Website Privacy Notice

Last updated: January 25, 2021

Introduction

www.ifc.org (the “Site”) is an offering of the International Finance Corporation (also referred to herein as “IFC”, “us” or “we”), a member organization of the World Bank Group (“WBG”).

IFC is strongly committed to protecting Personal Data. “Personal Data” is information that identifies or may be used to identify you as an individual.  This Privacy Notice (this “Notice”) will inform you of how we look after Personal Data from users (“user” or “you”) who access or use the Site (regardless of where you visit it from).

This Notice applies exclusively to the Site and does not apply to other IFC websites, applications or to third-party websites.

Acceptance of These Privacy Terms

By using the site, you are confirming that you have read, understand and agree to the terms of this notice. If you do not agree to the notice terms, please do not use the site.

We may update this Notice at any time. Changes to this Notice will be dated and will be effective from the date specified forward so that users are always aware of what personal data we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances we disclose it. You are advised to check our Privacy Notice regularly for updates. If you visit the Site following the effective date of the revised Notice, you will be deemed to have accepted the Notice’s updated terms.

 

What Personal Data Does IFC Collect?

When you access or otherwise use the Site, we may collect Personal Data about you and your interaction with the Site.  We may collect Personal Data about you through:

Personal Data You Provide

When you access the Site, you may choose to provide Personal Data about yourself such as your: name, address, email address, telephone number, job title, and company name. By way of example, you may choose to provide your information in the following circumstances:

  • To register or otherwise access the Site or certain portions or features of the Site;
  • To request support;
  • To subscribe to or order newsletters and/or publications;
  • To participate in bulletin boards, discussion, or message forums;
  • To enter or answer quick surveys, quizzes or benchmarking surveys;
  • To register for events and conferences;
  • To contact us for further information; or
  • To visit our Site while logged into a social media platform.

Automatic Collection of Personal Data

We may use online identification technologies, such as cookies, web beacons, or pixels on some pages of our Site (“Tracking Technologies”). The information we collect using these technologies includes: your IP address, browser type and language, access time, and referring website.

Cookies: Cookies may be used to assist us in providing a more customized website experience. For example, a cookie can be used to store registration information in a website area so that its user does not need to re-enter it on subsequent visits. You can set your browser to accept all cookies, to reject all cookies, or to notify you whenever a cookie is offered so that you can decide each time whether to accept it (for more information about cookies, please visit www.allaboutcookies.org).

Third-Party Analytics: We may also use website analytics providers which may set cookies in your browser.  Site activity information collected by these analytics providers may be combined with Personal Data held by IFC.

Other Tracking Technologies: Tracking Technologies from marketing partners, third party sites, and social media platforms may be used to understand how visitors navigate to our Site from others, compile aggregated statistics about visitors who interact with our content, and to provide more pertinent information to our visitors.

How Does IFC Use the Personal Data it Collects?

We may use the Personal Data that we collect about you for any or all of the following purposes:

  • To respond to your requests or inquiries, such as to answer your questions sent through the “Contacts” link on the Site or to confirm your purchases and registrations on the Site, as applicable;
  • To communicate with you regarding IFC events, resources or services that may be available to you;
  • To customize the Site for you by, for example, not having to enter information like your address more than once or to help you quickly find information that is relevant to you based on your interests;
  • For IFC’s business purposes, such as to help us explore ways to improve our products and services, to help us improve the Site, or to help us create Site content areas most relevant to you, including by requesting feedback, and for related internal purposes such as data analysis, legal analysis, audits, enhancing the Site, and identifying usage trends;
  • To help us operate and improve the Site, such as by analyzing Site visitor trends, including usage of certain pages or functions on the Site;
  • To protect against fraud, spam, harassment, intellectual property infringement, crime and security risks; and
  • To maintain and improve the safety and security of the Site.

 

With Whom Does IFC Share the Personal Data It Collects?

We may share the Personal Data that we collect about you as follows:

  • World Bank Group Entities. To fulfill IFC’s mission as stated in its Articles of Agreement, we share Personal Data with other affiliates of the World Bank Group.
  • Service Providers. We may share Personal Data with unaffiliated third parties who provide us with services, such as those entities that assist us with technology, data analysis, website hosting/administration or similar services.
  • Events and Publications. We may also share Personal Data with co-sponsors of IFC events and publications related to the Site.
  • Remedies and Enforcement. We may use or disclose Personal Data as we believe to be appropriate in the following circumstances: (i) to enforce the terms and conditions for use of the Site, including this Notice; (ii) to protect and defend our rights and property; (iii) to protect the interests of IFC or others; and (iv) to permit us to pursue available remedies or limit the damages that we may sustain.

 

How Does IFC Protect and Maintain Personal Data Collected Through the Site?

We use reasonable organizational, technical and administrative measures to help protect against the loss, misuse and alteration of the Personal Data collected through the Site and under our control. However, no data transmission over the Internet or data storage system can be guaranteed to be fully secure. Please do not send us Personal Data you consider sensitive through the Site.  In addition, IFC requires its partners and service providers to appropriately safeguard the privacy and security of personal data they are given access to in accordance with Section III of this privacy notice.

 

Third Party Websites

The Site may contain links to websites operated by parties not affiliated with IFC. These linked sites are not under IFC’s control and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or the contents of any such unaffiliated parties or their websites. If you provide Personal Data through any such third-party website, the Personal Data will be collected by, and controlled by the privacy policy (if any) of, that third party. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the privacy policies and practices of any such third parties, which are not governed by this Notice.

 

Use of the Site by Children

The Site is not directed to children. If you are a minor, please do not submit any Personal Data to us.

 

International Transfers of Information

By using the Site, you are deemed to understand and consent to the collection and processing of your Personal Data in the United States or elsewhere.

Changes To This Statement

This statement was last updated on the date listed above. If we change it, we will post the new version to this website.

Contact Us

IFC Data Privacy Office
2121 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20433