PBS KIDS Sprout, an entity of Children’s Network, LLC (“Sprout”), is the first multi-platform service (on-air, on-demand, and online) devoted to preschool children and their parents (references to “parents” also means “legal guardians”), 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Sprout is available online at www.SproutOnline.com (“SproutOnline.com” or “Website”), providing parents and their children the opportunity to engage in shared moments of learning and laughing together. Our fun, educational, and interactive Website offers programming schedules, original preschooler age-appropriate games, and user-friendly tools that let children and their parents interact with their favorite Sprout characters. The Website also offers content and activities designed for parents to help them learn and be inspired. This Privacy Policy applies to this Website and does not apply to other Sprout products or services. SproutOnline.com is directed to, and intended for, residents of the United States. We are committed to respecting and protecting the privacy of users of this Website, including complying with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (“COPPA”) when applicable, as discussed in more detail below.
Children’s Privacy
SproutOnline.com does not condition a child’s participation in any activity on this Website on the disclosure of more information than is reasonably necessary to participate in the activity.
Sprout and its service providers who provide support for the operations of our Website generally do not collect personal information from children under the age of 13. In the event that we have knowledge that a child under the age of 13 has submitted any personal information to us via this Website, we may use the email address provided by the child for the sole purpose of responding to the child’s question or carrying out his or her request on a one-time-only basis. We will not use the email address provided by the child for any other purpose and we will delete it from our records. If we become aware that we have unknowingly collected personal information other than an email address from a child under the age of 13, we will delete the information immediately. Features on our Website that are open to non-registered users, such as games, electronic postcards, or certain materials that can be submitted to Sprout, may collect only non-personal information, such as a first name, age, hometown, and home state. Sprout may provide non-registered users and registered users with the opportunity to send a link to material on the Website to friends and family electronically. To do so, Sprout may ask for the sender’s first name, recipient’s first name, and recipient’s email address. Recipient email addresses are used only to send the electronic materials to complete the sender’s request.
In the event that you believe we have inadvertently collected personal information from your child, you can review such personal information collected from your child on this Website, have such information deleted, and refuse to allow further collection or use of such information. Parents can agree to the collection of personal information from their child and the use of such information without agreeing to the disclosure of such information to third parties. Parents generally have a right to opt out of having personal information collected from their child disclosed to third parties. In the event that you believe we have collected personal information from your child, to carry out such requests, please contact us at the email address provided below and a SproutOnline.com representative will guide you through the necessary procedures.
Collection and Use of Information
We or our service providers who provide support for the operations of our Website collect personal information about you, your family, or your friends that you voluntarily provide on this Website. We use this information for various purposes, including to enhance your experience with this Website and provide you with the services or products you requested. Areas of this Website that require a user to complete a registration process before using those areas are solely directed to parents that are at least 18 years of age. Sprout uses “bumper” pages or similar notifications at certain points to let users know when they are entering an area that is limited to registered users. To register, parents must enter their birth date to confirm that they are at least 18 years old. Parents must also create a unique account name and password and provide personal information including the parent’s full name, parent’s email address, and parent’s home address.
Sprout uses the information collected during the registration process to provide parents access to parent-directed features and activities, which may include customizing a user’s own web page and uploading photographs. We also use this information to communicate with you and carry out your requests, including providing you with promotional emails or postal mail about Sprout and third parties. By changing the settings on the “My Account” page, users may opt out of receiving promotional communications from Sprout.
If you have submitted your child's first name and birth date as part of your account information, your child’s first name, birth date, age, hometown, and home state may be announced during Sprout television programming or on SproutOnline.com and you may receive a birthday message to share with your child via email, this Website, or postal mail. The child’s first name and birth date information that you provide on the registration page will not be shared with third parties for any other purpose.
Registered users may be given the opportunity to upload materials for display on parts of this Website accessible to all users. When a registered user uploads such materials, such as a photograph, video, or artwork (“image”), we request that the registered user also post information which may include the corresponding child’s first name, age, hometown, and home state (“image label”) on this Website. We may use images and image labels on SproutOnline.com, any other Sprout website, or in Sprout television programming or Sprout promotional materials.
Website users, including non-registered users, may also be given the opportunity to send messages to Sprout, such as birthday wishes or messages to Sprout characters, and are also requested to provide image label information in connection with such messages. However, only registered users may upload and submit images in connection with such messages. We may use images and image labels on SproutOnline.com, any other Sprout website, or in Sprout television programming or Sprout promotional materials.
Electronic Materials
Sprout may provide registered users with the opportunity to send electronic materials created or posted on SproutOnline.com (such as electronic postcards featuring links, artwork, or digital works) or a link to material on this Website to friends and family electronically. In order to send these materials, Sprout may request that you enter your first name, child’s first name and age, and/or first name and email address of the intended recipient of the electronic materials. Recipient email addresses are used only to send the electronic materials to complete your request.
Newsletters and Sprout Announcements
Sprout may use the registered user's email address or postal mail address to provide the registered users with newsletters, birthday messages, and other special announcements from Sprout. Registered users can choose to cancel their receipt of these features by visiting the “My Account” page, or through the “unsubscribe” link at the end of each email sent to users.
Contests and Sweepstakes
Sprout may offer registered users the opportunity to enter contests and sweepstakes on this Website. We may request that a registered user provide his/her child’s first name, age, hometown, home state, and the registered user’s email address. The information collected will be used to conduct the contest or sweepstakes, to notify the winner, and, such winner’s child’s first name, age, hometown, and home state may be announced on SproutOnline.com or other Sprout website and in Sprout television programming or promotional materials. Sprout may also offer contests and sweepstakes sponsored by third parties. In the event that Sprout will share personal information about a registered user with a third-party sponsor of a contest or sweepstakes, Sprout will provide notice in the entry process that entry information may be shared. Use and disclosure of such entry information with third-party sponsors is governed by the privacy policies of those third parties, and is not the responsibility of Sprout.
Cookies
Sprout or our service provider may place, view, and/or use “cookies” or other technologies to collect information for various reasons on behalf of Sprout, including to enhance users’ experience with this Website and to provide certain functions on this Website. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your computer that collects information about your use of this Website, such as the pages visited, the date and the time of a visit, etc. Any information collected by the cookies used by Sprout cannot be used to identify you, nor will such information be associated with personal information. Sprout makes reasonable efforts to limit its designated service providers' use of cookies or other technologies in the same manner as set forth in this paragraph. Most browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually set your browser to disable cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. The help function on most browsers contains instructions on how to set your browser to notify you before accepting cookies or to disable cookies entirely. However, it is possible that some parts of this Website, such as the game areas, will not function properly if you disable cookies.
In serving the advertisements that you see on this Website, Sprout or our service provider may place or recognize a unique cookie on your computer. Information about your visits to this Website is used to serve the advertisements. For more information about DoubleClick, a Google company, who assists Sprout with display of advertisements on this Website, including its use of cookies, as well as its instructions on how to "opt out" of its use of cookies, please click here.
Disclosure of Information
Sprout may disclose your personal information and other information that we collect about and from you to third parties if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) respond to judicial process or to the extent permitted by law; (b) take precautions against liability; (c) protect the security or integrity of this Website, including to enforce the terms of use of this Website, or (d) protect the safety of others. Sprout may also disclose this information to third parties if you permit us to do so. Sprout may also disclose this information to provide you with the services or products requested by you, including allowing a purchaser of a Sprout division, or Sprout as a whole, to use your personal information to continue to serve you. Sprout may also share your personal information with carefully selected third parties interested in serving you, and you may instruct us at any time not to share this information with such third parties by visiting the “My Account” page.
We may use or disclose on this Website, or on any Sprout website, in Sprout's television programming, or Sprout promotional materials the contents of any material that you submit, post, upload, or otherwise make available on this Website (such as your photos posted to the public galleries). In addition, Sprout may disclose information to its service providers who have agreed to not use or disclose the information for any other purpose and whose role is to provide support for the operations of this Website (e.g., to conduct contests and sweepstakes or to provide email newsletters). Sprout may share non-personal, aggregate information about our users with third parties, such as advertisers, content providers, and business partners.
Use and disclosure of your information by the third parties is governed by the privacy policies of those third parties, and is not the responsibility of Sprout.
Security
SproutOnline.com has established and maintains reasonable procedures to protect the confidentiality, security, and integrity of personal information collected through this Website.
Links to Third Party Sites
Sprout may use “bumper” pages or similar notifications to clarify when users are linking to an advertiser’s or other third party’s site. These other sites are governed by their own privacy policies, which may be substantially different from ours. Visitors to other sites should review the privacy policies and information collection practices of those sites. Use and disclosure of information by third parties is governed by the privacy policies of those third parties, and is not the responsibility of Sprout.
Questions, Comments, & Concerns?
Parents, if you have any questions, comments or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
PBS KIDS Sprout
PO Box 288
Fort Washington, Pa 19034
info@SproutOnline.com
Changes to Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy is subject to change. Please review this Privacy Policy so you will always know what information is collected and how it is used. Changes to this Privacy Policy will be effective upon posting.
Last Updated: December 7, 2011.