At YTV.com (the "Site") we, at YTV Canada, Inc., ("YTV"), the operators of the Site, understand and appreciate the concerns that parents and families may have with regard to information gathered about Site users surfing our website, or on any other website.
The Site gathers different kinds of information from its visitors in accordance with applicable privacy laws
Please also make sure to read the Site’s Terms of Use as it supplements this Privacy Policy. By using the Site you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. If you do not agree to the terms of this policy, please exit the Site immediately.
We may change this Privacy Policy at any time by posting revisions to the Site. Your continued use of the Site indicates your agreement to the revised terms.
Type of Information Gathered on the Site
Personal Information for Contests
A user can enter a YTV contest through the Site. If a user is 13 years of age and under, we require parental consent prior to the submission of a user's personal information. On the online entry form, we ask for personal information such as your name and address. This personal information is collected, used and/or disclosed solely for the purpose of awarding contest prizes, tracking compliance with the official rules and regulations and for internal feedback purposes. YTV only uses and discloses a contest winner's name and photograph after receiving prior written consent from the winner (or their parent/guardian if the winner is under the age of majority in his or her Province of residence) and the appropriate release forms are fully completed by a parent/guardian and returned to YTV.
YTV sometimes uses a third party company (YTV's contest fulfillment house) to draw winners’ names, contact winners and send prizes out. The personal information collected by this company is solely for the purpose of the contest fulfillment, and this company is contractually obligated to maintain the private and/or confidential nature of the collected information in accordance with privacy laws.
All contest and stored information, including personal information received from our visitors, remains the exclusive property of YTV and is not sold or distributed. Contest entry names and information are seen only by YTV, YTV’s contest sponsors, prize providers and/or YTV's contest fulfillment house. Such information is stored in a secure location and only accessible for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it is collected, and it is destroyed, in a manner which ensures that the private and/or confidential nature of the information is preserved, typically within sixty (60) days after the Contest has been fulfilled.
Each YTV employee signs confidentiality agreements upon employment with the company, and is trained to carry out and implement YTV's Privacy Policy.
Show Submissions
Occasionally, YTV.com users will have the opportunity to submit ideas or content such as videos for inclusion on some shows airing on YTV. At this time, the producers of these shows will also ask the users to include a contact number, email or address. Only those who produce the show in question will have access to the contact information and it will not be passed on to a third party. People who submit ideas or content may be contacted if the show's producers are possibly interested in using such submissions. Users: please be sure to provide your parent or legal guardian’s contact information for these purposes.
Links to Third Party Websites
Please keep in mind that this Privacy Policy applies to YTV.com only. Occasionally, we may have links to other Sites, including those of sponsors and partners. And although we do our best to ensure that these third parties share our views about privacy protection and safety, we don't have control over how they collect and use personal information from visitors. That's why always a good idea to check out another website's privacy policy and terms of use - even if you've linked to it from YTV.com.
Participation in the iCarly.ca (Email and IP addresses) program
MTV Networks stores all iCarly content, including email and IP addresses, on a server located outside of Canada. The MTV Networks, iCarly site operates in accordance with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. iCarly users may print out and mail or fax Nick.com a signed form that allows them to review any identifiable information collected, have this information deleted, and/or request that there be no further collection or use of the information. You can obtain the form here. Nick.com takes steps to verify the identity of anyone requesting information to ensure that the person is in fact the child's parent or legal guardian. MTV Networks collects, stores and transfers personal information in accordance with YTV security protocols and Privacy Policy.
iCarly users may obtain information about MTV Network's Privacy Policy and practices by visiting http://www.nick.com/info/privacy-policy.html or emailing nickprivacy@nickonline.com or by writing to the Nick Privacy at MTV Networks, 1515 Broadway New York, New York 10036.
For questions related to YTV's collection, use and disclosure of personal information please contact membership@ytv.com or write to YTV.com Privacy Officer 25 Dockside Drive, Toronto, Ontario M5B 0B5.
Online Polls and Surveys
Occasionally visitors are invited to voluntarily answer polls or survey questions that may be used in conjunction with sponsors’/business partners. Be assured that in these poll and survey situations, only general (not personal) information, such as gender, age and postal code, is collected. The information collected ensures that visitors remain anonymous.
General website Traffic
YTV tracks the number of visits to our Site. For example, we count how many times people access the YTV Guide page on the Site. All information gathered in this way is generic, and we do not track any individual users from this, but only calculate how many visits have taken place.
Cookie Technology
Cookies are small data files that your browser may place on your computer when you visit different Web sites to mark that you have been there. Cookie technology is used on the Site to maximize the user’s experience. For example, we use cookies to keep track of how long they stay on the Site, what features or Site activities are most often used, or the user's time zone information which allows us to customize the YTV schedule and give accurate show times. We also use cookies to keep track of a user's progress through a game we may have on our Site.
No personal information is gathered from these cookies. However, you may choose to set up your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are sent. Please note, though, if you don't have a YTV cookie it may limit our ability to customize and improve our Site features.
Email Identification
When a user sends an email message to YTV through the website, two pieces of information are automatically stamped on the message. These are the time that the message was sent, and the IP address it was sent from. This is a precautionary measure against any potentially threatening messages being sent to YTV, its staff, or the public. This information is only used in those extreme cases where we feel someone's safety may be at risk.
Membership
YTV.com is a Site designed for kids. Therefore, there are certain laws and guidelines from the Canadian Marketing Association (“CMA”) that we are required to follow. One of the rules is that users under the age of the age of majority require parental consent prior to providing any personal information (subject to certain exceptions provided by the CMA). However, there are other important privacy measures we take such as never asking for more personal info than what we deem necessary - and storing any info we do collect in a secure database only accessible by the YTV.com staff. We take extra steps to prevent members from disclosing their personal info on our Site by monitoring the interactive features and actively enforcing our rules.
Any personal identifiable info collected from our members is for YTV.com purposes only (e.g. Membership verification, contest fulfillment, etc.) We will never sell or give any of this information to third parties, except with your or, if you are under the age of majority, your parent or legal guardian’s consent. Sometimes we may share aggregated info collected from our Polls, however specific Members are never identified.
Email Newsletters
With YTV.com Membership, users will have the option to receive email Newsletters from YTV.com. The Newsletter will be sent out periodically and provide program updates, information on special events, new contests, and YTV host messages. This Newsletter can be cancelled at any time by following the simple steps outlined at the bottom of the Newsletter.
Online Safety Notes for Kids
The internet is a great place to hang out, to find out stuff, and to share comments and ideas with people who are into the same kind of stuff you are.
But the net isn't always a safe place - so we've put together some tips for you to read that will help you handle situations if they come up.
First thing is: don't give out personal information without asking your parents. Personal information can mean:
Your name
Your address
Your phone number
Your mom or dad's name
The name of your school
Your teacher or your friend's names
Secondly, if you run into something on the internet that makes you uncomfortable - whether it's on the web or it's sent to you - tell your mom or dad, or an adult you can talk to, and get them to deal with it. Never agree to meet anyone you have "met" online.
Never send your picture over the internet without checking with your parents or another adult. Don't answer mean or rude messages, or messages asking for personal information. If you do get a message like that - tell your parents right away, so they can help you deal with it. Make sure you obey the rules that your parents have set out for you. Make up a cool nickname for when you join a chat or a game online. Never tell anyone your real name or your password. Get your parents to read the safety for parent's tips.
Online Safety Notes for Parents
The internet is a great place for kids to hang out and learn about topics that are of interest to them. However, there are areas on the internet that are not appropriate for children.
The guidelines we have drawn up are a starting point for parents of children who surf. The most important thing is to be aware of what your children are doing online. This may mean surfing with your children, or talking to them about the Sites that they like or that they have recently discovered on the web.
Make surfing a family activity, particularly with young children
Set ground rules, so each person knows what is expected of them. For example, you could go through the safety tips together so everyone understands the “whats” and the “whys”.
Software solutions:
There are software programs that allow parents to block certain websites from their kids. Some programs are more flexible than others, so you may want to shop around to find one that you're comfortable with.
Any questions, comments or concerns concerning the YTV Privacy Policy can be directed to:
Corus Privacy Officer
Corus Quay
25 Dockside Drive
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 0B5
Or email: privacy@corusent.com
Please make any communications as complete and descriptive as possible and we will attempt to respond promptly to your concerns.
(c) 2012 YTV Canada, Inc.