Privacy Notice

Instron, a [division / subsidiary / affiliate ] of Illinois Tool Works Inc. (“Instron,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) , respects your privacy and is committed to following the privacy and data protection laws that apply to us. This Privacy Statement describes the information we collect, how we use and share it, and your rights with respect to it. This Privacy Statement applies to any information we collect or maintain about you, including (1) personal information that you provide to us on www.instron.com and other websites, applications, communications, and online services that link to this Privacy Statement (collectively with the Website, the “Website and Online Services”); (2) information collected through your use of or interaction with the Website and Online Services; (3) information obtained from our approved partners and other reliable third-party sources; (4) information collected offline (e.g., if we collect your resume during a job fair or collect your information while on-site during a service call); and (5) information collected through our call center. This Privacy Statement also explains the use of cookies and similar technologies on the Website and Online Services (see Passive Information Collection below).

This Privacy Statement applies only to the Instron Website and Online Services that link to this Privacy Statement – not to any third-party sites that may be accessible from the Website and Online Services.

This Privacy Statement is incorporated into and is a part of this Website’s or Online Service’s Terms and Conditions of Use.

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: The Supplemental Notice for California Residents, attached to and a part of this Privacy Statement, provides additional information to California residents about how we collect, use, and share your personal information and your rights under California law with respect to your personal information.

1. INFORMATION WE COLLECT AND HOW WE USE IT

YOUR CONSENT

By using, visiting, or interacting with the Website and Online Services or providing personal information to us through your use of the Website and Online Services or through other channels (e.g., offline, call center), you are consenting to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Statement.

If you do not consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described in this Privacy Statement, do not use the Website or contact us as described in the How You Can Contact Us section below.

ACTIVE INFORMATION COLLECTION

Like many other websites, we actively collect information from our visitors both by asking specific questions on the Website and Online Services and by permitting you to communicate directly with us via e-mail, “Contact Us” forms, “Service Request” forms, “Live Chat,” blog comments, recruiting and employment forms, mobile app registration forms, or other methods made available to you on our Website and Online Services. We also actively collect information from you offline (e.g., if we collect your resume during a job fair or collect your information while on-site during a service call) and through our call center.

Some of the information that you submit may be personal information, which is broadly defined as any information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular individual or household (such as your name, address, e-mail address, phone number, etc.). We collect and use this information for the purposes for which you provide it and for any other purpose described at the time information is collected from you, and as otherwise set forth in this Privacy Statement or as permitted or required by applicable law. For example, if you provide your name and contact information to us to request a quote, such information will be used to provide you with a quote or obtain more information from you regarding your request if necessary.

We generally collect and use personal information provided to us for the following purposes:

  • to respond to your inquiries;
  • to establish, develop and preserve our business relationship respectively with our customers and other individuals with whom we deal;
  • to create, maintain, and administer your account;
  • to allow individuals to apply for employment with us, notify others about Instron job postings and obtain information about future Instron job postings, and to allow us to consider individuals for employment with Instron, and to contact individuals about employment opportunities;
  • to authenticate identity for privacy-related requests;
  • to allow customers, Website visitors, and other partners to register for and attend training sessions and events;
  • to establish or verify the credit of persons who use, or intend to use, one or more of the products offered by Instron or our business partners;
  • to ensure the efficiency, reliability, and security of our systems;
  • to meet legal and regulatory requirements and to allow us to meet contractual requirements relating to our products and services;
  • to understand and assess the interests, wants, and changing needs of Website visitors, our current and prospective customers, and business partners, and with a view to improving our products and services and developing new ones;
  • to provide our customers and Website and Online Services visitors with personalized products and services as well as product recommendations; and
  • to notify Website visitors about changes to the Website and Online Services.

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: The Supplemental Notice for California Residents describes the categories of personal information about California residents collected by Instron in the preceding 12 months, along with additional information regarding the purposes for collecting and using this information.

PASSIVE INFORMATION COLLECTION (COOKIES & SIMILAR TECHNOLOGIES)

Some of the information we collect depends on the settings on your web browser or mobile device. Please check your web browser or mobile device if you want to learn what information your browser or mobile device sends or how to change your settings. In addition to the information sent by your web browser or mobile device, as you navigate through a website or mobile app or interact with an email or online advertisement, certain information can be passively collected (that is, gathered without you actively providing the information) using various technologies and means, such as navigational data collection.

Like most website operators, we and our approved partners use cookies and similar technologies—such as local shared objects (or any other successor tracker technology), Software Development Kits, and pixel tags—that automatically receive and track certain data about how you and other visitors interact with our Website and Online Services, preferences expressed, and settings chosen. For example, we may collect information about the technology you use (such as browser, type of computer, operating systems, mobile device and network used, and Internet service providers) and server log data (such as access dates and times, online features or pages viewed, system activity, and the third-party site or service you were using before interacting with our Website). These technologies are described in more detail below.

“Cookies” are small text files that are stored on your browser or device by websites, mobile apps, online media, and advertisements. There are different types of cookies. Cookies served by the entity that operates the website or app you are visiting or using are called “first party cookies” (so cookies served by Instron while you are using our Website are first party cookies). Cookies served by companies that are not operating the website or app you are visiting or using are called “third party cookies” (so a website analytics provider may set a cookie on your computer via our Website while you visit our Website). Cookies may also endure for different periods of time. “Session Cookies” last only as long as your browser or app is open. These are deleted automatically once you close your browser or app. Other cookies are “persistent cookies” meaning that they survive after your browser or app is closed (for example, they may recognize your computer when you re-open our online services).

“Local shared objects” (also called Flash cookies or HTML5 cookies) and any other successor technology refers generally to the collection of cookie-like data stored on a browser or computer by web sites, ads, or third parties.

“Pixel tags” (also called web beacons or pixels) are small blocks of code installed on (or called by) a web page, app, or advertisement which can retrieve certain information about your device and browser, including device type, operating system, browser type and version, web site visited, time of visit, referring web site, IP address, and other similar information (including the small text file (the cookie) that uniquely identifies the device). Pixels provide the means by which third parties can set and read browser cookies from a domain that they do not themselves operate and collect information about visitors to that domain, typically with the permission of the domain owner.

“Software Development Kits” (also called SDKs) function like pixels and cookies but operate in the mobile app context where pixels and cookies cannot always function. The primary app developer can install pieces of code (the SDK) from partners in the app, thereby allowing such partners to collect certain information about user interaction with the app, information about the user device, and network information.

In this Privacy Statement, these and similar technologies are collectively referred to as “cookies and similar technologies.” The following table sets out the different categories of cookies and similar technologies that our Website and Online Services may use and why we use them:

Cookie Type

Purpose

Necessary (Essential)

These cookies and similar technologies are necessary for our Website and Online Services to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. These cookies and similar technologies are essential to provide you with services available through the Website and Online Services and to enable you to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these cookies, the Website and Online Services that you have asked for cannot be provided, and we only use these cookies and similar technologies to provide you with the Website and Online Services. These cookies and similar technologies include notice acceptance cookies which identify if users have accepted the use of cookies on the Website and Online Services.

Functionality

We use a set of cookies and similar technologies that are optional for the Website and Online Services to function. They are usually only set in response to information provided to the Website and Online Services to personalize and optimize your experience, such as to avoid you having to re-enter your preferences every time you use our Website and Online Services. These cookies and similar technologies allow us to remember choices you make when you use the Website and Online Services, such as remembering your login details or language preference.

These cookies and similar technologies also help us provide you and others with social plugins (for example, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn) and other customized content and experiences.

Analytics and Research

These cookies and similar technologies are used to understand, improve, and research our Website and Online Services, and better understand the interests of people who interact with our Website and Online Services. For example, we and our approved partners may use these cookies and similar technologies to understand how you are using Website features, and segmenting audiences for feature testing. We and our partners may use these technologies and the information we receive to improve and understand how you use and interact with our Website and Online Services.

For example, our Website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses cookies to analyze use patterns and may collect information about your use of our Website. More information on Google Analytics can be found here: www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/. If you would like to opt-out of having your data used by these cookies, please use the Google Analytics opt-out available here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/

Advertising

We use cookies and similar technologies to make our ads more engaging and valuable to Website visitors, including for purposes of serving Online Interest-Based Advertisements. Some common applications of cookies and similar technologies are to select advertising based on what’s relevant to a user; to improve reporting on ad campaign performance; and to avoid showing ads the user has already seen.

Online Interest-Based Advertisements

We work with digital advertising and marketing companies to provide you with ads that meet your interests and that enhance your experience with us and with select third party advertisers. These ads may be displayed on websites or device applications operated by Instron or third parties, and they may be based on information about your activities or preferences collected by us or third parties. For example, if you visit another website and provide your ZIP code, you may see advertising for products available at near you on another website. We work with third parties to monitor and optimize ad delivery so that you don’t receive the same ad too many times and to help determine whether you were interested in the ads. These third parties collect information with their own cookies, pixels, and related tracking technology.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT FROM OTHER SOURCES

We may also receive information from other sources and combine it with information we collect through our Website and Online Services. For example, we may obtain information about you from commercially available sources such as data aggregators and public databases (for example, job applicant information received from LinkedIn in connection with our hiring decisions). This information may include your name, demographic information, interests, and public data (such as social media and shopping behavior).

RETENTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We retain the personal information about you as long as necessary to provide the services, products, and information you request and for any longer period necessary to fulfill the other purposes outlined in this Privacy Statement or as permitted by applicable law.

2. DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

We will not disclose your personal information to any third person, except as permitted by this Privacy Statement, as permitted or provided by applicable law, or with your consent.

We may disclose your personal information as follows:

  • to affiliates, business partners, service providers, and contractors who support our business, in which case we will limit the amount of information disclosed to that which is necessary in order for them to provide the services or products we have engaged them to provide. We will strive to protect personal information rendered accessible by contractual agreements requiring confidentiality and security practices that help keep data inaccessible to others;
  • to respond to law enforcement requests, where required by applicable laws, court orders, or governmental regulations;
  • in the event of an actual or potential sale, merger, liquidation, dissolution, reorganization, assignment, or other transfer of our business to which the information relates, in which case we will require any such buyer to agree to treat it in accordance with this Privacy Statement and use it for the same purposes as we are entitled to do so under this Privacy Statement; and
  • to report to law enforcement agencies any activities that we, in good faith, believe to be unlawful, and in situations involving threats of physical safety of any person or when we believe that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect our rights and property.

We are not liable for disclosure of information obtained due to errors in transmission or the unauthorized intervention of third parties.

We may provide aggregate statistics about our customers, sales, online traffic patterns, and related information to reputable third parties, but these statistics will not include any personally identifying information.

We may allow others to provide audience measurement and analytics services for us, to serve advertisements on our behalf on our Website and Online Services and across the Internet, and to track and report on the performance of those advertisements. These entities may use cookies, pixel tags, and other technologies to identify your computer when you use or interact with our Website and Online Services, as well as when you visit other websites and services. When third-party ad providers collect data on our Website and Online Services for their own purposes (not solely on behalf of Instron), any such data collected and maintained by such third-party ad providers will be subject to the terms of use and privacy policies of those providers.

The Website and Online Services may use social media plugins (for example, the Facebook “Share” button, “Share to Twitter”' button) to enable you to easily share information with others. When you visit our Website, the operator of the social plugin can place a cookie on your computer, enabling that operator to recognize individuals who have previously visited our Website. If you are logged into the social media website (for example, Facebook, Twitter, Google+) while browsing on our Website, the social plugins allow that social media website to receive information that you have visited our Website. The social plugins also allow the social media website to share information about your activities on our Website with other users of their social media website. For example, Facebook social plugin allows Facebook to show your comments on our pages to your Facebook friends. Instron does not control any of the content from the social media plugins. For more information about social plugins from other social media websites you should refer to those sites' privacy and data sharing statements.

Our Website and Online Services may provide forums and other areas where you can communicate with others and publicly post information. You have no privacy rights in public postings. All information you post will be accessible to anyone with internet access, and any personal information you include in your posting may be read, collected and used by others. Please use caution when posting any personal information.

We may transfer the information described in this Privacy Statement to, and process and store it in, the United States and other countries, some of which may have less protective data protection laws than the region in which you reside. Where this is the case, we will take appropriate measures to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Statement. Nonetheless, your personal information may be subject to foreign laws and may be accessible by foreign government authorities, courts, law enforcement, and regulatory agencies.

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: The Supplemental Notice for California Residents provides additional information regarding Instron’s disclosure of personal information about California residents.

3. CHOICES YOU HAVE ABOUT HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We strive to provide you with as many choices and as much control as possible regarding the personal information we collect about you.

You may send us an e-mail message at [email protected] to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. To protect your privacy, we will only respond to e-mail messages sent from the e-mail account you used to set up your account. Should you elect to have your information deleted, we will also delete your user account.

You have the right to opt-out of promotional communications we send you at any time. You can exercise this right by clicking on the ‘unsubscribe’ or ‘opt-out’ link in the promotional e-mails we send you.

If you do not wish for us to collect cookies, you may set your browser to refuse cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you do so, please note that some parts of this Website may then be inaccessible or not function properly. Removing or rejecting browser cookies does not necessarily affect third-party Flash cookies (see “Local shared objects” above) which may be used by us or our partners in connection with our Website and Online Services. You may need to take additional steps to delete or disable Flash cookies.

You can also generally opt-out of receiving personalized ads from third party advertisers and ad networks that honor such requests by visiting: www.aboutads.info/choices (if you are in the United States), http://youradchoices.ca/choices/ (if you are in Canada), or http://youronlinechoices.eu/ (if you are in Europe).

DO NOT TRACK: Some web browsers may transmit “do-not-track” signals to websites with which the browser communicates. Our Website and Online Services do not currently respond to these “do-not-track” signals.

CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS: The Supplemental Notice for California Residents describes additional rights available to California residents regarding Instron’s collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AREA RESIDENTS: The European Residents section below describes additional rights available to residents of the European Economic Area regarding Instron’s collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

4. HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION

We work hard to protect your personal information. All information collected through the Website and Online Services is stored within a secured database that is not accessible to the outside world. Resumes are stored on file systems that are not publicly accessible. Our servers are protected behind both hardware and software firewalls. Low-level access to information is restricted to authorized support personnel only.

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Never share passwords with anyone else and remember to log off the Website and Online Services before you leave your computer or device.

5. LINKS TO THIRD-PARTY SITES

Our Website and Online Services contain links to other websites operated by third parties that may be of interest to you. We cannot control these third-party sites, which may collect personal information from you. When you follow a link and leave the Website or Online Service, you do so at your own risk. We encourage you to read that third party’s privacy notice or contact them directly regarding their privacy practices.

6. WHAT WE DO ABOUT CHILDREN VISITING THIS WEBSITE

The Website and Online Services are not intended for children under the age of 13. We will not knowingly collect information from Website and Online Services visitors in this age group. We encourage parents to talk to their children about their use of the Internet and the information they disclose online. If your child has submitted personal information and you would like to request that such information be deleted from our records, you may do so by writing us as set forth in the How You Can Contact Us section below.

7. EUROPEAN RESIDENTS

If you are a visitor from the European Economic Area, the legal basis for collecting and using your personal information depends on the personal information concerned and the context in which we collect it. However, the applicable legal basis for our processing of your personal information normally includes one of the following:

  • Based on your consent. In some cases, at the point at which you provide personal information, we may ask you for your consent to collect and process such information. You may later withdraw your consent (or opt-out) by contacting us using the contact details provided under the How You Can Contact Us section below. Please note that if you withdraw your consent it will not affect any processing of your personal information that has already occurred.
  • Performance of a contract. In certain circumstances, we may need to process your personal information to fulfill our obligations under a contract to which you are subject. In that case, you may not be able to object to such processing, or if you do choose to opt-out or object to such processing, it may impact our ability to perform a contractual obligation that you are owed.
  • Compliance with applicable laws. In some circumstances, we may need to process your personal information to comply with an applicable law. In that case, you will likely not be permitted to object to such processing, but you will usually have the right to access or review the relevant personal information unless it would impede our legal obligations.
  • Instron’s legitimate interests. We may process your personal information based on our legitimate interests (or those of any third party) to the extent such interests are not overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms. In such cases, you have the right to object to the relevant processing of your personal information by contacting us as described under the How You Can Contact Us section below.

If you have questions about or need further information concerning the legal basis on which we collect and use your personal information, please contact as described under the How You Can Contact Us section below.

If you are a visitor from the European Economic Area and/or to the extent required by applicable law, you have the following data protection rights:

  • You can object to processing of your personal information, ask us to restrict processing of your personal information, or request portability of your personal information.
  • If we have collected and process your personal information with your consent, then you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, nor will it affect processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent.
  • You have the right to lodge a complaint with an applicable data protection authority. You have the right to lodge such a compliant in the European country of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of an alleged infringement if you consider that the processing of your personal information infringes applicable EU data protection laws. A list of all European supervisory authorities and their respective contact information is available here .

We reserve the right to limit the rights described above at any time where permitted under applicable law, including where your identity cannot be reasonably verified by ITW or to the extent your rights adversely affect the rights and freedoms of others.

You can exercise any of the foregoing rights by contacting us as set forth in the How You Can Contact Us section below.

8. HOW YOU CAN CONTACT US

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Statement, our information practices, our Website and Online Services, or our service providers, contractors, and business partners, please contact us at the information below and address your request to:

Instron
825 University Avenue
Norwood MA - 02062

Please contact us at [email protected].

9. CHANGES IN THE PRIVACY STATEMENT

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Statement, at any time and without prior notice, by posting the revised version of this Privacy Statement on this Website. If we modify this Privacy Statement, the modifications will only apply to personal information we collect after we have posted the revised Privacy Statement on this Website.

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