Privacy

EQUIFAX MORTGAGE SERVICES PORTAL PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: 03-19-2018

Equifax Inc. (“Equifax”) is committed to protecting the privacy of visitors to the websites where this Privacy Policy appears (“Website”), and wants visitors to understand our privacy practices in connection with this Website.


This Website Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes (i) the type of information that Equifax collects and uses when you visit our Website, and (ii) the steps Equifax takes to safeguard this information.  This Privacy Policy also describes (a) the parties that Equifax discloses the information we collect when you use our Website, (b) your choices and control over your information, and (c) our practices regarding how we make changes to the Privacy Policy.
Special note for parents: This Website is a general audience site and is not directed at minors (and particularly not to children younger than 13). Equifax does not knowingly collect personal information from children younger than 13 without parental consent, unless otherwise permitted by law.

INFORMATION COLLECTION

Equifax collects personal and non-personal information on our Website to help fulfill your requests, improve our Website, and contact you. Personal information does not include information that, when used by itself, does not reveal your specific identity or does not directly relate to an individual, such as demographic, de-identified or aggregated data.


There are aspects of our Website that can be enjoyed as a visitor, but you will need to provide contact and personal information in order to take advantage of some functionality on the Website, such as accessing MortgageConnect platform technical updates and integration material and specs.

Equifax collects or receives the following types of information when you use this Website:

Information You Provide Directly:  You may provide information directly to Equifax in several different ways.  For example, you may provide your contact information, such as your name, phone number and email address, in order for Equifax to validate your authenticity before approving your registration and so you can access MortgageConnect platform technical updates and integration material and specs.

Information Automatically Collected:  Equifax uses a variety of technologies to learn more about how people use our Website and the Internet.  This section provides more information about some of those technologies, and how they work.
Equifax collects certain information about you and your computer or device automatically when you use this Website.  This information may include:

  • Log information: When you visit our Website, Equifax’s servers collect log information. This log information may include your Web page request, Internet Protocol (IP) address, browser type, browser language, the date and time of your request, and one or more cookies that may uniquely identify your browser. Equifax collects log information so that we can properly administer our system and gather aggregate information about how our Website is being used, including the pages visitors are viewing on our Website, and using analytic programs to help measure our Website’s traffic.
  • Information about the content you view and the features you use on the Website that Equifax collects using cookies and similar technologies:  For example, Equifax uses session cookies on the pages that contain information about our data-driven marketing services. These cookies are deleted when you close your browser (Note: Cookies are small text files that websites and other online services use to store information about users on the users’ own computers. Cookies may be used to store a unique identification number tied to your computer so that a website can recognize you as the same user across different visits to the website.  Users can configure their Internet browser to warn them each time a cookie is being sent or to refuse cookies completely).

We may also use cookies to: 

  • Collect information about your browsing activities in order to provide you with more relevant content;
  • Enable us to store your information when you request resources from us so that you do not have to re-enter your information each time you request a resource;
  • Allow us to gather aggregated statistical data about the use of our Website;
  • Help us improve our Website; and
  • Relate the information automatically collected when you use our Website to information we obtain from you directly or from commercially available sources.

Other local storage: We may use other kinds of local storage, such as HTML5 local storage, in connection with your use of this Website.  These technologies are similar to the cookies discussed above in that they are stored on your computer and can be used to store certain information about your activities and preferences. These objects are stored in different parts of your computer from ordinary browser cookies. Many Internet browsers allow you to disable HTML5 local storage or delete information contained in HTML5 local storage using browser controls 

INFORMATION USE 

How Equifax Uses the Information We Collect:  Equifax may use the information we collect and receive for the following general purposes:

  • To help administer our Website;
  • To provide you with the services and information you request;
  • To help improve our Website, services or products;
  • To help improve user experiences on our Website;
  • To respond to your requests, questions, and comments;
  • To help protect our rights and the rights of others (as we believe is necessary);
  • To better understand your interests in order to provide you relevant content;
  • To manage your account, and update you on your account status (including confirmation of registrations);
  • For any other purpose disclosed to you at the time we collect your information or as we are otherwise permitted to use your information as described in this Privacy Policy.

SHARING OF INFORMATION EQUIFAX COLLECTS

Equifax may share your information with the following entities: 

Affiliates and Third Parties: We may share your information with our affiliates—companies that control, are controlled by, or under common control with Equifax —as well as selected third parties with whom we work.  These entities may use your information to make predictions about your interests and may provide you with special offers, promotional materials, advertisements, and other materials.

Service Providers: Equifax may share your information with entities that provide services to us, such as vendors and suppliers that provide us with technology, services, and/or content for the operation and maintenance of our Website. Access to your personal information by these service providers is limited to the information reasonably necessary for the service provider to perform its limited function. Equifax takes steps to help ensure that service providers keep your information confidential and comply with our privacy and security policies.

Disclosure for Legal Reasons or as Necessary to Protect Equifax: Equifax may release personal information to other parties: (1) to comply with valid legal requirements such as laws, regulations, search warrants, subpoenas or court orders; (2) in special cases, such as a physical threat to you or others, a threat to homeland security, or a threat to our system or network; or (3) cases in which Equifax believes it is reasonably necessary to investigate or prevent harm, fraud, abuse, or illegal conduct.

Changes in our corporate structure: If all or part of Equifax is sold, merged or otherwise transferred to another entity (including a transfer of Equifax’s assets), the personal information you have provided to Equifax may be transferred as part of that transaction.

Other Parties with Your Consent:  In addition to the sharing described in this Privacy Policy, Equifax may share information about you with other third parties when you consent to such sharing.

YOUR CHOICE AND CONTROL OVER YOUR INFORMATION

You may decline to provide personal information to Equifax and/or refuse cookies in your browser, although some features or services may not be available to you or may not function properly as a result.

Do Not Track Signal: Some web browsers may transmit “do-not-track” signals to the websites with which the user communicates.  Equifax does not currently take action in response to those signals.  If an industry standard on responding to such signals is established and accepted, Equifax may reassess how to respond to these signals.

Your California Privacy Rights: California Civil Code Section 1798.83 entitles California residents to request information concerning whether a business has disclosed Personal Information to any third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes. California residents who wish to request further information about our compliance with this law or have questions or concerns about our privacy practices and policies may contact us as specified in the “How to Contact Us” section.

Links to Third Party Websites: Our Website may provide links to other websites that might be of interest to you. Equifax is not responsible for the security or privacy practices of other websites that you use through these links.  You should exercise caution when using such websites, and you should read their privacy policies in order to better understand what information they collect about you and how they use it.

Non-United States Users:  This Website is intended for users within the United States.  If you use this Website from outside the United States, please be aware that information you provide to Equifax or that Equifax obtains as a result of your use of this Website may be processed and transferred to the United States and be subject to the laws of the United States.  The privacy and data protection laws in the United States may not be equivalent to such laws in your country of residence.  BY USING OUR WEBSITE, USING ANY OF OUR WEBSITE’S FUNCTIONS OR FEATURES, OR BY PROVIDING US WITH YOUR INFORMATION, YOU CONSENT TO THE COLLECTION, TRANSFER, STORAGE, AND PROCESSING OF YOUR INFORMATION IN AND TO THE UNITED STATES.

Changing or Deleting Your Personally Identifiable Information:  If you have submitted personally identifiable information (such as your name, address, or email address) through our Website and would like to change or delete that information, please contact Equifax by email at: privacy@equifax.com.

EFFORTS EQUIFAX MAKES TO SAFEGUARD YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We are committed to protecting the security of your personal information and use technical, administrative and physical security measures.  However, no data transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.  As a result, while we strive to protect the personal information we maintain, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information that you transmit to us.

CHANGES TO THE WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICY
We may change this online privacy policy in the future.  If we make changes to this online privacy policy, we will post the revised privacy policy and its effective date on this Website. 

HOW TO CONTACT US
If you have questions or comments about this online privacy policy, please email us at privacy@Equifax.com  or write to the Chief Privacy Officer, Equifax Inc., 1550 Peachtree Street, NW, Atlanta, GA 30309.  Please reference “Privacy Notice – EMS Portal,” when contacting us about this policy.