English - United States

Privacy Policy

 

This policy is effective from May 20, 2024.

 

This privacy policy sets out how MED-EL Corporation (“we,” “us,” and “our”) uses and protects any personal information that MED-EL collects or receives when you use our U.S. websites, such as, our Webshop or the HearPeers U.S. site (collectively, the “Websites”). It also applies to our use of information we receive through our social media pages. This policy does not apply to other non-U.S. MED-EL websites, such as the HearPeers forum or the MED-EL Blog. It also does not apply to the BRIDGE Rehabilitation Store, which maintains a separate privacy policy. It also does not apply to our collection, use, or disclosure of Protected Health Information as defined by the U.S. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”) (on the Websites or otherwise). Our collection, use, or disclosure of PHI is governed by the MED-EL Notice of Privacy Practices. Information we collect and process through the Websites may not be subject to HIPAA.

We may ask you to provide information for various purposes described in this privacy policy, such as to enable us to process your purchase or provide services to you, enhance your site visit, respond to requests for information, assist you with technical support issues, or to follow up with you after your visit. Should we collect personal information through these Websites then it will be used in accordance with this privacy policy.

 

What we collect

We may collect information that you provide to us, such as the following information:

  • name
  • contact information including email address
  • date of birth or device information
  • payment information, including payment card numbers, security codes, and expiration dates. 
  • demographic information such as postcode, preferences, and interests
  • professional information such as information about your medical specialty if you are a healthcare professional.
  • other information relevant to customer survey such as market research and consumer feedback information.
  • information you may choose to provide when you ask to be connected with a HearPeers mentor, such as a description of your needs. 
  • Responses to questions asked during our online hearing assessment if you choose to complete it.
  • Information you disclose through connections between social media pages, such as Facebook.
  • information you provide in job applications – in addition to name and contact information – any provided personal information, education and training, skills and qualifications, previous employer and attached documents such as resume, CV, certificates etc.
  • information you provide to use when you contact us, including any information you provide in a submission though our “Contact Us” form, chatbots or other similar chat functions, or other contact methods.

 

We may also collect personal information that you provide to us regarding family members and other individuals. For example, if you would like to share our online hearing test with a family member or friend, you may provide us with the name and email address of that individual, and we may use that information to share the test. You represent that you have the authority to do so and to permit us to use the information in accordance with this privacy policy. We may also collect certain information automatically when you visit the Websites, such as: 

Browser and Device Information: When you visit the Websites, we will collect certain information that is automatically collected by most websites, such as information about your device and your browser. For example, we may receive device identifiers such as IP address and MAC address, operating system type and version, and Internet browser type and version. 

 

Cookies and Web Technologies

We may also collect information automatically when you use the Websites through cookies. A cookie is a small file placed on your computer's hard drive. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

Cookies allow us to collect information such as browser type, time spent on the online services, pages visited, referring URL, and other traffic and usage data. We may also use cookies for purposes such as determining what features interest our users, revising our site features or operations, and as further described below. For more information, see the “User choice and access” section below.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the Websites.

 

Google Analytics

The Websites use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies” to help us analyze how users use the Websites. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Websites (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google.  For more information on Google Analytics, including how Google Analytics collects, uses, and discloses information, refer to the following page: www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/. We may also use other technologies to monitor your activities on our Website.

Where portions of the Websites collect protected health information, that information collection and use is subject to the MED-EL Notice of Privacy Practices.

 

What we do with the information we collect

We use the information we collect for a variety of reasons, including to understand your needs and provide you with better service. We may also use the information we collect for reasons such as:Conducting our business and providing our Websites, products, and Internal record keeping.

  • To improve our Websites, products and services or assist you with technical support issues. 
  • To send promotional emails about new products, special offers, upcoming events, or other information which we think you may find interesting including MED-EL newsletters using the email address which you have provided. When we communicate with you via email newsletters, we may insert pixel or html tags in the e-mails that, among other things, will tell us when emails are opened or when you click on promotions or other offerings from us. If you are a registered user (i.e., if you create a user account with us at our Websites) and opt out of receiving marketing e-mails from us, you will continue to receive nonmarketing (i.e., informational, or transactional) e-mail communications from us. If you are not a registered user and would rather not receive marketing e-mails or e-newsletters from us, you may “opt out” by contacting us using the contact information provided at the end of this policy.
  • To contact you by email, phone, fax, or mail for market research purposes.
  • To respond to your requests for information and other communications such as those you submit to us through, our “Contact Us” form, email, or chatbots or other similar chat functions.
  • To enhance your site visit customize the Websites according to your interests.
  • To communicate with and enable our service providers and business partners to perform functions on our behalf or otherwise facilitate our business operations. 
  • To allow third-party advertising companies to display advertisements regarding goods and services that may be of interest to you when you access and use the Websites, based on information relating to your access to and use of the Websites and other online services.
  • To process your payment information, purchases, respond to your questions, or provide you with updates and requested information.
  • To verify your identity when you create an account or place an order.
  • To follow up with you after your visit.
  • To allow you to share activities on social media pages, such as Facebook. 
  • To protect the security and integrity of our websites and protect against, identify, and seek to prevent fraud and other unlawful activity.
  • To create aggregate or deidentified data, which will not be subject to this Policy and that we may use for any lawful purpose.
  • To evaluate or participate in an actual or potential merger or sale involving our business, including without limitation any transfer made as part of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings. 
  • To comply with and enforce applicable legal obligations, relevant industry standards, contractual obligations, and our policies.
  • To protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and participating in any prosecution or enforcement of laws or agreements meant to prevent or punish such activity.
  • To provide, develop, maintain, personalize, protect, and improve the Websites. 
  • Applicant management: Information provided for job applications are used exclusively for the purpose of applicant selection. No advertising materials will be sent.
  • We may combine the information collected from you through the Websites with information we receive from and about you from other online and offline sources, such as our events, and use the combined information in accordance with this privacy policy.
  • Such other purposes as you may authorize or that we otherwise disclose.

 

How we share the information we collect

We may share your personal information we collect, including to:

  • Service providers and business partners to perform functions on our behalf or otherwise facilitate our business operations. For example, we may share your payment information with our payment processor to process your orders or transactions. These service providers and business partners are authorized to use your personal information only as necessary to provide these services to us. If you communicate with us through a chatbot or similar chat function on the Websites, we may disclose the information submitted through or otherwise collected by the chat function in its entirety to third party service providers that provide or support our chat function tools and services. 
  • Third-party advertising companies to display advertisements regarding goods and services that may be of interest to you when you access and use the Websites, based on information relating to your access to and use of the Websites and other online services.
  • To comply with a legal obligation when we believe in good faith that the law requires it, at the request of governmental authorities conducting an investigation, to verify or enforce our policies or legal rights, to respond to an emergency, or to protect the rights, property, safety, or security of us, third parties, users of our products or services, our employees, or the public.
  • To protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and participating in any prosecution or enforcement of laws or agreements meant to prevent or punish such activity. In the event of a potential or actual merger or sale involving our business, including without limitation any transfer made as part of insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
  • To operate, evaluate, debug, identify and repair errors, effectuate similar functional enhancements, and improve the Websites.
  • To such other parties as you may authorize or that we otherwise disclose.
  • For the purposes described in the “What we do with the information we collect” section above.


Third Party Links

Websites may contain links to third-party websites of interest, such as social media and other sites. We do not have any control over these external websites. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide while visiting such sites, and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement.

 

Security

We utilize physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to help safeguard and secure the information we collect online. 

 

User choice and access

We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if your consent is given. You may opt out of having personal information disclosed to third parties for their marketing purposes by contacting us at the addresses provided at the end of this policy.

 

We may use third-party advertising companies to display advertisements regarding goods and services that may be of interest to you when you access and use the Websites, based on information relating to your access to and use of the Websites and other online services. To do so, these companies may place or recognize a unique cookie on your browser (including through the use of pixel tags). If you would like more information about this practice and to learn about your choices in connection with it, please visit http://www.networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp and http://www.aboutads.info/. Our Websites do not presently respond to browser-based do-not-track signals. Other parties may collect personal information about your online activities over time and across different websites, applications, and other online products or services when you use the Websites. 

 

We will send you communications like newsletters about topics such as events that may be of interest to you, or emails about our products and services. If you wish to stop receiving promotional emails from MED-EL, please contact us using the contact information provided at the end of this policy. You will continue to receive transactional emails, such as safety notices or information about your transactions.

At any time, you may contact MED-EL with any privacy questions or concerns you may have by email at: [email protected]. 

If you believe that any information, we maintain about you is incorrect or incomplete, please write or email us as soon as possible at the below addresses. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.

 

Children’s privacy

We do not direct the Websites to children under the age of 13. We do not intentionally collect personal information from children under the age of 13 through the Websites. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 13 and you believe we have received personal information from that child, please contact us as described in the “How to contact us” section of this Policy. These portions of the Websites collect this information directly from parents. The Websites do not knowingly collect information directly from children under the age of thirteen. 

 

Changes to this policy

Please review this privacy policy periodically, as we may change it at any time and without prior notice to you. Any changes will be effective immediately upon the posting unless otherwise indicated. We will post a notice on www.medel.com/us to notify you of any significant changes to this privacy policy. The date at the top of this page indicates when this privacy policy was last changed.

 

How to contact us

If you have any questions or comments about this privacy policy or wish to be removed from optional communications please contact us by email at: [email protected] or in writing at:  MED-EL Corporation, 2645 Meridian Parkway, Suite 100, Durham, NC 27713, attention: Privacy Officer.