Privacy Policy
LAST UPDATED: July 1, 2021
Introduction
This Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) addresses the privacy of your information when using the services of Shenandoah Telecommunications Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates (collectively, “Shentel”) and visiting Shentel websites. Shentel is committed to protecting the privacy of your information, and we want you to use our services, information, and tools with confidence.
This Privacy Policy applies to all Shentel Services
Our Privacy Policy describes the information Shentel collects, including from our Internet, Cable TV, Phone, Wireless, Business Enterprise, and/or Security services ( the “Shentel Services”) and from visitors and users of Shentel’s online websites such as www.shentel.com (the “Online Services”), how we use the information we collect, and the choices you have concerning the collection and use of such information.
Please check back for updates
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. We will make every effort to ensure that this document stays accurate and up-to-date, so please check www.shentel.com for updates periodically and each time you elect to submit information to us.
Limitation
Shentel works hard to protect your information. Nonetheless, use of Shentel Services may necessarily involve third parties, and no system can be made completely secure. Shentel's Privacy Policy does not extend to anything that is inherent in the operation of the Internet or beyond our control.
What is Personally Identifiable Information?
Shentel takes care to protect "Personally Identifiable Information," which is information that can be used to identify and/or contact you as an individual. This includes your name and information such as your mailing address, phone number, credit card number, account information, email address, and device identifiers, when linked to your name.
Information that, by itself, is not linked with your "real" identity is not considered Personally Identifiable Information. For example, non-personally identifiable device identifiers and aggregated or anonymous usage information collected in connection with the Shentel Services are not considered Personally Identifiable Information.
Information should not be provided by children under 13
Shentel recognizes the importance of children's safety and privacy on the Internet. For this reason, and to comply with certain laws, Shentel’s Online Services are not directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not intentionally collect Personally Identifiable Information from children under the age of 13. If, in limited circumstances, we do knowingly collect Personally Identifiable Information from a child under the age of 13, we will do so only with verified parental consent prior to collection. In the event that we learn that we have collected any Personally Identifiable Information from a child under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information from our database as quickly as possible.
Information Collected by Shentel
Shentel collects information (1) when you provide it to us; (2) through automated means; and (3) in some instances, from third parties. We collect information when you use our Online Services and in connection with the Shentel Services that we may provide to you.
We collect Personally Identifiable Information you choose to provide to Shentel
Customers and prospective/potential customers are asked to provide certain information when they use our Online Services, when they sign up for our Internet, Cable TV, Phone, Business Enterprise, and/or Security services, and when they register for an account online. The information provided by customers in connection with the Shentel Services may include Personally Identifiable Information, as defined above.
From time-to-time we may request information from you via surveys, contests or promotions that require registration or subscription. Participation in these surveys, contests, or promotions is completely voluntary and you therefore have a choice whether or not to provide the information required for registration or subscription. Information requested may include contact information (such as name and shipping address), and demographic information (such as ZIP code and age level), as well as other personally identifiable information.
Job applicants who elect to apply online via www.shentel.com’s Career Center are directed to a third party website to enter their information. We urge you to carefully review that third party website’s privacy policy, which is linked to the Career Center login page. Applicant information is transferred from the third party to Shentel.
Users of Shentel’s webmail service, www.shentel.net and bigsandybb.com, should be aware that these services are powered by Google, and subject to the Google privacy policy linked to the login page.
Customers from time to time may choose to send Shentel email using the email links on www.shentel.com, the “Contact Us” page, or directly. These emails, which are received and may be retained by Shentel, contain information that the customer voluntarily provides.
Shentel may also record calls to our Customer Service department, which may contain Personally Identifiable Information.
We collect non-personally identifiable information through automated means, when you use Shentel Services and the Online Services.
In connection with providing the Shentel Services, Shentel’s systems automatically collect non-personally identifiable information about your devices and usage.
Log Files
When you use the Online Services, we may log your IP address, device identifier, and other requests to our servers. When you use the Shentel Services, we log information regarding system usage by your devices.
Cookies
Shentel uses both first-party and third-party cookies in connection with its Online Services to collect tracking, preference and security information. Cookies are small files that websites place on a user's computer for data collection and record-keeping purposes. You have the option of setting your browser to reject cookies, but some features of our Online Services may not function properly if you disable cookies.
Analytics and Advertising Tools
We use analytics tools such as Eloqua and Google Analytics when you use our Online Services, to collect non-personal usage information and generate user metrics. These analytics tools collect information via cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies. Non-personally identifiable information collected by these analytics tools and shared with Shentel may include IP addresses, device and software identifiers, referring and exit URLs, onsite behavior and usage information, purchase history, and other similar tracking information about your activities online.
The third party analytics companies who collect information on our Online Services may combine such information with other information they have independently collected elsewhere. In addition, many sites you visit on the Internet and search engines used, such as Google, collect and use information under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review.
For more information about Eloqua analytics and its privacy policies, please visit http://www.oracle.com/us/legal/privacy/overview/index.html. You may opt-out of Eloqua web monitoring associated with the Online Services by following the instructions on the Eloqua Web Monitoring Opt-Out page at https://www.oracle.com/marketingcloud/opt-status.html. For more information about Google Analytics and its privacy policies, please visit http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/. You may opt-out of Google Analytics associated with the Online Services by following the instructions found on the Google Analytics opt-out page.
In addition to our use of technologies as described herein, we may permit certain third party companies to help us tailor and deliver advertising that we think may be of interest to you based on your use of the Online Services and to otherwise collect and use data about your use of Online Services. For more information about this practice, please see the “Online Advertisements” section in the description of how Shentel uses the information we collect, below.
Information collected in connection with specific Shentel Services
The types of information we collect in connection with specific Shentel Services are as follows. By law, information collected in connection with certain Shentel Services may be subject to specific protections, as noted below.
Cable TV Service Information
The Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984 contains certain provisions regarding the collection and use of personally identifiable information (as defined in that law) by cable television operators. Shentel collects and maintains personally identifiable information concerning its cable customers in accordance with those provisions and as set forth elsewhere in this Privacy Policy and the notice we send our Cable TV customers annually.
Please see our Cable TV Policies at http://www.shentel.com/legal/shentel-cable-customer-privacy-notice for complete information about our collection and use of information in connection with your Shentel Cable TV services.
Business Enterprise Service Information
Regarding subscribers receiving Shentel Business Enterprise services, we collect and maintain information as set forth elsewhere in this Privacy Policy.
Phone Service Information
In connection with your Shentel Phone services, we gather information as set forth elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, including information about the quantity, technical configuration, quality, type, destination, location, and amount of products and services you use, as well as other information found on your telephone bill (“Customer Proprietary Network Information” also known as “CPNI”), the privacy of which is governed by federal law. Information regarding our collection and use of CPNI is provided when you sign up for Phone services and at least every two years, with your bill. A copy can be found here: http://www.shentel.com/legal/shentel-phone-customer-privacy-notice
Internet Service
In connection with your Internet services, we gather information as set forth elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, the privacy of which is governed by federal law.
Security Service Information
Our Security services provide to us the monitoring information you have elected, and general system data (e.g. showing power outages/low batteries) to ensure the security system is operating properly.
Information about customers also may be collected from third parties
In order to better understand its customers, Shentel obtains consumer data such as ZIP code, demographics and other publicly available information about its customers and potential customers from third parties.
How Shentel Uses the Information We Collect
We use the information we collect in connection with the Shentel Services (“Customer Data”) to provide and bill for the Shentel Services, to market and improve our products and services, and to contact you in a variety of ways. We may use your Customer Data to send you offers of additional Shentel products and services or offers on behalf of selected third parties through email, phone, regular mail, or online advertising. Shentel Customer Data also may be used for tracking purposes and to verify your compliance with Shentel policies and terms of service, including federal, state and local laws.
Shentel limits the sharing of Personally Identifiable Information with third parties
We share Personally Identifiable Information with third parties only as disclosed in this Privacy Policy.
Personally Identifiable Information is only released in whole or in part to any third party when it is necessary to do so in order to:
Some Shentel Services and products are provided or offered to customers in conjunction with a third party. To provide or offer these products and services, the third party may need to receive and maintain your Personally Identifiable Information and other Customer Data, but will not be permitted to use your Personally Identifiable Information for any other purpose.
When you send us an email, we will use your name and email address only to respond to your concerns. Your email may be shared with appropriate people within the Shentel organization to help us respond to your concerns.
Non-personally identifiable information may be shared for advertising and marketing purposes
When you visit the Online Services Shentel may share anonymized, aggregated and non-personally identifiable information with select analytics and online advertising providers, such as Eloqua and Google Analytics. In some instances, the information obtained through your use of the Online Service is used to deliver tailored advertisements, and to display advertisements to specific audiences.
Shentel does not share Personally Identifiable Information with these providers.
Online Advertisements
We also may use Google Analytics’ Remarketing and Google Ads, to deliver ads when you visit our Online Services. Google Ads’ features include remarketing, interest categories, similar audiences, demographic and location targeting, and other types of interest-based advertising. Consistent with Google’s policies, Shentel does not associate Personally Identifiable Information with remarketing lists, cookies, data feeds, or other anonymous identifiers used by Google Ads or Remarketing, or with demographic or location information collected from an ad or its landing page, nor does Shentel target advertising based on personally identifiable or sensitive information. The third-party companies may use information (not including your Personally Identifiable Information) about your visits to our Online Services and other website information it has gathered in order to provide advertisements on our site and other sites about goods and services that may be of interest to you.
You may opt-out of Google Analytics by following the instructions found on the Google Analytics opt-out page. Google has additional information available about their Remarketing Privacy Guidelines and Restrictions applicable to Google Analytics.
Viewership Information
Shentel or its affiliates or vendors may also collect information about how you use our products and services in a manner that does not contain personally identifiable information. This may include viewing information that is automatically collected when you interact with our systems, such as by changing your television channel, reviewing listings in an electronic program guide, interact with your DVR or order on-demand programming. Such information may be collected anonymously, or may be anonymized by removing any information that can be reasonably used to identify you. We may utilize a third party vendor to de-identify information in order to protect its anonymity, provided that any such third party will be subject to confidentiality obligations and will be prohibited from using or disclosing any personally identifiable information that it may obtain in the process and subject to your ability to opt-out of such use by the methods outlined in this policy. The non-personally identifiable information collected by us or obtained by third parties may be used for research, marketing and other purposes and may be combined with information from independent sources in order to analyze the viewing habits of viewers within a certain geographic area or of a certain demographic in order to learn about the preferences of customers with common characteristics.
Automatically collected information may be used to monitor usage and bill for services
Log Files
We use log file information to provide and bill for Shentel Services, analyze usage, monitor compliance with Shentel policies and terms of service, manage our website, and gather aggregate demographic information about site users. We do not associate any Personally Identifiable Information with the log file information, except when necessary to bill for Shentel Services, market our products and services, comply with legal requirements, enforce our terms and conditions or any separate agreement for Shentel Services, provide the Shentel Services, protect or defend the rights and properties of Shentel, or protect the interests of Shentel customers.
Cookies
In conjunction with our Online Services, we use both first-party and third-party cookies to keep track of customer preferences and settings, and to target and deliver ads. Eloqua, and Google Analytics’ Remarketing and Google AdWords may use information obtained from cookies they have placed on our Online Services and other websites to provide non-personally identifiable information about user visits to the Online Services to others, and Google may also use non-personally identifiable information about user visits to deliver ads on both the Online Services and other websites.
You may opt-out of Eloqua web monitoring by following the instructions on the Eloqua Web Monitoring Opt-Out page at https://www.oracle.com/marketingcloud/opt-status.html
You may opt-out of Google Analytics by following the instructions found on the Google Analytics opt-out page. Google has additional information available about their Remarketing Privacy Guidelines and Restrictions applicable to Google Analytics.
Ways that you may limit use of the information Shentel collects
If you so desire, Shentel will not use or share your Personally Identifiable Information to offer products and services that are unrelated to the Shentel Services you currently receive from us. If you prefer that we not use your information for this purpose, you may opt-out by calling 800-743-6835 and selecting option 4. Your decision to opt-out will not have any impact on your Shentel Services. Also, your decision on whether or not to opt-out is valid until you decide to change it. You may at any time revoke your previous decision to opt-out by calling the number above or using the “Contact Us” email at www.shentel.com. You may opt-out of third party use of Personally Identifiable Information via the methods described elsewhere in this policy.
You may have specific rights with regard to limiting the use of your information in connection with your Cable TV and Phone services, as specified in our Cable TV Policies, at https://www.shentel.com/legal/cable communications policy act, and our phone CPNI policy, at https://www.shentel.com/legal/shentel-phone-customer-privacy-notice.
How to Correct or Update Personally Identifiable Information Maintained by Shentel
If you notify us that your Personally Identifiable Information has changed, we will endeavor to correct, update or remove your personal data provided to us as quickly as possible. This can be done through the "Contact Us" email address located on the www.shentel.com website. You may also update your personal data by calling us toll-free at: 800-743-6835 (option 4) or writing to us at: P.O. Box 459 Edinburg, VA 22824.
You may have specific rights with regard to review and correction of your information in connection with your Cable TV services, as specified in our Cable TV Policies at https://www.shentel.com/legal/cable communications policy act.
Shentel’s Commitment to Data Security
Only employees with a legitimate business purpose have access to servers where Personally Identifiable Information might be stored. The servers are password-protected and other security measures are in place to protect the Personally Identifiable Information you share with us. We have in place physical, electronic and managerial procedures to protect Customer Data.
Disclaimer
However, as effective as these measures are, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the security of our databases, nor can we guarantee that the information you supply will not be intercepted while being transmitted to us over the Internet.
Links to Other Websites
Our Online Services contain links to other third party websites. Please be aware that Shentel is not responsible for the privacy practices of these other sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our site and read the privacy statements of each and every website that collects Personally Identifiable Information. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by or provided to Shentel.
Notification of Changes
If we decide to change our Privacy Policy, we will post those changes on our website at www.shentel.com so you will always be aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it. If at any point we decide to use Personally Identifiable Information in a manner different from what was stated at the time it was collected, we will notify you. You will have a choice as to whether or not we use your information in this different manner. Otherwise, we will use Customer Data in accordance with the current version of our Privacy Policy.