TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding
of the world. While gathering information about the people who use the TED site, our apps, platforms and related sites (collectively referred to as “TED”), we take your privacy very seriously, and make every effort to safeguard your personal data. This
privacy policy is intended to inform you of what information we collect, how this information is used and what steps
we take to protect this information.
Privacy policy sections
- What information we collect
Know more - How we use this information
Know more - What we do to protect your privacy
Know more
What information we collect
We collect three kinds of information:
- Personal information that you directly provide to us, which includes information you supply when you register
an account with us and save items to your profile. - Non-personal information that’s automatically gathered as you use TED.com, which includes tracking
information for our site. - Cookies, to help us understand what areas of the site are most useful and interesting to our audience.
We collect some information to help customize your experience based on your previous activities on TED.com
Information you provide directly to us
Account information
When you register an account with us, we ask for basic information such as email, name and password, and give
you the option to provide other information. If you create an account through another user profile (such
as Facebook, or other social media) then they will send us your information from your profile to use in accordance
with our privacy policy. At times, you may be asked to provide additional information, such as payment for
conference registration. We also collect activities you generate by favoriting, saving or watching talks.
We collect basic information you provide when you create a TED.com account or register for a conference.
It’s secure, and we’ll never sell it.
Billing and credit card information
When required for TED Conference registration or other services, we may store your name, address, telephone number
and email address. We do not store credit card numbers except for the last 4 digits. This information will
only be shared with third parties who perform tasks required to complete the purchase transaction.
We need payment info to complete purchases, but we don’t store sensitive information.
Comments and other public activities
We offer you opportunities to engage in public activities on TED.com. “Public activities” are any actions
you take that are designed to be visible to other users — including comments, recommendations and ratings.
If you choose to engage in public activities, any personal information you submit there can be read, collected
or used by other users of these areas. Your account is public by default. Please refer to the Community Guidelines
about how to best take advantage of our interactive spaces.
We are not responsible for personally identifiable information you choose to submit in these forums. Information
shared here could be used by others, potentially to send you unsolicited messages. If the information posted
publicly is not consistent with our terms of use, your content may be removed. For more information, see
the TED.com Terms of Use.
Any personal information you post publicly is visible to all users. Be mindful of what you share, as we are
not responsible for what happens with this information.
Non-personal information collected automatically
Tracking information for our site
This type of information relates to how many views are associated with each TED Talk, how many times talks are
saved or favorited, and/or other areas of the site that automatically store non-personal information about
the sites’ usage, popularity or positive or negative impact. We perform statistical analyses of users of
the site, and their viewing and participation patterns, for product development purposes and to generally
inform advertisers about the nature of our audience.
We keep track of how often our audience engages with TED and do not share contact information with our advertisers.
Device information
We may collect non-personal information about the computer, mobile device or other device you use to access TED
services, such as IP address, geolocation information, unique device identifiers, browser type, browser language
and other transactional information.
We use non-personal information to help us understand how our audience views TED.
Information collected with cookies
Tracking usage
We use various technologies, including Google Analytics cookies, to manage TED.com and track use of the content
we provide, including:
- Standard web analytics information
- Aggregated data about email click-through rates and video viewing
- Information collected through HTML cookies, Flash cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies
- Demographics and other details that are provided to TED to help us customize the site based on your preferences
Cookies provide a mechanism for us to understand how you use the site over time so that we can provide you the
best user experience according to your expressed preferences. We do not sell this information to any third
party, but may provide information to partners that assist us in updating, managing or maintaining our websites.
We use cookies to customize your experience. We do not sell data collected from cookies to any third party,
but may provide information to partners to help us update and maintain our website.
Location information
We may collect and use information about your location (such as your country) to provide a tailored, language-specific
experience for your region, but we don’t collect any exact data of you or your device. You can change the
settings on your computer or mobile device to prevent your location information from being shared with us.
In case you wish to opt-out of the tracking and cookies, please feel free to manage your settings on your
browser in privacy, or select other ways to opt-out so that the cookies and/or ad features are turned off.
We collect information about your location to provide you with the most localized experience possible, but
never collect data from your device.
How we use this information
We use your information for limited purposes and do not sell it to any third parties. Specific uses are defined
below.
Providing requested services
We may use the information that we collect to fulfill your requests for services and information. For example,
using your contact information to respond to your customer service requests, or to enable registration for
one of our conferences.
Communication
We also use the information we collect to send email newsletters, or information about conferences and TED events
(if you have opted in for this information). We may also use the information that we collect to send you
e-mail communications, such as information about your account or changes to the site.
Enforcement
We may use the information that we collect to prevent illegal activities, to enforce the TED.com Terms of Use,
or as otherwise required by law.
Personalization
TED connects Google Analytics client id data with TED user ID data so that we can create a more personalized
experience for users, even when not logged in.
When permitted
In addition to the uses identified above, we may use the information that we collect for any other purposes disclosed
to you at the time we collect your information or pursuant to your consent.