MSI Privacy Policy

This privacy policy details how we, Micro-Star Int’l Co., Ltd. ("MSI"), use the information you provide us, as well as the information we may collect based on your access or use of MSI Websites (collectively, "MSI Website(s)"). Your access or use of MSI Website and any services, software, or tools therein, including account, product, or events registration, or support services shall be deemed as your acceptance of the terms of this privacy policy.

ACCOUNT CREATION

When you first create a MSI account, you will be required to provide some information and data for registration purpose. We will create a unique identification number linking your account with the associated information. This account can then be used to sign in or sign out of MSI Websites. Furthermore, this account may be required by MSI to provide you with additional services such as notifications, support, and product after sales services

Some MSI services such as RMA services may be accessed from MSI Websites. In order to provide accurate and efficient RMA services, we may require you to provide additional personally identifiable information ("PID"), including your real name, shipping/home address, email, product serial number, and phone number. For clarification purpose, providing PID is a not mandatory requirement to setup a MSI Websites account. Unless you expressly provide us with your PID during account registration, we will not actively link your PID with your MSI Websites account. Nor will we aggregate your MSI Website account information with RMA services which stores our customer PID separately from MSI Websites.

You may also sign into the MSI Website using your Facebook or Google account. If you elect to do so, some of your social media account information will be collected and stored on our servers for verification purposes when signing into MSI Websites. Please note that we only store basic information to validate whether the social media account you provided is valid. We will not store any other data or activity from your social media account. You may disassociate your social media account from MSI Website accounts by contacting our online customer support for assistance.

WHAT WE COLLECT

In order to provide you with the best experiences for our products and services, we may need to collect some information from you in a number of ways. You may directly provide information to us, such as when new MSI Website accounts are created, when you register to participate in online or offline events on MSI Websites, or when you contact us for support. In addition, we may indirectly collect some information based on your interaction with our services through the use of web analytic tools (as explained in greater detail below) and from our server reports. We may also interact with your local device to help determine your location, based on your IP address or GPS data, in order to provide purchase recommendation or customizations to you.

The types of data we collect may be broken down into the following types, which may be updated from time to time.

Name and Basic Contact Information

We collect your email address, password, name, and similar data. Other types of data you voluntary disclose to us include your purchased MSI product, address, postal code, and phone number (which may be required for support service).

Demographic Information

We collect your country, language, and other voluntary information such as gender, date of birth, education, and profession.

Usage Data

We collect your usage data, including logging the hours of your use our services, the product or services that you use, your browsing history, your feedback, and your subscriptions. Additionally, your device information, including IP address, your connecting network information, regional language settings, and GPS data may be collected. We may also collect certain device data, error logs, or performance data for diagnosing, trouble shooting, or servicing your product.

Location Data

We may collect your location data through direct or indirect means. We may collect location data you provide us, including your country and address. In addition, we may collect more specific location based data from your device GPS function to enable services such as the "where to buy" service. The “where to buy” option available on MSI Websites or MSI software applications may be turned on by default if your device GPS is enabled. The GPS information will only be accessed when you activate the MSI Website or application function. We will not store your GPS information.

Content Data

We collect data you give us, including your feedback, forum posting, email messages, document contents, reviews, questionnaires, survey responses, online chat logs, and phone conversations, so that we may provide you services such as customer support, product service, or online support.

Opt-In/Opt-Out

You may refuse to provide personal data or PID. However, if you decide to not provide certain data, we will be unable to provide certain service(s) or enable features. You may choose at any time to opt in or out of our product or service information subscriptions. Your opt-in/opt-out information will be stored on our servers for reference. If the option to opt out of certain subscription or feature is unavailable, we recommend you contact our online customer service for help.

Minor Information

We do not collect PID or any information from individuals who are minors, or any such legal equivalent as defined by applicable law. If you are a minor, we require your parent or legal guardian's written consent to be submitted along with your data or information.

HOW WE USE COLLECTED DATA

We use the collected data for a number of applications, such as providing and improving services for you, communicating with you, and conducting internal research. The specific ways we use your information are enumerated below, which may be updated from time to time.

Providing Services and Internal Analysis

Your data is required for us to operate, maintain, and improve our services. We will be able to provide personalized product recommendations and features of interest to you, while at the same time localizing such options to a region closest to you.

We may also use your product and content data to help diagnose product issues, and help you obtain a smooth and effective customer care that aims to shorten any repair or support timeframe.

Your data is important to us as we use it for internal analysis, including market intelligence, product development, and service improvements. Armed with such information, we can better understand our operations, improve our businesses, and create new, innovative products and services.

Communications and Advertising

We may use your information to deliver personalized communications to you, including provision of services and advertisement. Based on your data, we may locate suitable promotions, products, or events that may be of interest to you. We may contact you via email or other communication means you consented to in order to keep you updated. We may also contact you to let you know the status of a support or service activity, or if your forum posts have been responded to.

Furthermore, we may aggregate your data based on your interests, responses, localization, and data usage to infer your interests in certain feature, event, product, promotion, or service. We may send directed advertisement to you. You may, at any time, opt out of eDM or other advertisement media we may provide.

Data Retention and Sharing

We will use reasonable commercial effort to protect your data against unauthorized access, modification, disclosure, and destruction. Your data will be stored until we cease our services or until your request to delete your account.

Your data will not be shared with third parties except in the following circumstances:

1. MSI Affiliates. We may share your data to MSI affiliates for internal analysis. MSI affiliates are companies wholly owned and controlled by MSI, and that are subject to the same guidance and restrictions on maintenance and protection of your data. Such sharing may be required in order for us to provide services to you, which may include product support services, tracking, troubleshooting.
2. Third Party Service Providers. Our services may be enabled through authorized third parties. For example, the MSI Website(s) may be held on servers maintained by third party service providers engaged by MSI. We may need to share some of your data such as MSI account information and login data in order for such third parties to process, provide, and complete the necessary transaction or service you requested. Such third party providers are required to abide by our privacy and security requirements.
   Additionally, we may engage authorized third party advertising agencies to provide services on our behalf. In such cases, we may provide your MSI account contact information to such third party providers to permit them to direct advertising or marketing services on our behalf to you.
3. Legal Compliance. We may be required to share your data in compliance with applicable law, or in response to valid legal requests by courts or government agencies. Furthermore, we may share your information only if such disclosure is necessitated to protect against spam, attempts to defraud our customers, attempts to attack our network or systems, or attempts to violate applicable law, including the intellectual property rights of third parties.
4. Mergers. Your data may be shared in the event MSI enters into a merger with another business entity. However, your data will be subject to confidentiality protection prior to the merger transfer.

ACCESSING YOUR PERSONAL DATA

You may access and change your MSI Website account information. Once signed in, you may edit your profile, password, and email information. We encourage you to update such information on a regular basis.

Furthermore, you may update your MSI product information or opt out of any eDM or promotional notices from MSI. Please note, however, that opting out of eDM or promotional services from one MSI Website will only be effective for notices and/or promotions originating from the MSI Website you specifically opted out of. Other MSI Websites may require individual opt in or opt out to be effective. If you are unable to make such changes, please contact our online customer service for support.

DATA GATHERING TECHNOLOGIES

Server Logs

When you access or use MSI Websites, our servers will collect your basic activity on our Websites in the form of server logs. Server log information may include your IP address, session information, date and time, requested pages, the amount and type of data sent, and access/error/referral logs. Your PID and MSI account information is not collected by such logs. We use server logs for web traffic analysis and administrative purposes. By looking at such data, we endeavor to provide more efficient Website service by ensuring that sufficient resources are allocated.

We use cookies and other related technologies to gather some information about you in order for us to provide services to you. Cookies are small pieces of text placed on your local device through our MSI Websites. We only collect your data on your per session use of MSI Websites. Our cookies will only collect information on MSI Websites. Non-MSI websites are not tracked.

Cookies collect some basic data, such as your basic login information, browsing patterns, and information entered into data fields. More specific uses for cookies include:

1. Settings and Preferences. Cookies may store your preferences, such as language setting, default websites, or other related information so the next time you visit our Website, you are not required to re-select your preferences. In addition, cookies may help direct you to your preferred starting MSI Website.
2. Authentication. When you sign up for a MSI account, our servers will create a unique identifier to be used for authentication purposes when you sign in on your device. Cookies may store such verification information so that once signed in, you may move or transfer to different MSI Websites without having to sign-in again. Furthermore, cookies provide similar functions when you sign in via different devices such as cellular phones. Transfer of cookie related information between our servers and your local device are encrypted for security purposes.
3. Analytics. Cookies allow us to collect your usage data and browsing patterns. This may include statistical information such as the number of your logins, your posting or activity on MSI Websites. Such information allows us to improve the stability and performance of our services.
4. Advertising. In addition to your browsing patterns, we may collect what interests you so we may direct advertisement or promotions to you.

We have listed the specific types of cookies used on our Websites in the chart below for your reference.

Please note that you can manage cookie functionality through your internet browser settings. These settings enable the blocking and/or deletion of cookies based on your preference. You may wish to consult the instructions for your internet browser for more details. If you choose to disable cookie functionality, some of our services will not be available to you.

Other analytic tools

In addition to cookies, we use other analytic tools sets including page tags, or web beacons. Such tags are embedded on our Websites or emails. These analytic tools, in addition to server logs and cookies, allow us to collect your activity information on MSI Websites. For eDM or advertisements sent to you, such analytic tools allows us to determine whether you have opened such email, or clicked on any content or links in such email. Embedding such tags allow us to conduct market intelligence study and internal analysis.

THIRD PARTY WEBSITES

We may provide links to other third party websites. The terms and conditions or use and privacy practices of such sites are governed by the operator of these third party sites. MSI is not responsible or liable to you for privacy, security, or content related to third party sites. MSI’s privacy policy applies only to the MSI Websites.

PRIVACY POLICY UPDATES

We will update the contents of the MSI privacy policy from time to time. We encourage you to visit our Website and review this privacy policy. Your continued use of our services and the MSI Websites shall be deemed as your acceptance to the terms of this privacy policy.

CONTACT

Should you have questions or comments concerning this policy, please contact us at: privacy@msi.com.