This policy applies to the processing of customer personal data by the Volvo Car Group (referred to as “Volvo Cars“ or “we”). The purpose of this policy is to provide our current, former and potential customers (jointly referred to as “customers” or “you”) with a general understanding of:
The processing of your personal data forms an important part of our provision of products and services to you. We appreciate the trust you place in us when providing us with your personal data, and consider your privacy an essential part of the services we offer. In order to safeguard your personal data while increasing the customer value and offering enhanced and safer driving experiences, we adhere to the following five general principles.
Your personal data belongs to you. We strive not to make any assumptions regarding your privacy preferences and aim to design our services so that you can choose whether to share your personal data with us.
Where the processing of your personal data is necessary for the pursuit of a legitimate interest, and where this interest outweighs the need to protect your privacy, we may process certain personal data without obtaining your express consent. For more information, see the “Consent” section below. Where your personal data is processed for the public interest, we base that on the potential benefits to (including the safety of) our customers and the general public.
Volvo Cars endeavours to only process customer personal data that is adequate, relevant and not excessive in relation to the purpose for which it has been collected. We aim to anonymize your personal data when a function or service can be achieved with anonymized data. If we combine anonymized or non-personal data with your personal data, it will be treated as personal data for as long as it remains combined.
Volvo Cars believes in being transparent about which data we process and for which purposes. To us it is also vital to protect your personal data since it is a core value of Volvo Cars to protect what is important to you. On request, Volvo Cars will provide customers with further information regarding our processing and protection of your personal data.
It is Volvo Cars’ policy to comply with the applicable laws, rules and regulations governing privacy and data protection in each and every country where we operate. Where necessary, we will adjust our processing of your personal data as described in this policy to ensure legal compliance.
The following terms, used throughout this policy, have the meanings set out in Regulation (EU) 2016/679 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. Accordingly:
You may provide us with information about you or your vehicle when utilising Volvo Cars’ services in or outside a vehicle or in other contacts with Volvo Cars, for example through our websites or customer centres (in this context, please note that phone calls may be recorded for quality assurance purposes). We may also obtain such data from our authorised dealers and repairers and other third parties. Such data (“Customer-provided personal data”) may include:
Your vehicle will also automatically collect data relating to the vehicle and its surroundings, primarily of a technical nature and not directly related to you as a person. Such data (“Vehicle-recorded data”) is typically connected to the vehicle identification number (VIN) of the vehicle and may therefore be traceable to you. Vehicle-recorded data may include:
Information about certain Vehicle-recorded data is also included in the owner’s manual. We are particularly careful and apply additional measures if and when collecting and processing sensitive personal data, as required by applicable law. For avoidance of doubt, it is noted that applicable law may require other kind of data to also be treated as sensitive personal data.
Where reasonably practical or as required by applicable law, we will, in collecting or registering your personal data, provide you with (i) specific information as to the purposes of the processing of your personal data, (ii) the identity of the data controller, (iii) the identities of any third parties to whom the data may be disclosed and (iv) other information which may be necessary to ensure that you are able to safeguard your rights. The above information may, for example, be provided when you purchase a vehicle, in the vehicle’s infotainment system, in mobile applications developed by Volvo Cars, at www.volvocars.com or otherwise in an agreement which you enter into with Volvo Cars.
Where reasonably practical or as required by applicable law, we will obtain your consent prior to collecting or using your personal data. The request for your consent will be clear and specific and provide you with a reasonable basis with which to make your decision. We will never assume your consent, but ensure that your will to consent is clearly expressed. Your consent could always be revoked, for example by terminating a particular service or contacting Volvo Cars at the address indicated in the “Information and Access” section below.
The collection and use of Vehicle-recorded data may be necessary in order for (i) technicians to diagnose and rectify faults in vehicles during the service and maintenance of vehicles, (ii) Volvo Cars’ product development, for example enhancements of the vehicles’ quality and safety features, (iii) managing Volvo Cars’ warranty undertakings and (iv) fulfilment of legal requirements. When collecting or using Vehicle-recorded data for these purposes, and for similar legitimate interests pursued by Volvo Cars, we will generally not seek your consent unless this is deemed necessary in the individual case or required by applicable law.
Volvo Car Corporation (a Swedish legal entity with registration number 556074-3089) is responsible for research and development of new and current car models as well as certain global services offered to customers. Volvo Car Corporation is also responsible for monitoring the quality of the cars and any potential safety recalls. Each national sales company within Volvo Cars is generally responsible for marketing, sales and customer relations as well as market specific services on its market. In markets without a national sale company, an importer usually has the same responsibility as a national sale company. Volvo Cars stresses strict rules regarding data protection compliance in its contracts with authorised dealers and repairers. Please note, however, that Volvo Cars and its external authorised dealers and repairers are separate legal entities and that we are generally not responsible if such dealers and repairers do not follow applicable laws. If you have questions regarding your dealer’s or repairer’s use of your personal data, please contact the dealer or repairer directly.
You may be able to access applications and other services connected to a vehicle but provided by a third party, which, for example, may require transfer of location data and other Vehicle-recorded data to the third party. Volvo Cars is not responsible for the collection or use of personal data in third party applications or services, and recommends that you carefully review the applicable terms and conditions of (and any privacy statement related to) such applications or services prior to use. If you have questions concerning a certain third party’s use of your personal data, please contact the third party directly.
The personal data which Volvo Cars collects about you and the vehicle will be used:
For most processing acts, you are able to terminate our use of your personal data by updating your preferences, terminating a particular service, revoking your consent to the processing by contacting Volvo Cars at the address indicated in the “Information and Access” section below or as otherwise instructed by us. However, and unless otherwise follows from applicable law, you may generally not opt out of the processing of your personal data:
We will only retain your personal data for as long as it is necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy or the purposes of which you have otherwise been informed. This means that once you have consented to our processing of your personal data, we will retain your data in accordance with the consent given and/or until you revoke your consent. If you have revoked your consent, we may nevertheless retain certain personal data for the period required in order for us to meet our legal obligations and defend ourselves in legal disputes. If we have not obtained your consent to the processing, the data will only be retained for as long as such a period of time as permitted by law.
Where we process your personal data, we strive to ensure that it is accurate and up-to-date. We will seek to erase or rectify personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete. For more information regarding your right to ensure the accuracy of your personal data held by us, please see the “Information and Access” section below.
As stated in the “Notice” section above, we may provide you with specific information concerning our processing of your personal data when collecting or registering such data. Once per year you have the right to request, and receive free of charge, information on (i) what personal data relating to you we process, (ii) where the personal data is collected, (iii) the purpose of the processing, and (iv) with which recipients or categories of recipients the personal data is shared. Requests for such information must be made in writing and be personally signed by you, and include information on name, address and, preferably, your e-mail address. You also have the right to request that we correct, block or delete any incorrect data relating to you. Requests should be sent to the legal entity stipulated in the end of this document. Your requests will be dealt with in a prompt and proper manner. Requests to delete personal data will be subject to any applicable legal requirements. Where the applicable law provides for an administrative fee for complying with such a request, such a fee may be charged by Volvo Cars. In addition, you may be able to access an overview of certain Customer-provided personal data held by Volvo Cars, and correct or update your information, by logging in to the Volvo Cars consumer portal account, or a similar service offered on your local market.
Volvo Cars strives to implement appropriate technical and organisational measures in order to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, accidental loss or alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access and any other unlawful forms of processing. We aim to ensure that the level of security and the measures adopted to protect your personal data are appropriate for the risks presented by the nature and use of your personal data.
Volvo Cars may share your personal data:
A Volvo Cars’ entity being the data controller of your personal data will, as a general rule, only disclose your personal data to a third party if it has received your consent to do so. However, we may share your personal data without your consent, unless we consider your consent necessary in the individual case or your consent is required by law, in the following situations:
We restrict access to your personal data to Volvo Cars’ employees and suppliers who need to use the information in order to process it on our behalf, and who are contractually required to keep your personal data secure and confidential. We aim to choose the option for data processing services that best safeguards the integrity of your personal data towards any third party. Some of these processing activities might be performed outside of the EEA under a specific legal basis as required by national law.
We will not sell or trade your personal data with third parties unless we have your consent to do so. We will not share your personal data with third parties for their marketing purposes, unless we have received your consent for such disclosures. If you have provided such consent, but wish to stop receiving marketing materials from a third party, please contact that third party directly. We may provide you with information regarding new products, services, events or similar marketing activities. If you wish to unsubscribe to a particular e-mail newsletter or similar communication, please follow the instructions in the relevant communication. You may also use your Volvo Cars consumer portal account, or a similar service offered on your local market, to opt out of specific types of communication from Volvo Cars and to change previously submitted preferences.
In general, you can visit Volvo Cars websites without telling us who you are or revealing any information about yourself. In order to provide you with certain services or offers we, however, usually need you to register certain personal data, such as your name and e-mail address. Even before such registration we may (through cookies) collect anonymous information about how you have used our websites. This information will be helpful to us in order to improve our websites or marketing. Each Volvo Cars website which is open to our customers includes information concerning our use of cookies. For certain countries there is also an online procedure for accepting or declining cookies. For more information regarding our use of cookies, please consult the local information regarding cookies published for your country under www.volvocars.com.
Volvo Cars reserves the right to amend this policy from time to time. The date of the last modification is stated at the end of this document.
In order to exercise your right to have information or access to your data, please use the following contact details. Volvo Car Corporation, Attention: The Data Protection Officer, SE-405 31 Gothenburg, Sweden.
This policy was published 21/03/2017