Last Modified 1 January 2019,
At Audi Canada Inc., an operating division of Volkswagen Group Canada Inc. (“Audi Canada” “We” or “Us”), we value your privacy and your desire to know how your information will be handled and used. To better protect your privacy we provide this Privacy Statement, which explains our information practices. This statement applies to information we obtain from and about individuals interacting with Audi Canada and its websites, vehicles, products and services, however, it does not apply to job applicants or Audi Canada employees.
Below we provide a summary of the general information we collect, how we use it and with whom it is shared. Because we don’t collect all of the information described below in all circumstances, we have separately identified the information that is collected when you choose to purchase or use additional products or services available with your Audi vehicle (such as myAudi, or Audi connect services which includes Audi connect Security and Assistance, Audi connect Navigation and Infotainment and Audi connect e-tron services). For more information, please see the detailed sections for each of these services.
The types of information that Audi Canada collects from and about you and your vehicle include:
• contact information (such as name, address, telephone number, email)
• information you provide directly to us
• vehicle purchase or lease information (such as VIN, make, model, year, dealer, date of purchase or lease, purchase/lease price, vehicle equipment, and service history)
• vehicle data (such as general status data--warning lights, upcoming service schedule, fuel level, battery level, tire pressure, service history and fault or trouble codes; vehicle performance data; and other data about your vehicle identification, condition, equipment, or collision information)
• GPS location data when needed for Audi connect Security and Assistance services or as required by law
• photographs and other user-generated content such as materials that you may submit for contests or sweepstakes
• data gathered by technology when you visit our website
If you set up a myAudi account, additional information will be collected, including:
• information regarding your myAudi settings, such as preferred Audi dealer, and preferred contact for service notifications
• additional data you provide for use of particular applications or for direct communications
• additional data you choose to share to help tailor your myAudi account content and services
If you choose to activate Audi connect services, including Audi connect Security and Assistance, Audi connect Navigation and Infotainment and Audi connect e-tron services additional information will be collected, including:
• account information, such settings, personalized services and authentication information
• information that you provide when using the Audi connect services, including information you send and information you request
• information about your use of Audi connect services, vehicles equipped with Audi connect services, the Audi connect mobile application, and the Audi connect website
• information about your interactions with us, our affiliates, or our Service or Content Providers
• GPS location data for services, such as Geofence, Parking Position, Speed Alert, Valet Alert, Traffic Information, and Travel Destinations
• driving behavior information for services, such as speed for Speed Alert and Valet Alert
If you choose to register a Key User or Authorized Users, required in order to use certain Audi connect Navigation and Infotainment, Audi connect Security and Assistance and Audi connect e-tron services, we collect information provided to identify those users, including:
• name
• date of birth
• email address
• vehicle identification number
• login credentials and security PIN
If you choose to use the “Audi Service Request” function as part of your Audi connect, we automatically transmit the technical data required for an upcoming service interval of your vehicle to your dealer in advance, including:
• vehicle condition data (mileage, fuel tank level, oil filling level, etc.)
• service-relevant data (maintenance interval data, warning indicators)
If you use a mobile device to activate or access services, we may collect information about your specific mobile device.
We may use your information in a number of ways, including:
• to provide the products and services you have purchased or requested
• to support your vehicle, products and services
• to diagnose, repair and track service and quality issues
• to communicate with you about your vehicle, products or services
• to install and configure changes and updates to your services
• to authenticate users of our products and services
• to evaluate the performance and safety of our vehicles, products and services
• to improve the quality of our vehicles, products and services
• to operate the Audi Canada website and digital properties and customize the content
• to verify your eligibility for certain programs or benefits
• to comply with legal requirements
• to protect the safety, property or rights of Audi Canada, owners, registered users, drivers, passengers or others
• to prevent and detect fraud or misuse of the vehicles, products or services
• to maintain internal records
• for marketing purposes
We may share your information, including:
• within the Volkswagen Group family of companies, which includes parents, corporate affiliates, subsidiaries, business units and other companies that share common ownership, including Audi AG
• with select business partners
• with third-party service providers working on behalf of Audi Canada and third party content providers
• with emergency service providers
• with law enforcement and governmental entities when required by law or in an anonymized format
• with your vehicle’s satellite radio and/or wireless service provider
• with independent, Audi Canada-authorized dealerships
As you interact with Audi Canada websites, you can provide us information directly if you choose to do so. Additionally, we may collect certain information from or about you or your vehicle as further described below.
You may provide us with information about you or your vehicle through a number of sources: this website, use of other Audi products or services (e.g. myAudi, Audi connect or Audi connect e-tron), use of Audi and third party digital properties (including social media sites and sweepstakes microsites), product and related events, test drives, surveys, social media platforms, promotion entries and our customer call centers. We receive information about you and your vehicle through vehicle leasing records, vehicle, accessory, and parts sales and service records, and other records, provided to us directly by your independent, Audi Canada-authorized dealership (hereafter, “Audi Dealer”), or our third-party service providers. If you register for and receive services through a myAudi account, we also receive information about your preferred Audi Dealer, any interests you elect to share, and your account preferences and settings. If you sign up for Audi Canada’s connected services or Audi connect e-tron, we also receive directly from your vehicle information about your vehicle, including its performance, status and location, and driving behavior and Key User or Authorized Users designations and information.
In addition to information we obtain from Audi Dealers and connected services that you may choose to use, we also may obtain information about you and your vehicle from Audi Canada-authorized sellers of consumer merchandise, Audi Financial Services (“AFS”), an operating unit of Volkswagen Credit, Inc., (if you finance your Audi Canada vehicle purchase or purchase products from AFS) and other sources such as companies that provide or sell lists of potential vehicle purchasers and current owners. We may combine information that we receive from the various sources described in this Privacy Statement, including third-party sources, with personal information and use it for the purposes identified below.
The types of information that Audi Canada collects about you include:
• contact information (such as name, address, telephone number, email)
• information you provide directly to us
• vehicle purchase or lease information (such as VIN, make, model, year, dealer, date of purchase or lease, purchase/lease price, vehicle equipment, and service history)
• vehicle data (such as general status data--warning lights, upcoming service schedule, fuel level, battery level, tire pressure, service history and fault or trouble codes; vehicle performance data; and other data about your vehicle identification, condition, equipment, or collision information)
• GPS location data when needed for Audi connect Security and Assistance services or as required by law
• photographs and other user generated content such as materials that you may submit for contests or sweepstakes
• data gathered by technology when you visit our website
If you use a mobile device to activate or access services, we may collect information about your specific mobile device.
If your vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder (“EDR”) crash or near-crash information about the vehicle or driver’s behavior will be recorded in the vehicle. EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a non-trivial crash situation occurs, not under normal driving conditions.
For information about your vehicle’s EDR data or other crash or near crash information collected and how we might receive and use it, please see your owner’s manual.
Audi vehicles may be equipped with Audi Connect Security and Assistance which does not require any action from you to activate and is automatically enabled and active before purchase or lease. This plan includes:
• automatic and manual Audi emergency call (in the event of an airbag deployment or if you contact us directly to notify us of an emergency, an emergency service center, contracted by Audi Canada, will respond);
• stolen vehicle locator (at your request, we will attempt to locate your stolen vehicle in coordination with law enforcement authorities);
• online roadside assistance (non-emergency roadside assistance when requested, including through use of the “wrench” button); and
• Audi Service Request (you may opt-in to receiving a reminder of when services are due for your vehicle).
Audi connect Security and Assistance requires the collection and use of information from you (which may include a phone call to discuss the situation and assistance needed, which is recorded and monitored) and your vehicle (including your vehicle’s GPS location and other vehicle data that will help us get emergency responders to you or help us dispatch appropriate service providers). GPS location data collected for the purpose of providing Audi connect Security and Assistance services is only available and used by us upon our receipt of an automatic notification from your vehicle, when the SOS button is pushed or when you request other online roadside services through the “wrench” button.
If you choose to opt in and use the “Audi Service Request” function as part of your Audi connect Security and Assistance service, we automatically transmit the technical data required for an upcoming service interval of your vehicle to your dealer in advance, including:
• vehicle condition data (mileage, fuel tank level, oil filling level, etc.)
• service-relevant data (maintenance interval data, warning indicators)
If you wish to turn off the Audi connect, you may do so by contacting us at 1-800-822-AUDI for additional information. Disabling tracking equipment used for Audi connect Security and Assistance so that it cannot be used or reactivated involves disabling or removing the equipment from your vehicle at an Audi Dealer, and additional costs for which you will be responsible; and it will disable all other connected services.
We may use your information in a number of ways, including:
• to provide the products and services you have purchased or requested
• to support your vehicle, products and services
• to communicate with you about your vehicle, products or services
• to diagnose, repair and track service and quality issues
• to install and configure changes and updates to your services
• to authenticate users of our products and services
• to evaluate the performance and safety of our vehicles, products and services
• to improve the quality of our vehicles, products and services
• to operate the Audi Canada website and digital properties and customize the content
• to verify your eligibility for certain programs or benefits
• to comply with legal requirements
• to protect the safety, property or rights of Audi Canada, owners, registered users, drivers, passengers or others
• to prevent and detect fraud or misuse of the vehicles, products or services
• to maintain internal records
• for marketing purposes
We also use or share your information in an anonymized or aggregate manner for purposes including research, analysis, modeling, safety, product or service improvement, infrastructure change or improvement (such as highway safety improvements, traffic light management, etc.) and aggregated information services such as traffic reporting.
We use the information provided in association with an Audi Service Request to evaluate your service needs and remind you to schedule a service appointment as indicated in your contact preferences. An Audi service representative may contact you via phone, email or letter to schedule a service appointment. Your preferred Audi Dealer can also access this data for the purpose of preparing for a service appointment, contact initiation and execution of the individual services.
To opt-out of receiving promotional email messages from us, please click on the "Unsubscribe" link contained at the bottom of each email.
We may share your information (a) within the Volkswagen Group family of companies, which includes parents, corporate affiliates, subsidiaries, business units and other companies that share common ownership, including Audi AG; (b) with third-party service providers working on behalf of Audi Canada and third party content providers; and (c) Audi Dealers for sales, leasing, and customer service purposes, such as responding to quote requests, vehicle diagnosis, maintenance and repair, scheduling service appointments, and contacting you and providing the requested services. Some of our service providers, including Audi AG, are located outside of the United States
We also share your information with emergency responders and service providers (such as police, ambulance providers, and towing providers) and law enforcement for purposes of offering Audi connect Security and Assistance. We also share your information with other carefully selected companies with whom we may partner to provide you with information about products or services we think may be of interest to you. We may also share your information with our advertising agencies and other third-party affiliates to tailor Audi Canada’s marketing communications, and customize the design of the Audi Canada websites, and with our marketing research companies that provide marketing services, marketing research, and other analytics for marketing purposes.
We also share information with your vehicle’s satellite radio and/or wireless service provider, if applicable, to enable those service providers to contact you with important information about your vehicle’s satellite or wireless services and for their own marketing purposes.
In addition, we may share your information with third parties to comply with law or legal requirements; to enforce or apply our Terms of Service and other agreements; and to protect our rights and the property or safety of our users or third-parties. We also may disclose information about you and your Vehicle when we have reason to believe that someone is causing injury to or interference with our rights or property, other users of the websites or anyone else that could be harmed by such activities.
We may also share information with government agencies and third party service or content providers in an anonymized or aggregate manner for purposes of research, analysis, modeling, safety, product or service improvement, and infrastructure change or improvement (such as highway safety improvements, traffic light management, etc.).
If we or some or all of our assets are acquired by another company, including through a sale in connection with bankruptcy, we will share the information that we hold with that company.
The Audi Canada websites also collect information, via cookies, web beacons, pixels, tags or other tracking technologies, such as your Internet Service Provider and IP address, the date and time you access the Audi Canada website, the pages you have accessed while visiting the Audi Canada website, and the Internet address from which you accessed the Audi Canada website. Some cookies exist only during a single session and some are persistent over multiple sessions over time. We use these technologies to remember user preferences, maximize the performance of our website and services, provide you with offers that may be of interest to you, measure the effectiveness of our email campaigns and to personalize online content.
Some browsers have incorporated Do Not Track (“DNT”) preferences. Most of these features, when turned on, send signals to the website you are visiting that you do not wish to have information about your online searching and browsing activities collected and used. As there is not yet a common agreement about how to interpret DNT signals, we do not honor DNT signals from website browsers at this time. However, you may refuse or delete cookies. If you refuse or delete cookies, some of our website functionality may be impaired. Please refer to your browser’s Help instructions to learn more about how to manage cookies and the use of other tracking technologies.
In addition to mobile applications designed to allow you to use your myAudi, Audi connect or Audi connect e-tron services, Audi Canada may have mobile applications that you can download to your mobile device or vehicle (“Audi Canada Applications”). When you download an Audi Canada Application, there may be an opportunity for you to provide us with or for us to obtain information about you or your vehicle. Each Audi Canada Application will display a separate Privacy Statement that will inform you about how any new or different information shared via the application will be handled. Otherwise, information collected via Audi mobile applications will be the information identified above and will be used and shared as stated in this Privacy Statement.
Through the Infotainment system, Audi Canada may also offer applications developed by third parties (“3rd Party Application”). When you download a 3rd Party Application to your mobile device or vehicle, the 3rd Party Application may collect information about you or your vehicle in connection with your download or use of that application. Audi Canada is not responsible for the collection or use of information by 3rd Party Applications. We recommend that you carefully review the privacy statement of each 3rd Party Application prior to downloading or using them.
Audi Canada does not knowingly collect information from visitors under the age of 13. In the event that we learn that we have collected information from a child under age 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. For questions or additional information, see “Contact Us” section below.
The Audi Canada websites may contain links to other websites, including social networks, advertisers, Audi Dealer websites, Audi Financial Services websites, other Volkswagen Group websites, including websites operated by Audi AG, and websites belonging to other third parties. Some of these sites may share a similar “look and feel” to the Audi Canada websites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites. We encourage you to read the privacy statements provided by other websites before you provide information to them.
Audi Canada maintains reasonable safeguards to protect your information. Some services, including Audi connect services, may involve the transmission of voice and data from your Audi vehicle over wireless and cellular telephone networks and therefore, we cannot guarantee the privacy and security of conversations or data transmitted to and from your Audi vehicle.
From time to time, we may update this Privacy Statement by updating this page and by displaying the date of the last update at the top of the page. We encourage you periodically to check this site to learn about the information we collect, use, and share. Your continued use of any of the Audi Canada websites, products or services affirms your agreement to such changes.
Should you have other questions or concerns about this Privacy Statement, please email us at: auditalk@audi.com.
You may also contact us by phone, Monday to Friday from 8 am to 8 pm, EST at: 1-800-822-AUDI (2834).
And by mail at:
Audi Canada
777 Bayly Street West, Ajax Ontario, L1S 7G7
You can choose to create a myAudi account to access and use Audi Canada personalized services, applications and programs relating to your vehicle. In addition to the information practices described in the Audi Canada Full Privacy Statement, this statement describes how we collect, use and share your information during registration and use of your myAudi account and the applications, program and services available through myAudi. You can create a myAudi account without choosing to use Audi connect services. If you also choose to utilize Audi connect services, we have provided additional information below about information collection, use and sharing for those services.
In addition to the general information identified above, we collect the information that you provide in your myAudi account in the course of or subsequent to registration and verification. This includes:
• data that you provide when setting up a myAudi Account, such as first and last name, VIN, email and mailing address, gender, salutation, place of residence, telephone and mobile number, preferred language, username, password, and optional topics of interest
• data regarding your personalized settings for your Audi connect services accessed through you myAudi account, such as preferred Audi partners, preferences for using e-mail, mailing address or text messages for sending service or application function notifications, vehicle catalogues, newsletter or other direct communications.
• additional data you choose to share to help tailor your myAudi account content and services, such as preferred dealer
In addition to the uses identified above, we use the information provided through your myAudi account registration and use to allow you to access your myAudi account and use the available applications, services and programs available through your myAudi account, perform desired customer services and maintain information relevant to your myAudi account.
You can register an Audi vehicle in your myAudi account by entering and saving your vehicle identification number (“VIN”). The VIN is required to access and use certain applications in your vehicle and to use the vehicle management application in your myAudi account. By using the vehicle management application, your vehicle's equipment details can be automatically populated by entering your vehicle identification number or your commission number and your myAudi account activation code.
The data you enter into your myAudi account are saved and made available to your registered vehicle on demand. We save the data until you delete it from your myAudi Account or you delete your myAudi Account.
You can choose to use your myAudi account to access and use available Audi connect services, which includes Audi connect Security and Assistance, Audi connect Navigation and Infotainment and Audi connect e-tron services, In addition to the information identified in the full Audi Canada Privacy Statement above, we collect, use, and share information about you and your registered Audi vehicle when you use Audi connect services. Some Audi connect vehicles are not equipped to offer all of the Audi connect services mentioned in this Privacy Statement. To find out what services are available in your vehicle, see www.audi.ca/connect.
The Audi connect services include offerings from various third-party content providers, such as Google, Twitter, etc. (“Content Provider”). Audi Canada does not create or control the content offered by these Content Providers. The Content Providers are exclusively responsible for the content and the availability of the content accessible through Audi connect. However, Audi Canada does collect and share certain information with these Content Providers in order for you to receive the content requested. For a complete list of the Audi connect Content Providers and their respective contact information, please see “Content Providers” below.
In addition to the general information identified in the full Audi Canada Privacy Statement and myAudi information above from and about you or your vehicle, when you set up and use Audi connect services, additional information will be collected, including:
• account information, such as settings, personalized services and authentication information
• information that you provide when using the Audi connect services, including information you send and information you request
• information about your use of Audi connect services, vehicles equipped with Audi connect services, the Audi connect mobile application, and the Audi connect website
• information about your interactions with us, our affiliates, or our Service or Content Providers
• GPS location data for services, such as Geofence, Parking Position, Speed Alert, Valet Alert, Traffic Information, and Travel Destinations
• driving behavior information for services, such as speed for Speed Alert and Valet Alert
Please note that the information stored in your Audi vehicle may be accessible to others who use your Audi vehicle or mobile device, and thus may be deleted, altered, or transferred. Please see your vehicle’s owner’s manual for information about how to remove the information stored in your Audi vehicle.
We do not store the content of any messages (such as social media messages) that you transmit or access through Audi connect and we do not access or retain information about the locations associated with any information requests (such as information feeds, travel information) that you submit through Audi connect, other than information requests for location based services
In addition to the entities identified in the full Audi Canada Privacy Statement above, we share information collected through use of Audi connect services with the third-party Content Providers identified below. Information about how Content Providers use and share information associated with your use of Audi connect services is available at the Content Providers’ websites.
The following is a list of the current Audi connect Content Providers and their respective websites and contact information. This list is subject to change without notice.
At present, the following third-party Content Providers offer services via Audi connect:
• point-of-interest searching (POI), including voice control, navigation with Google Earth images and Street View: Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA – www.google.com
• Twitter: Twitter Inc. 795 Folsom Street, Suite 600, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA – www.twitter.com
• news: www.afp.com, www.npr.com and any other RSS feed providers that you may choose to add;
• city events: Wcities.com, Inc., 512 2nd Street Second Floor, San Francisco , CA 94107, USA – www.wcities.com;
• fuel prices, parking information, and traffic information: INRIX Inc., 10210 NE Points Drive, Suite 300, Kirkland, WA 98033, USA – www.inrix.com
• traffic light information: Traffic Technology Services, Inc., 17933 NW Evergreen Pkwy #240, Beaverton, OR 97006 – www.traffictechservices.com
As an Audi connect Security and Assistance, Audi connect Navigation and Infotainment or Audi connect e-tron Services user, you must register a “Key User” to access and use certain Audi connect services, such as Curfew Alerts, Geofencing Alerts, Speed Alerts, Valet Alerts, Remote Lock & Unlock, Parking Position, and Vehicle Status Report. You can also register other “Authorized Users” to allow them to access and use some of these Audi connect services.
Designating and activating a Key User or Authorized User requires the collection of additional information about those users, including:
• name
• date of birth
• email address
• vehicle identification number
• login credential and PIN
In addition to the general purposes described above, we use the information generated in association with your use of Audi connect to process your specific requests for Audi connect services.
We use the information provided to register a Key User and Authorized Users to authenticate the users and provide them with requested Audi connect services.