Teen Privacy Notice

MRI-SIMMONS AMERICAN TEEN PRIVACY NOTICE

May 14, 2026

Hello! We’re MRI-Simmons. We run surveys within the U.S. to learn what people like, buy, and think – enabling companies (our customers) to can better understand their own customers and end users. If you’ve been invited to take one of our surveys, this American Teen Privacy Notice explains:

  • what information we collect about you,
  • how we use it, and
  • what choices you (and your parent or guardian) have over this information.

Most of the information we collect comes from your survey answers and from using our survey website or otherwise as we communicate with you via email, mail, or phone calls we may send or receive from you. Our surveys are hosted by trusted service providers (like Confirmit) who help us run the surveys securely. Your parent or guardian must give permission before you take part in our surveys.

MRI-Simmons is part of the NIQ Group, a group of related companies (listed here). This Notice does not apply to other NIQ Group products or job applications. As applicable, our MRI-Simmons Consumer Health Data Privacy Notice supplements this Notice and describes our privacy practices as related to consumer health data. You may also receive additional supplemental privacy notices specific to those interactions at the time your Personal Information is collected.

What We Mean by “Personal Information” –

  • “Personal Information” means information that can identify you or be linked to you. For example, your name, email address, or things you tell us about your interests and habits. The term also includes “personal data,” or similar terms, as defined under applicable privacy laws.
  • “Sensitive Personal Information” is more private information – like your health, beliefs, background or information about your identity – that needs extra protection.

NOTICE AT COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

Important Things to Know –

Here’s a quick summary:

  • We collect information from your survey answers and how you use our survey site.
  • We use it to understand people’s preferences and trends.
  • You and your parent or guardian can ask us to stop sharing your information.

Very Important Reminders –

  • We do not use your name, address, or contact information to sell you things.
  • We also do not share that information with telemarketers or advertisers to contact you directly.
  • We may share some information with companies (as defined under privacy laws as “selling” or “sharing”), but we do not share your name, address, or contact details.

What Information We Collect –

We collect different types of information listed below. We collect this information to run our surveys, create research insights, and provide reports to our business customers – used only for research purposes. We only collect this information if you choose to provide it and if your parent or guardian has consented to its use.

  • Basic details – like your name, age, email, or address
  • Things you buy or like – like products you use or are interested in
  • How you use our website – like pages you visit or your device type
  • School or background info – like education level
  • General location – such as your region (based on your household address or internet connection)
  • Sensitive personal information – like health or beliefs, if you choose to share it
    • We only use sensitive information for research purposes and only if you choose to provide it.
  • Other information you share when answering surveys
  • Insights we create – like your interests, habits, or preferences based on your answers

How We Collect Information –

We collect information in a few ways:

  • From you directly (when you answer surveys)
  • Automatically when you use our survey site (like device or browser info)
  • From trusted partners who help us improve our research

Our research activities are designed just for teenagers like you. We take pride in our data practices and align with codes of conduct for the market research industry. Our surveys are hosted by trusted service providers who help us operate securely.

How Long We Keep Your Information –

  • We keep your information only as long as we need it to run our surveys, create and improve our research insights and reports, and meet our legal obligations.
  • We then delete it or remove details that identify you.

HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We use your information to:

  • run and manage our surveys
  • understand trends, preferences, and opinion
  • create research insights and reports
  • improve our surveys, products, and services

What We Do With Survey Results. We use survey answers (without directly identifying you) to:

  • study what people like, buy, and think
  • understand how groups of people behave
  • help companies improve their products and services

We create reports and insights based on groups of people - not about you as an individual.

Creating Insights and Models. We may use survey data to create models and insights that help us understand patterns, such as:

  • groups of people with similar interests
  • general trends in behavior or preferences

These models are based on groups and are not used to contact or target you directly.

What We Do NOT Do.

  • We do not use your contact details to advertise or sell things to you
  • We do not allow other companies to contact you based on your survey answers
  • We do not make decisions that have legal or important effects about you

Information We Collect Automatically. When you use our survey website, we may automatically collect information such as:

  • your device or browser type
  • general location (like region)
  • how you use the survey site (like pages visited)

We use this information to:

  • keep the site working properly
  • improve the survey experience
  • understand overall usage

We use this information mainly at a group level and not to identify you.

Information From Other Sources. We may receive limited information about you from trusted partners, such as general location or demographic details. We use this information to:

  • improve the quality of our research
  • better understand trends across groups of people

Combining Information. We may combine information from different sources to improve our research and create insights. When we do this:

  • we focus on groups and patterns, not individuals
  • we do not use this to contact or target you

Other Ways We Use Information. We may also use your information to:

  • communicate with you about surveys or rewards
  • send your Thank You Payment
  • protect the security of our systems
  • comply with legal requirements
  • support business changes like mergers or reorganizations

We will explain any additional uses of your information when required or ask for permission where needed. As a reminder: we do not use your name, address, or contact details to market or sell to you, and we do not allow others to do so.

HOW WE DISCLOSE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may share your information for the purposes described above with a limited number of trusted parties.

Companies We Work With (Our Customers)

If you complete our surveys, we may share survey data and insights with companies that use it for research and analysis.

  • This may include information about preferences, habits, and general characteristics
  • In some privacy laws, this type of sharing may be called “selling” or “sharing”

Important:

  • We do not share your name, contact details, or anything that directly identifies you for advertising or sales
  • We do not allow companies to contact you based on your survey answers

Our Related Companies

We may share information within the NIQ Group (our affiliated companies) to help operate our business and support our research.

Service Providers. We share information with trusted service providers who help us:

  • run our surveys
  • process data
  • manage systems and security

They are only allowed to use your information to provide services to us.

Analytics Providers. We may share limited information with analytics providers who help us understand how our survey sites are used and how to improve them.

Other Situations Where We May Share Information. We may also share your information when needed to:

  • comply with laws or respond to legal requests
  • protect our rights, safety, and systems
  • complete business transactions (like mergers or reorganizations)

If this happens, we take steps to make sure your information is protected.

How We Protect Information When Sharing It. When we share information, we use contracts, security measures, and rules to make sure it is used only for appropriate purposes and in line with this Notice.

Deidentified Information. We may remove details that identify you and use the information in a way where it can no longer be linked back to you. Once information is deidentified:

  • we do not try to identify you again
  • we require others who receive it to do the same

AUTOMATED DECISION MAKING, PROFILING, AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Automated Processing and AI. We may use technology to help us analyze survey responses and understand patterns. For example, we may:

  • group similar responses together
  • identify general trends or preferences
  • summarize information to create research insights

These tools help us work more efficiently, but:

  • we focus on groups of people, not individuals
  • we do not use this to contact or target you
  • we do not make decisions about you that have legal or important effects

Protecting Your Information. If we use advanced tools (like AI), we take steps to:

  • protect your privacy
  • limit how your information is used
  • keep your information secure

We may use deidentified or grouped information (information that does not identify you) to improve our tools and research.

Our Commitment. We are committed to using data and technology in a responsible and fair way, and in line with applicable privacy laws. All AI-assisted analysis is reviewed by our team to ensure accuracy and fairness. Any processing involving AI is carried out in line with data protection principles, including data minimization and transparency, and our deployment and use is subject to applicable law and NIQ’s AI Safety Policies and Guiding Principles.

DATA AUTHORIZATIONS AND THANK YOU PAYMENTS

Your Choice to Participate. Taking part in our surveys is always your choice. You can:

  • choose not to start a survey
  • stop at any time
  • skip questions if you prefer (where indicated)

If you stop participating, we will not collect any more information from you.

Thank You Rewards. Sometimes, we offer a reward (like a gift card) as a thank you for completing a survey.

  • The reward depends on the survey
  • You will only receive it if you choose to take part and complete the survey

These rewards are meant to thank you for your time and feedback.

Important Information About Rewards – The reward is offered in exchange for your participation in the survey.

Your decision to participate is completely voluntary, and you can still:

  • opt out of sharing your information, or
  • stop participating at any time

If you stop participating, you may not receive the reward.

Your Assent & Parent or Guardian Consent

By choosing to take part in a survey, you are agreeing to:

  • provide your responses
  • allow us to use your information as described in this Notice

You can withdraw your consent at any time by stopping your participation.

PRIVACY RIGHTS AND CHOICES

Your Privacy Rights. Depending on where you live, you (or your parent or guardian) may have rights over your Personal Information. These may include the right to:

  • Access your information – ask what information we have about you
  • Get a copy – request your information in a portable format
  • Correct information – ask us to fix inaccurate details
  • Delete information – ask us to delete your information (with some limits)
  • Find out who we share information with – request categories of companies we share with
  • Opt out of sharing – ask us not to share your information in ways defined as “selling” or “sharing” under privacy laws
  • Limit use of sensitive information – in certain cases
  • Appeal a decision – if we deny your request, you may be able to appeal

Parents and Guardians. Parents or guardians can request these rights on behalf of children under 18. Teens may also be able to make their own requests, depending on applicable law.

How to Make a Request. You (or your parent or guardian) can submit a request by:

You do not need to create an account to make a request.

Verifying Your Request. To protect your information, we may ask you some questions to confirm your identity before responding. In some cases, we may not be able to fulfill a request if we cannot confirm your identity or if an exception applies.

Authorized Agents. Someone can make a request for you if they are legally allowed to act on your behalf. We may ask for proof that they have permission to do this.

No Discrimination. We will not treat you differently for exercising your privacy rights.

You may also have the right to contact your state’s Attorney General or another authority if you have concerns about how we handle your information.

PERSONAL INFORMATION OF TEENS

We take extra care to protect the privacy of children and teens. We design and operate our services with the best interests of children and teens in mind and apply heightened protections to the Personal Information of individuals under the age of 18, consistent with applicable law.

Under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 13 without permission from a parent or guardian. If a survey is designed for children under 13:

  • we collect permission from a parent or guardian before collecting any information
  • we only collect information that is needed for the survey
  • we do not keep this information longer than necessary

Teens (13–17). We recognize that teens have important privacy rights.

  • We provide extra protections for individuals under 18.
  • Where required by law, teens may be able to give their own permission to participate.
  • We do not allow your information to be used to contact or target you based on your survey responses.

Privacy by Design. We design our surveys and systems to protect your privacy. This means:

  • we collect only the information we need for research
  • we use high privacy settings by default
  • we avoid designs that pressure you to share more information than you want

Profiling and Automated Processing. We do not use your information in ways that could negatively affect you.

  • We do not make important decisions about you based on your information
  • We use data mainly to understand groups and trends, not individuals

Deidentified Data. We may use information that has been deidentified (so it cannot be linked back to you) for research, analysis, and to improve our services.

Rights for Parents and Teens. Parents or guardians can exercise privacy rights for individuals under 13. Teens may also exercise their own privacy rights, depending on applicable law.

If Information Is Collected by Mistake. If we learn that we collected information in a way that does not follow the law, we will delete it or take other required steps.

DATA SECURITY AND EXTERNAL LINKS

How We Protect Your Information. We take steps to protect your information using security measures designed to keep it safe. However, no system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Links to Other Websites. Our surveys or communications may include links to other websites or services. These websites have their own privacy practices, and we are not responsible for how they handle your information. We encourage you (and your parent or guardian) to review their privacy notices if you visit them.

CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

We may update this Privacy Notice from time to time. If we make important changes, we will:

  • update the date at the top of the Notice, and
  • provide notice where required by law

If you continue to take part in surveys after a change, it means you accept the updated Notice.

HOW TO CONTACT US

If you (or your parent or guardian) have questions about this Notice or your privacy rights, you can contact us in any of these ways:

Data Controller GfK US MRI, LLC d/b/a MRI-Simmons
Webform Your Privacy Rights
Email privacy@mrisimmons.net
Subject: Privacy Rights
Toll-Free Phone 1-800-405-0170
U.S. Postal Mail MRI-Simmons
200 W. Jackson Blvd, 26th Floor, Chicago, IL 60606
Attn: Privacy Rights
Data Protection Officer niq@hewardmills.com
Attn: MRI-Simmons
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