Privacy and Data Protection
What is Privacy and Data Protection?
Our Company is entrusted with a great deal of personal information about our customers, our merchants and partners and every employee. Data Protection and Privacy Principles are the rules American Express follows to protect the personal information the company holds. These principles define how we collect, use, store, share, transmit, delete or process personal data. For example:
- we only collect personal data that is required for a specific purpose and we collect it by fair and lawful means;
- we limit access to personal data to those who specifically need it to conduct their business activities;
- and we only share personal data with third parties where it is necessary to provide products or services.
Every employee of our Company is expected to know and abide by all of the company's
Data Protection and Privacy Principles
and the associated policies and guidelines.
Why is Privacy and Data Protection important?
Our Company is a global organization subject to laws and regulatory expectations of markets around the world. It's often a challenge for employees to remember that the laws in their country may not be the same as the laws in other countries. For example - many states in the USA have specific legal requirements for privacy breach notification, while a number of international markets have strict privacy laws that go far beyond data protection.
As an employee on the front line - What can I do?
- Never access information that is not related to your defined job responsibilities -- if you have any questions, ask your leader.
- Never share customer or employee information with anyone who does not have a business "need to know"
- Protect your business computer, laptop and passwords against loss, theft, or shared use.
- Avoid computer viruses and call the Help Desk immediately if you suspect you have one.
Contacts for questions or concerns
If you - or one of your customers - have a question about how customer or employee data is being handled, or if you suspect a customer or employee's data has been inappropriately shared, there are several people you can turn to for clarification, direction and support: