Nintendo of America

Wii Network Service Privacy Policy

 

Nintendo is dedicated to protecting your privacy and handling any personal information we obtain from you with care and respect. Our Wii Network Service Privacy Policy ("Wii Privacy Policy") is intended to provide you with an understanding of information that is submitted and collected through the Wii Network Service. We may revise and update this Wii Privacy Policy from time to time. Please review this Wii Privacy Policy often to ensure that you are aware of any changes and are in compliance with the most recent version posted on support.nintendo.com or contact customer service at (888) 977-7627. This Wii Privacy Policy only applies to information submitted or collected through the Wii Network Service and does not apply to any information you may submit through any of Nintendo's web sites.

PARENTS OR LEGAL GUARDIANS PLEASE READ: PROTECTING CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

Before allowing your children to use the Wii Network Service, we strongly recommend that you educate them on the importance of not sharing any personal information about themselves with strangers. In particular, we recommend that you tell your children to not use personal information for any nicknames on games, user names, names for Miis or any other applications that use the Wii Network Service.

We strongly recommend that you assist your children with the setup of the Wii Network Service, and that you supervise your children's use of the Wii Network Service at all times. If at any time you want to stop your children's use of the Wii Network Service, you may simply disconnect the Wii Network Service as explained in your Wii Channel Manual.

Please read the following provisions carefully as they all apply to use of the Wii Network Service by you and any other person using your Wii console.

A. INFORMATION COLLECTED

"Personal Information" is information that may be directly linked to you such as your name, address, telephone number, or name based e-mail address (i.e. MyWii@nintendo.com). We may ask you to provide us with certain Personal Information when you register your Wii console on the Wii Network Service, download games or contact us with questions or comments. In addition to the Personal Information you provide to us, we may collect anonymous aggregate data from you such as your age, gender, geographic area as well as anonymous data such as your Wii console identifier and Wii message address. In order to provide you with more customized services, we may also receive and record information on our server logs from the Wii Network Service, including, but not limited to, your internet protocol ("IP") address, cookies, transactions, settings and download activity. We will not link your Personal Information with any anonymous or aggregate information we collect from you without first notifying you.

B. HOW SUCH INFORMATION IS USED

We may request personal and aggregate information from you for several purposes including to: (i) complete your Wii Network Service registration; (ii) inform you of special offers and events available to our customers; (iii) customize your user catalog; (iv) communicate with you regarding games, contests, sweepstakes, surveys, product changes, system issues and more; (v) allow you to participate in the Wii Messaging service, message boards and other Wii online services; (vi) process orders through the Channels; and (vii) set up repair orders. Some of the types of information collected and the way the information is handled are detailed by category below.

• Surveys : We may conduct surveys of Wii console users. Unless stated otherwise, the information we collect from you in a survey will be demographic or opinion information that will not be tied to your Personal Information unless we notify you otherwise. The results of aggregate data collected from surveys, but not Personal Information, may be disclosed to the public.
• Contests and Sweepstakes: We may host various contests and sweepstakes. To enter you may be required to submit certain Personal Information about yourself. For more information about Nintendo contests or sweepstakes, please see the official rules of the contest or sweepstakes you are entering.
• Wii Shop Channel Account : If you pay for items downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel with a credit card, you will need to provide a valid credit card number, expiration date, credit card security code and your city, state/province and zip code/postal code. We do not ask for your name or your complete address unless you order items that must be shipped to you, rather than being downloaded. Please note that you must be over the age of 18 to enter into a Wii Network Service Agreement and place orders online. Any credit card information you submit on the Wii Shop Channel will be transmitted in an encrypted manner. All such encrypted information will be maintained and processed by Nintendo and its trusted third party credit card processor on secure computers that are not accessible from the Internet.
• Wii Message: When you connect to the Wii Network Service, we will provide you with an automatically generated Wii message address. Your Wii message address is anonymous and will remain so unless you (a) share it with other people in order to send Wii messages or (b) link your Wii Shop Channel Account to your My Nintendo account (Please note that your Wii message address is automatically connected to your Wii Shop Account. Therefore, by linking your Wii Shop Account to your My Nintendo account, your Wii message address will cease to be anonymous). You have the ability to choose through the Parental Controls system whether or not to allow use of the Wii message service on your console. If you choose not to use the Wii message service, you will not receive emails from third parties. You also can choose whether or not you receive messages from Nintendo by selecting the "opt-out" option on Wii channels or by using the opt-out option included in any commercial messaging sent by Nintendo to your Wii message address. However, you may still receive messages on your Wii Message Board that originate from members of your household as well as messages from Nintendo that are related to transactions or services you have specifically requested, in response to any email from you to us, to notify you of updates or changes to our policies and procedures, or to otherwise provide you with information important to all Wii users.
• IP Addresses: An IP address is a numeric address that is assigned to your Wii console by your Internet Service Provider. The Wii Network Service automatically creates log files of user activities on the Wii Network and in many instances records the IP Address of users, In general, we only use log files to monitor traffic on our Web sites and to troubleshoot technical problems. In the event of abuse, however, we may block certain IP addresses. We do not link IP addresses to Personal Information unless we notify you.
• Web Beacons: We may use certain common Internet technology called "Web beacons" (a.k.a. "Web bugs," "action tags," "pixel trackers," or "clear GIFs") in conjunction with the Wii Network Service. Web beacons are small graphic images placed on a Web page, Web-based document, or in an e-mail message that is designed to allow us and/or our vendors to collect certain information and monitor user activity online. Web beacons are invisible to you because they are typically very small (only 1-by-1 pixel) and the same color as the background of the Web page, document or e-mail message. We may use Web beacons to collect non-personal information such as the IP address of the console that the Web beacon is sent to, the URL of the page the Web user comes from, and the time the Web beacon is activated (such as when you view the Web page, advertisement, or e-mail that contains the Web beacon). We do not use Web beacons to collect Personal Information.
• Cookies: We may use cookies with the Wii Network Service. Cookies are small text files that a Web site places on your Wii console. These files identify your Wii console and record your preferences and other data about your visit so that when you return to the site, the site knows who you are and can personalize your visit. Cookies may be linked to your transaction history, game play or other information gathered through the Wii Network Service. We may use information collected by cookies, as well as other tools such as log files or Web beacons, for other purposes, such as helping us determine how to improve the Wii Network Service by seeing which areas, features, and products are most popular; personalizing the services and making recommendations based on products you have downloaded; and completing transactions you have requested. In the event you visit a third party's website through the Opera Browser option offered on the Wii Network Service or we employ a third party advertising company to display ads on the Wii Network Service, please be aware that such websites or ads may contain cookies and that any information gathered through such cookies is collected by the third party, not by us. We have no access to or control over these cookies or the information contained within them.

In addition to the uses specified above, in order to constantly improve the products and services we provide and better meet your needs, we may also use your personal, aggregate and anonymous information for our internal marketing, demographic studies, and quality assurance. In some cases, we may add to or update your Personal Information with data collected from other sources (e.g., mail-in registration cards or date of purchase information from retailers). If we combine information collected offline with information collected through the Wii Network Service, the combined information will be treated in accordance with this Wii Privacy Policy.

C. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION

We do not sell or rent any of our customers' Personal Information to third parties. We may, however, share personal and aggregate information with our vendors to help us perform various functions necessary to operate our business (for example, completing downloads or purchases made on the Wii Shop Channel, developing and executing marketing campaigns, etc.) and with other Nintendo companies. We may disclose Personal Information in order to comply with legal process, respond to any claims or inquiries, and to protect the rights, property or personal safety of Nintendo, our customers or the public. In addition, information about our customers, including Personal Information, may be disclosed as part of any merger, sale, transfer of company assets, or acquisition, if permitted by and done in accordance with applicable laws.

D. LINKING ACCOUNTS

You may link your Wii Shop Account to your My Nintendo account in order to participate in a variety of activities, promotions and programs. If you would like to link your accounts, you may do so when you register your Wii console on the Wii Shop Channel. Once you have linked your My Nintendo account to your Wii Shop Account, we may personalize content and provide you with access to several exclusive features. If you also opt-in to receive messages from us in your My Nintendo account, we may send messages to your Wii message address or certain messaging devices including, but not limited to, your mobile phone.

Wii CHANNELS

The Wii channels are a unique feature of the Wii Network Service. On certain Wii channels you may have the opportunity to nickname your Miis, create a user id and interact with other gamers. We strongly encourage you not to use your own name for any Miis or any user ids you may create. In addition, we strongly encourage you not to share Personal Information about yourself and to not allow your children to share Personal Information about themselves.

F. INFORMATION STORED ON YOUR Wii REMOTE AND Wii CONSOLE

Your Wii Console may allow certain Personal Information to be stored on your Wii Remote so please note that by using your Wii Remote on a Wii console other than your own, it is possible that certain Personal Information about you could be shared with that other Wii console.

Your Wii Console may store certain Personal Information as well. For your protection, before selling or otherwise transferring your Wii Console, please be sure to clean and securely remove all Wii Shop Account information, Wii messages or other Personal Information, any pictures or messages on the message board, and all other stored sensitive information on the Wii Network Service, your Wii Console, Wii Remote and/or Wii accessories. For instructions on formatting your Wii Console and clearing your Wii Shop Channel Account activity, please review the Wii Operations Manual: Channels and Settings.

G.UPDATES AND UPGRADES

To ensure that your Wii Console is operating properly and efficiently, we may download updates, patches, upgrades and similar software to your Wii Console. In addition, we may disable unauthorized or illegal software that has been placed on your Wii Console without notifying you where necessary, in order to comply with applicable laws, assist law enforcement, protect us and our customers, and prevent the use and distribution of software obtained through improper channels.

H. SECURITY

We have established reasonable safeguards to secure Personal Information collected directly by us in an effort to ensure the security, integrity and privacy of the Personal Information collected and transferred through your Wii Network Service. We also have implemented reasonable security measures in an effort to protect information under our control against loss, misuse or alteration. Please note that information collected from and provided by you to other entities may not have the same security protections as information you submit to us, and you are responsible for protecting the security of any such information.

I. OPTING OUT AND UPDATING YOUR INFORMATION

In order to completely opt-out from the collection of any information about you, both anonymous and personal, you must disable your Wii Network Service. If you have linked your My Nintendo account to your Wii Shop Account, you must unlink your Wii Shop Account from your My Nintendo account in order to stop the collection of information about you. You may do so in the Settings section of the Wii Shop Channel. You may update any Personal Information you have submitted to Nintendo through the Wii Network Service by going to www.nintendo.com and logging in to your My Nintendo account.

J. INTERNATIONAL USERS

Any information you provide or that is collected through the Wii Network Service may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country in which we or our affiliated companies, vendors or agents maintain facilities. By using the Wii Network Service, you consent to the storage and processing of your information in the United States or any other country in which we or our affiliated companies, vendors or agents maintain facilities. This Wii Privacy Policy is intended to meet the laws and requirements of the United States, which may not be the same as the laws and regulations of your home country. If you are not located in the United States, Canada or Latin America please go back to the country selection screen and select an appropriate country so that you will be aware of the policies that apply to you. Please note that we abide by the safe harbor framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of data from the European Union.

K. CONTACT US WITH YOUR PRIVACY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS OR CONCERNS

If you have any questions, complaints or comments regarding this Wii Privacy Policy or our practices, please contact the Nintendo Wii Privacy Policy Administrator via e-mail at privacypolicy@noa.nintendo.com, by phone at (888) 977-7627, or by regular mail at Nintendo, Attn: Online Privacy Policy Administrator, 4820 150th Avenue NE, Redmond, WA 98052.

Nintendo is a licensee of the Entertainment Software Rating Board's Privacy Online Program. If you believe that we have not responded to your inquiry or your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, please contact ESRB at http://www.esrb.org/privacy/contact.jsp . ESRB Attn: Privacy Online Program, 317 Madison Avenue, 22nd Floor New York, NY 10017 (212) 759-0700 or privacy@esrb.org .