Privacy Policy

Effective Date/Last Updated: October 14, 2016

Section 1: Introduction

Amtrak respects your privacy and values the trust and confidence you place in us. This privacy policy (referred to on this page as the “Policy”) describes our commitment to safeguarding your privacy while you browse the Amtrak Media Center web site (referred to here as “media.amtrak.com” or this “Site,” and accessible on the Web at www.media.amtrak.com). By accessing this Site, you acknowledge that you both understand and expressly agree to this Policy. The Site does not use tracking beacons in any manner.

When you access this Site, we may collect information about your visit and information that you provide while browsing. This Policy describes:

• What personal and other information we collect (Section 2);
• How your personal information is used (Section 3);
• With whom your personal information may be shared (Section 4);
• What security precautions we implement to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information (Section 5);
• Your choices regarding the collection, use and distribution of your personal information (Section 6); and
• How you can contact us regarding this Policy and our privacy practices (Section 7).

Please note that this Policy only addresses Amtrak privacy practices concerning information we collect from this Site, and not other sites or other sources. This policy does not apply to information that we may collect from any other source or from other Amtrak activities or programs.

A Note about Changes to this Policy: Please note that this Policy may change without special notice to you. Please check back to review this Policy whenever you visit this Site, as you will be deemed to have read, understood and agreed to any changes. This Policy supersedes all previous statements or policies concerning Amtrak’s collection of personal information from this Site.

The date of the last update to this Policy is always indicated near the top of this page.

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Section 2: The Personal Information We Collect from You on Media.Amtrak.com and How We Collect It

We may collect personal information in several ways from several different parts of the site. The information we may collect includes: (1) information that can identify you as a specific individual, such as your name, e-mail address and zip code, and (2) information that we use only as data in the aggregate.

We ask for and collect personal information in the following circumstances:

1. When You Contact Us through the Site:If you send any communications to this Site, through our “Media Contacts & Requests” page displayed under the “Media Resources” tab on the home page or any other pages, we may keep a record of that correspondence which may include your e-mail address and any other information you provide to us in your correspondence.

2. When You Browse and/or otherwise use or access this Site (Cookies):Each time you visit media.amtrak.com, we may collect some information automatically about your computer by means of a “cookie.” For the purposes of this Policy, a “cookie” means a small amount of data that a web server sends to your browser that your computer’s hard drive stores. You can always choose not to receive cookies by setting your web browser’s options to refuse to accept them. We may use cookies to: (1) remind us of who you are; (2) estimate our audience size; and (3) measure and track certain traffic patterns, including information like the areas of this Site you have visited.

We may also collect certain technical information from your computer each time you request a page during a visit to this Site. This information comes from your computer’s Web browser and may include your IP address, operating system and Web browser software (e.g., Internet Explorer or Netscape).

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Section 3: How We Use Your Personal Information

We use the information that you provide or that we otherwise collect while you browse this Site:

• to make your experience on this Site more user-friendly;
• to help us refine Site design and layout, improve Site content, and compile demographic information about Site visitors;
• to help us understand how users browse this Site;
• to inform you, at your request, about this Site, Amtrak, Amtrak’s products and services; the Amtrak Media Center and/or rail-related information; and/or
• to communicate with you in order to respond to any comments, questions or postings you submitted while browsing this Site.

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Section 4: With Whom We May Share Your Personal Information

In General: We work and may share your information with certain reputable independent contractors who perform certain tasks for us on a contract basis. A partial list of the services we contract for includes: (1) data storage and processing; and (2) responding to inquiries made on this Site’s “Media Contacts & Requests” page displayed under the “Media Resources” tab on the home page.

Data in the Aggregate: We may disclose aggregated user statistics (e.g., 2,000 users access this Site each day) to describe our activities and for other lawful purposes.

Reservation of Rights: We reserve the right to disclose personal information when we have reason to believe that we must do so in order to identify, contact or bring legal action involving a violation of this Policy, any injury to or interference with the rights or property of Amtrak, other Amtrak users or anyone else whom such activities could harm. We may disclose or access account information for administrative or other purposes that we deem necessary in order to maintain or improve the operation of this Site, for law enforcement purposes, or when we believe in good faith that the law requires it.

Other Sites May Collect Information: When you click on another site linked to media.amtrak.com, or when you otherwise access web sites that link to media.amtrak.com, those sites may collect your personal information. This Policy does not cover the privacy practices of any such other web sites, and we cannot accept responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of those other sites. Please refer to those sites’ own privacy policies for information about their practices.

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Section 5: Our Security Precautions to Protect the Loss, Misuse or Alteration of Your Personal Information

We protect against unauthorized access by means of firewalls and other security measures. Please remember to close your browser window when you have finished browsing this Site. This helps to ensure that others cannot access your personal information and correspondence if you share a computer with someone else or access this Site through a computer in a public place, like a library or “Internet cafe.”

When you provide Amtrak with personal information online, that information may travel electronically to servers outside and separate from Amtrak and outside of the state where you originally inputted the information. These servers may employ, store and/or process the information outside of Amtrak and outside of the state where you inputted the information. Whenever we handle personal information as described above, regardless of where this occurs, we take steps to ensure that your personal information remains secure.

Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee the absolute security of any data transmission over the Internet. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to media.amtrak.com, and you do so at your own risk. Once we receive your transmission, we make our best efforts to ensure its security on our systems. However, we cannot accept liability for disclosure of any personal information due to errors in transmission or unauthorized acts or errors and omissions of or by third parties.

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Section 6: You Have Choices Regarding the Collection, Use and Distribution of Your Personal Information, Including Your Ability to Choose Not to Receive Information by E-mail

We may send you information by e-mail about the Amtrak Media Center Site and/or related activities from us or from other sources. If you do not want to receive such e-mail messages, please notify us of your preference when you communicate with us through this Site.

We also may offer you the choice to receive e-mail communications from the Amtrak Media Center, Amtrak or its partners when you communicate with us through this Site. You will not receive these e-mail communications unless you expressly indicate your desire to receive them when prompted to do so.

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Section 7: Contacting Us Regarding This Policy

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Policy, you may communicate with us by clicking on the site link as indicated on the “Media Contacts & Requests” page displayed under the “Media Resources” tab on the home page.