through cookies by visiting https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout and downloading the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Some of the unaffiliated parties that collect information from or about you on the Service in order to provide more relevant advertising to you participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) Self-Regulatory Program for Online Behavioral Advertising. This program offers a centralized location where users can make choices about the use of their information for online behavioral advertising. To learn more about the DAA and your opt-out options for their members, please visit (i) for website opt-out, http://www.aboutads.info/choices; and (ii) for mobile app opt-out, http://www.aboutads.info/appchoices. In addition, some of these other parties may be members of the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI“). To learn more about the NAI and your opt-out options for their members, please visit http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/. Please note that if you opt-out of online behavioral advertising using any of these methods, the opt-out will only apply to the specific browser or device from which you opt-out. Further, opting-out only means that the selected members should no longer deliver certain Interest-based Advertising to you, but does not mean you will no longer receive any targeted content and/or ads (e.g., from other ad networks). We are not responsible for effectiveness of, or compliance with, any third parties’ opt-out options or programs or the accuracy of their statements regarding their programs.

To opt out of us using your data for Matched Ads, please contact us as set forth in the “Contact Us” section below and specify that you wish to opt out of matched ads. We will request that the applicable technology service not serve you matched ads based on information we provide to it. Alternatively, you may directly contact the applicable technology service to opt out.

You may also limit our use of information collected from or about your mobile device for purposes of serving online behavioral advertising to you by going to your device settings and selecting “Limit Ad Tracking” (for iOS devices) or “Opt out of Interest-Based Ads” (for Android devices).

Please note that if you opt out using any of these methods, the opt out will only apply to the specific browser or device from which you opt out. We are not responsible for the effectiveness of, or compliance with, any opt out options or programs, or the accuracy of any other entities’ statements regarding their opt out options or programs.

Communications

E-mails. You can opt-out of receiving promotional emails from us at any time by following the instructions as provided in emails to click on the unsubscribe link, or emailing us at the email address set out in the “Contact Us” section below with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject field of the email. Please note that you cannot opt-out of non-promotional emails, such as those about your account, transactions, servicing, or Visit NC’s ongoing business relations.
Text Messages and Calls. You can opt-out of receiving text messages or calls to your phone number at any time by (i) for text messages, texting “STOP” in response to any text message you receive from us or contacting us as set out in the “Contact Us” section below and specifying you want to opt-out of text messages; and (ii) for calls, requesting opt-out during any call you receive from us or contacting us as set out in the “Contact Us” section below and specifying you want to opt-out of calls.

Please note that your opt-out is limited to the email address used and will not affect subsequent subscriptions.

Children

The Service is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under sixteen (16) years of age.

Visit NC does not knowingly collect or solicit personal information as defined by the U.S. Children’s Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) or as defined under the CCPA from anyone under the age of 16. If you are under the age of 16, please do not provide personal information of any kind whatsoever and please do not use our products and services or participate in our surveys, contests, events, and other Promotions. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that we might have collected information in a manner not permitted by COPPA, please contact us as set forth in the section entitled “Contact Us” below.

If you are a California resident under 18 years old and registered to use the Service, you can ask us to remove any content or information you have posted on the Service. To make a request, email us at the email address set out in “Contact Us” section with “California Under 18 Content Removal Request” in the subject line, and tell us what you want removed.

Data Security

We implement and maintain reasonable administrative, physical, and technical security safeguards to help protect information about you from loss, theft, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Nevertheless, transmission via the internet is not completely secure and we cannot guarantee the security of information about you.

International Transfer

We are based in the U.S. and the information we collect is governed by U.S. law. If you are accessing the Service from outside of the U.S., please be aware that information collected through the Service may be transferred to, processed, stored, and used in the U.S. and other jurisdictions. Data protection laws in the U.S. and other jurisdictions may be different from those of your country of residence. Your use of the Service or provision of any information therefore constitutes your consent to the transfer to and from, processing, usage, sharing, and storage of information about you in the U.S. and other jurisdictions as set out in this Privacy Policy.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to revise and reissue this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting of the revised Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our Service indicates your consent to the Privacy Policy then posted. If the changes are material, we may provide you additional notice to your email address.

Video Privacy

The videos produced by Visit North Carolina are designed to display some of the wonderful places, events, and scenery of North Carolina. People shown in the video features were filmed enjoying North Carolina’s public places or filmed on private property with the full permission of the property owner. Their appearance in the video does not constitute actual or implied endorsement of Visit North Carolina.

Disclaimer

Visit North Carolina has compiled content and information contained in this site based on data provided by local tourism partners and business entities. While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of this information, Visit North Carolina makes no representations, guarantees or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness or suitability of the information provided on this web site. All data is subject to change without notice. Travelers are advised to contact individual businesses or organizations to obtain the most current information before traveling.

The VisitNC.com website contains links to other sites and we attempt to only link to sites that share our high standards and respect for privacy. Links to third-party websites are provided as a convenience for our site visitors and do not constitute endorsement or control of their content.

Copyright

Contact Information

Additional questions or concerns about these policies should be directed to the contact page at VisitNC.com or at privacy@visitnc.com.

Additional Disclosure for Nevada Residents

Nevada law (NRS 603A.340) requires each business to establish a designated request address where Nevada consumers may submit requests directing the business not to sell certain kinds of personal information that the business has collected or will collect about the consumer. A sale under Nevada law is the exchange of personal information for monetary consideration by the business to a third party for the third party to license or sell the personal information to other third parties. If you are a Nevada consumer and wish to submit a request relating to our compliance with Nevada law, please contact us as at nevadarequests@visitnc.com.

Additional Disclosure for California Residents

These additional disclosures for California residents apply only to individuals who reside in California. The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) provides additional rights to know, delete and opt out, and requires businesses collecting or disclosing personal information to provide notices and means to exercise rights.

Notice of Collection

In the past 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information enumerated in the CCPA:

Identifiers, including name, email address, phone number account name, IP address, and an ID or number assigned to your account.
Demographics, such as your age or gender. This category includes data that may qualify as protected classifications under other California or federal laws.
Commercial information, including purchases and engagement with the Services.
Internet activity, including your interactions with our Service.
Audio or visual data, including pictures or vides you post on our Service.
Geolocation data, including location enabled services such as WiFi and GPS.
Inferences, including information about your interests, preferences and favorites.

For more information on information we collect, including the sources we receive information from, review the Information Collection section. We collect and use these categories of personal information for the business purposes described in the How We Use Your Information section, including to provide and manage our Services.

Company does not generally sell information as the term “sell” is traditionally understood. However, to the extent “sale” under the CCPA is interpreted to include advertising technology activities such as those disclosed in the Analytics and Interest-Based Advertising section as a “sale,” we will comply with applicable law as to such activity. Company discloses the following categories of personal information for commercial purposes: identifiers, demographic information, commercial information, internet activity, geolocation data and inferences. We use and partner with different types of entities to assist with our daily operations and manage our Service. Please review the Sharing of Information section for more detail about the parties we have shared information with.

Right to Know and Delete

If you are a California resident, you have the right to delete the personal information we have collected from you and the right know certain information about our data practices in the preceding 12 months. In particular, you have the right to request the following from us:

The categories of personal information we have collected about you;
The categories of sources from which the personal information was collected;
The categories of personal information about you we disclosed for a business purpose or sold;
The categories of third parties to whom the personal information was disclosed for a business purpose or sold;
The business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling the personal information; and
The specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.

To exercise any of these rights, please call our toll-free number at 1-800-VISITNC, or email us at privacy@visitnc.com. In the request, please specify which right you are seeking to exercise and the scope of the request. We will confirm receipt of your request within 10 days. We may require specific information from you to help us verify your identity and process your request. If we are unable to verify your identity, we may deny your requests to know or delete.

Right to Opt-Out

To the extent Company sells your personal information as the term “sell” is defined under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information by us to third parties at any time. You may submit a request to opt-out by emailing us at privacy@visitnc.com or by mail at Visit North Carolina, Attn: Privacy Policy, 150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 1200, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Authorized Agent

You can designate an authorized agent to submit requests on your behalf. However, we will require written proof of the agent’s permission to do so and verify your identity directly.

Right to Non-Discrimination

You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment by us for the exercise of any your rights.

Shine the Light Customer Rights

Customers in the state of California may request (i) a list of categories of personal information disclosed by us to another party during the immediately preceding calendar year for those third parties’ and/or affiliates’ own marketing purposes; and a list of the categories of other parties to whom we disclosed such information. If you are a California resident and would like to request this information, please submit a written request to the email or address provided below. Requests must include “California Privacy Rights Request” in the first line of the description and include your name, street address, city, state, and ZIP code. Please note that we are not required to respond to requests made by means other than through the provided e-mail address or mailing address (Visit North Carolina, Attn: Privacy Policy, 150 Fayetteville Street, Suite 1200, Raleigh, NC 27601).