Printable Privacy Policy

Effective as of April 24, 2009, until replaced

DIRECTV is dedicated to protecting consumer privacy. This Policy explains how DIRECTV collects, uses, and discloses information about you when you subscribe to our services and you visit our Web sites. Your use or receipt of DIRECTV^® products or services (including our Web sites) constitutes acceptance of this Policy.

This Policy explains our practices in the following areas:

1. The nature of the Personally Identifiable Information we collect about you and the way such information is used.

2. The nature, frequency, and purpose of any disclosure of Personally Identifiable Information that we may make, including the types of persons or entities to whom the disclosure may be made.

3. The period of time for which we maintain Personally Identifiable Information.

4. How you may obtain access to and correct any Personally Identifiable Information about yourself.

5. Your rights under the Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 338(i). You may also purchase or use products or services provided by other companies that may be delivered through your DIRECTV Receiving Equipment. Please contact or visit the Web sites of the providers of those products or services to obtain copies of their privacy policies.

If you have questions about this Policy or other matters, you may contact us 24 hours a day, any day of the year, by phone (1-800-531-5000), email (directv.com/email) or mail

DIRECTV Privacy Policy
P.O. Box 6550
Greenwood Village, CO
80155-6550

I. Types of Information we collect and how we collect it

In discussing the types of information we collect from subscribers and visitors to our Web sites, it is important to distinguish between two categories of information. We use "Customer Information" as a broad, general term that refers to any information relating to you or your DIRECTV service, including Account Information, Service Information, Anonymous Viewing Information, Diagnostic Information, Commerce Information, and Web Site Information. These terms are defined in more detail below in Section A. We use the term "Personally Identifiable Viewing Information" to refer to information about your personal viewing habits that we collect only with your express consent. This term is defined in more detail below in Section B.

A. The following are specific types of Customer Information that we collect from customers and visitors to our Web sites:

"Account Information" means information about your DIRECTV service account, including, but not limited to, your name, address, social security number, email address, telephone number, what programming packages you subscribe to, consumer credit reports, the model and serial number of your DIRECTV^® Receiver, and privacy preferences. Account Information does not include any Personally Identifiable Viewing Information or Anonymous Viewing Information, as defined below. We collect Account Information directly from you when you activate or change your service, as well as from third parties, such as consumer reporting agencies. We may combine information we obtain from third parties with Account Information we collect.

"Service Information" means information necessary for us to provide service to your DIRECTV Receiver. Examples of Service Information include your receivers software version number and the success status of the last attempted service call by your receiver.

"Anonymous Viewing Information" means information about use of your DIRECTV Receiver that is not associated with or linked to your Account Information. Your DIRECTV Receiver regularly sends Anonymous Viewing Information to us. This information allows us to know, for example, that a customer from a particular city watched a show, but we cannot associate those viewing choices with you. You may request that we block the collection of Anonymous Viewing Information from your DIRECTV Receiver as described in Section IV below.

"Diagnostic Information" means a file with detailed information about the operation of a DIRECTV Receiver. We collect Diagnostic logs for a few randomly sampled DIRECTV Receivers for quality control and troubleshooting. These logs identify your DIRECTV Receiver and are thus associated with your Account.

"Commerce Information" means Personally Identifiable Information that enables a commerce partner to fulfill your request to participate in a promotion or transaction. From time to time, we may present on-screen offers or enable you to buy goods and services from us or third parties. Only if you take advantage of such an offer or engage in a transaction, will we collect and send on your behalf information such as your name and address and your interest in a specific offer or transaction to the sponsor of the promotion or transaction. In addition to fulfilling your request, that commerce partner may also use your Commerce Information to send you other information in which you might be interested consistent with its own privacy policies.

"Web Site Information" means information collected and stored on our web servers when you become a registered user of, or visit, our Web sites. If you are a customer and register on our Web sites to access your DIRECTV account, we may collect information that you provide us (including your email address) and use it in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Whether or not you are a DIRECTV customer, we may collect information about visitors to our Web sites as follows:

Cookies: We use cookies to our Web sites for returning visitors. These cookies remain on your computer and are automatically retrieved when you visit our Web sites at a later time. These cookies contain only information concerning the type of customer and frequently visited pages. No other Customer Information is stored on cookies. If you are uncomfortable with cookies, you may disable them on your computer. Disabling cookies may affect user functionality but the design of DIRECTV Web sites allows access to most offerings with cookies disabled. Visitors who have disabled cookie processing, however, wont be able to use DIRECTVs personalized account management function.

Electronic newsletters: If you subscribe to electronic newsletters from DIRECTV, we keep your email address on file.

Aggregate information about Web site visitors: We create aggregate reports of visitors to our Web sites to measure the performance of our sites. These reports do not contain Customer Information.

Links to other Web sites: When you visit our Web sites, you will find many opportunities to link to Web sites of third parties. When you click through to these sites, DIRECTVs Privacy Policy no longer applies. We recommend that you read the privacy policy for any third party Web sites.

B. "Personally Identifiable Viewing Information" means information about the use of your DIRECTV Receiver, if that information is linked to or associated with your Account Information. We do not collect Personally Identifiable Viewing Information unless you give us your express consent to do so. You may choose to consent to DIRECTVs collection of Personally Identifiable Viewing Information by changing your privacy preferences as provided in Section IV below.

II. Use of Customer Information

We use Customer Information to deliver our service to our customers and to understand what our customers want so we can continue to provide a compelling entertainment service at a good value. Specifically, we use Customer Information for editorial, feedback, marketing and promotion purposes, for statistical analysis, for product development and content improvement, to verify customer qualifications to receive our service, to bill for our service and for other related business purposes. Expressly allowing us to collect your Personally Identifiable Viewing Information may help us provide you with a compelling entertainment service. It may help us recommend viewing choices, personalize your viewing experience and select advertisements or other promotions for you that you may be interested in. Also, we may use this information for surveys, audience measurement, and other legitimate business purposes. If you have DIRECTV DVR service, your DIRECTV^® DVR may use your viewing information to recommend programs for you.

As noted above, we do not collect your Personally Identifiable Viewing Information without your consent. Absent your consent, no "tag" is added to the anonymous viewing file transmitted from a DIRECTV Receiver to us that would enable us to identify the DIRECTV Receiver from which it came.

III. When we share Customer Information with third parties

We share Customer Information with third parties where it is necessary to conduct a legitimate business activity related to serving our customers, including as follows:

Support services: We share Customer Information with providers of bill processing, technical assistance, debt collection, and other support services. We take reasonable steps to require these third parties to maintain the confidentiality of the Customer Information and require them to adhere to this Privacy Policy.

Third party services: We share Customer Information with third parties in order to coordinate delivery or billing of the services provided by such third parties to your DIRECTV Receiver. We take reasonable steps to require these third parties to maintain the confidentiality of the Customer Information and require them to adhere to this Privacy Policy.

Affiliated companies: We may share Customer Information with affiliated companies of DIRECTV. If we choose to share data in this fashion, we will require our affiliates to honor this Privacy Policy.

Marketing: We may share Customer Information, including programming purchases, with selected media, entertainment, and other similar service providers, as well as with third parties with whom we offer co-branded or joint products or services. These third parties may use this Customer Information to market products or services to you.

Aggregated and Anonymous Viewing Information is information that does not identify you, and we may disclose aggregated and/or Anonymous Viewing Information and any derived analyses to third parties including suppliers, advertisers, broadcasters, research companies and other organizations, without limitation.

When you elect to participate in a special offer or engage in a transaction with DIRECTV or a third party advertiser or promoter through your DIRECTV Receiver, we will collect and disclose your Commerce Information, on your behalf, to the party sponsoring or fulfilling the promotion. This information is disclosed only upon your affirmative response to an offer. In addition to fulfilling your request, that party may also use your Commerce Information to send you other information in which you might be interested consistent with its own privacy policies.

Legal requirements: We may share Customer Information or Personally Identifiable Viewing Information with third parties to meet legal requirements, in response to legal process, or where permitted by law to protect our rights and property, including to combat identity theft or to investigate billing fraud. In most cases where disclosure is being made pursuant to legal process, we will provide you with prior notice of such subpoena or court order so that you have the opportunity to contest in a court proceeding the subpoena or court order.

Sale or transfer of the business: We may share Customer Information with third parties in connection with the sale, transfer, or other assignment of our business. If we are acquired by another company, that company will possess the Customer Information collected by us and will assume the rights and obligations regarding your Customer Information as described in this Privacy Policy.

IV. Your choices regarding our collection and use of Customer Information

The default privacy preferences, to which you hereby consent if you do not request a change to your settings, do not allow us to collect Personally Identifiable Viewing Information, but do allow us to collect, use, and disclose all Customer Information in manners consistent with this Privacy Policy. You may choose to change your privacy preferences to allow us to collect Personally Identifiable Viewing Information. Even though Anonymous Viewing Information does not include any Account Information whatsoever, you may request that we block the collection of such information from your DIRECTV Receiver. You may further opt not to receive communications that we send to you based on your Account Information. If you make this choice, you understand that we will not be able to inform you about any upcoming features, improvements, or promotions regarding your DIRECTV service. In all cases, however, we will collect and use your Account Information (including Service Information) and Diagnostic Information for legitimate business purposes. If you prefer that we not share your Customer Information with affiliated companies or third parties for their marketing purposes, please call (1-800-531-5000), email (directv.com/email) or mail us (DIRECTV Privacy Policy, P.O. Box 6550, Greenwood Village, CO, 80155-6550).

V. How long we keep Customer Information

We maintain information about you for as long as we provide service to you, and longer for related business activities. After information is no longer necessary for our business purposes, we destroy the information unless there is an outstanding request or order to preserve the information.

VI. Our do not contact policy

We may, from time to time, contact you by mail, email or telephone to tell you about additional products or services that we or third parties may offer. If you do not wish to receive such calls or promotional materials, call (1-800-531-5000), email (directv.com/email) or mail us (DIRECTV Privacy Policy, P.O. Box 6550, Greenwood Village, CO 80155-6550). If you do not wish to receive email, please contact us via email at directv.com/email.

VII. How we protect the security of Customer Information

We take reasonable steps to protect Customer Information by using security technologies and procedures that limit access to our databases. However, no system is completely secure or error-free. We do not, and cannot, guarantee the complete security of Customer Information.

VIII. Online credit card transactions

We protect the security of credit card transactions on the Internet by using a secure, encrypted Web server. We maintain credit card information collected during transactions in a secure database at DIRECTV for fraud prevention and accounting and billing purposes. Your credit card information is not available to unauthorized parties while in these databases. Stored information from credit card transactions is not released to third parties except in response to a subpoena or court order.

IX. Your access to information and rights under the Communications Act

You may obtain access to information we collect about you and correct any errors in such information by contacting us anytime by phone (1-800-531-5000), email (directv.com/email) or mail (DIRECTV Privacy Policy, P.O. Box 6550, Greenwood Village, CO 80155-6550). The Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 338(i), governs our practices concerning the collection and disclosure of personally identifiable information about you. If you believe we have violated the provisions of the Communications Act, you may bring an action for damages, reasonable attorneys fees, and costs. The DIRECTV Customer Agreement contains our agreement that claims such as these will be resolved by binding arbitration. You received a copy of the Customer Agreement in your first bill. It is also available at directv.com.

X. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time. If we make a significant change with regard to our collection or use of information about our customers, we will note on the main page of our Web sites that this Policy has been updated and may take additional reasonable steps to notify you about the new or revised Policy. In most cases, we will attempt to notify you in some form 30 days before the effective date of the change. To comment on or ask about this Policy, call (1-800-531-5000), email (directv.com/email) or mail us (DIRECTV Privacy Policy, P.O. Box 6550, Greenwood Village, CO 80155-6550).

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