Privacy policy
Friends of BNSF Railway Privacy Policy
LAST MODIFIED: AUGUST 18, 2011
FriendsofBNSF.com (“BNSF”) is firmly committed to protecting your privacy while visiting the FriendsofBNSF.com website (the “Site”). BNSF is sensitive to privacy issues on the Internet and we believe it is important to know how BNSF treats the information we receive about the user.
Personal Information
The home page of the Site on the Internet may be visited without telling BNSF who the user is, or revealing any information about the user. The Site servers collect the IP address and browser information of visitors. This information is compiled to measure things such as the number of visits, average time spent on the Site, and pages viewed. BNSF uses this information to measure the use of the Site and to improve its ease of use.
When a webpage is requested from the Site, the Site servers log the HTTP request header, including the IP address, the time of the request, the URL of the request and other information in the header. We collect this HTTP request header information in order to make the Site function correctly and provide users the functionality seen on the Site. The Site also uses this information to personalize content presented to the user, better understand how visitors use the Site and how BNSF may better tune the Site, its contents, and its functionality to meet the user’s needs.
BNSF may disclose aggregated data and statistics in order to describe the Site to prospective partners, advertisers, and other third parties, and for other lawful purposes. This allows BNSF to gather and publish statistics about users and to enhance our services.
If a user wishes to register with the Site and be on the BNSF mailing list, personal information from the user, such as their name, email address, street address, and company information must be submitted by the user. The personal information collected by BNSF is used only by BNSF and its partners, service providers, and affiliates to respond to your inquiry, send out informational and promotional materials, or let the user manage their account. It is never mandatory for the user to submit any personal information if they do not wish to register with the Site. Access and control over most personal information submitted by the user to the Site is available through a management link.
BNSF will use the user’s name and email address to send a notification via email and postal mail regarding the Site or BNSF in general that BNSF believes the user may find valuable. To manage these notifications, BNSF may share the user’s personal information with its email and postal mail service providers. Most email notifications are organized by topic, and the user can opt-in or opt-out of certain notifications by checking the relevant checkbox in their personal profile on the Site. Occasionally, more general email notifications may be sent to all registered users. If the user wishes to unsubscribe from promotional emails, they may do so by editing the notification settings in their personal profile or by following the unsubscribe instructions included in the email.
Access to Your Personal Information
To request a free copy of the personal data that BNSF keeps about the user, please send an email to communitymanager@bnsf.com. BNSF may first require proof of a user’s identity before fulfilling the request. A user may dispute the data that BNSF stores on them and, where appropriate, seek to have the data erased, rectified, amended, or completed. In certain instances, BNSF may reject such request, but will give reasons for the refusal. BNSF’s decision to refuse to provide the user’s personal data may be appealed by the user; however the final decision is BNSF’s.
Pixel Tags
BNSF and its third-party service providers may use pixel tags (also known as "clear gifs" or "beacon gifs"). Pixel tags are not visible to users of the Site, and consist of a few lines of computer coding delivered with a webpage. Pixel tags are not used to collect any personally identifiable information about the user. BNSF and its third-party service providers may use pixel tags to:
1) Track customer response to advertisements and Site content;
2) Determine the user’s ability to receive HTML-based email messages. BNSF’s email service provider includes a pixel tag, which is referred to as a "coded sensor" in all of the HTML-based messages sent on BNSF’s behalf. The sensor activates when the email message is opened and flags the email address of the user as one that is capable of receiving HTML-based email messages. This capability helps BNSF’s service provider send the email in a format readable to the user. The sensor does not collect or use any other information. If the user cannot receive HTML, they will not receive a functioning sensor;
3) Know how many users open an email and allow BNSF’s service provider to compile aggregated statistics about an email campaign for us; and
4) Allow BNSF to better target interactive advertising, enhance customer support and Site usability, and provide offers and promotions that is believed would be of interest to the user.
Cookies
There are various technologies; including “cookies” that can be used to give the user tailored information from a website. A cookie is an element of data websites can send to the user’s browser, which is then stored on their computer. Some pages within the Site use cookies to better serve a user when they return to the Site.
The user’s browser may be set to block cookies (consult the instructions for your particular browser on how to do this); although doing so will affect your ability to perform certain tasks, use certain functionality, and access certain content on the Site.
Children’s Privacy
This Site is not intended for children under age 13, and BNSF does not knowingly solicit or collect personally identifiable information from children.
Legal Issues
This Site is subject to the laws of the United States and the State of Texas. BNSF may disclose personally identifiable information without the user’s permission when required by law, or with a good faith belief that such action is necessary to investigate crimes or protect against harmful or illegal activities with respect to BNSF or to the Site. Further, BNSF may disclose personal information provided by the user as part of any merger, sale, or other acquisition of some or all of our organization or its assets.
Links To Third-Party Websites
When the user clicks on links on the Site that takes them to third-party websites, the user will be subject to the third parties’ privacy policies. BNSF cannot and does not accept responsibility for the contents or actions of any third-party websites. BNSF encourages the user to read the posted privacy statement of every site visited, whether it is a link from the Site or browsing on the user's own.
Changes
BNSF reserves the right to modify or amend this Privacy Policy at any time by posting the revised privacy policy on the Site. Therefore, each time the user accesses the Site, they should note the date this Privacy Policy was last modified. If the user does not or cannot agree to the amended Privacy Policy, their only option is to cease all use and access of the Site.
Contact Us
If the user would like to request additional information regarding this Privacy Policy, or have questions regarding this Policy, please email us.