document: title: privacy
text: ##  Our Commitment to Privacy

Welcome to CambridgeUSA.org—the Official Tourism Web site for Cambridge, MA. This site is owned and operated by the Cambridge Office for Tourism (collectively referred to herein as “COFT,” “us” or “we”). Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.

##  Our Collection and Use of Your Personally Identifiable Information

In general, we collect and use information about you where we reasonably believe it will help us administer our services generally, and improve our response to your requests for tourism and vacation information for the City. The information you give us also allows us to statistically analyze the usage of our Web site (also referred to herein as “Site”), improve our content and informational offerings, and customize our Site’s content, layout and services. Except as described herein, we do not sell, rent or otherwise share or disclose your private, personally identifiable information to third parties.

##  We specifically collect information from you at several different points, including but not limited to the following:

##  Information You Provide To Us

You provide information when you post and submit information through the sections that request information (such as the Contact Us, Newsletter Sign-up, or Pressroom sections), or when you participate in a contest or questionnaire. For example, you provide information when you ask a question, request the Visitor Guide, sign up for access to the Pressroom, complete a questionnaire or a contest entry form. When this information is submitted, your contact information is automatically added to our database of users. This database is used for correspondence that may be sent to you only from within the COFT organization or its designated fulfillment house. You may opt-out of inclusion in the database by sending us an opt-out request via Email: info@cambridge-usa.org

##  Automatic Information – URL and IP Addresses

Examples of the information we automatically collect and analyze include the Internet protocol (IP) address used to connect your computer to the Internet; computer and connection information such as browser type and version, operating system, and platform; the full Uniform Resource Locators (URL) clickstream to, through, and from our Web site, including date, time and pages visited. This information is used to generate reports on Web site usage and visitors and DOES NOT include any personally identifiable information such as name or e-mail address.

##  Cookies

COFT uses persistent cookies on its Site. A cookie is a text file placed on your hard drive (usually your browser) by a Web site. A persistent cookie will remain on your hard drive even after you leave the respective web site and close your browser. When you return to the same Web site that placed the cookie on your hard drive, the Web site may then access the cookie.

COFT uses cookies for the purpose of distinguishing your browser as a previous visitor to its Site. In short, COFT uses cookies to track repeat visits to our Site by you through the your IP address. COFT also uses cookies to identify which parts of COFT’s Site are most visited by you and how long you remain at a specific portion of our Site. The cookie is loaded on your browser during the initial visit to the Site. The cookies we use do not collect personally identifiable information from you such as names, addresses or email addresses. Only your IP address and a time stamp of your arrival are collected.  
The information collected by COFT through these cookies is used strictly for statistical analysis of usage trends related to our Site. Cambridge Office for Tourism does not share, sell, transfer or provide any information collected through cookies to any third parties. Certain versions of browsers may allow parties other than COFT to access the cookie placed by COFT on your hard drive (usually your browser) when you visit the other parties’ respective Web sites. Consult your browser instructions for further details on this.

Most browsers allow you to be informed when a cookie is placed on your browser and give you the chance to accept or reject the cookie. Also, most browsers allow you to disable or delete cookies placed on your browser. Consult your browser instructions for further details on those processes. Please note that cookies are not needed to fully access and enjoy this Site.

##  Restrictions on Disclosing Information To Third Parties

Except as described herein, we do not sell, rent or otherwise share or disclose your private, personally identifiable information to third parties unless: (1) you request or authorize it; (2) the information is provided to help provide a service or complete a transaction with you; (3) the information is provided to comply with the law (for example, to comply with a search warrant, subpoena or court order), enforce an agreement we have with you, or to protect our rights, property or safety, or the rights, property or safety of our employees or others; (4) the information is provided to our agents, vendors or service providers who perform functions on our behalf (and who are all contractually bound to maintain the confidentiality of the information); (5) to address emergencies or acts of God; or (6) to address disputes, claims, or to persons holding a legal or beneficial interest. We may also gather aggregated data about our visitors and disclose the results of such aggregated (but not personally identifiable) information to our partners, service providers and/or other third parties for marketing or promotional purposes.

##  Links to Third Party Web Sites

There are a few sections on the COFT Web site that are hosted by various partners of our office. These sites maintain the look and feel of our Web site, and sometimes it may not be evident when a user is on one of these sections. These pages are governed by the partner’s privacy policy and terms and conditions of use. Below is a list of our partners and links to their Web site privacy policies:

  * Fulfillment America When you click on Request a Visitor Guide, you will be transferred to Fulfillment America, our Visitor Guide distribution partner. It will appear as if you are still on our Web site. However, this section is controlled and operated by Fulfillment America, Inc. Please review their privacy policy for any and all transactions via the online collateral fulfillment system.



COFT is also not responsible for the content or privacy policies of other Web sites to which it provides links. Please review the privacy policies and/or the terms and conditions of each of these additional linked Web sites before providing any personal information.

We are committed to providing a comprehensive Web site regarding Cambridge area events and attractions. However, we do not and will not link to sites with adult content.

##  Contests & Sweepstakes

On occasion, COFT will conduct online contests, giveaways, or sweepstakes, which require information to be provided for eligibility. The information collected in these contests is subject to our Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use and is not shared. However, if the user does not provide the requested information he/she may not be eligible for the contest. The information submitted is entered into a random drawing of the names to determine the winner. The entrant may choose to receive continued e-mails from COFT. If the entrant does not choose to receive e-mail, the information submitted by the entrant is deleted from the database after the contest has ended.

##  Our Commitment To Children’s Privacy

Protecting the privacy of the very young is especially important. For that reason, we do not knowingly attempt to solicit or receive any information from children that we actually know are under 13, and no part of our website is structured to attract anyone under 13.

Disclaimer and Release With Respect to Transactions Entered Into With Any Linked Site or Other Third Party  
Any transaction that you enter into with any linked site, or other third party via or as a result of viewing our Web site is solely between you and such linked site or other third party. By using this Web site, you understand and agree that the Cambridge Office for Tourism has no responsibility for such transactions. You further agree that you will hold COFT harmless and not liable and release COFT from any and all suits and/or claims should you have any dispute over or problem with any such transaction. You are advised that if you use a credit card to complete a transaction with any linked site, or other third party, and you later have a problem or dispute with the goods or services purchased, you may have charge-back rights. For more information about charge-back rights, contact the financial institution that issued the credit card used for the transaction.

##  General Legal Notice and Disclaimer

References herein to any product or service offered by a linked site or other third party do not constitute or imply endorsement or recommendation by the COFT. While our office makes every effort to present accurate and reliable information on this Web site, COFT does not approve or certify such information nor does it guarantee the accuracy, completeness, efficacy, timeliness or correct sequencing of such information. Use of such information is voluntary and reliance on it should only be undertaken after an independent review of its applicability, accuracy, completeness, efficacy and timeliness with regard to the user’s specific needs and purposes. Cambridge Office for Tourism (including its employees and agents) is not responsible for, and expressly disclaims all liability for, damages of any kind arising out of use, reference to, or reliance on the information available through this Web site. No approvals, recommendations, endorsements, guarantees or warranties, including, but not limited to, any express or implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular use or purpose of products or services named on this Internet site are made by COFT.

##  Conditions of Use, Notices and Changes to Our Privacy Policy

By visiting, using and/or submitting information to this Web site, you agree to the terms and conditions contained in this Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use and/or any other agreement that we might have with you. If you do not agree to any of these terms and conditions you should not use this Web site or any products or services offered by COFT, a linked site, or other third party discussed herein. You agree that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use, or any other agreement we have with you, will be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. You also agree to arbitrate such disputes in Massachusetts, and to abide by any limitation on damages contained in any agreement we may have with you.  
As our services change from time to time, this Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use is expected to change as well. We reserve the right to amend the Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use at any time, for any reason, without notice to you, other than the posting of the amended Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use at this Site. We may e-mail periodic reminders of our notices and terms and conditions, but you should check our Site frequently to see the current Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use that is in effect and any changes that may have been made to it. The use of your information is subject to the Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use in effect at the most recent time of use. The provisions contained herein supersede all previous notices or policies regarding our privacy practices and the terms and conditions that govern the use of this Web site.

##  Questions Regarding The Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use

If you have any questions about our Privacy Policy and Conditions of Use, any concern about privacy at the Cambridge Office for Tourism, or the use of this Web site in general, or to opt-out of the database of users, please contact us via Email: info@cambridge-usa.org

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## Visitor Information Booth

Open 7 days a week  
Mon - Fri, 9am - 5pm  
Sat - Sun, 9am - 1pm 

0 Harvard Square  
Cambridge, MA 02138  
617 441 2884