Privacy Policy

​

AEC recognises the importance of your privacy and understands your concerns about the security of your personal information. We are strongly committed to protecting your privacy and the personal information that you may provide to AEC. This privacy policy describes how we collect, use, disclose and safeguard your privacy.

 

The Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) came into force on 12 March 2014 replacing the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) and Information Privacy Principles (IPPs) that previously applied to private sector organisations. For information on the APP, go the Australian Government Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (http://www.oaic.gov.au/privacy/privacy-news).

 

AEC also abides by the principles of the Australia Market and Social Research Society’s Code of Professional Behaviour (http://www.amsrs.com.au/professional-standards/amsrs-code-of-professional-behaviour).

 

Why does AEC collect your personal information?

We only collect personal information that is necessary for us to perform our functions. AEC’s market and social research division gather and present the opinions of the public directly to the government, commercial and not-for-profit organisations committed to making decisions about goods, services or social policies that concern the Australian people. The information collected is presented in aggregate and does not reveal the identity of any individual person.

 

How does AEC collect and hold your personal information?

We generally collect your information whilst undertaking research which may be conducted via telephone, face-to-face, online, discussion forum and/or one-on-one interviews. Occasionally, our clients provide us with a list of their customers so we can contact them and invite them to participate in the research.

 

AEC interviewers will always identify themselves to you or in the case of face-to-face interviews, will have a photo ID which will identify them as part of the AEC team. At the onset of the interview, AEC will disclose the purpose of the study, the type of information we will collect and how the information will be used. At all times, participation in market research is voluntary.

 

What personal information does AEC collect and hold?

The kinds of personal information we collect and hold will depend upon the services requested by our clients. Generally, information regarding behaviour, needs, attitudes, opinions and motivations as well as sensitive information such as political views, religion and health information may be collected. When providing personal information you have the option of remaining anonymous or using a pseudonym to be identified by. However, in certain circumstances, such as where we receive your contact details from a third party or where the research data itself may potentially allow for identification, this may well not be practicable.

 

What are the purposes for which AEC uses, handles and discloses your personal information?

We respect your privacy. Any personal information which we collect about you will be used and disclosed by us so that we can provide you with the services that you have requested, or otherwise to enable us to carry out our functions as professional consultants. We will not use or disclose your personally identifiable information for the purpose of advertising, promotions or direct marketing activities.

 

If you declined to participate in our research, we may use your personal information to re-contact you for a research purpose if we have valid reasons to believe a genuine research concern warrants such re-contact. If you have participated in our research, will only re-contact you if you were informed of this or we have valid reasons to believe a genuine research concern warrants such re-contact.

 

Who will AEC disclose your personal information to?

AEC will not disclose any personally identifiable research information we collect from you unless we have your express prior consent and will only report the information you provide in an aggregate form that will not personally identify you. We will not disclose any personal information or personally identifiable research information to a third party for a purpose other than conducting our research unless we have your express prior consent or are required to do so by an Australian law or a court/tribunal order.

 

Openness

In most cases, you can gain access to the personal information that we hold about you. We will handle requests for access to your personal information in accordance with the APPs. We will deal with all requests for access to personal information as quickly as possible. Requests for a large amount of information, or information which is not currently in use, may require further time before a response can be given. A fee may be charged to cover the cost of retrieval. However, this fee will not be excessive and will only apply to the facilitation of your request if applicable.

 

If at any time you believe that personal information we hold about you is incorrect, incomplete or inaccurate, then you may request amendment of it and we will either amend the information or make a record of your comment, as we think appropriate. We encourage all requests for access to your personal information to be directed to the Privacy Officer by email aec@aecgroupltd.com or by writing to the address below.

 

Questions and Complaints

If you would like more information about the way we manage personal information which we hold about you, or are concerned that we may have failed to keep one of our commitments to you in handling your personal information in accordance with the APP, please contact us by email, fax or mail at the following addresses:

email: aec@aecgroupltd.com

postal: Privacy Officer, PO Box 5804MC, Townsville QLD 4810

facsimile: +61 (0)7 4771 5550

 

AEC Website

We also collect some information from you when you use our website www.aecgroupltd.com. Your use of the facilities and services available through our website will determine the amount and type of information which we collect about you. Some of this information will not be personal information because it will not reveal your identity.

 

The only personal information we collect when you use our website is what you tell us about yourself, for example, by completing an online form when you accept an invitation to attend a seminar or conference, receive a newsletter or information you provide to us when you send us an email.

 

Retention and Destruction of Personal Information

AEC will destroy or de-identify your personal information as soon as practicable once it is longer needed for the purpose for our research purposes. However, we may in certain circumstances be required by law to retain your personal information after our research has been completed. In this case, your personal information will continue to be protected in accordance with this Policy. If we destroy personal information we will do so by taking reasonable steps and using up-to-date techniques and processes.

 

Security of Information

AEC will take reasonable steps to protect your personally identifiable information as you transmit your information from your computer to our website and to protect such information from loss, misuse, and unauthorised access, use, modification, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

 

However, you should keep in mind that the transmission of information over the internet is not completely secure or error-free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from this website may not be secure, and you should, therefore, take special care in deciding what information you send to us via e-mail.

 

Miscellaneous

In this Policy "personal information" has the same meaning as under the Privacy Act 1988.

 

This policy is effective from 12 March 2014. From time to time it may be necessary for us to review and revise our privacy policy. We reserve the right to change our privacy policy at any time. We may notify you about changes to this privacy policy by posting an updated version on our website www.aecgroupltd.com.