Backgrounds Online Privacy Policy
I.Q. Data Systems dba Backgrounds Online is a consumer reporting agency governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act
("FCRA") as well as other state and federal laws. It is required by
the FCRA, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et seq. to maintain the confidentiality of all
consumer information. We respect and are committed to protecting your privacy.
Our privacy policy is intended to describe how we use and handle personal
information as it pertains to your usage of our web site located at http://www.backgroundsonline.com.
Collection
of personal and non-personal information
Backgrounds Online obtains information on an individual consumer only upon the
request of a user who has a permissible purpose under the FCRA to request
information on that consumer in order to provide consumer reports. The FCRA
requires a user for employment purposes to certify to us that it has a
permissible purpose for the report and has obtained the written consent of the
consumer to request information before we can supply the requested information
(there is an exception for employer investigations of suspected employee
misconduct or for compliance with law or employer policies, e.g., sexual harassment
investigations). The user must submit to reasonable audits by us to confirm
that it is, in fact, obtaining such consents. All users must certify that they
have a permissible purpose to request a report. Our customers agree to keep
your information confidential and secure. Backgrounds Online does not maintain
a database of consumer information.
Every
consumer who is the subject of a background check has the right, under the FCRA
and other laws, to a copy of the report free of charge. Consumers may contact
us at the address or phone number listed at the bottom of this Privacy Policy
to obtain a copy of a report we have conducted on them. Consumers must request
their report in writing and we will need proper identification in order to
protect each consumer. We will mail a copy of a consumer's report within 7 days
of receiving the request.
Our
clients provide us with personal information in conjunction with the collection
and preparation of employment related background checks. Personally identifying
information is only collected with the consumer's (or the subject of the
report) consent. We do not share this information with outside third parties
except for what is necessary to complete the requested services. We only accept
third parties who have a privacy policy in place and take proper security
measures with personally identifying information.
Any
information gathered on any consumer may only be provided to the user
authorized by the consumer or permitted by the FCRA or similar state law to
receive the information. We cannot and do not share, sell or distribute
consumer information with or to any third party other than the requesting party
thereof. Any consumer, upon proper identification, has the right under the FCRA
to request us to furnish to the consumer any and all information we have on
that consumer. The consumer has the right to dispute the accuracy or
completeness of any information contained in the consumer's file. However, we
may be required, upon receipt of a court order to release the information in
civil litigation, or as otherwise required by law, to disclose information
regarding a consumer to law enforcement agencies.
When
requesting information through one of our online forms, you may be asked to
enter your name, company name, company information, and/or contact information.
You may, however, visit our site anonymously.
Additionally,
we collect anonymous information from all users to track how our site is used
in general. This information includes: how many pages users visit, how long they
spend on our site, what pages are viewed, and how they found our site. This
information does not include personal identifying information, other than your
computer's IP address.
Personal
Information Disclosure: United States or Overseas
Backgrounds Online is located, and prepares all consumer reports, within the
United States. We do not transmit, transfer or share data anywhere outside of
the U.S. unless a background investigation includes an international screening
component. In that instance, only data that is required to complete the search
is transmitted outside of the U.S. All such transmissions are done securely and
in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.
Backgrounds
Online is an approved participant in the EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield
Frameworks. We comply with all privacy laws and take steps to protect any
personal data that may be transferred to or obtained from areas within and
outside of the United States.
Our
Active status in the Privacy Shield Framework program can be seen here:
https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt00000004EynAAE&status=Active
If
Backgrounds Online is preparing a consumer report about you that requires a
data transfer with another country, you have the right to object to such
transfer. To learn more about your privacy and rights, please read this Privacy
Policy in its entirety.
What
do we use your non-personal information for?
We use information we collect primarily to enhance our website with features
that we intend to be useful for our visitors. Any of the information we collect
from you may be used in one of the following ways:
- To respond
to your questions or comments.
- To measure
the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.
- To send
periodic emails.
- To monitor
for potential fraudulent use of our site.
Do we use Cookies?
Yes, Backgrounds Online uses Cookies to
enhance your experience while visiting our website. For more information, read
our Cookie Policy
CALIFORNIA
CONSUMER PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT
California residents are granted certain rights
regarding their personal information by the California Consumer Privacy Act
(CCPA) which went into effect on January 1, 2020. As a Consumer Reporting
Agency (CRA), Backgrounds Online is not considered a data broker and is
therefore exempt from the CCPA (see Section 1798.99.80). The California Civil
Code also creates exemptions for CRAs (see §1798.145(d)(1) for details).
Backgrounds Online is governed by the Fair Credit
Reporting Act (FCRA). Rights established by the CCPA do not apply to the
information collected by Backgrounds Online, but California residents may
exercise all rights established by the FCRA. For more information, please
contact us at support@backgroundsonline.com.
EU-US
and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Provisions of Our Privacy Policy
Backgrounds Online complies with the EU-US Privacy
Shield Framework and the Swiss-US Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the
US Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of
personal information from European Union member countries and Switzerland
transferred to the United States pursuant to Privacy Shield. Backgrounds Online
has certified that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles with respect to
such data. If there is any conflict between the policies in this Privacy Policy
and data subject rights under the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield
Principles shall govern. To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, and to
view our certification page, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/
Regarding
onward transfer, Backgrounds Online is responsible for processing personal
information under the Privacy Shield, and then transferring that data to a
third party that is acting as an agent on the company's behalf. Backgrounds
Online shall remain liable under the Principles if its agent processes such
personal information in a manner inconsistent with the Principles, unless we
prove we were not responsible for the event giving rise to the damage.
- Notice
Backgrounds Online gathers Personally Identifiable
Information (PII) about consumers in order to provide employment background
checks for its clients to utilize in employment related decisions, such as
hiring, promotions or reassignments. Our clients certify that they have
obtained the consumer's consent, in writing, and that they are requesting a
background check for employment purposes or another FCRA permissible purpose;
and they will only utilize the results for legally permissible purposes under
the FCRA.
Information gathered in the course of a background check
may include, but is not limited to: arrest and conviction history, previous
addresses, educational and employment history, credit reports and motor vehicle
records. Our clients determine the extent of the background check they are
ordering.
Backgrounds Online is committed to subjecting all
data/PII we collect from the EU or Switzerland to the Principles established by
the EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Framework. We will not use or sell the information
gathered on consumers for any purpose other than those requested by our
clients. Our adherence to the EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Framework is
guaranteed via a set of strictly enforced internal policies.
PII is only disclosed to third-party entities for the
purpose of creating or confirming the results of FCRA permissible background
check reports. These reports are used to make employment-based decisions, such
as whether or not to hire, retain or promote an individual. No data about a consumer
will be transferred to a third party if that consumer has chosen to opt out (by
not signing a Disclosure and Authorization forms) from allowing their data to
be disclosed to third party entities.
Individuals who have questions about this Privacy Policy,
or who wish to issue a complaint, may do so by submitting a request via email
to support@backgroundsonline.com, or by contacting us
via phone at 800-838-4804 extension 5100.
Backgrounds Online only discloses personal information to
entities that will use this information to make employment based decisions, as
previously described within this "Notice" section. No data about a
consumer shall be disclosed to any third party, unless that consumer authorizes
Backgrounds Online to do so.
Backgrounds Online is subjected to the investigatory and
enforcement powers of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
Please note that Backgrounds Online may be required to
disclose personal information in response to a lawful request by public
authorities, including meeting national security or law enforcement
requirements.
- Choice
Backgrounds Online gives consumers the opportunity to opt out of whether
their personal information will be disclosed to a third party or used for
a purpose incompatible with the purpose for which it was originally
collected or subsequently authorized. For sensitive information,
affirmative or explicit (opt in) choice must be given if the information
is to be disclosed to a third party or used for a purpose other than its
original purpose or the purpose authorized subsequently by the individual.
Backgrounds Online shall treat any PII received from a third party as
highly sensitive.
If you are a consumer who would like to prevent an
employer from conducting a background check on you, then you only need to
refuse to sign Disclosure and Authorization forms when they are presented. If
you choose to opt out after a background check has been conducted, your
information and data is not necessarily deleted or destroyed as some state and
federal laws required that the information gathered be maintained for specific
time periods for the protection of the consumer.
- Accountability
For Onward Transfer (Transfers to Third Parties)
Pursuant to the Privacy Shield, Backgrounds Online remains liable for the
transfer of personal data to third parties acting as our agents unless we
can prove we were not a party to the events giving rise to the damages.
In order to provide our services, Backgrounds Online will contract with third
parties to perform functions on our behalf. Backgrounds Online defines
third parties to include, but not limited to, service providers, suppliers
and repositories. When Backgrounds Online transfers personal information
to a third party entity (one that is acting as a controller on our
behalf), then they must comply with the "Notice" and
"Choice" Principles listed above. Prior to providing services on
behalf of Backgrounds Online, the third party must enter into a contract
which provides that data may only be processed for specific and limited
purposes, and those purposes must be consistent with the consent that is
provided by the consumer. Further, the third party contract will stipulate
that the recipient of this data will offer the same level of protection
that is specified by the EU-US and Swiss-US Privacy Shield Frameworks, and
that they must notify Backgrounds Online if they are not capable of
meeting this obligation. If such a determination is made, then, in
accordance with the contract, the third party will stop processing on
behalf of the company, or take other reasonable and appropriate steps to
remediate. We do not allow contracted companies or individuals to share
any information with any third party other than with Backgrounds Online's
clients and subcontractors. Except where required by law or as stated in
our Privacy Policy, we will not use or disclose any Personally
Identifiable Information that a consumer provides or that we collect from
other, non-agent third party sources. If this practice changes in the
future we will update this policy and provide individuals with opt-out
choice.
When transferring EU or Swiss PII to a third party
controller, Backgrounds Online will:
- Only
transfer data for limited and specified purposes
- Ascertain
that the agent is obligated to provide at least the same level of privacy
protection as is required by the Principles
- Take all
reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure that the agent effectively
processes the personal data in a manner that is consistent with the obligations
held by Backgrounds Online via the Principles
- Require
the third party to notify Backgrounds Online if they conclude that they
are unable to meet their obligations and/or provide the level of
protection that is required by the Principles
- Provide a
summary or a copy of the relevant privacy provisions of our contract with
the third party agent to the Department, should such a request be made
- In the
event that a third party notifies Background Online of their inability to
meet the obligations listed above, or provide the necessary level of
protection, then Backgrounds Online shall take reasonable and appropriate
steps to stop and remediate any and all unauthorized processing.
- Security
Backgrounds Online implements a variety of security
measures to maintain the safety of your personal information when you choose to
submit information to us.
We offer the use of a secure server. All login and
post-login information is transmitted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology
and then encrypted into our gateway and database only to be accessible by
authorized employees with special access rights to such systems, all of whom
are required to keep the information confidential.
After a transaction, your private information will be
kept on file as required by law for record-keeping purposes and for the purpose
of assisting you further at a later date.
Backgrounds Online will take reasonable and appropriate
measures to protect any and all personal information we collect from loss,
misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. While
doing so, we will take into account the nature of personal data, and the risks
that are involved with processing such data.
- Data
Integrity And Purpose Limitation
Backgrounds Online only collects data that is strictly
necessary for the purposes listed under the section titled "Notice."
This data includes information necessary to identify a consumer for purposes of
collecting employment related information. Backgrounds Online makes every
reasonable effort to assure maximum possible accuracy in the information
collect. We only process personal information in a manner that is compatible
with the purposes for which it was collected and authorized by the consumer.
Backgrounds Online takes every reasonable precaution to ensure that personal
data is accurate, complete and current, but the company cannot be responsible
for errors within court records and within the records of other consumer
reporting agencies, such as credit bureaus. Backgrounds Online maintains strict
procedures to insure public record information, that may have an adverse effect
on a consumer, is accurate and update as required by the FCRA Section 613
(a)(1)(2).
Backgrounds Online will retain personal information for
as long as it is necessary to complete an identification or background check
report, or to the extent that the data serves a necessary purpose. When this
occurs, processing of such data is subject to the Principles and provisions of
the Framework. Backgrounds Online agrees to take reasonable and appropriate
measures to comply with this provision.
- Access
Backgrounds Online recognizes the individual's right to
access their personal data. Consumers who wish to access the data that is
collected about them by Backgrounds Online, or to have it corrected or deleted
as provided by applicable U.S. and international laws, may do so by submitting
a request by email to support@backgroundsonline.com, or by contacting us
via phone at 800-838-4804 extension 5100. Backgrounds Online will provide the
consumer with this data in a manner that maintains the confidentiality and
security of said data.
Consumers will be granted access to the personal
information we obtain, and shall be given a method to dispute that information
with the intent of correcting, amending or deleting inaccuracies. This access
will not be granted when the burden or expense of providing access is
disproportionate to the risks to the individual's privacy, or where the rights
of persons other than the individual would be violated.
- Recourse,
Enforcement and Liability
In compliance with the Privacy Shield Principles,
Backgrounds Online commits to resolve complaints about your privacy and our
collection or use of your personal information transferred to the United States
pursuant to Privacy Shield. European Union and Swiss individuals with Privacy
Shield inquiries or complaints should first contact us at:
Backgrounds Online
support@backgroundsonline.com
Phone: 800-838-4804 extension 5100
Backgrounds Online has further committed to refer unresolved privacy complaints under the Privacy Shield Principles to an independent dispute resolution mechanism, the BBB EU PRIVACY SHIELD, operated by BBB National Programs. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your complaint, or if your complaint is not satisfactorily addressed, please visit https://bbbprograms.org/privacy-shield-complaints/ for more information and to file a complaint. This service is provided free of charge to you.
If your Privacy Shield complaint cannot be resolved
through the above channels, under certain conditions, you may invoke binding
arbitration for some residual claims not resolved by other redress mechanisms.
See Privacy Shield Annex 1 at https://www.privacyshield.gov/article?id=ANNEX-I-introduction
If, at any point, Backgrounds Online should be subjected
to an FTC or court order due to non-compliance, then the company shall make
public any relevant Privacy Shield-related sections of any compliance or
assessment report submitted to the FTC, to the extent consistent with
confidentiality requirements. A Department has been established that is a
dedicated contact for any compliance issues by Privacy Shield organizations.
Priority will be given to referrals of non-compliance from the Department and
EU Member State authorities, and will exchange information regarding referrals
with the referring state authorities on a timely basis, subject to existing
confidentiality restrictions.
Under certain limited conditions, individuals may invoke
binding arbitration before the Privacy Shield Panel to be created by the U.S.
Department of Commerce and the European Commission.
In the event Backgrounds Online is unable to accommodate
a Swiss individual's complaint regarding HR data received by us within the
context of the work relationship, we further commit to working with the Swiss
Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC). For information
on how to contact the FDPIC visit https://www.edoeb.admin.ch/edoeb/en/home/the-fdpic/contact.html.
Children's
Online Privacy Protection Act
Backgrounds
Online's website is not intended for children under the age of 13 and we will
not knowingly collect any personal information on individuals in this age
group.
Your
Consent
By
using our site, you consent to our website's privacy policy.
Changes
to our Privacy Policy
If we
decide to change our privacy policy, we will post those changes on this page.
Contacting
Us
If
there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using
the information below.
Nathan Waymire
Director of Compliance
Backgrounds Online
1915 21st Street
Sacramento, CA 95811
nate.waymire@backgroundsonline.com
800-838-4804 ext. 5049
Backgrounds Online Cookie Policy
Backgrounds
Online (“we” “us” “our” “the company”) uses cookies to enhance your experience
while you’re visiting our website: https://www.backgroundsonline.com/ By using our site, you consent to
the use of these cookies.
We are dedicated
to transparency and created this policy to explain what cookies are, how they
are used on our website and provide additional information regarding cookies.
What Are Cookies?
Cookies are
files that save data regarding your visit to a website via a desktop, laptop,
mobile or other device. They are stored on your computer or device and
reactivated when you return to the site. Most remain there unless you delete
them. Others are temporary and only in place while you are active on that site.
Cookies benefit your browsing experience by “remembering” details such as your
login information so you don’t have to enter it every time you visit a website.
Our Use Of Cookies
Backgrounds
Online utilizes cookies to understand your preferences while using our site. We
use two types of cookies:
Internal. These are cookies we place. They
allow us to test the functionality and performance of our site. They also make
it easier for you to login and find what you need quickly.
External. These cookies help us learn where
visitors come from, which pages are visited most frequently and how our site is
used. We use this information to create a better experience for all visitors,
enhance future visits and to continuously provide useful information that is
sought after by our visitors
You Can Control Cookies
You can
delete the cookies that are currently on your computer and also prevent new
ones. If you choose to do this, could affect your browsing experience and
preferences. Some of the features on websites you visit may not work as they do
currently.
There are
several ways to learn about cookies and how you can delete them. Visit these
links for more information:
Learn about cookies and how to
control or delete them.
Delete cookies from Android.
Manage, delete cookies from Chrome.
Delete, manage cookies from Internet
Explorer.
Control cookies from Firefox.
Manage cookies from Safari.
If you have
questions about our use of cookies or how they help enhance your visit to our
site, please contact us.