ABC Privacy Collection Statement

Register for an ABC Account

When you register for an ABC Account, we collect: an email address, password, a name, location (post code or suburb only), year of birth and gender (with a prefer not to say option). It is necessary to complete each of these fields to register for an account.

The ABC will validate your email address by asking you to respond to a communication at that email address, but other than this does not check the accuracy of any information you submit.

You may sign up for an ABC Account by using an email address that does not include your name and by providing a nickname rather than your actual name. The same applies in relation to any profiles you create on ABC iview – you may provide a nickname rather than a name.

The ABC does not seek to identify anyone on the basis of the information submitted, unless for the purpose of addressing a query made by that account holder to the ABC.

If you sign up for an ABC Account via another account such as Google or Facebook, we will receive your email address, first name, year of birth, gender, and location. We may also receive a link to your profile photo, but only if you give your consent to that platform.

If someone else creates a profile for you on ABC iview under their account, that person will be required to provide us with a name, and a year of birth if the profile is for a child.

We may combine your account information with data we collect about your use of our digital services, including behavioural and location data, and other information you provide to the ABC. This combined information may include data that we have already collected about you.

The data we collect is used for the following purposes:

• administration of your ABC Account;
• helping us understand more about the composition, interests, and behaviours of our audiences to see whether we are reaching a broad cross-section of Australians in accordance with our objectives;
• helping our audiences find content likely to be of interest to them including by giving recommendations (ABC Account holders still have access to all of our content and can therefore choose content independently of our recommendations, or they can opt-out of recommendations via their Account Settings if they prefer);
• performing research and analysis, including receiving anonymised, aggregated reports, aimed at improving our content, services and reach; and
• providing you with information about ABC activities, products, services and events that may be of interest to you (this includes promotions for ABC content on third party digital services as well as ABC digital services).

We allow some third parties to use cookies and other technologies to collect data about your use of our digital services so that they can provide us with promotions, analytics, ratings, and marketing services. Some third parties may be able to match this data with personal information they already have about you.

We also disclose the data we collect about your use of our digital services to third parties so that we can help you find information likely to be of interest to you, including by making recommendations to you.

The ABC uses marketing services including marketing cookies for the purpose of promoting ABC content. The ABC does not enable marketing cookies unless you opt-in to their use. Please refer to the ABC Privacy Policy for further information about how the ABC uses cookies.

We require that our service providers have appropriate controls to protect your personal information and that they only use your personal information for authorised purposes.

Some of our third party service providers have servers located overseas including in New Zealand, Singapore, the UK, the Netherlands, Ireland, Israel, India, Canada and the USA.

If you are a registered ABC Account holder, we may disclose a hashed version of your email address to Google and Facebook, via a technology service provider called Tealium, to show you promotions for ABC content likely to be of interest to you on those platforms.  For an explanation of hashing technology and how it is used, please click here.

You can opt out of the disclosure of a hashed version of your email address to those platforms in your ABC Account settings. If your ABC Account is associated with the use of an ABC app on Apple’s iOS or tvOS software, we will not disclose a hashed version of your email address to Google and Facebook, and therefore the opt out function will not be available to you.

If you are not a registered ABC Account holder, or you are accessing an ABC digital platform while not logged into your ABC Account, we may disclose the identifier for your device or browser to Google and Facebook, via Tealium, for the same purpose. This will only occur if you have opted-in to the use of marketing cookies, and you do not access ABC digital platforms by way of an ABC app on Apple’s iOS or tvOS software.

If you don’t want to see promotional information on Google and Facebook networks that is informed by your use of ABC digital services, you can choose to not opt-in to marketing cookies, and also opt-out of the disclosure of a hashed version of your email address to Google and Facebook via the ‘Promotions on Digital Platforms’ toggle in the Data and Privacy section of your ABC account settings.

For privacy controls that restrict personalised advertising based on your choices across digital networks more broadly, including outside of the ABC digital environment, you can opt out via the privacy settings on Facebook and Google platforms.  You can also visit Your Online Choices and do a blanket opt out for the organisations who signed up to Your Online Choices. 

Register your interest to participate as an ABC audience member

When you register your interest to participate as an ABC audience member, we may collect basic personal information including your name, gender and age. We may also collect contact details such as your email address and telephone number.

We may give you the option to provide sensitive information about you, including information about your race or ethnicity, political opinions or affiliations, religious beliefs or affiliations, physical and mental health or sexuality. You should only provide us with such information if you consent to us collecting it and handling it in accordance with our Privacy Policy and any collection statement given to you. We will treat it as personal information and will handle it in accordance with our Privacy Policy on the understanding that you have consented. In some circumstances, you may not be able to participate unless you provide us with sensitive information.

The data we collect may be used to:

• administer your registration as an ABC audience member;
• help us understand more about the composition and diversity of our audiences;
• perform research and analysis aimed at improving our content and services; and
• provide you with information about ABC activities, products, services and events that may be of interest to you.

Sign up to receive an ABC newsletter or enter a competition

When you sign up to receive an ABC newsletter or enter a competition or promotion, we may collect basic personal information such as your name, gender and age. We may also collect contact details such as your postal address, email address and telephone number, as well as the information or content that you may provide for a competition or event. When you sign up to receive an ABC newsletter, we may also ask you to provide other information about yourself, including your preferences and interests.

We may combine this information with data we collect about your use of our digital services, including behavioural and location data, and other information you provide to the ABC. This combined information may include data that we have already collected about you.

The data we collect may be used to:

• administer your registration for an ABC newsletter, event, competition or campaign;
• help us understand more about the composition, needs and behaviours of our audiences to see whether we are reaching a broad cross-section of Australians in accordance with our objectives;
• help our audiences find content likely to be of interest to them including by giving recommendations (ABC Account holders still have access to all of our content and can therefore choose content independently of our recommendations if they prefer);
• perform research and analysis aimed at improving our content, services and reach; and
• provide you with information about ABC activities, products, services and events that may be of interest to you.

We allow some third parties to use cookies and other technologies to collect data about your use of our digital services so that they can provide us with marketing, promotions, analytics and ratings services. We also disclose the data we collect about your use of our digital services to third parties so that they can provide services to us and so that we can help you find information likely to be of interest to you including by making recommendations to you. Some third parties may be able to match this data with personal information they already have about you

Contribute your content, questions or views

When you contribute your content, questions or views we may collect basic personal information such as your name, gender and age. We may also collect contact details such as your postal address, email address and telephone number, as well as the information or content that you provide as part of the user generated content.

We may give you the option to provide sensitive information about you, including information about your race or ethnicity, political opinions or affiliations, religious beliefs or affiliations, physical or mental health or sexuality. You should only provide us with such information if you consent to us collecting it and handling it in accordance with our Privacy Policy and any collection statement given to you. We will treat it as personal information and will handle it in accordance with our Privacy Policy on the understanding that you have consented. In some circumstances, you may not be able to participate unless you provide us with sensitive information.

The data we collect may be used to:

• enhance our content and services using your contributions;
• perform research and analysis aimed at improving our content and services;
• help us understand more about the composition of our audiences, so we can reflect and represent the Australian community in our content and services; and
• manage our relationship with you, including providing you with information about ABC activities, products, services and events that may be of interest to you.

Participate in research or surveys

When you participate in research or surveys, we may collect basic personal information such as your name, gender and age. We may also collect contact details such as your email address and telephone number, as well as the specific information that you provide in relation to the research being conducted.

We may give you the option to provide sensitive information about you, including information about your race or ethnicity, physical or mental health or sexuality. You should only provide us with such information if you consent to us collecting it and handling it in accordance with our Privacy Policy and any collection statement given to you. We will treat it as personal information and will handle it in accordance with our Privacy Policy on the understanding that you have consented. In some circumstances, you may not be able to participate unless you provide us with sensitive information.

The data we collect may be used to:

• conduct surveys;
• perform research and analysis aimed at improving our content and services;
• help us understand more about the composition, needs and behaviours of our audiences, so we can reflect and represent the Australian community in our content and services; and
• manage our relationship with you, including providing you with information about ABC activities, products, services and events that may be of interest to you.