PRIVACY PRINCIPLES
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WE COLLECT ONLY CUSTOMER INFORMATION THAT IS
NEEDED, AND TELL CUSTOMERS HOW WE USE IT.
We limit the collection of information about our customers to what we need to
know to administer their accounts, to provide customer services, to offer new
products and services, and to satisfy any legal and regulatory requirements.
We also tell our customers about the general uses of information we collect
about them, and we will provide additional explanation if customers request
it.
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WE GIVE CUSTOMERS CHOICES ABOUT HOW THEIR
INFORMATION WILL BE USED. Our businesses give customers “opt out” choices about
how information about the customer’s relationship with that business unit may
be used to generate marketing offers. These marketing choices include product
and service offers from American Express businesses and those made by our
business Companies. Of course, each of our businesses will continue to send
its customers information relating to products or services they receive from
that business.
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WE ENSURE INFORMATION QUALITY.
We use advanced technology,
documented procedures and internal monitoring practices to help ensure that
customer information is processed promptly, accurately and completely. We will
respond in a timely manner to customers’ requests to correct inaccurate
account or transaction information. We also require high standards of quality
from the consumer reporting agencies and others that provide us with
information about prospective customers.
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WE USE PRUDENT INFORMATION SECURITY SAFEGUARDS.
We limit access to
customer information systems to those who specifically need it to conduct
their business responsibilities, and to meet our customer servicing
commitments. We employ safeguards designed to protect the confidentiality and
security of our customer information.
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WE LIMIT THE DISCLOSURE OF CUSTOMER INFORMATION.
We do not disclose
customer information unless we have previously informed or been authorized by
the customer, or we do so in connection with our efforts to reduce fraud or
criminal activity and to comply with regulatory requirements and guidelines.
When a court order or subpoena requires us to release information, we
typically notify the customer to give the customer an opportunity to exercise
his or her legal rights. Further, we will not disclose or use health
information for marketing purposes or use it as a basis to make credit
decisions.
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WE ARE RESPONSIVE TO CUSTOMERS’ REQUESTS FOR
EXPLANATIONS. If
we deny an application for our services or end a customer’s relationship with
us, to the extent permitted by applicable law, we will provide an explanation,
if requested. We state the reasons for the action taken and the information
upon which the decision was based, unless the issue involves potential
criminal activity.
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WE HOLD OURSELVES RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR PRIVACY
PRINCIPLES. Each
Global Excellence
employee is responsible for maintaining consumer
confidence in the company. We provide training and communications programs
designed to educate employees about the meaning and requirements of these
Customer Privacy Principles. Employees who violate these Principles are
subject to disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.
We also conduct internal assessments of our privacy practices and periodically
commission outside expert reviews of our compliance with the Privacy
Principles and the specific policies and practices that support these
Principles.
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WE EXTEND THESE PRIVACY PRINCIPLES TO OUR
BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS.
We require companies we select as our business Companies
to agree to keep our customer information confidential and secure, to protect
the information against unauthorized access, use, or redisclosure by the
recipient company, and limit its use to the purposes for which it was provided
to them.
We also encourage our business Companies to respect their customers’
information by adopting strong and effective privacy policies and practices,
including offering “opt out” choices for marketing offers to their customers.
In addition, we participate actively in industry associations to advocate
development of comprehensive privacy policies and implementation strategies.