Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc. Internet Privacy Policy

 

This Privacy Policy describes the fair information practices that govern the collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personal information on the Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc. website, http://choptankelectric.com.

 

Terms and Conditions

By accessing and using the Choptank Electric website, any of its pages, or any of its content, you agree with, and agree to be bound by and subject to: (i) all terms and conditions set forth herein; and (ii) all applicable laws and regulations. If you do not agree, do not access or use this website.

Collection Practices
Like most other websites, Choptank Electric maintains web logs that automatically record basic information about visitors. This information may include, but is not necessarily limited to, the following:

  • Internet domain from which visitors access our website.
  • IP address. An IP address is automatically assigned to you when you surf the web. In some cases, these addresses may be individually identifiable. However, even when an IP address is identifiable, it usually takes additional effort to link a particular IP address to a specific individual. For many users, an IP address cannot be linked to a specific individual.
  • Type of browser, operating system, internet service provider, and device type used to access our website.
  • Date, time, and duration of access.
  • Pages visited.
  • Address of the website (if any) from which you linked to Choptank Electric’s website. Choptank Electric normally only uses web log information in aggregate form to enable the Cooperative to make the website more useful. Choptank Electric likes to know which features are popular and how visitors locate the site. Web logs may be used to identify visitors who seek to damage the website, use the website in unauthorized ways, or interfere with operations. Information about users who try to engage in any unapproved activities may be shared with law enforcement agencies. Choptank Electric does not collect any personal information about a routine visitor unless the visitor voluntarily provides it to the Cooperative.

 

Choptank Electric uses Google Analytics software to receive data regarding its website users.  See https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en for more information about Google Analytics and its privacy policy.

 

E-mail and Web Forms
If you use the Choptank Electric website to send Choptank Electric e-mail, register for a conference or meeting, ask for information, subscribe to a publication, or if you provide personal information through Choptank Electric’s website in any other way, Choptank Electric collects and may maintain the information that you provide. Your information may be shared among Choptank Electric staff and support services as necessary to respond to your request. Once information reaches the correct office, it will be used in the same manner as comparable information collected in other ways.

 

Security and Data Quality
Choptank Electric maintains its website and its information with technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect against loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, and improper disclosure. Choptank Electric is committed to maintaining accurate, timely, relevant, and appropriate information about our users. No computer system can ever be fully protected against every possible hazard. Choptank Electric provides reasonable and appropriate security to protect against foreseeable hazards.

 

Routine e-mail sent to Choptank Electric through this website or otherwise is not necessarily secure against interception. If your communication contains personal information that you consider sensitive, you may not want to use e-mail.

Wherever Choptank Electric collects sensitive information (such as credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way.  You can verify this by looking for a lock icon in the address bar and looking for "https" at the beginning of the address of the Web page.

While Choptank Electric uses encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which Choptank Electric stores personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.

SmartHub Application

Choptank Electric members can access the SmartHub application from the Cooperative’s website.  SmartHub is the interface for bill payments and transactions between Choptank Electric and your financial institution.  SmartHub is a product of the National Information Solutions Cooperative (NISC).  Choptank Electric makes no warranties or statements regarding the collection or security of member information by NISC through the SmartHub application.

 

Cookies
(a) What Are Cookies?
A cookie is an element of data that a website can send to your browser. It is not a computer program, and it does not read data residing on your device, nor does it instruct your device to perform any step or function. When you visit a website, that site's computer asks your computer for permission to store this file on your device. Each website can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser's preferences allow it, but (to protect your privacy) your browser only permits a website to access the cookies it has already sent to you, not the cookies sent to you by other sites. Browsers are usually set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you may alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our site will not function as effectively.

 

(b) How Do We Use Information We Collect from Cookies?
As you visit and browse our website, the site uses cookies to differentiate you from other users. We may also use cookies to prevent you from having to log in more than is necessary for security. Cookies, in conjunction with our web server's log files, allow us to calculate and track information, such as (for example only and not an exhaustive list) the aggregate number of people visiting our website and which parts of the site are most popular. This information helps us gather feedback to constantly improve our website and better serve our members and website users.  Cookies may also provide data used by Choptank Electric for digital ads for Cooperative programs.

 

Uses and Disclosures
Choptank Electric uses its website to provide services and information to its Cooperative members, its employees, and members of the public.  General personal information collected through the Choptank Electric website may be used from time to time by outside auditors, consultants, and others hired by Choptank Electric to assist in carrying out financial, management, or other activities.

 

Legal Process - Choptank Electric could be required to disclose personal information in response to a valid legal process, such as a search warrant, subpoena, or court order. Any record keeper faces this possibility. Disclosures may also be appropriate to protect Choptank Electric’s legal rights or during emergencies if physical safety is believed to be at risk. Choptank Electric believes that these events are unlikely, but they are possible. Choptank Electric will, if appropriate, take reasonable steps to limit the scope of any of these disclosures, but shall in no event be liable for damages of any kind resulting from compliance with any such legal process, including but not limited to direct, indirect, consequential, economic, special, loss of profit, punitive, and/or any other manner or type of damages, even if the likelihood of such damages is known to or foreseeable to the Cooperative.

Publications Lists - Choptank Electric does not sell, rent, or otherwise share lists of subscribers to Choptank Electric’s publications.  Where a third-party vendor retained by Choptank Electric is granted subscriber information, it is Choptank Electric’s policy to protect this information through a nondisclosure agreement.

Conferences/Meetings - Choptank Electric may provide online registration for Choptank Electric meetings or conferences. If you register for a conference online, your registration information will be used by Choptank Electric employees and support organizations to facilitate your attendance at the conference. Registration information may be shared with other conference participants and may be used and re-disclosed by them.

Links to Other Sites
Some of the sites listed as links herein are not under the control of Choptank Electric. Accordingly, Choptank Electric makes no representations whatsoever concerning the content of those sites. The fact that Choptank Electric has provided a link to a site is NOT an endorsement, authorization, sponsorship, or affiliation by Choptank Electric with respect to such site, its owners, or its providers. Choptank Electric is providing these links only as a convenience to you. There are risks in using any information, software, or products found on the Internet; and Choptank Electric cautions you to make sure that you completely understand these risks before retrieving, using, relying upon, or purchasing anything via the Internet.

 

No Warranty
Choptank Electric makes no representations about the suitability, for any purpose, of this site, any content of this site, or third party information or links on this site. This site, all content on the site, and any third party information or links on this site, are provided "as is" and without any warranty of any kind, either express or implied. REGARDING THIS WEBSITE, ALL OF ITS CONTENTS, AND ANY THIRD PARTY CONTENT AND LINKS ON THIS SITE, CHOPTANK ELECTRIC HEREBY DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES, WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND FREEDOM FROM COMPUTER VIRUS OR OTHER INFIRMITY, CORRUPTION, LINE, OR SYSTEM FAILURE OR INTRUSION. Choptank Electric makes no warranty as to the accuracy, completeness, or currency of the content. It is your responsibility to verify any information before relying on it.

 

Limited Liability
In no event shall Choptank Electric or any of its affiliates and/or subsidiaries be liable for any direct, indirect, special, consequential, loss of profits, punitive, or any other manner or type of damages whatsoever, that arise from or relate to the use of this site, or any content hereof or links herein, including but not limited to loss of use, data, or profits; computer virus or other infirmity, corruption, line or system failure or intrusion.

 

Indemnification
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Choptank Electric from and against any and all claims, losses, liability, cost, and expenses (including, but not limited to, reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your violation or breach of these terms and conditions, any service agreement, any third party's rights, including, but not limited to, copyrights, proprietary and privacy rights, or any applicable federal, state or local law, regulation or ordinance. Your obligations under this section will survive the termination of any of these terms and conditions, any applicable service agreement, or any services.

 

Modification of Site and/or Statement
Choptank Electric may change the terms of this Privacy Policy, or change or modify the content of, or withdraw access to this site, at any time without notice. Visitors should check this Policy on each visit to, or use of this site.

 

Questions, Access, and Disputes
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you may send an e-mail to our general inbox or send regular mail to: Choptank Electric Cooperative, Inc., P.O. Box 430, Denton, MD 21629.

 

(revised 09/03/2018)