3M Global Internet Privacy Policy

Although this Policy applies to all 3M Internet Sites, each 3M Internet Site has a different purpose and different features. If additional or different disclosures are required for a specific 3M Internet Site, then we provide those disclosures on the site itself or provide a separate Web Site Privacy Statement posted on that site. Each individual disclosure or Policy Statement on the 3M Web Site supplements and amends this Policy.

By using a 3M Internet Site, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. Whenever you submit information via this site, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of that information as described in this Policy and any applicable Country or Web Site Privacy Statements.

To the extent required by applicable law, whenever 3M collects personal information on a 3M Internet Site, 3M will:

• provide timely and appropriate notice to you about its data practices;
• collect, use, disclose and transfer your personal information only with your consent, which may be express or implied, depending on the sensitivity of the personal information, legal requirements, and other factors;
• collect your personal information only for specific, limited purposes. The information we collect will be relevant, adequate and not excessive for the purposes for which it is collected;
• process your personal information in a manner consistent with the purposes for which it was originally collected or to which you have subsequently consented;
• take commercially reasonable steps to ensure that your personal information is reliable for its intended use, accurate, complete, and, where necessary, kept up-to-date;
• not use your personal information for direct marketing purposes without giving you an opportunity to “opt-out”; and
• take appropriate measures, by contract or otherwise, to provide adequate protection for personal information that is disclosed to a third party or transferred to another country, including transfers within 3M.

• Information You Voluntarily Provide:

  3M collects the information you knowingly and voluntarily provide in order to benefit from a feature or participate in an activity on a 3M Internet Site. For example, 3M may collect your information so you may receive email alerts, when you complete a survey, or when you ask for product information, ask a question or email us with feedback. In many cases this information may include collection of personal information.

  3M only uses your information for the purposes for which you provide it. For example, if you provide your e-mail address when you sign up to receive e-mail alerts, we use your e-mail address to deliver the e-mail alerts you request.

  Many of the 3M Internet Sites permit you to make choices about the use of your personal information. In most cases, we ask you to indicate your choices at the time and on the page where you provide your personal information.

  We may also use the information we collect on 3M Internet Sites for various business purposes such as customer service, fraud prevention, improving our products and services, or providing you and your company with information and offers we believe may be of interest to you. We may also remove all the personally identifiable information and use the rest for historical, statistical or scientific purposes.

• Information Automatically Gathered:

  3M collects information sent to us automatically by your web browser. This information typically includes the IP address of your Internet service provider, the name of your operating system (such as Macintosh® or Windows®) and the name and version of your browser (such as Internet Explorer® or Safari®). The information we receive depends on the settings on your web browser. Please check your browser if you want to learn what information your browser sends or how to change your settings.

  We use this information to help us improve our sites and make them more compatible with the technology used by our Internet visitors.

• Cookies and Similar Technologies:

  A “cookie” is a file of information placed on your device when you visit a website. Cookies and similar technologies can enhance your user experience by saving your preferences, personalizing your online experience, holding items in your shopping cart, and sometimes providing you with advertising which is tailored to your interests.

  All of our 3M Internet Sites use “session cookies”. A session cookie does not identify you personally and expires after you close your browser. For example, when you use the 3M Product Catalog, we place a session cookie to note what pages you have viewed. We can use this information to provide you recommendations of other products that may be of interest.

  Some 3M Internet sites also use “persistent cookies”. These cookies do not expire when you close your browser. Persistent cookies stay on your computer until you delete them or they expire. By assigning your computer a unique identifier, we are able to create a database of your previous choices and preferences which can be provided by us automatically, saving you time and effort on future visits. For example, after you make a purchase, if you decide to make another purchase, your shipping address may have been retained and will only need to be confirmed.

• Use of 'Do Not Track' Browser Settings

  3M's Internet Sites are compatible with 'Do Not Track' browser functionality. 'Do Not Track' is a browser setting that provides a single, simple, persistent choice to opt out of third-party web tracking. If your web browser has the 'Do Not Track' setting enabled, advertising cookies will not be set on 3M web properties.

  Certain countries, including members of the European Union, require your consent to the use of cookies when you visit 3M websites. If you access a 3M website from one of these countries, you will be presented with information regarding your options, including the option to accept or reject certain categories of cookies. You will be able to change these settings on subsequent visits. Please note that you will not be able to opt out of receiving certain cookies that are strictly necessary for the delivery of a service requested by you.

• Cookie Settings on Your Computer

  At any time when visiting a 3M Internet site, clicking on the “Cookie Preferences” link at the bottom of each page allows you to access information on cookies and change your settings.

  Although you are not required to accept cookies when you visit a 3M Internet Site, you may be unable to use all of the functionality of the site if you reject certain cookies.

  In addition, your browser may allow you to adjust settings to accept or reject cookies, or to alert you when a cookie is placed on your computer.

3M will not sell personal information collected from its Internet sites to mailing list brokers without your express consent.

Many of our 3M Internet Sites permit you to make choices about the disclosure and/or transfer of your personal information.  In most cases, we ask you to indicate your choices at the time and on the page where you provide your personal information.

3M will not disclose personal information about our Internet Site visitors except as described here:

• Except as specifically stated, we may use information collected from 3M Internet sites to improve the content of our Site, to customize the site to your preferences, to communicate information to you (if you have requested it) for our marketing and research purposes, and for any other purposes specified in a Site.
• 3M may share your personal information with other 3M business units.  When we do so, these other 3M business units will use your information in a manner consistent with the purposes for which it was originally collected (or to which you later consented).
• 3M may also share your personal information with third parties we hire to perform support services for us.  These third parties are required to use the personal information we share with them only to perform services on our behalf and to treat your personal information as strictly confidential in compliance with all applicable privacy and data protection laws.
• In some cases, 3M may share your personal information with third parties who partner with us to provide products and services to our customers, such as distributors.  If so, we will require our business partners to use that information in a manner consistent with the purposes for which it was originally collected (or to which you subsequently consented) and only as permitted under this Policy, any applicable Country or Web Site Privacy Statements, and all applicable privacy and data protection laws.
• In certain, limited circumstances we may share or transfer personal information to unrelated third parties.  For example, we may provide personal information to a third party (i) at your request; (ii) to comply with a legal requirement or court order; (iii) to investigate a possible crime, such as identity theft; (iv) in connection with the sale, purchase, merger, reorganization, liquidation or dissolution of 3M or a 3M business unit; or (v) under similar circumstances.  If such an event occurs, we will take appropriate steps to protect your personal information.

Your personal information will generally be stored in 3M databases or databases maintained by our service providers. Most of these databases are stored on servers located in the United States. To the extent required by law, if your personal information will be transferred outside your country an appropriate notice will be provided.

3M maintains reasonable safeguards to protect the confidentiality, security and integrity of your personal information. For example, we use secure socket layer (SSL) technology to transfer personal information over the Internet. Although we use security measures to help protect your personal information against unauthorized disclosure, misuse or alteration, as is the case with all computer networks linked to the Internet, we cannot guarantee the security of information provided over the Internet and will not be responsible for breaches of security beyond our reasonable control.

3M Internet Sites may contain links to Internet sites that are not operated by 3M.  We provide these as a service and do not imply any endorsement of the activities or content of these sites, nor any association with their operators.  We urge you to review the privacy policy posted on web sites you visit before using the site or providing personal information.

You may review, correct and update personal information you provide to us at a 3M Internet Site by using the feedback mechanisms provided at a particular 3M Internet Site, by clicking on this feedback link or by writing to us at:

3M Company
Business Conduct and Compliance
3M Center, Bldg. 220-11W-02
St. Paul, MN 55144-1000