Privacy Policy for Survey Participants

1. About This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Davis Research LLC collects, uses, discloses, retains, and protects personal information in connection with web-based research surveys and related participant activities. It applies to any survey website, domain, subdomain, landing page, respondent portal, invitation link, or other online survey interface operated or administered by or for Davis Research LLC that links to this Privacy Policy (each, a “Survey Website”).

Davis Research LLC conducts and supports market research, public-opinion research, customer-experience research, and related survey research for itself and for research clients or sponsors. A study-specific notice, consent form, invitation, or instruction may provide additional or different information for a particular study. If a study-specific notice expressly conflicts with this Privacy Policy, the study-specific notice controls for that study to the extent of the conflict.

In some studies, Davis Research LLC determines how and why personal information is processed. In other studies, Davis Research LLC processes information on behalf of a research client or sponsor that determines those purposes. When Davis Research LLC acts on behalf of a client or sponsor, that organization’s privacy notice may also apply, and certain privacy requests may need to be handled by that organization.

Unless a particular survey expressly states otherwise, this Privacy Policy does not create a promise that participation, survey responses, or research data will be anonymous. Davis Research LLC may use coded identifiers or separate direct contact information from survey responses, but a research client or sponsor may still receive participant-level data or be able to associate that data with an individual in some studies.

2. Notice at Collection

For California residents, this section is intended to serve as a Notice at Collection to the extent the California Consumer Privacy Act applies. It also provides a concise summary for other participants. The categories below describe information that a particular survey may collect; not every survey collects every category.

Important research-disclosure note: Davis Research LLC commonly provides survey responses, demographic information, screening or eligibility information, and other participant-level research data to the organization sponsoring or commissioning the study. Davis Research LLC generally seeks to avoid including direct identifiers such as a participant’s name, email address, telephone number, or mailing address in research data delivered to a client unless identifiable information is needed or appropriate for the particular study. However, Davis Research LLC does not guarantee that survey responses will be anonymous unless the specific study expressly states that they are anonymous. Depending on the study design, recruitment source, client-provided information, legal or research requirements, follow-up needs, or other study-specific circumstances, a client or sponsor may receive identifiable information or may be able to associate participant-level responses with a particular individual.

* Sale/sharing clarification: Davis Research LLC does not sell personal information for monetary consideration or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising as part of ordinary survey research operations. Davis Research LLC does, however, disclose survey responses, demographic information, screening and eligibility information, and other research information to research clients, sponsors, and service providers as described in this Privacy Policy. Depending on the study, those disclosures may include identifiable information or information that a client can associate with a particular participant. If a particular Survey Website or disclosure is treated as a sale or sharing under applicable law, Davis Research LLC will provide any required notice and opt-out mechanism.

Full details: Sections 3 through 12 explain the information, purposes, disclosures, technologies, financial-incentive practices, and retention practices in more detail. Section 18 explains how to submit privacy requests.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

• Survey responses, including opinions, preferences, experiences, product or service usage, household information, demographic characteristics, and other study-specific responses.
• Eligibility and screening information used to determine whether you qualify for a study or a particular portion of a study.
• Identifiers and contact information when requested, such as name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, ZIP code, age or date-of-birth information, participant identifiers, invitation identifiers, or access codes.
• Incentive-delivery information, such as an email address, mailing information, gift-card selection, charitable-donation selection, or fulfillment status.
• Communications with Davis Research LLC, including support requests, complaints, incentive inquiries, privacy requests, and records of consent or agreement.
• Study-specific content that you choose to provide when requested, which may include photographs, documents, audio, video, screen recordings, or uploads.
• Sensitive personal information when relevant to a study, which may include information about health, racial or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, precise location, citizenship or immigration status, financial circumstances, employment, biometric characteristics, or minors. Such information is collected only when relevant to the study and subject to applicable notices, permissions, and legal requirements.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Internet and network information, including IP address, approximate location inferred from IP address, internet service provider, domain, network characteristics, and indicators associated with VPN, proxy, hosting, or similar connections.
• Device and browser information, including device type, operating system, browser type and version, language, time zone, screen size or resolution, reported browser or device capabilities, cookie or local-storage identifiers, and similar technical attributes.
• Survey usage and interaction information, including pages or questions viewed, dates and times, referral information, navigation and response timing, survey completion time, response changes, focus changes, copy-and-paste activity where technically available, session history, and similar interaction patterns.
• Security, quality, and fraud-prevention signals, including duplicate-device or duplicate-participation indicators, device or browser fingerprint or risk signals, bot or automation indicators, emulation or spoofing indicators, suspicious traffic patterns, and signals suggesting manipulated, automated, or AI-assisted participation.
• Location, camera, microphone, or similar device information only when a study requests it, the feature is enabled, and any required notice or permission is provided.

3.3 Information From Other Sources

• Research clients or sponsors that provide participant lists, customer information, study variables, or other information needed to invite, identify, classify, or analyze participants.
• Online panels, sample providers, recruitment partners, list providers, and similar sources that help identify or route potential participants.
• Public records, publicly available sources, professional directories, or commercially available information when appropriate for recruitment, verification, analysis, or research.
• Service providers that support survey hosting, communications, data processing, identity or qualification verification, fraud prevention, analytics, security, or incentive fulfillment.
• Prior interactions with Davis Research LLC, such as participation history, opt-out or suppression records, quality outcomes, duplicate-participation indicators, and fraud or security signals.

4. How We Use Personal Information

• Recruit, invite, screen, qualify, enroll, and communicate with survey participants.

• Administer web surveys, route participants through survey logic, manage quotas, and support study operations.

• Verify identity, residence, occupation, product ownership, purchasing authority, household composition, or other study qualifications when relevant.

• Evaluate authenticity, attention, consistency, response quality, duplicate participation, fraud, bots, automation, AI-assisted responses, misrepresentation, or other activity that may affect the integrity of the research.

• Determine whether participation satisfies study requirements and whether an incentive should be issued, withheld, reviewed, or otherwise administered under the applicable study terms.

• Analyze, tabulate, weight, model, summarize, aggregate, de-identify, report, and deliver research results and datasets.

• Operate, secure, troubleshoot, test, improve, and measure Survey Websites and research methods.

• Maintain suppression and preference records and honor opt-outs, privacy rights, and communication preferences.

• Comply with applicable law, contracts, court orders, regulatory obligations, professional standards, client requirements, and study protocols.

• Investigate misconduct, protect participants and research clients, establish or defend legal claims, and preserve evidence when reasonably necessary.

• Create and use aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information for research, benchmarking, quality improvement, security, fraud prevention, and other lawful purposes. Davis Research LLC does not attempt to re-identify de-identified information except where permitted by law for testing, security, or compliance.

5. Quality, Fraud, and Survey-Integrity Technologies

Davis Research LLC uses technical and procedural measures designed to protect the integrity of research. These measures may analyze survey responses together with device, network, session, and interaction signals to identify possible duplicate participation, bots, automation, unusual response patterns, misrepresentation, VPN or proxy use, emulation, spoofing, or possible AI-generated or AI-assisted responses.

Quality or fraud indicators may be generated by Davis Research LLC or by service providers acting on its behalf. These indicators may be used to route or terminate a survey, hold a response for review, exclude a response from a research dataset, prevent repeat participation, or determine incentive eligibility under the applicable study terms. A quality or fraud signal does not necessarily establish wrongdoing; it may result in additional review.

Where applicable law provides rights relating to certain profiling or automated decisionmaking, Davis Research LLC will honor those rights when they apply. Rights and exceptions vary by jurisdiction, and some fraud-prevention, security, eligibility, or research-quality activities may be exempt or outside the scope of those rights.

6. Research Clients and Sponsors

Davis Research LLC often conducts surveys for another organization and commonly provides the research client or sponsor with survey responses, demographic information, screening or eligibility information, and other participant-level research data needed for the study. Depending on the study, the client or sponsor may also receive aggregated results, coded or de-identified data, contact information for authorized follow-up, recordings or other participant-submitted content, or other information described in the study materials.

Davis Research LLC generally seeks to avoid including direct identifiers such as a participant’s name, email address, telephone number, or mailing address in research datasets delivered to a client unless identifiable information is needed or appropriate for the particular study. However, Davis Research LLC does not promise or guarantee anonymity unless the applicable survey or study materials expressly state that the study is anonymous.

In some studies—including certain legal, litigation, customer, employee, membership, longitudinal, follow-up, or client-list studies—the research client or sponsor may receive identifiable participant information, or may be able to associate participant-level survey responses with information it already possesses. This may occur because the client supplied the participant list or identifying information, the study requires follow-up or verification, the research design calls for identifiable data, or applicable legal or study requirements make anonymity impracticable.

When applicable law requires a separate disclosure or consent before identifiable information is provided to a research client or sponsor, Davis Research LLC will provide the required notice or obtain the required consent. Otherwise, the information may be disclosed as described in this Privacy Policy, the applicable study materials, client instructions, and applicable law.

7. Service Providers and Other Disclosures

Davis Research LLC may disclose personal information to service providers and contractors that support survey hosting, data processing, participant communications, sample management, identity or qualification verification, security, fraud prevention, analytics, technical support, incentive fulfillment, transcription, or related research operations. These providers are expected to process information for authorized purposes and subject to applicable contractual and legal restrictions.

Davis Research LLC may also disclose personal information to professional advisers, auditors, insurers, legal counsel, courts, regulators, government agencies, or law enforcement when required or permitted by law or reasonably necessary to protect rights, safety, security, or evidence.

Information may be transferred as part of a merger, financing, reorganization, sale, transfer of a study or business, insolvency, or similar transaction, subject to applicable law. Davis Research LLC may also disclose information at your direction or with your consent.

Aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be linked to you may be disclosed for research, reporting, benchmarking, or other lawful purposes, subject to applicable law and contractual restrictions.

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Survey Websites may use cookies, local storage, session identifiers, pixels, web beacons, embedded images, scripts, server logs, and similar technologies. Some are necessary to operate the survey, preserve survey progress, route participants, maintain security, prevent duplicate participation, remember settings, or support quality and fraud detection. Others may support analytics, performance measurement, or troubleshooting.

Browser or device settings may allow you to block or delete cookies or restrict certain permissions. Doing so may prevent a Survey Website from functioning correctly or may make it impossible to verify eligibility or participation. Where applicable law requires consent or a choice before non-essential technologies are used, Davis Research LLC will provide the required mechanism.

9. Sensitive Information and Special Study Features

Some surveys ask about topics or characteristics that may be considered sensitive under privacy laws. Depending on the study, this can include health information, race or ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, citizenship or immigration information, precise location, financial circumstances, or other sensitive information. Davis Research LLC collects such information only when relevant to the research and uses it for the study and related research, quality, security, legal, and contractual purposes described in this Privacy Policy and applicable study materials.

Some studies may request photographs, audio, video, webcam access, screen recordings, precise location, or similar special data. When additional notice or consent is required, it will be provided before that information is collected.

Please do not provide another person’s confidential, proprietary, health, financial, or identifying information unless the survey requests it and you are authorized to provide it.

10. Sale, Sharing, Targeted Advertising, and Universal Opt-Out Signals

Davis Research LLC does not sell survey participants’ personal information for monetary consideration as part of its ordinary survey research operations. Davis Research LLC does not use survey responses for cross-context behavioral advertising or targeted advertising.

Privacy laws in some states define “sale,” “sharing,” or “targeted advertising” broadly. If a particular Survey Website or disclosure is treated as a sale, sharing, or targeted-advertising activity under applicable law, Davis Research LLC will provide any required notice and opt-out mechanism. Where legally required and technically applicable, Davis Research LLC processes recognized universal opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control, for the browser or device sending the signal.

11. Notice of Financial Incentive for California Participants

This section applies to California residents when a Davis Research LLC survey offers a cash payment, gift card, points, charitable-donation option, sweepstakes entry, or other benefit that constitutes a financial incentive under the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). Not every survey offers an incentive.

11.1 Summary and Material Terms

The specific amount, type, and material eligibility or completion requirements for an incentive are disclosed in the applicable survey invitation, first survey page, or other study-specific materials presented before participation. Davis Research LLC survey incentives are generally modest and are typically $50 or less.

An incentive is offered in connection with eligible participation in research and the information needed to conduct that research. Eligibility for an incentive may depend on satisfying study qualifications, completing required portions of the survey, following study instructions, and passing applicable quality, duplicate-participation, and fraud review, as described in the study materials and the Terms of Use and Survey Participation Agreement.

11.2 Personal Information Associated With the Incentive

Depending on the study, categories of personal information associated with an incentive may include survey responses; screening and eligibility information; identifiers or contact information; incentive-delivery information; internet, device, network, and survey-activity information; quality and fraud-prevention signals; and any study-specific sensitive information or participant-submitted content described in Sections 2 and 3 of this Privacy Policy.

11.3 How to Opt In

Participation is voluntary. A California participant opts in to the incentive by voluntarily beginning or continuing an incentivized survey after the incentive terms and a link to this Notice of Financial Incentive have been presented. If a study requires an additional affirmative action to accept the incentive terms, that action will be identified on the Survey Website.

11.4 How to Withdraw

You may withdraw from an incentivized study at any time by stopping participation. You may also contact Davis Research LLC at PrivacyQuestion@davisresearchsurvey.com regarding withdrawal or privacy questions. Withdrawal before satisfying the study’s incentive requirements may mean that no incentive is earned. Withdrawal does not affect privacy rights that apply to personal information already collected, subject to applicable legal exceptions and the research, security, fraud-prevention, contractual, and recordkeeping needs described in this Privacy Policy.

11.5 Value Associated With the Incentive

For surveys offering a stated cash payment, gift card, points value, or other specific benefit, Davis Research LLC treats the stated value of the offered incentive as the practical value associated with an individual participant’s participation and information for purposes of this notice. The value for the particular study is the incentive amount or retail value disclosed in that study’s invitation, first survey page, or other incentive terms.

Incentive amounts may vary based on factors such as the estimated time and effort required to participate, the difficulty of locating qualified participants, expected eligibility or incidence rates, study complexity, sample requirements, subject matter, and customary rates for comparable research participation. Davis Research LLC does not assign a resale price to individual survey responses and does not sell survey participants’ personal information for money as part of its ordinary survey research operations.

Davis Research LLC does not ordinarily offer California participants a different price for goods or services, or a different level or quality of goods or services, in exchange for personal information. If Davis Research LLC offers a price or service difference that is subject to additional CCPA valuation requirements, Davis Research LLC will provide the additional information required by applicable law before the participant opts in.

12. Data Retention

Davis Research LLC retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and the applicable study, taking into account the nature of the information, the research purpose, client requirements, quality-control and audit needs, incentive administration, fraud and duplicate-prevention needs, legal and contractual obligations, dispute-resolution needs, security, and applicable limitation periods.

Identifiable contact information may be separated from survey responses or deleted earlier than research data. Survey responses may be de-identified or aggregated and retained for research and reporting. Quality, fraud-prevention, suppression, and duplicate-prevention records may be retained longer when reasonably necessary to protect research integrity or honor participant preferences. Recordings, sensitive information, and special study data may be subject to study-specific retention periods.

When information is no longer reasonably required, Davis Research LLC may delete, destroy, anonymize, or de-identify it, subject to backup, archival, legal-hold, contractual, and technical limitations.

13. Data Security

Davis Research LLC uses administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information based on its nature and risk. No method of transmission, processing, or storage is completely secure, and Davis Research LLC cannot guarantee absolute security.

Participants should protect survey access links, invitation codes, credentials, and devices from unauthorized use and should notify Davis Research LLC if they believe a survey link or participant information has been misused.

14. Children and Teen Participants

Survey Websites are not generally directed to children under 13. Davis Research LLC does not knowingly collect personal information online from a child under 13 without providing legally required notice and obtaining verifiable parental consent or otherwise satisfying an applicable legal exception. If Davis Research LLC learns that personal information from a child under 13 was collected without required authorization, Davis Research LLC will take appropriate steps.

Some studies may include participants under 18. For studies involving minors, Davis Research LLC will use age screening, parental or guardian permission, minor assent, or other protections when required by applicable law, client requirements, institutional review requirements, or the study protocol. A study may impose a higher minimum age or additional protections.

15. Your Choices

• Survey participation is generally voluntary. You may decline an invitation or stop participating, subject to any study-specific consequences explained when you participate.

• You may use unsubscribe instructions in survey invitation emails. For text messages, you may reply STOP where supported. Davis Research LLC may retain a suppression record so the request can be honored.

• You may adjust browser or device settings for cookies, location, camera, microphone, and similar permissions, although certain survey features may not work without them.

• You may exercise applicable privacy rights as described below.

16. U.S. State Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and whether a particular privacy law applies to Davis Research LLC or the research client or sponsor, you may have rights to confirm whether personal information is processed; access or obtain a copy; correct inaccuracies; delete certain information; obtain a portable copy; opt out of certain sales, sharing, targeted advertising, or profiling; limit certain uses of sensitive personal information; withdraw consent; appeal a denied request; and receive non-discriminatory treatment for exercising privacy rights.

These rights are subject to definitions, thresholds, exemptions, exceptions, verification requirements, and other limitations that vary by state. Research data, de-identified data, fraud-prevention records, legal-compliance information, and information processed solely on behalf of a research client or sponsor may be exempt or may need to be addressed by the client or sponsor.

17. California Privacy Information

To the extent the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) applies, Section 2 of this Privacy Policy is intended to provide the categories of personal information collected, purposes of collection and use, sale or sharing status, and retention criteria required for a Notice at Collection.

California residents may have rights to know or access personal information, request deletion, correct inaccurate personal information, opt out of sale or sharing, limit certain uses and disclosures of sensitive personal information, and receive non-discriminatory treatment, subject to applicable exceptions.

Davis Research LLC does not use or disclose sensitive personal information for purposes that require a right to limit under the CCPA as part of ordinary survey research operations, except where a particular Survey Website or study provides a separate notice. If applicable practices change, Davis Research LLC will provide the legally required notice and choice.

If a survey offers an incentive that constitutes a CCPA financial incentive, see Section 11, Notice of Financial Incentive for California Participants.

18. How to Exercise Privacy Rights

You may submit a privacy request by email to PrivacyQuestion@davisresearchsurvey.com, by telephone at 818-591-2408, or by mail to Davis Research LLC, 26610 Agoura Road, Calabasas, California 91302, Attention: Privacy Request. Please identify your state of residence, contact information, the study or invitation involved if known, and the right you wish to exercise. Do not send sensitive identity documents unless Davis Research LLC specifically requests them through an appropriate channel.

Davis Research LLC may need to verify your identity, residency, or authority before completing a request. Verification information will be used for that purpose and related security or legal obligations. Where permitted, an authorized agent may submit a request on your behalf, subject to reasonable proof of authority and verification.

If Davis Research LLC processes your information solely on behalf of a research client or sponsor, Davis Research LLC may direct the request to that organization or assist it in responding. Davis Research LLC may deny or limit a request where permitted by law, including when identity cannot reasonably be verified, an exception applies, fulfillment would interfere with another person’s rights, or the information is de-identified or not reasonably linkable to you.

If applicable law provides a right to appeal a denial of a privacy request, you may appeal by replying to the decision or contacting Davis Research LLC with the subject line “Privacy Appeal.”

19. Email and Text Communications

Davis Research LLC may send survey invitations, reminders, support responses, incentive notices, and other operational messages by email or text. Message frequency varies by study. Email invitations may include unsubscribe instructions, and text messages may support STOP to opt out.

Opting out of future research invitations does not necessarily prevent messages needed to complete a study you joined, deliver or resolve an incentive, respond to a privacy request, address security, or comply with legal obligations.

20. International Processing

Davis Research LLC is based in the United States. Davis Research LLC and its research clients, sponsors, or service providers may process information in the United States or other countries whose privacy laws may differ from those where you live. When legally required, appropriate contractual or other safeguards will be used for cross-border transfers.

21. Research Standards

Davis Research LLC seeks to conduct research consistently with applicable professional and ethical standards, client commitments, study protocols, and law. If a study-specific commitment provides greater privacy protection than this Privacy Policy, Davis Research LLC will follow that commitment for the applicable study.

22. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Davis Research LLC may update this Privacy Policy as research practices, technologies, vendors, or legal obligations change. The Effective Date identifies the current version. Material changes will be communicated through an appropriate method when required. Unless otherwise stated, changes apply prospectively.

23. Contact Information