Michelin Practices Related to the Protection of Confidential Personal Data

Michelin North America, Inc. (“Michelin”), respects the private lives of the visitors and users of its Internet sites. This document describes the practices adopted by Michelin concerning personal data, including the circumstances in which it may be collected, the purposes for which it may be used, and the people for which it is intended. Each Michelin Internet site has a particular aim and has characteristics which are unique to it. If additional personal data acquisitions are necessary for a Michelin Internet site in particular, you will be so informed on the site.

 

Table of Contents

Personal Data

Generally, most Michelin Internet sites do not require you to disclose your personal data. It may be that Michelin requires you to provide your personal data in order to better meet your needs, for example, to establish a correspondence, to respond to a request, and other similar circumstances. “Personal data” may include your name, addresses, telephone number, email addresses, and other specific information such as a user name, password, or account information.

Automatically Collected Data

We automatically collect the following information about your use of our sites through cookies, web beacons, and other technologies: your domain name; your browser type and operating system; web pages you view; links you click; your IP address; the length of time you visit our sites; and the referring URL, or the webpage that led you to our sites. Please see the section “Cookies and Other Tracking Mechanisms” below for more information.

Collection of Personal Data

Michelin will collect your personal data with precise, explicit, and legitimate goals. It will not treat this data in a way that is incompatible with these goals. Michelin is committed to collecting only the information that is adequate, relevant, and non-excessive, taking into consideration the goal for which it is collected. Michelin will take all reasonable measures to ensure that the personal data collected is accurate.

Use of Personal Data

Michelin uses your personal data within the strict limits of the goals for which it was collected. As an example, Michelin may use your personal data to:

  • Provide you with information on its products and services;
  • Carry out and follow your transactions;
  • Allow you to take part in the interactive aspects of its sites; and
  • Communicate, develop, and trade with you.

Michelin is committed to not using your personal data without your prior consent.

Recipients of your personal data

The recipients of your personal data are limited exclusively to the people who have a business need to know. Michelin may share your personal data with third party suppliers or service providers. These suppliers and service providers are contractually obligated to keep your personal data confidential and secure, and they are required to use your personal data only for the needs for the services that were entrusted to them. Michelin will not sell or rent your personal data to third parties without your consent, except pursuant to a court order, to comply with applicable law, or to protect the rights and the goods of Michelin.

Shelf Life

Michelin will not preserve your personal data any longer than it is necessary to achieve the goals for which it was collected or for the time period required by law.

Right of Access, Modification, or Opposition

You can ask Michelin for access to your personal data in its possession, and you may modify this data if it is not accurate. You have the right to prohibit Michelin from collecting or disclosing your personal data. As regards commercial prospection, you can use your right of opposition without any justification. For the exercise of these rights, please notify the webmaster of the Internet site concerned and/or the Privacy Officer.

Data Security

Michelin has established measures to ensure the confidentiality, safety and integrity of its systems containing your personal data. The access to the personal data is restricted to those with a business need to know and who are required to observe these rules. On Michelin’s commercial sites, the collection of the banking coordinates will be carried out within the framework of effective processes of security of the payments. These measurements can consist of encryption during the collection or transfer of confidential data. Michelin takes care to ensure that your personal data is not altered, damaged or misused.

Cookies

Michelin and our third party service providers collect data relating to how you use our Internet sites to improve our service to visitors and users of these sites through the use of cookies.

  • Session Cookies. Session cookies exist only during an online session. They disappear from your computer when you close your browser or turn off your computer. We use session cookies to allow our systems to uniquely identify you during a session or while you are logged into the Site. This allows us to process your online transactions and requests and verify your identity, after you have logged in, as you move through our sites.
  • Persistent Cookies. Persistent cookies remain on your computer after you have closed your browser or turned off your computer. We use persistent cookies to track aggregate and statistical information about user activity.

Disabling Cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but if you prefer, you can edit your browser options to block them in the future. The Help portion of the toolbar on most browsers will tell you how to prevent your computer from accepting new cookies, how to have the browser notify you when you receive a new cookie, or how to disable cookies altogether. Visitors to our sites who disable cookies will be able to browse certain areas of the sites, but some features may not function. Local Storage Objects. We may use Flash Local Storage Objects (“Flash LSOs”) to store your site preferences and to personalize your visit. Flash LSOs are different from browser cookies because of the amount and type of data stored. Typically, you cannot control, delete, or disable the acceptance of Flash LSOs through your web browser. For more information on Flash LSOs, or to learn how to manage your settings for Flash LSOs, go to the Adobe Flash Player Help Page, choose “Global Storage Settings Panel” and follow the instructions. To see the Flash LSOs currently on your computer, choose “Website Storage Settings Panel” and follow the instructions to review and, if you choose, to delete any specific Flash LSO. Clear GIFs, pixel tags and other technologies. Clear GIFs are tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on your computer’s hard drive, clear GIFs are embedded invisibly on web pages. We may use clear GIFs (a.k.a. web beacons, web bugs or pixel tags), in connection with our sites to, among other things, track the activities of site visitors, help us manage content, and compile statistics about site usage. We and our third party service providers also use clear GIFs in HTML e-mails to our customers, to help us track e-mail response rates, identify when our e-mails are viewed, and track whether our e-mails are forwarded. Third Party Analytics. We use automated devices and applications to evaluate usage of our sites, including but not limited to Google Analytics. To learn more about how Google Analytics collects and processes data, visit: “How Google uses data when you use our partners’ sites or apps”, (located at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/, or any other URL Google may provide from time to time). We also may use other analytic means to evaluate our sites. We use these tools to help us improve our sites, performance and user experiences. These entities may use cookies and other tracking technologies to perform their services. Do Not Track. Currently, our systems do not recognize browser “do-not-track” requests. You may, however, disable certain tracking as discussed in this section (e.g., by disabling cookies); you also may opt-out of targeted advertising by following the instructions in the Third Party Ad Network section. Third Party Ad Networks. We use third parties such as network advertisers to serve advertisements on our sites and on third-party websites or other media (e.g., social networking platforms). This enables us and these third parties to target advertisements to you for products and services in which you might be interested. Third-party ad network providers, advertisers, sponsors and/or traffic measurement services may use cookies, JavaScript, web beacons (including clear GIFs), Flash LSOs and other tracking technologies to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize advertising content to you. These third-party cookies and other technologies are governed by each third party’s specific privacy policy, not this one. We may provide these third-party advertisers with information about you. Users in the United States may opt out of many third-party ad networks. For example, you may go to the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) Consumer Choice Page for information about opting out of interest-based advertising and their choices regarding having information used by DAA companies. You may also go to the Network Advertising Initiative (“NAI”) Consumer Opt-Out Page for information about opting out of interest-based advertising and their choices regarding having information used by NAI members. Opting out from one or more companies listed on the DAA Consumer Choice Page or the NAI Consumer Opt-Out Page will opt you out from those companies’ delivery of interest-based content or ads to you, but it does not mean you will no longer receive any advertising through our sites or on other websites. You may continue to receive advertisements, for example, based on the particular website that you are viewing (i.e., contextually based ads). Also, if your browsers are configured to reject cookies when you opt out on the DAA or NAI websites, your opt out may not be effective. Additional information is available on the DAA’s website at www.aboutads.info or the NAI’s website at www.networkadvertising.org.

International Transfers of Personal Data

Michelin is an international company that has databases in the various countries where it operates. Michelin can transfer your personal data within the company or to its external partners located outside of your home country. Because the level of data protection is not homogeneous on a world level, we do not transmit your personal data to third party companies outside of the European Union unless these companies offer contractually the same or similar level of protection of your personal data that Michelin offers. For the transfers within Michelin, the company has adopted Binding Corporate Rules (“BCRs”) to govern the transfers of personal data coming from the European Union. If you click on “BCRs,” you will find a copy of the rules.

Interactive Services

Certain Michelin Internet sites contain interactive functions. You can, if you wish it, use these interactive functions by filling a form with inscription. This form requires you to disclose certain personal data. This personal data is collected with an aim of improving the interactive services and of meeting your needs. The users registered with these services can have access to the information provided at the time of the inscription, and they have the right to modify or destroy the information provided at any time.

Minors

Michelin Internet sites are generally not intended for minors (less than eighteen (18) years of age). If you are a minor, we encourage you not to transmit personal information without the authorization of your parents.

Links to Third Party Sites

Michelin Internet sites can include hyperlinks to third party sites. Michelin does not control these sites and thus cannot be held responsible for their practices relating to the confidentiality and security of your personal data. We invite you to review those sites’ privacy policies before using them or providing them with your personal data.

Trademark and Copyright Notice

Please consult our Terms of Use for further information.

Consent to This Privacy Policy

By using this website, you signify your assent to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any term in this Policy, please do not use this site or submit any personally identifiable information.

Amendments

This Policy became effective on April 15, 2011. Any amendments will be posted at this URL and will be effective when posted. Thus, please check this page periodically.