Privacy Policy United States

FM Approvals is committed to protecting and respecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy ("Policy") and any other documents referred to in it, set out the basis on which FM Approvals processes and protects the information we collect from you. It applies to any Personal Information you provide to FM Approvals and, subject to local law, any Personal Information we collect from other sources. Please read this Policy carefully to understand our practices regarding Personal Information. By using our websites, associated microsites, email exchanges, mobile applications or third-party sites (collectively referred to as “site(s)”) you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this Policy now and as subsequently amended by us.

Throughout this Policy, "FM Approvals" refers to FM Approvals LLC, including its subsidiaries and affiliates (also referred to as "we", "us", or "our").

TYPES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (“Personal Information”) WE MAY COLLECT FROM YOU:

You may give us information by completing forms or by corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or otherwise. By way of example, we and our service providers may collect and process the following Personal Information about you:

• your name, email address, postal address, language, country of origin, contact details, and any other information you provide;
• Personal Information received from third parties;
• username, password, password reminder questions and password answers;
• search queries;
• communication preferences, such as which newsletters you would like to receive; and
• information posted in community discussions and other interactive online features.

This includes information you provide when you register to use our sites, subscribe to our services and when you report a problem with our sites. When you provide Personal Information, you consent to our collection, use and to the disclosure of this Personal Information to appropriate third parties for the purposes described in this Policy. We may also collect other data, such as browser and device information, app usage data, information about your use of our sites collected through cookies and other technologies, pixel tags, web beacons, web server logs, your IP address, geographic location, operating system, device type and unique devise identifier along with other technologies, demographic information and aggregated information.

Online collection of Personal Information:

Visits to FM Approvals sites

With regard to each of your visits to our sites, FM Approvals may automatically collect certain types of information. When you visit our sites we may use automated technologies such as web server logs to collect IP addresses, "cookies" and Web beacons. The collection of this information will allow us to improve the effectiveness of FM Approvals’ sites and our marketing activities.

In general, you are not required to submit Personal Information when you visit our sites. However, we may ask you to provide certain Personal Information if you wish to receive additional information about our products, services and events. If you request electronic communications, such as an e-newsletter, you will be able to unsubscribe at any time by following the instructions included in the communication.

Cookies

FM Approvals collects information during your visit to an FM Approvals site through the use of cookie technology. Using cookies allows us to improve our sites, compile aggregate statistics and distinguish you from other users of our sites. The use of these technologies helps us to provide you with a positive experience when you browse our sites, and it also helps refine our content and personalize your experience. You can learn more about our cookie functionality and how to adjust your browser settings to accept or refuse cookies by visiting our Cookie Preference Center  or click here.

Links

FM Approvals sites may from time to time, contain links to and from other sites which are outside our control and are not covered by this Policy. FM Approvals does not accept any responsibility or liability for the privacy practices of linked sites. Please note that these sites have their own policies and we encourage you to review the privacy policies of each site you visit, before you submit any information. The operators of these sites may collect information from you which will be used by them.

Engaging with FM Approvals through social media

When you engage with us through social media sites or through features such as plug-ins or applications on FM Approvals sites that integrate with social media sites, you may choose to link your account with us to third party social media sites. When you link your account or engage with us on or through third party social media sites, plug-ins, or applications, you may allow us to have ongoing access to certain information from your social media account (e.g., name, e-mail address, photo, gender, birthday, the posts or the 'likes' you make).

If you post information when you interact with our sites through social media sites, plug-ins or other applications, depending on your privacy settings, this information may become public on the Internet. You can control what information you share through privacy settings available on some social media sites. In addition, we also give users the option to share our stories on social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. To deliver this service we link to a third-party website called AddThis. If you use our share buttons you will be directed to a website controlled by AddThis. We have no control over the additional cookies that AddThis sets when you use its services. You can opt out of such cookies through this external party’s cookie preference center.

Accessing our sites through mobile devices

When accessing our sites on a mobile device, we may collect your unique device identifier and mobile device IP address, as well as information about your device's operating system, mobile carrier and your location information.

By providing us with your mobile device phone number, you consent to its use for the purposes identified in this Policy, including receiving notifications from us on your mobile device. If you previously chose to receive push notifications on your mobile device from us but no longer wish to receive them, you can manage your preferences either through your device or the application settings. If you no longer wish to have any information collected by the mobile application, you may uninstall the application by using the uninstall process available on your mobile device. 

USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION:

We use your Personal Information to offer and administer our services and products. These may include, but are not limited to, product certification and testing. With your consent, we may also use this Personal Information for additional purposes, including providing you with information about other similar services and products we offer.

When you request services, we ask that you provide accurate and necessary Personal Information that enables us to respond to your request. In doing so, you consent to our collection, use, storage and to the disclosure of this Personal Information to appropriate third parties for the purposes described in this Policy.

While the Personal Information we collect may come directly from you, it may also be provided by our affiliates or other third parties (such as employers, insurance companies, insurance brokers or agents, credit organizations, financial institutions, etc.). If you provide Personal Information about other individuals (such as employees, dependents, etc.), you must obtain their consent prior to your disclosure to FM Approvals.

We will use the Personal Information we collect to:

• provide information and services as requested;
• determine eligibility and process applications for our products and services;
• understand and assess ongoing needs and offer our products and services to meet those needs;
• carry out communication, service, and administration;
• conduct data analysis;
• execute monitoring and training;
• develop new services;
• administer our sites and ensure the contents are presented effectively;
• allow you to participate in interactive features;
• market products and services;
• conduct processing necessary to fulfill other contractual obligations;
• exercise our legal rights and protect our interests in the event any of the information you provide is relevant or helpful in connection with claims brought by our customers or legal actions brought by or against us; and
• detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, intellectual property infringement, violations of our Terms of Use, violations of law, or other misuse of our sites.

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION:

We do not rent, sell or otherwise disclose Personal Information about our site visitors with unaffiliated third parties for their marketing use. We may share Personal Information with third parties including, but not limited to, affiliates and subsidiaries, credit and fraud reporting agencies, debt collection agencies, insurers, reinsurers, insurance brokers, other insurance intermediaries, third parties that provide data analytic services, lawyers and accountants and others involved in the claims handling process, sub-contractors, suppliers and service providers.

These third parties are restricted from using or disclosing your Personal Information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements.

Furthermore, if required, we may disclose Personal Information:

• to respond to the courts and/or regulators, governmental agencies or public authorities in connection with enquiries, proceedings, subpoenas or other legal process or investigations by parties anywhere in the world;
• in order for FM Approvals to comply with its regulatory requirements or dialogue with its regulators as applicable;
• in the event of a merger/acquisition;
• to business partners that may deliver marketing communications, promotional materials, or advertisements that may be of interest to you;
• when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary (a) to protect our rights including the rights in our products, the integrity of the sites, or your safety or the safety of others, or (b) to detect, prevent, or respond to fraud, intellectual property infringement, violations of our Terms of Use, violations of law or other misuse of the site; and
• to service providers, advisors, potential transactional partners, or other third parties in connection with the consideration, negotiation, or completion of a corporate transaction in which we are acquired by or merged with another company or we sell, liquidate, or transfer all or a portion of our assets.

In addition, we may share aggregated data, de-identified reports on user demographics and traffic patterns, as well as de-identified information, with third parties.

YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS:

California consumers, including California residents, employees, and those engaged in business-to-business transactions with us, have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

As a California consumer, you have the right to request that we disclose to you:

1. categories of personal information we have collected about you.
2. The categories of sources from which the personal information is collected.
3. The purpose for our collection of personal information.
4. The categories of third parties with whom we share personal information.
5. The specific pieces of personal information collected about you.
6. categories of personal information that we disclosed about you for a business purpose (and if we have not disclosed your personal information for a business purpose, we will disclose that fact).

For any categories referenced above, we also will provide a list of categories of personal information we have collected at least in the preceding twelve months, by reference to the enumerated category or categories that most closely describe the personal information collected. We do not sell your personal information for any purpose and we do not share your personal information for cross-contextual behavioral advertising.

We will not discriminate against you because you exercised any of your rights under the CCPA, including by: denying goods or services; charging different prices or rates for goods or services (including through the use of discounts or other benefits, or by imposing penalties); providing a different level or quality of goods or services; or suggesting that you will receive a different price or rate for goods or services or a different level or quality of goods or services.

As a California consumer, you have the right to request that we delete any personal information we have collected.  You have the right to prevent us from selling/sharing your personal information to any third parties (including our affiliates or subsidiaries) for cross-contextual behavioral advertising.  You also have the right to notify us of any change to personal information you provide to us.

For questions about your rights, or submitting requests, under the CCPA:

• You may contact us at DataProtection@fmglobal.com or
• You may contact us at this toll-free number: 1-877-902-3642.

TRANSFER OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION ACROSS BORDERS:

Due to the global nature of our business, the Personal Information FM Approvals collects may be transferred, processed and stored across geographical borders. For instance, we may transfer Personal Information locally or overseas, including but not limited to the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia and Singapore. By providing us with your Personal Information or using our sites, you consent to this transfer, storing, and processing of your Personal Information across geographical borders. These data transfers are governed by applicable data protection laws including the EU the United Kingdom (UK) and any other international, federal, state, provincial, and local law in any relevant jurisdiction. With regard to transfers and processing of personal information from the EU, the UK and Switzerland, these transfers are governed by EU standard contractual clauses, the UK standard contractual clauses and/or equivalent data transfer regulations to protect the security and confidentiality of Personal Information. We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your Personal Information is treated securely and in accordance with this Policy.

ACCURACY OF YOUR INFORMATION:

FM Approvals takes reasonable steps to keep your Personal Information accurate and complete. In order to assist us with this, you should notify us of any changes to your Personal Information by contacting us at CLICK HERE or at the postal address listed in the "Contact Us" section below. Please include your current contact information, the information you are interested in accessing and your requested changes. We will provide you access to the Personal Information requested, unless it infringes on the privacy of other individuals and subject to reasonable limitations provided by law. If we do not provide you with access, we will provide you with the reason for refusal and inform you of any exceptions relied upon.

PROTECTION OF YOUR INFORMATION:

FM Approvals has implemented reasonable physical, technical and administrative security standards to protect Personal Information from loss, misuse, alteration or destruction.

Some of the steps we take are:

• placing confidential requirements on our employees, representatives and third parties;
• keeping information security policies;
• destroying or permanently de-identifying Personal Information if it is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was collected; and
• maintaining appropriate site protection and security measures.
• Further information about our data security practices can be provided on request. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the Internet is not completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Information transmitted to our sites; therefore any transmission is at your own risk. Once we have received your Personal Information, we will use reasonable procedures and security features, such as secure servers and SSL technology to try to prevent unauthorized access. Moreover, we are not responsible for the security of information you transmit over networks that we do not control, including the Internet and wireless networks.

CONTACT US:

For changes, such as modifying or withdrawing your consent or modifying your Personal Information, contact us at CLICK HERE  or at the postal address listed below. Note that if you do not give us consent or subsequently modify or withdraw your consent, we may not be able to provide you with the products or services you want.

CHANGES TO THIS POLICY:

We reserve the right to change this Policy. Any changes we may make from time to time will be posted on this page. We encourage you to frequently review this Policy to see any updates or changes to our privacy practices. Your use of this site constitutes consent to the practices described in any updated Policy.

This Policy was last updated June 2023.