Home Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

OAEC is committed to protecting the privacy of all authorized users on its websites, oaec.coop and ok-living.coop. As part of that commitment, this web site privacy policy statement informs authorized users:

  1. What information is collected and under what circumstances;
  2. Whether it is voluntary or involuntary;
  3. How that information is used;
  4. With whom that information will be shared, and under what circumstances; and,
  5. The ability of the authorized user to choose how that information is used, how it can be reviewed, and how it can be corrected.

This policy applies only to information collected, maintained and used by OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop and does not apply to the collection and use practices of web sites which users connect to through OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop links, nor does it apply to information posted on OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop that is provided by third parties. OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop provide users with e-mail, forums, bulletin boards and other groups to facilitate the free flow of information among authorized users. Any information provided by authorized users in these forums becomes public knowledge and is not covered by this policy.

Collection of Information

  1. Initial log-on authentication — To become an authorized user of OAEC.coop, the prospective user will be required to provide for authentication purposes some personally identifiable information in order that it can be compared to existing user profile personally identifiable information already existing in an OAEC database. Once the information is provided and authentication is completed, a copy of the OAEC database information will be transferred to the OAEC database for use in building an OAEC.coop authorized user database. This information may also be used to facilitate the OAEC ‘people-finder’ and similar future internal capabilities. Information, such as name, business address, phone, FAX, e-mail, position, and title are normally utilized for these purposes. Personal information (such as social security numbers) WILL NOT be included in the ‘people-finder’ service or any other similar service generally accessible to authorized users or any third party. Prospective users may effectively opt-out of the use of any of this information for any of these purposes by simply declining to provide the requested information. Failure to provide this information, however, may preclude the use of some parts of the OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop web sites. If authentication is completed, the newly-authorized user may review and correct any personally identifiable information contained in the OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop user database, or the OAEC database.
  2. Web server log information — This is basic information that does not identify any specific individual that is collected on all user visits such as the domain from which OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living web sites were accessed, IP address, type of browser or operating system, date, time, duration of access, pages visited, links visited, and the address of the web site from which OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop was accessed. This information is automatically (involuntarily) collected and used to help OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop improve and maintain the availability and usefulness of the web sites for authorized users. This information is used in the aggregate for this purpose and no attempt is made to identify any specific individual. Authorized users cannot opt-out (except by failing to authenticate as discussed in (1) above) of collection of this information, and it is not reviewable or correctable by the authorized user because it is not personally identifiable information.
  3. Cookies — Cookies are another means by which OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop collect similar basic information on all user visits that does not identify any specific individual and that shows how individual users utilize the web sites. Cookies are bits of information collected by the web server and transferred back to the authorized user’s computer hard drive. This information is used to help tailor or personalize the authorized user’s next visit and to otherwise manage and improve the web sites. This information is likewise used in the aggregate. This information is automatically (involuntarily) collected and no attempt is made to identify any specific individual. Authorized users may not opt-out of the collection of this information (except by failing to authenticate as discussed in (1) above) but may be able to set their browsers to alert the authorized user of the creation of a cookie and/or a means to deny acceptance of a cookie. This information is not reviewable or correctable by the authorized user because it is not personally identifiable information.
  4. Requests for products/services/information — When authorized users request products, services, or information from, or respond to surveys conducted by OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop, personally identifying information such as name, internet address and credit card number may be requested in order to complete the transaction. Failure to provide the requested information, however, may preclude the delivery of the product, service or information requested. This information is voluntary and the user can opt-out of providing this information by simply not providing it as requested (or by failing to authenticate as discussed in (1) above). The user can also opt-out of any future use of this information for any other purpose such as notification of new services, products or information by indicating their desire within the communication requesting that service, product or information, or, if available, by clicking the appropriate icon. Any personally identifiable information provided can be reviewed and corrected by the authorized user.

Disclosure of Information

Any information collected and retained by OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop WILL NOT be released to third parties except as indicated below:

  1. Any updates to the information in the OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop user database will be disclosed to the appropriate sponsor or employer of the authorized user (local distribution co-op, G&T co-op, municipal association, or any other sponsoring or employing group doing business or participating in training activities conducted by and through OAEC and/or its affiliate organizations) and the OAEC database maintained at OAEC to ensure that the information that those sponsors or employers have about the authorized user is accurate.
  2. Any information needed by a contractor to perform services for OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop will be disclosed to the contractor. Those contractors will be required by contract to observe the same privacy protections that apply to OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop.
  3. Any information required by OAEC employees to respond to an authorized user’s request for products, services, or information will be shared with the appropriate employees. Unless an election is made to opt-out, any information provided when authorized users request services, products, or information or respond to surveys conducted by OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop, will be made available to appropriate personnel within OAEC in order to offer those authorized users other products, services, or information they might find useful.
  4. Any necessary information will be disclosed to appropriate personnel within OAEC for purposes of implementing new services similar to the ‘people-finder’ service and making users aware of web site features, improvements, modifications, etc.
  5. Any necessary information will be disclosed to any appropriate internal or external authorities in order to identify and pursue remedies against users who attempt to damage, misuse, or otherwise interfere with OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop operations or to otherwise protect the legal interests of OAEC and its web sites, OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop, or any other web sites so developed by and for OAEC’s use.
  6. Any necessary information required to respond to properly issued legal processes such as search warrants, court orders, or subpoenas will be disclosed to the appropriate requesting authorities. OAEC will make every reasonable effort to limit such disclosures.

Information Security

The Oklahoma Association of Electric Cooperatives (OAEC), as owner of this communication service, has implemented best business practice technical, administrative, and physical security methodologies in order to protect its legal interests, against loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, modification, and improper disclosure of all information collected and maintained by the OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop web sites.

As a critical part of that security methodology, OAEC monitors any and all communications and data traversing these web sites. That monitoring may include actual content of those communications and data as necessary.

While no information is absolutely safe in an electronic environment, by implementing best business practice security methodology, OAEC has taken reasonable steps to secure information collected, retained and used. OAEC is not responsible for information security breaches caused by the illegal or unauthorized acts of any individual.

Review and Correction of Collected Information

Authorized users of OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop websites may review and correct as needed or desired any sensitive, non-personally identifiable information or personally identifiable information collected or retained by OAEC by contacting Sid Sperry, Director of Public Relations, Communications & Research, at the following mailing address: Sid Sperry, OAEC, P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309, or via e-mail request to: sksperry@oaec.coop

Changes to Website Privacy Policy

Authorized users of OAEC.coop and/or OK-Living.coop will be notified of all changes to the substance of this policy through postings on the OAEC.coop and/or the OK-Living.coop web sites, alerting them to affirmatively review the changed policy posted on the aforementioned web sites.

Questions

If you have any questions about this policy, please contact Sid Sperry at the following mailing address: Sid Sperry, OAEC, P.O. Box 54309, Oklahoma City, OK 73154-1309 or via e-mail to: sksperry@oaec.coop