AUTOMATED COLLECTION OF DATA
When you use the Sites, we may obtain certain information by automated means, such as browser cookies, web beacons, device identifiers, server logs, and other technologies. The information we obtain in this manner may include your device IP address, domain name, identifiers associated with your devices, device and operating system type and characteristics, web browser characteristics, language preferences, clickstream data, your interactions with our Sites (such as the web pages you visit, links you click and features you use), the pages that led or referred you to our Sites, dates and times of access to our Sites, email address associated with your Google account if you are signed into Google and provide your email address to us on a form on our website, and other information about your use of our Sites.
A “cookie” is a text file that websites send to a visitor’s computer or other Internet-connected device to uniquely identify the visitor’s browser or to store information or settings in the browser. A “web beacon,” also known as an Internet tag, pixel tag or clear GIF, links web pages to web servers and their cookies and may be used to transmit information collected through cookies back to a web server. We and our third-party service providers may use beacons in emails to help us track response rates, identify when our emails are accessed or forwarded, and for other purposes listed below.
These technologies help us (1) properly identify your computer and remember your information so you will not have to re-enter it, (2) tailor the Sites around your preferences, (3) measure the usability and functionality of the Sites, (4) understand the effectiveness of our communications and ads, (5) generate meaningful usage statistics, such as how many visitors entered the Sites, how they interacted with the Sites and specific pages that were visited, and (6) otherwise manage and enhance the Sites.
You can stop certain types of cookies from being downloaded on your computer by selecting the appropriate settings on your web browser. Most web browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new browser cookies, how to be notified when you receive a new browser cookie and how to disable existing cookies. You can find out how to do this for your particular browser by clicking “help” on your browser’s menu or by visiting www.allaboutcookies.org. Our Sites are not designed to respond to “do not track” signals received from browsers. Please be aware that if you choose to disable cookies or other automated technologies, you may not be able to use all the features of our Sites.