Privacy commitment

What Information We Collect

When you participate in a research study, we may collect:

• Contact information you voluntarily provide for scheduling purposes (first name, last initial, email address)

• Screener responses used to determine study eligibility (age, household income, geographic market, financial profile)

• Interview content captured through recorded or transcribed research sessions, with your explicit consent

• Technical session data (device type, IP address) used solely for quality assurance and fraud prevention

We collect only what is necessary. We do not purchase or supplement your data from third-party data brokers.

 

How We Use Your Information

Your information is used for one purpose and one purpose only: to conduct the specific research study you agreed to participate in. This includes:

• Determining your eligibility for a study

• Scheduling and confirming your research interview

• Conducting and transcribing the interview itself

• Producing anonymized research findings and analysis for the study sponsor

Research findings delivered to clients are always aggregated and anonymized. No personally identifiable information is ever included in deliverables.

 

What We Will Never Do

The following are absolute prohibitions. No exception exists for any reason:

• Sell, rent, lease, or otherwise transfer your personal information to any third party

• Use your information for marketing, advertising, or commercial outreach of any kind

• Share your name, contact details, or identifying information with the study sponsor or any client

• Use your responses to make decisions about you personally (credit, employment, insurance, or similar)

• Retain your personally identifiable information beyond the period necessary to complete the study

 

How We Store and Protect Your Data

All data is stored using industry-standard security practices, including:

• Encryption at rest and in transit for all files containing personal information

• Access controls limiting data to ACRC staff directly involved in your study

• Secure deletion protocols applied at the conclusion of each project

• No storage of personally identifiable information on shared or consumer-grade platforms

 

ACRC adheres to ISO 20252, the international quality standard for market research organizations. This standard governs our data handling, confidentiality obligations, and ethical research practices.

 

Your Rights

You have the following rights with respect to your personal information, regardless of where you are located:

 

Right to Access

You may request a copy of the personal information we hold about you at any time.

 

Right to Deletion

You may request that we delete your personal information at any time — before, during, or after a study. We will honor this request promptly and without condition. Deletion requests will be confirmed in writing within 10 business days.

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Right to Withdraw

You may withdraw from a research study at any point, for any reason, without penalty. Withdrawal will not affect any incentive already earned for participation completed.

 

Right to Correction

You may request that we correct inaccurate information we hold about you.

 

CCPA Rights (California Residents)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell data), and the right to non-discrimination for exercising these rights. To exercise any CCPA right, contact us at the address below.

 

GDPR Rights (EEA and UK Residents)

If you are located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, including the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to object. Our lawful basis for processing research data is legitimate interest, limited strictly to the scope of the agreed research engagement. You may also lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

 

Third-Party Service Providers

ACRC may use trusted third-party service providers to assist with specific operational tasks, such as survey hosting, video conferencing, or transcription services. Any such provider is bound by a confidentiality agreement that prohibits use of your data for any purpose other than the service being rendered. These providers are not permitted to retain, share, or use your data independently.

We do not use your data to train artificial intelligence or machine learning models, and we require the same prohibition from any service provider who handles your information.

 

Data Retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected. Once a study is complete and final deliverables have been provided to the client, personally identifiable information is securely deleted. Anonymized, aggregated research data may be retained for quality assurance and archival purposes.

 

Children's Privacy

ACRC research studies are designed for adults. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that information has been provided by a minor, it will be deleted promptly.

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Changes to This Policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify participants who have active engagements with us. The effective date at the top of this document will reflect the most recent revision.