Privacy Policy

Last Updated: April 2025

This policy describes the types of information MERGE (“MERGE,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit the websites mergeboston.com, mergechicago.com, mergeatlanta.com or mergeworld.com (collectively, our “Websites”) and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information. This privacy policy does not apply to any website operated by third parties.

Scope of this Privacy Policy

MERGE is committed to protecting your privacy. Please read this policy carefully. If any term in this policy is unacceptable to you, please do not use the Websites or provide any Personal Information (as defined below). By accessing or using the Websites, you acknowledge this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see Revisions to Our Privacy Policy below), and your use of the Websites after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check this policy periodically for updates.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party applications or software that integrate with the Services through the MERGE platform (“Third-Party Services”) or any other third-party products, services, or businesses. In addition, a separate agreement governs the delivery, access, and use of the Services (the “MSA”), including the processing of any data submitted through the Services (“Service Data”). The organization (e.g., your employer or another entity or person) that agreed to the MSA (“Customer”) controls its instance of the Services and any associated Service Data (the “Customer Instance”).

Information MERGE Collects and Receives

We may collect several types of information from and about users of our Websites, including information by which you may be personally identified, such as name, e-mail address, telephone number, geographic location (provided using GPS, Wi-Fi, or similar technology in the device that you use to access our Websites so that we can provide content customized toy our location), background information, or any other information collected on the Websites that is defined as personally identifiable information under applicable law (“Personal Information”); and/or relating to social media, if you provide us your social network identifier (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.), you acknowledge and understand that MERGE may access and use information stored in such service related to your profile or your contacts, including but not limited to photos, emails, birthdays, contacts list (or other publicly available information about your contacts) in order to enhance your communication experience. MERGE will access such information in compliance with security, privacy, or other applicable restrictions. We do not store or process password or security-related information, and/about your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Websites, and usage details.

We collect this information Directly from you when you provide it to us. Automatically as you navigate through the Websites. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses, connection information, service, and performance-related information, and information collected through cookies, web beacons, and other tracking technologies.

Information You Give to Us

The information we collect on or through our Websites may include:

• Information provided when you contact us; when you apply for a position through e-mail; when we process or respond to your inquiries related to your requests or your application; and when you provide feedback on our Websites.
• Your responses to questions we might ask you to complete for application purposes.

Information We Collect About You

As with many other websites, as you navigate through and interact with our Websites, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns, including:

• Details of your visits to our Websites, including traffic data, location data, logs, language, date and time of access, frequency, and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Websites.
• Information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, host domain, and browser type.
• Details of referring websites (URL). We also may use these technologies to collect information about your online activities over time and across third-party websites or other online services (behavioral tracking).
• The information we collect automatically is statistical data and may include Personal Information. We may also maintain or associate it with Personal Information you provide or that we collect in other ways or receive from third parties. It helps us to improve our Websites and to deliver better and more personalized service, including by enabling us to:
• Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.
• Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Websites according to your interests.
• Speed up your experience.
• Recognize you when you return to our Websites.
• As with many other sites, our Websites may use “cookies” or other technologies to help us deliver content specific to your interests, process your requests, and/or analyze your visiting patterns. We may collect the following types of information about your visit, including the domain from which you access the Internet; IP address; operating system and information about the device or browser used when visiting the site; date and time of your visit; the content you visited or downloaded; and website (such as google.com or bing.com) and website referral source (email notice or social media site) that connected you to the Websites. Our Websites use two types of cookies: single-session (temporary) and multi-session (persistent). Temporary cookies last only as long as your web browser is open and are used for technical purposes, such as enabling better navigation through our Websites. Once you close your browser, the cookie disappears. Persistent cookies are stored on your computer for longer periods. They are used to track the number of unique visitors to our site and information such as the number of views a page gets, how much time a user spends on a page, and other pertinent web statistics. Cookies, by themselves, will not be used by MERGE to disclose your identity. This information identifies your browser, but not you, to our servers when you visit the Websites. We do not respond to your browser's ‘do not track’ signals. We may also collect data by using “pixel tags,” “web beacons,” “web bugs,” “clear GIFs,” or similar means (collectively, “Pixel Tags”) that allow us to know when you visit our Websites. Through Pixel Tags, we obtain non-Personal Information or aggregate information that can be used to enhance your online experience and understand traffic patterns and online movements of web users.
• Information We Receive From Other Sources. This is the information we receive about you if you use any other services we provide. We sometimes work with third parties (including, for example, third parties intermediaries with whom we partner to provide you with services, sub-contractors in technical, analytics providers, and search information providers) to evaluate usage of the Websites. For example, we may use Google Analytics to collect analytics information about the Websites. These analytics providers may use cookies and other technologies to perform their services. They may combine the information they collect about you on our Websites with other information they have collected. Their respective privacy policies will govern these third parties' use of your information and terms of use.
• In addition, we may use third-party providers to serve or track interactions on other websites. You may link to or access our Websites using other third-party websites. Use of such third-party websites is subject to those third parties terms of use and privacy policies. MERGE does not control the use of this technology or the resulting information and is not responsible for any actions or policies of such third parties.

How MERGE Uses Information

We may use information collected about you, including Personal Information, in the following ways:

• To operate the Websites and perform any services associated with the Websites, which may include communicating with you.
• To provide you with information that you have requested or to respond to your inquiries.
• To provide you with technical support and to improve our Website and services.
• To compile aggregated or anonymized user information for various research and analytical purposes.
• To create databases to provide services, including contact information, Personal Information, and other information.
• To ensure that content from our Websites is presented in the most effective manner for you and for your computer or mobile phone, to allow you to participate in interactive features of our Websites (when you choose to do so), and as part of our efforts to keep our Websites safe and secure.
• To measure or understand the effectiveness of communications we serve to you and others, to deliver relevant communications to you, and to provide you with communications from MERGE, surveys, newsletters, and other information.
• To notify you about changes to our services or our Websites.
• To complete any employment application or other action you request online.
• For any purpose where you have given your consent (where legally required).
• To manage our everyday business needs, such as auditing, administration of our services, analytics, enforcement of any corporate reporting obligations, terms, or other policies, and to comply with applicable federal and state law.

Data Retention

MERGE will retain Service Data following the applicable MSA, Customer’s use of Services functionality, and as required by applicable law. Any data not under applicable MSA will default to the MERGE data policy retention schedule.

MERGE may retain Other Information for as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. This may include keeping Other Information for the time needed for MERGE to pursue legitimate business interests, conduct audits, comply with (and demonstrate compliance with) legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. If you are not a user and wish to remove any information related to you, you can notify us by contacting us at info@mergeworld.com.

Information Storage

The Websites are intended for users in the United States. Your information will be stored and processed in the United States for statistical analysis. If you use our Websites outside of the United States, please be aware that the United States may have different laws, regulations, and standards regarding data privacy from those in your own country.

How MERGE Shares and Discloses Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the Personal Information you provide us. We have created mechanisms to control your information:

Tracking Technologies and Advertising

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of our Websites may be inaccessible or not function properly.

Do Not Track

We do not currently respond to “do not track” signals as we do not track users across third-party websites.

Disclosure of your Information

We may disclose aggregated, anonymized information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction.

You agree that we have the right to disclose Personal Information that we collect or you provide as described in this privacy policy:

• To anyone you have authorized disclosure of information in this privacy policy or any other consent or policy.
• With our affiliated companies;
• To service providers that assist us in the maintenance, improvement, and optimization of our Websites and business.
• To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it. For example, if you inquire about certain services, we may share your information in order to provide those services.
• For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information or with your consent.
• In the event of a merger or other transaction, we may share your Personal Information to a buyer or successor if MERGE is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale.
• With our select licensees, affiliates, and business partners that we believe may have offers of interest to you, including for their own marketing purposes;
• If we are under a duty to disclose or share your Personal Information in order to comply with applicable law or in response to a legal process such as a valid subpoena, warrant or court order.
• This Privacy Policy only addresses the use and disclosure of information we collect from you. Should you provide your information to other third parties using our Websites, services or through the internet or other means, different rules may apply to the third parties’ use and disclosure of the information you disclose to them. MERGE encourages you to review the privacy policies and terms of use of these third parties before providing your Personal Information to them.

Security

Security is critical to MERGE’s mission, and MERGE takes information security seriously. MERGE uses industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect Information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access or disclosure. These steps consider the sensitivity of the Information MERGE collects, processes, and stores and the current state of technology. Given the nature of communications and information processing technology, MERGE cannot guarantee that Information in our care will be safe from intrusion by others during transmission through the Internet or while stored on our systems or otherwise. When you click a link to a third-party site, you will leave our site, and MERGE doesn’t control or endorse what is on third-party sites.

The security of your Personal Information is critical to us. We maintain commercially reasonable security safeguards to protect the Personal Information we collect against unauthorized use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Notwithstanding the steps we have taken to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage method is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, MERGE cannot guarantee or warrant that your Personal Information is under absolute security with the existing security technology.

If you have any questions about our websites' security or have a security concern, you can contact us at infosec@mergeworld.com.

Visit our trust page for real-time security monitoring and compliance information https://trust.mergeworld.com/.

Age Limitations

In general, our Websites are not intended for children under 13 years of age, and typically MERGE does not knowingly collect or use any Personal Information from children under 13. Children under 13 should always ask their parents or guardians for permission before providing personal information online. We urge parents and guardians to participate in their children’s online activities and use parental control or other web filtering technology to supervise children’s access to the internet.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

MERGE may change this Privacy Policy at any time. Laws, regulations, and industry standards evolve, making those changes necessary, or MERGE may alter our services or business. MERGE will post the changes to this page and encourage you to review our Privacy Policy to stay informed. If MERGE makes changes that alter your privacy rights, MERGE will provide additional notice via email or the Services. If you disagree with the changes to this Privacy Policy, you should cease interacting with the Services. Contact the MERGE if you wish to request the removal of Personal Data under their control.

Third-Party Websites

Our Websites may contain links or references to other websites outside of our control. Please be aware that this privacy policy does not apply to these websites. MERGE encourages you to read the privacy statements and terms and conditions of linked or referenced websites you enter. These third-party websites may send their cookies and other tracking devices to you, log your IP address, and otherwise collect data or solicit Personal Information. MERGE DOES NOT CONTROL AND IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT THIRD PARTIES DO IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR WEBSITES OR HOW THEY HANDLE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION. PLEASE EXERCISE CAUTION AND CONSULT THE PRIVACY POLICIES POSTED ON EACH THIRD-PARTY WEBSITE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

Your Rights

Individuals in certain countries, including the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, have certain statutory rights concerning their data. Subject to any exemptions provided by law, you may have the right to request access to Information and seek to update, delete or correct this Information. Contact MERGE for additional access and assistance. MERGE can address your concerns with MERGE’s Legal and Customer Success teams.

To the extent that MERGE’s processing of your Personal Data is subject to the General Data Protection Regulation or applicable laws covering the processing of Personal Data, such as the UK Data Protection Act and the Brazilian General Data Protection Act (Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados), MERGE relies on its legitimate interests, described above, to process your data. MERGE may also process Other Information that constitutes your Data for direct marketing purposes. You have a right to object to MERGE’s use of your Personal Data for this purpose at any time.

‍MERGE complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and/or the Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework(s). In compliance with US Data Privacy Laws, MERGE commits to resolve complaints about our collection or use of your personal information. European Union and/or Swiss individuals with inquiries or complaints regarding our Privacy Policy should contact MERGE at privacy@mergeworld.com.

Your California Privacy Rights

This section provides additional details about the personal information MERGE collects about California consumers and the rights afforded to them under the California Consumer Privacy Act or “CCPA.”

For more details about the personal information MERGE has collected over the last 12 months, including the categories of sources, please see the Information MERGE Collects and Receives section above. MERGE collects this information for the business and commercial purposes described in the How MERGE Uses Information section above. MERGE shares this information with the categories of third parties described in the How MERGE Shares and Disclose Information section above. MERGE does not sell (as defined in the CCPA) the personal information MERGE collects. Please note that MERGE may use third-party cookies for our advertising purposes as further described in our Cookie Policy

Subject to certain limitations, the CCPA provides California consumers the right to request to know more details about the categories or specific pieces of personal information MERGE collects (including how MERGE uses and discloses this information), to delete their data, to opt out of any "sales" that may be occurring, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

California consumers may request, according to the CCPA, by contacting us at privacy@mergeworld.com. MERGE will verify your request using an email address. Government identification may be required. Consumers can also designate an authorized agent to exercise these rights. To make such a request, please email us at info@mergeworld.com or contact us at our mailing address below.

You must put the statement “Your California Privacy Rights” in the subject field. We are not responsible for notices that are not labeled or sent improperly or do not have complete information.

Non-affiliated third parties are independent of MERGE. If you wish to receive information about your disclosure choices or stop communications from such third parties, you must contact those non-affiliated third parties directly.

Contacting MERGE

Please also feel free to contact MERGE if you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or MERGE’s practices or seek to exercise any of your statutory rights. MERGE will respond within a timeframe that is compliant with all applicable regulations.

You may contact privacy@mergeworld.com or our mailing address below:

MERGE
ATTN: [Corporate Communications]
200 E. Randolph Street
Suite 3450
Chicago, IL 60601