Target Privacy Policy : Target
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- Target Privacy Policy
Target Privacy Policy
At Target, we want you to know how we collect, use, share, and protect information about you. By interacting with Target through our stores, websites, mobile application(s), products, services, or otherwise, you consent to the use of information that is collected or submitted as described in this privacy policy. We may change or add to this privacy policy, so we encourage you to review it periodically.
1. Types of information Collected:
- Name
- Mailing address
- Email address
- Phone (or mobile) number
- Driver’s license number
- Credit/debit card number
- Purchase/return/exchange information
- Registry or list information
- Your mobile device information (e.g., device model, operating system version, device date and time, unique device identifiers, mobile network information)
- How you interact with our sites, mobile applications, advertisements and emails (e.g., clicks, search terms, pages visited, usage details such as time, length, and frequency of interactions)
- Geo-location and in-store location
- Media Information (e.g., advertising engagement in social, digital, and broadcast media)
- IP Address
- Special status designations (e.g., Teacher, College Student, Military)
- Language Preferences
- Demographics (e.g., age, sex, race, date of birth, education, occupation)
- Health Data (e.g., in connection with Guest service or product development)
- Physical Characteristics (e.g., in connection with makeup/skincare)
- Images (e.g., when you add a profile picture or upload photos/videos)
If you choose not to provide information, we may not be able to provide you with requested products, services or information.
2. How Is Your Information Collected?
- You Provide It to Us
We collect information that you enter on our digital properties or give to us in other ways (e.g., when you contact Guest Relations, order on Target.com, purchase a product in a Target store or create a gift registry).
- Automated Information Collection
We may connect information collected automatically with information we already have about you in order to identify you as a Target Guest. If we are able to identify you as a Target Guest we may, for example, link your activity on our website to your activity in a Target store or on one of our mobile application(s). This allows us to provide you with a personalized experience regardless of how you interact with us – online, in store, mobile, etc.
In order to provide the best Guest experience possible and run our business operations, we also use automated information collection technologies for reporting and analysis purposes. We examine metrics such as how our marketing efforts are performing and how you are interacting on our website, in our stores, on our mobile application(s), and with our advertisements and emails.
Third-party Automated Collection
We and our service providers use anonymous identifiers such as cookies and other technologies to collect and store certain types of information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over, hardware/software information, cookie and session ID) whenever you interact with us or third-parties that use our services.
We also allow third-party companies (e.g., Google) to place tags on our digital properties once approved through our tagging process. The tags may collect information from your interactions on Target.com. Our Privacy Policy does not cover these third party companies. Please contact these third-party companies (e.g., Google) directly for more information about their privacy policy and your choices regarding the tags and the information collected by the tags.
- Social Media Widgets
Our sites and mobile application(s) include social media features, such as the Facebook, Pinterest, and Twitter widgets. These features may collect information about you such as your IP address and which page you are visiting on our site. They may set a cookie or employ other tracking technologies to accomplish this. Social media features and widgets may be hosted by a third-party. Your interactions with those features are governed by the privacy policies of the companies that provide them.
- Mobile Location Information
If you use a mobile device, your device may share location information (when you enable location services) with our websites, mobile application(s), services or our service providers. For example, precise geo-location can be used to help you find nearby Target stores; or, in-store location through the use of your phone’s blue tooth signal, LED light chip technologies or other technologies will permit Target to find nearby products for you, get you real-time deals, auto-sort your shopping list and more.
To manage how you share your device’s location settings, go to the Choices section of this privacy policy.
- Cameras
We use cameras in and around our stores for operational purposes such as measuring traffic patterns and tracking in-stock levels. Cameras may also be used for fraud detection, theft prevention and security. When enabled, we may also use your device’s camera (e.g., Apple’s TrueDepth camera) so you can use services such as product visualization (e.g., see item in your space) or virtual try on services (e.g., try on accessories/beauty products). Information collected from your device’s camera for these services is used in real time and is not stored on the servers. The virtual try on experience operates within your own device or browser and the data is deleted after the experience ends.
3. How Is Your Information Used?
Information we collect is used for a variety of purposes, including activities such as: processing transactions, helping our Guest Relations representatives resolve issues, identifying fraud and improving our services. In addition, information we collect improves your experience by delivering more personalized interactions and advertising in digital (e.g., Target.com, mobile app, other online sites) and social media (e.g., Facebook, Pinterest), as well as TV and Video platforms.
We also use information we collect for reporting and analysis purposes. We examine metrics such as how you are shopping on our website, in our stores and on our mobile application(s), the performance of our marketing efforts and your response to those marketing efforts.
- Our Purposes (including but not limited to marketing)
- Deliver coupons, mobile offers newsletters, in-store receipt messages, emails, mobile messages, targeted advertising and social media notifications
- Provide interactive features of the website or mobile application(s), such as product reviews or Weekly Ad, send marketing communications and other information regarding products, services and promotions
- Administer promotions, surveys, focus groups, and loyalty and subscription programs
- Cross-context and cross-device linking
- Interest-based advertising
- Improve Guest experiences
- Conduct research and analysis
- Personalize content, including using your image
- Perform other business activities as needed, or as described elsewhere in this policy
- Product and Service Fulfillment
- Fulfill and manage purchases, orders, deliveries, payments, and returns/exchanges
- Respond to requests for information about our products and services in our stores, on our websites or mobile application(s) or to otherwise serve you
- Connect with you regarding Guest service via our contact center, Guest service desk, or on social media or internet chat platforms. Chat functionality allows our Guest Relations specialists to see what a Guest is typing before hitting the send button. This allows for quicker response time as our specialists anticipate questions.
- Provide services such as gift registry or a shopping list
- Award and fulfill benefits associated with use of our services
- Administer sweepstakes and contests
- Conduct a transaction where we collect information required by law (for example, pseudoephedrine or age-restricted purchases)
- Allow you to, using our mobile application(s): find a store nearest to your location, show you a map of the store (if available), use our drive up capabilities (where available), add and redeem offers, search for products and check availability, check prices, provide product ratings and reviews, track your orders, scan a UPC barcode or QR code, use voice recognition to add to your list, update information, etc
- Cross-Context
We merge data collected from our own websites and mobile application(s). Examples of the data collected include: cookie IDs, device advertising IDs, transaction and browsing history, your interaction with our online and mobile advertisements, including advertisements we serve within our emails and advertisements that we serve on behalf of third parties through Roundel, Target’s in-house media company; information about ads we serve, such as which ad was served, your interactions with the ads, and the URLs where the ads are served by marketing partners such as Google.
For mobile platforms that require opt-in consent to link or track user or device data, unless you consent, Target does not link or track user or device data collected from Target application(s) with user or device data collected from other companies’ applications, websites or offline properties for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes. If a guest provides opt-in consent to the linking and use of data with a specifically identified third party partner, such data may be linked and may be used by Target and/or the third party partner as described at the time consent is obtained, including for targeted advertising or advertising measurement purposes.
- Cross-Device Linking
We may also link your various devices so that content you see on one device can result in a relevant experience on another device. This allows us to deliver more personalized and consistent advertising to you. For example, if you purchase a product on our website using your desktop, we are able to avoid showing you an advertisement on the same product on your mobile phone; if you add an item to your cart on Target.com through your mobile device, but leave Target.com without purchasing the item, we are able to show you that item in your cart on another device.
- Interest-Based Advertising
We participate in interest-based advertising (IBA), also known as online behavioral advertising (OBA). We use third-party advertising companies to display ads tailored to your individual interests based on how you browse and shop online, as well as to provide advertising-related services such as ad delivery, reporting, attribution, analytics, and market research.
We allow third-party companies to collect certain information when you visit our websites or use our mobile application(s). This information is used to serve ads for Target products or services or for the products or services of other companies when you visit this website or other websites. These companies use non-identifiable information (e.g., click stream information, browser type, time and date, subject of advertisements clicked or scrolled over, hardware/software information, and session ID) and personally identifiable information (e.g., static IP address) during your visits to this and other websites in order to provide advertisements about goods and services likely to be of greater interest to you. These parties typically use a cookie, web beacon or other similar tracking technologies to collect this information. Target adheres to the Digital Advertising Alliance (DAA) self-regulatory principles for IBA.
- User Experience Information
In order to improve Guest online and mobile shopping experiences, help with fraud identification, and assist our Guest Relations representatives in resolving issues Guests may experience in completing online purchases, we use tools to monitor certain user experience information; including login information, IP address, data regarding pages visited and ads clicked, specific actions taken on pages visited (e.g., information entered during checkout process), browser and device information.
- Social Media
We engage with Guests on multiple social media platforms (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest). If you contact us on one of our social media platforms, request Guest service via social media, or otherwise direct us to communicate with you via social media, we may contact you via direct message or use other social media tools to interact with you. In these instances, your interactions with us are governed by this privacy policy as well as the privacy policy of the social media platform you use.
- Social Media Ads
We may display targeted ads to you through social media platforms. These ads are sent to groups of people who share traits such as likely commercial interests and demographics. For example, we may target people who have expressed an interest in shopping for groceries, cosmetics, clothing, etc. See the policies of each social media platform for additional information about these types of ads.
- Prevention of Fraud and Other Harm
Prevent fraudulent transactions, monitor against theft and otherwise protect our Guests and our business (e.g., product recalls)
4. How Is Your Information Shared?
We may share the types and categories of personal information collected with the categories of third parties below.
- Target Subsidiaries and Affiliates
We share the information we collect within Target Corporation, which includes all Target subsidiaries and affiliates. Target Corporation may use the information to offer you products and services that may be of interest to you. Target Corporation owns and operates Target stores, websites, mobile application(s), and issues the Target Debit Card. Target Corporation subsidiaries and affiliates include, but are not limited to Shipt, Inc.
- Card Issuing Bank
We may share the information we collect with our banking partners, TD Bank USA N.A., which issues the Target MasterCard and Target Credit Card, and Pathward, N.A., which issues the Target Circle Card Account (Target Circle Card Reloadable Account).
- Service Providers
We may share the information we collect with companies that provide support services to us (such as printers, email providers, mobile marketing services, analytics providers, web hosting providers, call center/chat providers, sweepstakes vendors, payment processors, coupon delivery vendors, data enhancement services, fraud prevention providers or shipping services providers, including product vendors) or that help us market our products and services. These companies may need information about you in order to perform their functions. We limit information shared with service providers to what is necessary to fulfill the services.
- Registries and Shopping Lists
If you create a gift registry or shopping list, your information will be accessible on our website, mobile or social application(s), on partner registries, and on kiosks in stores. If you purchase an item from a registry or shopping list, information such as your billing name and address will be made available to the list creator.
- Other Businesses Products and Services
We allow other businesses to make their products or services available to our Guests (e.g. Target Plus Partners). You may purchase products or services from these other businesses through our website or mobile application. When you purchase such products or services, we will share personal information related to your purchase with those businesses. Information received by those businesses in connection with a Target Plus purchase will be subject to the Target Plus Partner’s privacy policy.
- Legal Requirements
We may disclose information we collect when we believe disclosure is appropriate to comply with the law; to enforce or apply applicable terms and conditions and other agreements; to facilitate the financing, securitization, insuring, sale, assignment, bankruptcy, or disposal of all or part of our business or assets; or to protect the rights property or safety of our company, our Guests or others.
- Elsewhere at Your Direction
At your direction or request, or when you otherwise consent, we may share your information.
- Sharing Non-identifiable or Aggregate Information with Third Parties
We may share non-identifiable or aggregate information with third parties for lawful purposes.
5. What Choices Do You Have?
- Postal Mail
If you do not wish to receive catalogs, coupons, and other promotional postal mail, call the privacy information line at 1-800-831-6880 to opt-out.
- Telephone
If you do not wish to receive promotional telephone calls, call the privacy information line at 1-800-831-6880 to opt-out.
- Email
If you do not wish to receive promotional emails from us, call the privacy information line at 1-800-831-6880 to opt-out. You also have the ability to unsubscribe from promotional emails via the unsubscribe link included in each promotional email. In some cases we may provide an unsubscribe link within an operational email (e.g., Guest surveys).
- Text Messages
We may send text messages you have consented to receive. You can cancel text messages at any time by texting "STOP". After you send "STOP", we may send you an additional text message to confirm that you have been unsubscribed. You will no longer receive text messages from that short code or number, as applicable, but you may receive text messages if you are subscribed to other text lists. If at any time you have questions about the text messages, text "HELP". After you send "HELP" we will respond with instructions on how to use our service as well as how to unsubscribe. Message and data rates may apply.
- Push Notifications
You may opt-out from allowing Target to send you push notifications by adjusting the permissions in your mobile device. You may also choose which types of push notifications to receive by adjusting the permissions within your Target mobile application. This opt choice does not apply to in-app notifications.
- Geo-Location and In-Store Location
You may prevent your mobile device from sharing your location data by adjusting the permissions on your mobile device or within the relevant app.
- Target Circle Loyalty Program
If you no longer wish to be a Target Circle member, you can opt out of Target Circle here. Opting out of Target Circle will not serve as cancellation of any Target Circle Card or Target Circle 360™ membership, if applicable to you; those cancellations are handled separately. Please call Target Card Services at 1-800-659-2396 for information about cancelling your Target Circle Card. To cancel your Target Circle 360 membership, please go to the Membership section of your Target account page.
If you opt out of Target Circle, any accumulated Target Circle Rewards and Community Giving Program votes will be deleted and you may not have access to other Target Circle benefits. If you later re-join Target Circle, any deleted Target Circle Rewards or Community Giving Program votes will not be reinstated.
- Uninstall a Target Mobile Application
You can stop all further collection of information by a Target mobile application by uninstalling the Target mobile application. You may use the standard uninstall process available as part of your mobile device or via the mobile application marketplace or network.
Note: If you uninstall the mobile application from your device, the Target unique identifier associated with your device will continue to be stored. If you re-install the application on the same device, Target will be able to re-associate this identifier to your previous transactions and activities.
- Cookies, Tracking, and Interest-Based Advertising
The help function of your browser should contain instructions on how to set your device to accept all cookies, to notify you when a cookie is issued or to not receive cookies at any time. If you set your device to not receive cookies at any time, certain personalized services cannot be provided to you, and accordingly, you may not be able to take full advantage of all of our features.
To opt-out of the vendors we use for cross-device linking, go to the Digital Advertising Alliance’s Choices page at www.aboutads.info/choices and perform a global opt-out on each browser and device that you would like to be opted out on. Opting out in this manner means that the browser on the device from which you opt-out will no longer receive information collected on devices linked to it, that devices linked to it will not receive information collected from the opted-out device, and that the vendor will not transfer information collected from the opted-out device to a third-party. Please note that this will not opt you out of cross-device linking or advertising across linked devices based solely on your visits to Target websites or application(s), or your interaction with advertisements for Target delivered by Target.
To opt-out of our interest-based advertising for Target’s goods and services or those of another party, online and in third-party mobile applications, visit Digital Advertising Alliance’s Choices page here and perform a global opt-out. Options you select are browser and device specific.
To learn more about interest-Based Advertising, visit the Network Advertising Initiative website and the Digital Advertising Alliance website. The opt-out tool described above is cookie-based. Therefore, the opt-out will only function if your browser is set to accept third-party cookies, and it may not function where cookies are automatically disabled or removed. If you delete cookies, change your browser settings, switch browsers or computers, or use another operating system, you will need to opt-out again.
- Do Not Track
Some browsers have a “do not track” feature that lets you tell websites that you do not want to have your online activities tracked. At this time, we do not respond to browser “do not track” signals. However, Target treats Global Privacy Control signals as opt-out of sale and opt out of targeted/cross-context behavioral advertising requests under applicable state laws (e.g., California Consumer Privacy Act).
- Other Web Site Analytics Services
Analytics services such as Site Catalyst by Adobe Analytics, Google Analytics and Crazy Egg provide services that analyze information regarding visits to our websites and mobile application(s). They use cookies, web beacons, recorded interactions and other tracking mechanisms to collect this information.
- To learn about Adobe Analytics privacy practices or to opt-out of cookies set to facilitate reporting, click here.
- To learn more about Google’s privacy practices, click here. To access and use the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, click here.
- To learn more about Crazy Egg’s privacy practices, click here. To opt-out of Crazy Egg, click here.
6. Loyalty & Financial Incentive Program
Target Circle is a voluntary loyalty program. By joining Target Circle, you are eligible to receive or participate in:
- Target Circle Deals: Target Circle-specific discounts and promotions that will apply automatically to your purchase when you identify as a Target Circle member at checkout.
- Target Circle Rewards: Rewards which can be earned by Target Circle members.
- Target Circle Bonus: A personalized offer that you may get while being a member of Target Circle either to receive additional savings or promotional items or to earn Target Circle Rewards.
- Birthday Gift: When your birth date is included in your Target account, on or near your birthday, you will receive a birthday reward.
- Community Giving Program: Provides Target Circle members the opportunity to earn and cast votes to help direct where Target makes its Donation to Nonprofits.
Target Circle members may have opportunities to redeem offers for products or services at select partners. Although the partner’s offer is made available to you through Target Circle, Target is not responsible for the terms or fulfillment of the offer, and Target is not responsible for the partner’s products or services.
You may have the option to link your Target Circle account to a rewards account you have at a select partner. When you link your Target Circle account to your rewards account at the partner, Target and the partner will share and use information as described at the time you link your accounts. Your Target Circle account and your rewards account at the partner will no longer be linked and you will no longer receive the benefits of linked accounts if 1) your Target Circle account or your rewards account at the partner is closed, deleted or suspended; 2) you opt out of the Target Circle program; or 3) your Target Circle account and your rewards account at the partner are unlinked by you, by Target or by the partner. Target may provide information to the partner about applicable items you return to Target after your Target Circle account is unlinked from your rewards account at the partner. Target is not responsible for the partner’s products or services. Contact the applicable partner for the partner’s terms and conditions, including the partner’s terms related to linking your Target Circle account to your rewards account at the partner.
Currently, Target Circle members have the option to link their Target Circle account to their Ulta Beauty Rewards account. After linking your Target Circle account to your Ulta Beauty Rewards account, when you shop Ulta Beauty at Target with Target Circle, eligible purchases earn applicable Target Circle benefits and Ulta Beauty Rewards.
In order to provide you with the incentives described above, we use personal information about you including your name, phone number, email address, purchase history, birthdate, etc. to identify you as a member of the program and provide you with relevant messaging, experiences and deals. These financial incentives are reasonably related to the value of the data you provide.
We incur a variety of expenses related to the Target Circle program. We make this investment in order to offer a more personalized and relevant Guest experience. Expenses associated with the program include the Target Circle Deals, Rewards and Bonuses when you shop at Target, and the Birthday Gift reward when you provide your birthday. The expenses associated with the program incentives will vary as it is dependent on your engagement with the loyalty program, including your total annual spend at Target and frequency and depth of discounts you choose to use.
Categories of Personal Information implicated by Target Circle
- Identifiers (e.g., name, mailing address, email address, phone number, credit/debit card number)
- Demographics (e.g., age, sex, race, date of birth, education, occupation)
- Commercial information (e.g., products or services purchased, purchase history)
- Internet or other electronic network activity (e.g., browse or search history)
- Geolocation data (e.g., latitude or longitude)
- Inferences drawn from any of the above (e.g., preferences or characteristics)
Categories of Personal Information collected through Target Circle for targeted advertising
- Internet or other electronic network activity (e.g., browse or search history)
- Identifiers (e.g., name, mailing address, email address, phone number, credit/debit card number)
- Demographics (e.g., age, sex, race, date of birth, education, occupation)
- Commercial Information (e.g., products or services purchased, purchase history)
Categories of Third Parties who may receive Personal Information
- Advertising Networks
- Merchant Partners
- Social Networks
- Internet Service Providers
- Data Analytics Providers
- Operating Systems and Platforms
- Legal, Risk, and Security
To become a Target Circle member, you can choose to opt in and become a Target Circle member by asking a Team Member at a Target store, or by visiting Target.com/Circle.
If you no longer wish to be a Target Circle member, you can opt out of Target Circle here. You have the right to opt out of Target Circle at any time. If you opt out of Target Circle, any accumulated Target Circle Rewards and Community Giving Program votes will be deleted and you may not have access to other Target Circle benefits. If you later re-join Target Circle, any deleted Target Circle Rewards or Community Giving Program votes will not be reinstated.
Opting out of Target Circle will not serve as cancellation of any Target Circle Card or Target Circle 360™ membership, if applicable to you; those cancellations are handled separately. Please call Target Card Services at 1-800-659-2396 for information about cancelling your Target Circle Card. To cancel your Target Circle 360 membership, please go to the Membership section of your Target account page.
If you request Target to delete your Personal Information, your Target Circle account, including Rewards and votes, will be deleted, and you will no longer receive Target Circle benefits because we will not be able to identify you as a Target Circle member.
For Information on the Target Circle Terms & Conditions, Click Here.
- California Consumer Privacy Act
If you are a Target Guest who is a California resident, then the information below also applies to you. The information reflects Target’s current practices and practices during the past 12 months. Certain terms used in this section have the meanings given to them in the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). Note that this CCPA section only applies to Target Guests. The privacy notices for personal information collected in California in an employment or commercial context can be found on https://corporate.target.com/about/contact-help#privacy.
Categories of Personal Information Target Collects from or About Its Guests
- Identifiers (e.g., name, mailing address, email address, phone number, credit/debit card number)
- Demographics (e.g., age, sex, race, date of birth, education, occupation)
- Commercial information (e.g., products or services purchased, purchase history)
- Internet or other electronic network activity (e.g., browse or search history)
- Geolocation data (e.g., latitude or longitude)
- Audio, electronic, visual, or similar information (e.g., recording of Guest service calls)
- Inferences drawn from any of the above (e.g., preferences or characteristics)
Categories of Sources from Which Target Collects Personal Information About Guests (for more information, see the how is your information used section of this privacy policy).
- Consumer Directly
- Advertising Networks
- Data analytics providers
- Government Entities
- Social networks
- Target subsidiaries
- Operating systems and platforms
- Data brokers
Business or Commercial Purposes for Which Target Collects, Shares (for Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising), or Sells Personal Information About Guests (also see the how is your information used section of this privacy policy).
- Performing services, including maintaining or servicing accounts, providing customer service, processing or fulfilling orders and transactions, verifying customer information, processing payments, providing financing, providing analytics services, providing storage or providing similar services;
- Providing advertising and marketing services;
- Auditing related to counting ad impressions to unique visitors, verifying positioning and quality of ad impressions, and auditing compliance;
- Short-term, transient use, such as non-personalized advertising shown as part of your current interaction with us;
- Helping to ensure security and integrity;
- Debugging to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality;
- Undertaking internal research for technological development and demonstration; and
- Undertaking activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of a service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by us, and to improve, upgrade, or enhance the service or device that is owned, manufactured, manufactured for, or controlled by us.
We do not collect or process Sensitive Personal Information (as defined by California law) for the purpose of inferring characteristics about individuals.
To the extent we process deidentified information, we will maintain and use the information in deidentified form and will not attempt to reidentify the information unless permitted by applicable law.
Retention of Personal Information
We will retain your personal information in accordance with Target’s record retention requirements and policies which reflect business and legal considerations. Target will retain your personal information for the time period reasonably necessary to achieve the business and commercial purposes described in this Privacy Policy (including the California Residents section) or any other notice provided at the time of collection. Your personal information may be retained longer if required or permitted by applicable law.
Categories of Personal Information About Guests that Target Sells or Shares (for Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising) and Categories of Third Parties to Whom Personal Information Is Sold or Shared (for Cross-Context Behavioral Advertising)
Category of Personal Information
Category of Third Party
- Internet or other electronic network activity (e.g., “cookies” or other tracking tags)
- Identifiers (e.g., name, mailing address, email address, phone number, credit/debit card number)
- Demographics (e.g., age, sex, race, date of birth, education, occupation)
- Commercial Information (e.g., products or services purchased, purchase history)
- Advertising Networks
- Merchant Partners
- Social Networks