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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 6, 2019

1. Privacy Statement

This privacy policy (the “Policy”) explains what information the USL Family collects from you through the websites, apps and digital platforms on which this Policy is placed (each a “Service,” and collectively, the “Services”).  The “USL Family” means the League Entities and the Team Entities.  The “League Entities” means United Soccer Leagues, LLC, USL Pro, LLC (which operates the USL Championship League), USL Pro-2 (which operates USL League One), Premier Development League, LLC (which operates USL League Two), Super-Y League, LLC (which operates the Super Y League), and USL Productions, LLC.  The “Team Entities” are the franchises owning teams that participate, have participated, or may participate in the USL Championship, USL League One, and USL League Two.  The USL Family is also referred to in this Policy as “we” “our,” and “us.”

We value your privacy and it is important to us that you understand our practices and procedures regarding the use and disclose your information.  This Policy explains these practices and procedures, to which you are agreeing by accessing the Services.

Please note that certain of the Services are made available through third party providers who we have contracted with to offer the Services (each, a “Third Party Provider”).  Information about specific Third Party Providers is listed below.  As of the Effective Date of this Privacy Policy: 

  • Certain of the USL Family’s official websites are made available through our Third-Party Provider SportsEngine, which is an affiliate of NBC Universal (“SportsEngine”).  NBC Universal may also collect data through the Services it provides.  NBC Universal’s practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of such data are explained in NBC Universal’s privacy policy available HERE
  • Certain of the USL Family’s official applications are made available through our Third Party Provider, FanThreeSixty.  FanThreeSixty may also collect data through the Services it provides.  FanThreeSixty practices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of such data are explained in FanThreeSixty’s privacy policy available HERE

2. Information Collected

a. Personal Information

“Personal Information” is information that allows us to identify you. The types of Personal Information that we may collect from you through your use of the Services may include, without limitation, your name, home address, e-mail address, phone number, date of birth.  We collect Personal Information from you in a variety of ways, including when you subscribe to our mailing list, complete a form, make a purchase, provide feedback, or participate in online contests, surveys or games.  We also may, from time to time, receive Personal Information about you from third party sources to improve the Services, and for the various purposes outlined herein.

b. Non-Personal Information

We may also collect information that does not identify you personally (“Non-Personal Information”).  This includes information that is linked to your computer or mobile device. We collect Non-Personal Information from you in the normal course of operating the Services.  When you interact with the Services, we may collect: information about your computer that your browser sends, such as your IP address, browser type and language, access times, pages visited, and referring website addresses; information through “cookies” or “web beacons” as explained below, information about your mobile device such as the type and model, operating system (e.g. iOS or Android), carrier name, mobile browser (e.g. Chrome, Safari), applications using the Services, and identifiers assigned to your device, such as its iOS Identifier for Advertising (IDFA), Android Advertising ID (AAID), or unique device identifier (a number uniquely given to your device by your device manufacturer), sometimes referred to as a mobile carrier ID; location information, such as your zip code or the approximate geographic area provided by your Internet service provider (ISP) or location positioning information provided by the location services and GPS features of your mobile device when location services have been enabled; information through your device’s Bluetooth or wifi signals.  We also may, from time to time, receive Non-Personal Information about you from third party sources (e.g., Google Analytics) to improve the Services, and for the various purposes outlined herein.

In addition (and without limitation of) the uses set forth in this policy, we may use Non-Personal Information we collect to analyze trends, help administer the Services, track the movement of visitors, to learn about and determine how much time visitors spend using the Services, how visitors navigate the Services and to gather broad demographic information for aggregate use.

c. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies (collectively, “Tracking Technologies”) to provide the Services and to collect data.  In addition, third parties may also use Tracking Technologies when you use the Services; for example, if we engaged a third party to operate the Services, or because the Services contain content or advertisements delivered by third parties.  These Tracking Technologies consist of:

  • Cookies.  Cookies are small text files that are unique to your device or browser.  They can either be session-based (i.e., lasting only while your browser is open and automatically deleted when you close your browser) or persistent (i.e., lasting until you delete them or they expire).
  • Locally stored objects.  Locally stored objects (“LSOs”), also commonly called “Flash cookies,” are stored on your device or browser to provide Services that use Adobe Flash technology.
  • Web beacons.  “Web beacons” or clear GIFs are small pieces of code placed on a Service to collect data about users of that Service.
  • Software development kits.  Mobile Software Development Kits (“SDKs”) are bits of computer code used by mobile app developers to enable or enhance various features of a mobile app.  For example, an app developer may include an SDK within a mobile app that enables advertisements to be shown, data to be collected, and related services or analytics to be performed in connection with the mobile app.

We use Tracking Technologies for the following purposes:

  • Security.  We use Tracking Technologies to help detect fraud and abuse of the Services, including attempts to access the Services without authorization.
  • Analytics.  We use Tracking Technologies to gather usage and performance data about the Services, including counting the number of unique visitors to a particular Service.
  • Advertising.  We use Tracking Technologies to track how many users have seen or clicked on an advertisement.  This allows us to learn which advertising campaigns are most effective and also to help limit the number of times a user is shown the same advertisement.
  • Interest-based advertising.  We use Tracking Technologies to collect information about your interests so that we can deliver advertising that is most relevant to your interests.
  • Tailoring the Services.  We use Tracking Technologies to collect information about how you use the Services so that we can tailor your experience based on what is most relevant to your interests.

In some cases, we may work with third parties (for example, third party operators of the Services) to synchronize our unique, anonymous identifiers (such as those associated with Tracking Technologies) with the third party’s own identifiers.  This enables us to better achieve each of the purposes described above.

Finally, we may allow third parties to operate Tracking Technologies through the Services. These companies may collect information in order to measure and assess the effectiveness of online advertising and to provide and better target advertisements about goods and services of interest to you. While the information collected by these third parties from you while you are using the Services is not personally identifiable, some of these third parties may also combine such non-personal information with other information they have collected from various other sources, such as their own past online and/or offline purchase information and web usage from other sites. Such other information may include Personal Information, as well as demographic and behavioral information. Those companies’ use of cookies, and the information collected, are governed by those companies’ privacy policies, not ours.

d. Managing Tracking Technologies

Most web browsers give you the ability to manage Tracking Technologies used on a website, including blocking or deleting them.  Please note that if you choose to block Tracking Technologies, you may not be able to use certain features that depend on those Tracking Technologies (such as keeping you signed in or remembering your preferences).  If you choose to delete Tracking Technologies, any settings and preferences that were associated with those Tracking Technologies will also be deleted and may need to be reset. 

You also have the following options to manage Tracking Technologies and opt out of interest-based advertising:

  • For Flash cookies, you can access Flash management tools from Adobe’s website.  In addition, some, but not all, browsers provide the ability to remove LSOs within cookie and privacy settings.
  • You may opt out of interest-based advertising from companies that participate in the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) by visiting their website.
  • You may opt out of interest-based advertising from companies that participate in the Network Advertising Initiative by visiting their website.
  • Finally, you may opt-out of interest-based advertising by adjusting your device or browser settings.

Please note that opting out of interest-based advertising does not mean you will stop seeing, or see fewer, advertisements.  It does, however, mean that the advertisements you do see will not be interest-based and may be less relevant to your interests.

Some browsers have incorporated “Do Not Track” features that send an automated signal to the websites that you visit using that browser.  At this time, the Services do not recognize or respond to these signals.  However, you can adjust your preferences regarding the data we collect using the tools and methods described above.

e. Social Media

When using the Services or when using certain third-party social networking services (e.g., Facebook, Twitter) (each a “Social Network”), you may have the option to connect your Service information and activity with your Social Network information and activity. If you authorize such a connection, you permit us to share or publish information about your Service activity with that Social Network and its users, and to access certain portions of your Social Network information, as disclosed to you at the time you consent to the connection. Information we may share with a Social Network may include but is not limited to: technical information about your Service activity, your Service comments or the videos you watch on Service.  Information we may access about you, with your consent, from a Social Network may include, but is not limited to, your basic Social Network information, your location data, your list of contacts, friends or followers and certain information about your activities on the Social Network. If you permit a connection between a Social Network and a Service, we (and that Social Network) may be able to identify you and to associate information received pursuant to the connection with information we already have about you. For more information, please review the privacy disclosures and terms of your Social Network account, which govern how that account information is collected and shared with us.

3. How We Use or Disclose Information

In order to administer the Services, we may share your information with third parties including without limitation hosting providers, data management companies, address list hosting companies, e-mail service providers, analytics companies, distribution companies, fulfillment companies, payment processors, operational partners, business partners, and marketing partners.  We may also use your information for purposes including without limitation the following:

  • To contact you about the Services;
  • To provide you with Services or information you have requested, or products or services you have ordered or signed up for, such as newsletters;
  • To administer your participation in a contest, sweepstakes, promotion, survey, poll or vote;
  • To facilitate the operation or maintenance of the Services, our operations, and our internal record keeping; 
  • To send you promotional material or special offers; 
  • To enforce the legal terms (including without limitation this privacy statement and our terms of use) that govern your use of the Services; 
  • To prevent fraud or potentially illegal activities (including, without limitation, copyright infringement) on or through the Services;  
  • To protect the safety of our users,
  • To customize or personalize ads, offers and content made available to you based on your usage of the Services and analyze the performance of those ads, offers and content, as well as your interaction with them, and 
  • To perform analysis regarding how you use the Services or any part thereof,

We may also share your information under the following circumstances: (1) if required by law, such as by a court order, statute, regulation or rule, through legal process, or for law enforcement purposes; (2) in the event of a corporate transaction involving any of our businesses, such as the sale of that business or all or most of any member of the USL Family’s assets or equity to another company; (3) in the event of a bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, receivership or assignment for the benefit of our creditors; (4) if we determine it necessary in connection with an investigation or in order to protect our legal rights; and (5) in response to requests from federal, state, local or foreign law and civil enforcement agencies, such as a search warrant, subpoena or court order.

We may share your information with Third-Party Providers and Vendors to accomplish the purposes set forth above.  We may also share your information with our marketing partners (“Third Party Marketers”) so that they may contact you directly regarding special promotions or offers (such as subscriptions to and promotions for goods and services, including, for example, through participation in a co-sponsored sweepstakes or contest). We are not responsible for how Third Party Marketers may use your information, and such uses are subject to their own policies.

4. Chat Rooms, Forums and Message Boards

The Services may make available chat rooms, forums, blogs, message boards and other similar features. If you post Personal Information online, it will be publicly available and you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties. We cannot ensure the security of any information you choose to make public in a chat room, forum, or message board. Also, we cannot ensure that parties who have access to such publicly available information will respect your privacy. Please exercise caution when deciding to disclose Personal Information in these areas. We reserve the right (but assume no obligation) to review and/or monitor any such community areas offered through the Services.

5. Security Practices

We use reasonable security efforts to protect the data in our possession. However, no method of transmission or storage of data is 100% secure and we will not be responsible for any damage that results from a security breach of data or the unauthorized access to or use of information, whether Personal Information or Non-Personal Information. To the extent we provide your Personal Information to any third parties, we will request that they use reasonable security measures to protect your information.

6. Links to Other Websites and Services

The Services may contain links to other websites and online services. These links are not endorsements.  When you navigate to such other sites and services (including by means of clicking on hyperlinks, logos, widgets, banners or advertisements), you become subject to their terms of use and privacy policies posted thereon and/or applicable thereto. Please note that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites. We encourage you to be aware of this when you click on a link and leave the Services, and to read the privacy policies of every website and application that collects Personal Information from you.

7. California Privacy Rights

California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the “Shine The Light” law, permits our customers who are California residents to request and obtain from us once a year, free of charge, information about the Personal Information we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes in the preceding calendar year.  If you are a California resident, you may request a copy of this notice from the League Entities or from any one of the Team Entities by contacting privacy@uslsoccer.com.   

Not all information sharing is covered by the “Shine The Light” requirements and only information on covered sharing will be included in our response. Under California law, businesses are only required to respond to a request once during any calendar year.

8. Choices

You have certain choices relating to how the League Entities and the Team Entities use your information.  If you wish to opt out of communications from the League Entities or any one of the Team Entities, please contact privacy@uslsoccer.com.

9. Additional Information

The Services are operated and maintained within the U.S. We make no assurances or representations of any kind that the Services are suitable for use outside the U.S. or in the country in which you reside. The information we collect is kept on servers in the U.S. and may be transferred to servers in other countries, subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy. We retain the Personal Information that we collect for so long as we continue to have a business purpose for it.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

You should review this Privacy Policy periodically as we may modify it from time to time, and such changes will be effective upon our posting them to Services. Where consistent with applicable law, your continued use of the Services after we have changed the Privacy Policy signifies your acceptance of the revised terms. Under certain circumstances (e.g., with respect to certain material changes to this Privacy Policy), we may also elect to notify you through additional means, such as posting a notice on the front page of the Web Site or by means of an e-mail that gives you the opportunity to indicate whether you consent to the proposed change.

11. Special Rules for Children

The Services are directed to general audiences, and we do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13. Where information from children under the age of 13 is required for registration purposes, such information must be entered by an adult with permission from the child’s legal guardian to share the information.  If we learn we have collected or received Personal Information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will endeavor to delete that information.  If you learn that your child under 13 has entered Personal Information through the Services, please let us know by contacting privacy@uslsoccer.com

12. Special Rules for Users from the European Union

This section of the Privacy Policy applies only if you use our website or Services covered by this Privacy Policy from a country that is a Member State of the European Union, (the “EU”), and supplements the information in this Privacy Policy.

a. Legal Basis for Data Processing

We process Personal Information for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, as described above. Our legal basis to process Personal Information includes processing that is: necessary for the performance of the contract between you and us (for example, to provide you with the Services you request and to identify and authenticate you so you may use the website); necessary to comply with legal requirements (for example, to comply with applicable accounting rules and to make mandatory disclosures to law enforcement); necessary for our legitimate interests (for example, to manage our relationship with you and to improve the website and our Services, and for the USL Family’s commercial, advertising and marketing activities); and based on consent by our customers (for example, to communicate with you about our products and services and provide you with marketing information), which may subsequently be withdrawn at any time (by contacting us as set forth in the Choices section above) without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.  We will not keep your personal information for longer than is necessary for the purpose it was collected. In some instances, you may be required to provide us with Personal Information for processing as described above, in order for us to be able to provide you all of our Services, and for you to use all the features of our website.

b. Automated Decision-Making

We use automated decision-making technologies, including profiling, to support our data processing activities. Our automated decision-making capabilities include logic that will send triggered messages based on fan data or behavior. By using this logic, it helps us provide a better fan experience or you, this means that receiving messages based on data you have provided (for example a birthday email) or a behavior (watching a video).

c. Your Rights

You may be entitled, in accordance with applicable law, to object to or request the restriction of processing of your Personal Information, and to request access to, rectification, of (e.g. if your Personal Information changes or is out of date), erasure of and portability of your own Personal Information in certain circumstances. Requests may be submitted to the League Entities or to any one of the Team Entities by contacting privacy@uslsoccer.com.  You may lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority if you consider that our processing of your Personal Information infringes applicable law.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at privacy@uslsoccer.com.

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