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CARFAX Privacy Statement

Effective November 6, 2023

This Privacy Statement (Privacy Statement) is intended to help you understand the Personal Information that Carfax, Inc. (CARFAX) collects when you use or access any CARFAX content, products, services, websites or mobile device applications (collectively, CARFAX Services), how we use it and the purposes for which we share it with third parties.   

Protecting the Privacy of Minors 

CARFAX Services are not intended for use by minors, and we will not knowingly collect information about minors. If you are a minor, you are not allowed to use CARFAX Services or provide any information about yourself. 

Collection of Personal Information 

For purposes of this Privacy Statement, the term Personal Information means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular individual or household.  Personal Information does not include information that is publicly available from government records, and it also does not include deidentified or aggregated information that cannot be linked to any specific consumer or household.   

In connection with CARFAX Services, CARFAX may collect Personal Information about:  

  1. Users of CARFAX Services intended for use by consumers (Consumers),  
  2. Individuals who are employees, consultants or contractors of entities with which CARFAX has a current or potential business relationship (Business Employees),  
  3. Users of crashdocs.org (Crashdocs Users) or  
  4. People who apply for a job at CARFAX (Job Applicants).   

CARFAX may collect the following categories of Personal Information: 

Category of Personal Information Examples Collected
ConsumersBusiness EmployeesCrashdocs UsersJob Applicants
Identifiers Name, alias, address, unique identifier, IP address, email address Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Personal Information associated with customer accounts Name, telephone number, email address    Yes Yes No No 
Characteristics of protected classifications  Age, disability status, gender identity, military status No No No Yes 
Commercial information Records of products or services purchased, obtained or considered, other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies Yes Yes Yes No 
Biometric information Physiological, biological or behavioral characteristics used or intended to be used to establish individual identity No No No No 
Internet or similar network activity Browsing history, search history, information regarding a user’s interaction with an internet website, application or advertisement Yes Yes No No 
Geolocation data Zip code or physical location Yes Yes Yes Yes 
Recorded data Audio, electronic, visual, thermal, olfactory or similar information Yes Yes Yes No 
Professional or employment information Current or past job history or job title(s) No Yes No Yes 
Education information Educational credentials or certifications   No No No Yes 
Inferences drawn from Personal Information collected Profile reflecting the user’s preferences, characteristics, psychological trends, predispositions, behavior, attitudes, intelligence, abilities, aptitudes Yes Yes No Yes 
Sensitive Personal Information Precise geolocation, credit or debit card information, username and password for account login Yes, with consent Yes, with consent Yes, with consent Yes, with consent 

Sources of Personal Information 

CARFAX may collect Personal Information:  

  1. Directly from you,  
  2. Automatically through cookies, tags and other unique identifiers (collectively, Unique Identifiers),  
  3. From or through the business relationship between CARFAX and you or your employer or the person or entity who has engaged you (Employer),  
  4. From CARFAX’s service providers or  
  5. From other third parties with your consent.   

An organization with which CARFAX has a current or potential business relationship may also make available to CARFAX certain Personal Information of its Business Employees. 

Purpose of Using and Disclosing Personal Information  

Protection of Personal Information 

CARFAX maintains an information security program with administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect against unauthorized access to Personal Information that CARFAX collects. Except as disclosed in this Privacy Statement, CARFAX does not use, sell, share or disclose certain types of Personal Information that must be treated with extra security (for example, precise geolocation, government issued identification or demographic information) (Sensitive Personal Information).  CARFAX also does not sell information that specifically identifies you, such as your name, address, email address or telephone number.  To protect against unauthorized access to your CARFAX account, we strongly recommend that you use a unique password, protect your password, log out of your account and close your browser each time after using CARFAX Services. 

CARFAX may modify this Privacy Statement at any time. Any changes to this Privacy Statement will be posted here.  Please check this Privacy Statement often for any changes.  You are consenting to the privacy practices described in the Privacy Statement each time you use CARFAX Services.   If you have any questions or concerns about the collection, use or disclosure of your Personal Information in connection with your application for employment at CARFAX, please contact the CARFAX human resources team at HRQuestions@carfax.com.  If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this Privacy Statement, please contact us at privacyofficer@carfax.com.   

Third Party Websites 

You may access CARFAX Services through third party websites or social media (collectively, Third Party Websites).  By accessing CARFAX Services through a Third Party Website, you may be allowing such Third Party Website to view, collect or use any information you provide to CARFAX.  If you are concerned about accessing CARFAX Services through a Third Party Website, you can instead access CARFAX Services directly through CARFAX websites or mobile device applications (collectively, CARFAX Applications).  CARFAX Applications and CARFAX emails may include links that allow you to access Third Party Websites.  CARFAX does not control the collection, use or disclosure of any information on such Third Party Websites or the content on such Third Party Websites.  

Personal Information Received from Third Parties 

Except with respect to Personal Information of Business Employees, this Privacy Statement does not describe the collection or use of Personal Information when CARFAX receives Personal Information from third parties in connection with services provided by CARFAX to such third parties as a service provider.  In those instances, CARFAX will use and disclose Personal Information provided by such third parties in accordance with the agreements entered into between CARFAX and such third parties. 

State Specific Privacy Disclosures 

Purpose of Using and Disclosing Personal Information about Consumers  

  1. CARFAX collects and uses Personal Information to operate its business and provide, develop and improve CARFAX Services, including: 
    1. To fulfill the request for which the information is provided; 
    2. To respond to your communications; 
    3. To communicate with you in connection with your CARFAX account (for example, to provide services or notify you about CARFAX Services, the benefits available to you through your CARFAX account and other special offers and promotions); 
    4. To effectively plan communications and marketing campaigns; 
    5. To provide functionality, analyze performance, fix errors and improve the usability and effectiveness of CARFAX Services;   
    6. To personalize and improve your experience with CARFAX Services by making recommendations and delivering content, products and services that might be of interest to you; 
    7. To display targeted advertisement on Third Party Websites;   
    8. To fulfill our business purposes, including internal record keeping and administration and 
    9. To prevent unauthorized or unlawful use of CARFAX Services and protect the rights, property, security and safety of our users, CARFAX and CARFAX Services. 
  2. CARFAX collects Sensitive Personal Information for the following purposes: 
    1. Precise geolocation to provide information about vehicle dealers and services shops in your then-current location and 
    2. Payment card information to process your purchase of vehicle history reports. 
    3. CARFAX does not store precise geolocation information or complete payment card information.   
  3. CARFAX may disclose Personal Information: 
    1. To our service providers as necessary for our business purposes (for example, to provide CARFAX Services, to communicate with you through a chat feature, process credit card transactions, analyze data, serve and measure ad impressions, provide marketing assistance and measure unique visitors); 
    2. As necessary to defend against legal claims or otherwise protect our rights; 
    3. To third parties as required to respond to your inquiries, or by law or judicial proceeding and 
    4. As requested by you, such as when you submit a request for information from a vehicle dealer or service shop through a CARFAX Application, except that CARFAX has no control over the subsequent use or disclosure of the Personal Information by such third parties.  
  4. CARFAX may share Personal Information collected through Unique Identifiers:    
    1. With third parties to help build a profile of your interests and for cross context behavioral advertising, cross device linking or for other purposes similar to serving targeted advertising (collectively, Targeted Advertising). To learn more or to make choices about use of your Personal Information for Targeted Advertising, please click here: https://youradchoices.com/.    
    2. The third parties with which CARFAX may share information for purposes of Targeted Advertising include, without limitation, Criteo SA, RTB House and/or Firebase Analytics from Google.  To learn more about how Criteo SA, RTB House or Firebase Analytics from Google collect and use data and to opt out, please visit their privacy pages at http://www.criteo.com/privacy/, https://rtbhouse.com/privacy-center/services-privacy-policy and www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/.  You may also opt out of receiving Targeted Advertising by changing your browser options to either stop accepting cookies or prompt you before accepting a cookie from any website. 
  5. If you disclose Personal Information when you review products or services (including third party products and services) or submit content or materials intended for public postings, the information may be viewable by others.
  6. You may update or change your Personal Information by contacting CARFAX here.  
  7. You may opt out of receiving promotional emails from CARFAX:  
    1. At any time by using the link included on all marketing emails; 
    2. When you complete a purchase order form on carfax.com; 
    3. Through your CARFAX account or 
    4. By contacting CARFAX here.  

If you choose to opt out of receiving promotional emails, you will only receive emails in connection with the CARFAX Services to which you have subscribed. 

Purpose of Using and Disclosing Personal Information about Business Employees 

  1. CARFAX collects and uses Personal Information to operate its business and provide, develop and improve CARFAX Services, including: 
    1. To manage our relationship with your Employer, including without limitation to communicate with you in connection with a CARFAX account (for example, to provide services, for marketing and sales purposes or to notify you about CARFAX Services and the benefits available through the CARFAX account and other special offers and promotions); 
    2. To track usage across devices to help enhance your user experience, provide functionality, analyze performance, fix errors and improve the usability and effectiveness of CARFAX Services; 
    3. To develop new products or services;  
    4. To prevent unauthorized or unlawful use of CARFAX Services and protect the rights, property, security and safety of our users, CARFAX and CARFAX Services or 
    5. To verify your identity such as authenticating your login credentials, verifying your location to allow access to your accounts, and storing identification information for subsequent verification online. 
  2. CARFAX collects or uses Sensitive Personal Information for the following purposes: 
    1. Precise geolocation to (i) prevent unauthorized or unlawful use of CARFAX Services, (ii) protect the rights, property, security and safety of our users, CARFAX and CARFAX Services and (iii) serve ads  
    2. Payment card information in connection with your Employer’s subscription to CARFAX Services 
  3. CARFAX may disclose Personal Information: 
    1. To our service providers as necessary for our business purposes (for example, to provide CARFAX Services, process credit card transactions, respond to your communications, analyze data, serve and measure ad impressions, provide marketing assistance and measure unique visitors);  
    2. To your Employer with whom CARFAX has a business relationship or potential business relationship; 
    3. As necessary to defend against legal claims or otherwise protect our rights or 
    4. To third parties as required to respond to your inquiries, or by law or judicial proceeding. 
  4. CARFAX does not share Personal Information about Business Employees collected through Unique Identifiers with third parties for purposes of Targeted Advertising
  5. If you disclose Personal Information when you respond to reviews of your Employer’s products or services or submit content or materials intended for public postings, the information may be viewable by others.    

Purpose of Using and Disclosing Personal Information about Crashdocs Users 

  1. CARFAX collects and uses Personal Information on crashdocs.org in connection with CARFAX Services provided to law enforcement agencies, including: 
    1. To verify and maintain records of your eligibility to receive accident reports; 
    2. To fulfill the request for which the Personal Information is provided or 
    3. As required by law or the law enforcement agencies that use CARFAX Services. 
  2. CARFAX collects payment card information to process your purchase of accident reports.  CARFAX does not store complete payment card information.   
  3. CARFAX may disclose Personal Information: 
    1. To the law enforcement agency on behalf of which CARFAX collects such information or  
    2. To our service providers as necessary to process credit card transactions. 
  4. CARFAX does not use Unique Identifiers on crashdocs.org. 

Purpose of Using and Disclosing Personal Information about Job Applicants 

  1. CARFAX collects and uses Personal Information including, as necessary, Sensitive Personal Information, for its recruitment and hiring process, including: 
    1. To communicate with you regarding vacancies and otherwise facilitate our application and recruitment processes;  
    2. To assess your suitability for the position for which you have applied; 
    3. In connection with the hiring and on-boarding processes; 
    4. To enable us to verify your right to work in the jurisdiction for which the job is posted; 
    5. As necessary to meet our legal obligations and 
    6. To enable us to undertake reference checks, background checks, sanctions screenings or criminal records checks when required or permitted by law. 
  2. CARFAX may disclose Personal Information: 
    1. To our service providers as necessary for our business purposes (for example, to perform the functions necessary to facilitate recruiting and on-boarding); 
    2. As necessary to defend against legal claims or otherwise protect our rights; 
    3. To third parties as required by law or judicial proceeding and 
    4. In connection with a potential merger or acquisition of CARFAX. 
  3. CARFAX does not share Personal Information about Job Applicants collected through Unique Identifiers with third parties for purposes of Targeted Advertising

Carfax, Inc.
5860 Trinity Parkway, Suite 600 
Centreville, VA 20120