California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (CCPA)

PRIVACY STATEMENT-CALIFORNIA

This PRIVACY NOTICE FOR CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS supplements the information contained in the Privacy Statement of AmeriTrust Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, “we,” “us,” or “our”) and applies solely to clients, insureds, claimants, visitors, and others who reside in the State of California (“consumers” or “you”). We adopt this notice to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”) and other California privacy laws.  Any terms defined in the CCPA have the same meaning when used in this notice.

  1. Information We Collect

We collect information that identifies, relates to, describes, references, is capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or device (“personal information”). The following chart identifies the categories of personal information we have collected from consumers within the last twelve (12) months:

Category Examples Collected
A. Identifiers A real name, alias, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, Internet Protocol address, email address, account name, Social Security number, driver’s license number, passport number, or other similar identifiers. YES
B. Personal information categories listed in the California Customer Records statute (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.80(e)) A name, signature, Social Security number, physical characteristics or description, address, telephone number, passport number, driver’s license or state identification card number, insurance policy number, education, employment, employment history, bank account number, credit card number, debit card number, or any other financial information, medical information, or health insurance information. Some personal information included in this category may overlap with other categories. YES
C. Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law Age (40 years or older), race, color, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, religion or creed, marital status, medical condition, physical or mental disability, sex (including gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy or childbirth and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, veteran or military status, genetic information (including familial genetic information). YES
D. Commercial information Records of personal property, products or services purchased, obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies. NO
E. Biometric information Genetic, physiological, behavioral, and biological characteristics, or activity patterns used to extract a template or other identifier or identifying information, such as, fingerprints, faceprints, and voiceprints, iris or retina scans, keystroke, gait, or other physical patterns, and sleep, health, or exercise data. NO
F. Internet or other similar network activity. Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer’s interaction with a website, application, or advertisement. YES
G. Geolocation data. Physical location or movements. NO
H. Sensory data. Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory, or similar information. NO
I. Professional or employment-related information. Current or past job history or performance evaluations. YES
J. Non-public education information (per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g, 34 C.F.R. Part 99)). Education records directly related to a student maintained by an educational institution or party acting on its behalf, such as grades, transcripts, class lists, student schedules, student identification codes, student financial information, or student disciplinary records. NO
K. Inferences drawn from other personal information. Profile reflecting a person’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, and aptitudes. NO

Personal information does not include:

  • Publicly available information from government records
  • De-identified or aggregated consumer information
  • Information excluded from the CCPA’s scope, like:
    • health or medical information covered by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the California Confidentiality of Medical Information Act (CMIA) or clinical trial data;
    • personal information covered by certain sector-specific privacy laws, including the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FRCA), the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) or California Financial Information Privacy Act (FIPA), and the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act of 1994

We obtain the categories of personal information listed above from the following categories of sources:

  • Directly from our insureds or their agents. For example, from documents that our insureds provide to us related to the services or insurance products which they receive from us.
  • Indirectly from our insureds or their agents. For example, through information we collect about our insureds in the course of providing services to them.
  • Directly and indirectly from activity on our website (www.ameristrustgroup.com). For example, from submissions through our website portal or website usage details collected automatically.
  • From third-parties that interact with us in connection with the services and insurance we provide. For example, we request information from government agencies to assist with underwriting a risk, or we may do investigations in handling a claim.
  1. Use of Personal Information

We may use or disclose the personal information we collect for one or more of the following business purposes:

  • To fulfill or meet the reason for which the information is provided. For example, if you or your agent provide us with personal information in order to place insurance, we will use that information to underwrite the insurance and submit a quote back to you.
  • To provide you with information, products or services that you request from us. For example, if you submit a claim to us or our insured then we will use that information to investigate and handle the claim.
  • To provide you with email alerts, event registrations and other notices concerning our services, events or news that may be of interest to you.
  • To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collections.
  • To improve our website and present its contents to you.
  • For testing, research, analysis and product development.
  • As necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property or safety of us, our clients or others.
  • To respond to law enforcement requests and as required by applicable law, court order, or governmental regulations.
  • As described to you when collecting your personal information or as otherwise set forth in the CCPA.
  • To evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by us is among the assets transferred.

We will not collect additional categories of personal information or use the personal information we collected for materially different, unrelated, or incompatible purposes without providing you notice.

  • Sharing Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information to a third-party for a business purpose.  We are required under various state and federal laws to disclose information to regulatory agencies on a regular basis or when specifically requested. We also may disclose personal information for a business purpose with third-party vendors and service providers that help us to conduct our business or make our business better. When we share information with these types of third-parties we enter into contracts that describe the purpose of the business relationship and requires the recipient to both keep that personal information confidential and not use it for any purpose except performing the contract or delivering the service.

In the preceding twelve (12) months, we have disclosed the following categories of personal information for a business purpose:

Category A:    Identifiers.
Category B:    California Customer Records personal information categories.
Category C:    Protected classification characteristics under California or federal law.
Category F:    Internet or other similar network activity.
Category I:     Professional or employment-related information.

We disclose your personal information for a business purpose to the following categories of third parties:

  • Our affiliates.
  • Service providers.
  • Third parties to whom you or your agents authorize us to disclose your personal information in connection with products or services we provide to you.
  • Government agencies

In the preceding twelve (12) months, we have not sold any personal information.

  1. Your Rights and Choices

The CCPA provides California residents with specific rights regarding their personal information. This section describes your CCPA rights and explains how to exercise those rights.

Access to Specific Information and Data Portability Rights

You have the right to request that we disclose certain information to you about our collection and use of your personal information over the past 12 months. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will disclose to you:

  • The categories of personal information we collected about you.
  • The categories of sources for the personal information we collected about you.
  • Our business or commercial purpose for collecting or selling that personal information.
  • The categories of third-parties with whom we share that personal information.
  • The specific pieces of personal information we collected about you (if a data portability request is made).
  • If we sold or disclosed your personal information for a business purpose, two separate lists disclosing:
    • sales, identifying the personal information categories that each category of recipient purchased; and
    • disclosures for a business purpose, identifying the personal information categories that each category of recipient obtained.

 

 

Deletion Request Rights

As a California Resident, under the CCPA, you have the right to request that we delete any personal information that we collected from you and retained, subject to certain exceptions. Once we receive and confirm your verifiable consumer request, we will delete (and direct our service providers that have this information to delete) your personal information from our records, unless an exception applies.

We may deny your deletion request if retaining the information is necessary for us or our service providers to:

  1. Complete the transaction for which we collected the personal information, provide a good or service that you requested, take actions reasonably anticipated within the context of our ongoing business relationship with you, or otherwise perform our contract with you.
  2. Detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, or prosecute those responsible for such activities.
  3. Debug products to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality.
  4. Exercise free speech, ensure the right of another consumer to exercise their free speech rights, or exercise another right provided for by law.
  5. Comply with the California Electronic Communications Privacy Act (Cal. Penal Code § 1546 ).
  6. Engage in public or peer-reviewed scientific, historical, or statistical research in the public interest that adheres to all other applicable ethics and privacy laws, when the information’s deletion may likely render impossible or seriously impair the research’s achievement, if you previously provided informed consent.
  7. Enable solely internal uses that are reasonably aligned with consumer expectations based on your relationship with us.
  8. Comply with a legal, regulatory or statutory obligation.
  9. Make other internal and lawful uses of that information that are compatible with the context in which you provided it.

Exercising Access, Data Portability, and Deletion Rights

To exercise the access, data portability, and deletion rights described above, please submit a verifiable consumer request to us by either:

A verifiable consumer request must include certain information to allow us to conduct a search for any information we may have pertaining to you. Also, we ask that you provide information that permits us to verify you are you. Our website contains a form to complete to submit any requests under the CCPA and should give us all the information we need to find you. If not, we may contact you for additional information. Please note, any information we collect to verify a consumer request is used only for that purpose and is deleted after we respond. Only you or a person registered with the California Secretary of State that you authorize to act on your behalf, may make a verifiable consumer request related to your personal information. You may also make a verifiable consumer request on behalf of your minor child.

You may only make a verifiable consumer request for access or data portability twice within a 12-month period.

Response Timing and Format

We endeavor to respond to a verifiable consumer request within 45 days of its receipt. If we require more time (up to 90 days), we will inform you of the reason and extension period in writing. We will deliver our written response by mail or electronically, at your option. Any disclosures we provide will only cover the 12-month period preceding the verifiable consumer request’s receipt. The response we provide will also explain the reasons we cannot comply with a request, if applicable.  For data portability requests, we will select a format to provide your personal information that is readily usable and should allow you to transmit the information from one entity to another entity without hindrance.

We do not charge a fee to process or respond to your verifiable consumer request unless it is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded.  If we determine that the request warrants a fee, we will tell you why we made that decision and provide you with a cost estimate before completing your request.

Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights. Unless permitted by the CCPA, we will not:

  • Deny you goods or services.
  • Charge you different prices or rates for goods or services, including through granting discounts or other benefits, or imposing penalties.
  • Provide you a different level or quality of goods or services.
  • Suggest that you may receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.
  1. Changes to Our Privacy Notice

We reserve the right to amend this privacy notice at our discretion and at any time. When we make changes to this privacy notice, we will notify you by email or through a notice on our website homepage.

  1. Contact Information

If you have any questions or comments about this notice, our Privacy Statement, the ways in which we collect and use your personal information, your choices and rights regarding such use, or wish to exercise your rights under California law, please do not hesitate to contact us at:

 

  • 800-361-6123
  • [email protected] ; or
  • 26255 American Drive, Attn: Legal Department, Southfield, MI 48034

Verifiable Consumer Request Form

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Contact Information

If you have any questions or comments about this notice, our Privacy Statement, the ways in which we collect and use your personal information, your choices and rights regarding such use, or wish to exercise your rights under California law, please do not hesitate to contact us at: