Privacy Notice

Blend-Insurance-Privacy-Notice-rev-07_2020

Privacy Policy

Effective date: February 28, 2024

If you are a California resident, please see our Notice at Collection for California Residents

This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) applies to the application, products, services, customer service, and platform (referred collectively as the “Service”) owned, operated, and provided by Blend Insurance Agency, Inc. (“Blend Insurance”, “we”, “our”, or “us”). Further, Blend Insurance is an affiliate of but separate entity from Blend Labs, Inc. (“Blend Labs”) where you previously used the products, services, and platform to apply for a mortgage or loan (referred collectively as the “Blend Platform”). The Service facilitates the process of collecting and providing your information to insurance carriers (“Carriers”), including homeowners’ insurance Carriers, for the purposes of processing your homeowners’ insurance application and other personal lines of insurance, providing you with quotes, issuing insurance policies to you and servicing or renewing those insurance policies. For purposes of this Policy, “you” and “your” mean the Service account creator, authorized signer, authorized representative, delegate, and/or other authorized Service user, including a co-applicant. Except as provided herein, this Policy describes and governs the information collection, use, and disclosure practices of Blend Insurance with respect to the Service.
Before you use or submit any information on or through the Service, please carefully review this Policy. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY, PLEASE DO NOT USE THE SERVICE. By using any part of the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of the information you provide as further outlined in this Policy.

1. What Information Does Blend Insurance Collect?

a. Categories of Information

We collect information directly from you, third parties you authorize, or publicly available information. The extent of information Blend Insurance collects depends on the data collection practices of your Financial Services Provider and the products and services sought. The information in this policy is based on our data collection practices over the previous 12 months until present time. The following is a list of categories of information we may collect:

  • Common identifiers (such as a real name, postal address, IP address, email address, social security number, or other similar identifiers);
  • Commercial information (such as transactional data or records of personal property, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies);
  • Financial information (such as financial history or loan amount);
  • Insurance information (such as insurance policy data and evidence of insurance);
  • Internet or other network or device activity (such as browsing history and log data);
  • Sensory or identity verification information (such as faceprints, scans of hand or face geometry, voiceprints, iris or retina scans, pictures of your identification cards and/or recordings of your voice during customer service calls);
  • Geolocation information (such as general location information inferred from an IP address);
  • Professional or employment related data (such as information you provide about your work history);
  • Education data (such as information about your educational institutions and history);
  • Characteristics of protected classifications under state or federal law (such as gender or marital status);
  • Inference data about you;
  • Sensitive personal information (such as social security, driver’s license, state identification card and passport numbers); and
  • Other information that identifies or can be reasonably associated with you.

 

b. Categories of Source of Information

Blend Insurance collects information in multiple ways, including when you provide information directly to us, information that is collected indirectly from your browser or device, and when we obtain information from third parties as indicated in this Policy.

          Information You Provide Directly to Us

We may collect information from you during your use of or access to the Service, such as when you register for a user account, enter information through the Service or communicate with us, request a quote and/or apply for homeowners’ insurance through the Service, modify policies or covered and other servicing requests, respond to surveys and customer service engagements, or when you grant us access to your third-party accounts to retrieve your information. All such information we collect from you or in connection with the Service is covered by this Policy.

          Information Collected Indirectly

Device/Usage Information: Blend may automatically collect certain information about the computer or devices (including mobile devices or tablets) you use to access the Service. We may collect and analyze information such as (a) IP addresses, unique device identifiers, unique personal identifiers, and other information about your computer or device(s), browser types, browser language, operating system, mobile device carrier information, and the location from which you accessed the Service; and (b) information related to the ways in which you interact with the Service, such as mouse movements and scrolling, referring and exit web pages and URLs, platform type, number of clicks, domain names, landing pages, pages and content viewed and the order of those pages, statistical information about the use of the Service, amount of time spent on particular pages, date and time you used the Service, frequency of your use of the Service, error logs, and other similar information. As described further below, we may use third-party analytics providers and technologies, including cookies and similar tools, to assist in collecting this information.

Cookies and Other Electronic Technologies: We may also collect data about your use of the Service through the use of internet server logs, cookies, and/or tracking pixels. An internet server log is a file where website activity is stored. A cookie is a small text file that is placed on your computer when you visit a website that enables us only to: (i) recognize your computer; (ii) store your preferences and settings; (iii) understand the web pages of the Service you have visited; (iv) enable your user experience in the Service; (v) perform searches and analytics; and (vi) assist with security administrative functions. Some cookies are placed in your browser cache. Tracking pixels (sometimes referred to as web beacons or clear GIFs) are tiny electronic tags with a unique identifier that are embedded in websites, online ads, and/or email and are designed to provide usage information like page clicks, measure popularity of the Service and associated content, and access user cookies. We may update this Policy from time to time as we adopt new technologies to gather additional information through other methods.

Blocking cookies through your browser settings: Please note that you can change your settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated, or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the “Help” section of your browser (e.g., Microsoft Edge; Google Chrome; Mozilla Firefox; or Apple Safari) for more information. Please note that by blocking any or all cookies, you may not have access to certain features or offerings of the Service.

Please note that our Service may include links to other websites, including those of Carriers whose quotes we provide to you, whose privacy practices may differ from those of Blend Insurance. If you submit personal information to any of those websites, your information is governed by their privacy statements. We encourage you to carefully read the privacy statement or terms of use of any website you visit.

          Information from Third Parties

Blend Insurance may also obtain information about you from third parties such as other financial institutions with which you have a relationship, third-party data provider partners (see below), and credit reporting agencies, among others. These third parties provide data, products, and services that enable us to provide the services you have requested through the Service.

2. How Will Blend Insurance Use My Information?

Blend Insurance may use the information we collect from and about you for the following purposes:

    • To enable processing and fulfilling transactions that you initiate or to provide products or services through or in connection with the Service, including:
      • Account creation and maintenance, processing payments, billing, and transactional matters;
      • Collecting your evidence of insurance information on behalf of your financial services provider;
      • Issuing, servicing, renewing, or managing your insurance policies;
      • Supporting the claims management efforts of Carriers;
      • Cross-selling relevant products and services and sending you information about your Service-related activities;
      • Processing and responding to your inquiries or to request your feedback;
      • Verifying your identity;
      • Promoting customer reviews and testimonials in marketing and advertising material;
      • Detecting security incidents, protecting against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and prosecuting those responsible for that activity; and
      • Responding to legal requests and demands, as well as exercising and defending legal claims.
    • For internal purposes to improve our services, including:
      • Undertaking internal research and reporting; and
      • For development, such as to improve the content and features of the Service.

We may also work with non-affiliated companies or organizations to provide you with opportunities to buy products or services offered by us or jointly with other companies, including financial institutions. Blend Insurance may also collect, use, and disclose your information in an anonymized, aggregated, and de-identified form (that does not identify you personally) for our business purposes.

Online and Email Analytics:We may use third-party web analytics services in conjunction with providing the Service, such as those of Google Analytics. These service providers use the sort of technology previously described in the “Cookies and Other Electronic Technologies” section to collect information (including your IP address) to help us analyze how users use the Service, including by noting the third-party website from which you arrive, improving and developing the Service, monitoring and analyzing use of the Service, aiding our technical administration, assisting in our troubleshooting and customer support efforts, and verifying that users have the authorization needed for us to process their requests. To prevent Google Analytics from using your information for analytics, you may install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. If you get a new computer, install a new browser, erase or otherwise alter your browser’s cookie file (including upgrading certain browsers), you may clear the Google Analytics opt-out cookies, and you will need to re-visit the relevant opt-out page. If you receive email communication from us, we may use certain tools, such as clear GIFs, to capture data such as when you open our message or click on any links or banners our email contains.

Notice Concerning Do Not Track Signals:Do Not Track (“DNT”) is a privacy preference that users can set in certain web browsers. We are committed to providing you with meaningful choices about the information collected through the Service for third-party purposes, and that is why we provide choices provided by Google Analytics. However, we do not recognize or respond to browser initiated DNT signals, as the internet industry is currently still working toward defining exactly what “DNT” means, what it means to comply with DNT, and a common approach to responding to DNT. You can learn more about DNT at All About Do Not Track.

3. How Will Blend Insurance Disclose My Information?

We may disclose your information to the following categories of parties as described in this section. We base the information in this section on our data disclosure practices over the previous 12 months until present time.

  • Carriers. Blend Insurance collects information for the purpose of providing you with quotes for insurance policies, including homeowners’ insurance, and to bind such policies on behalf of Carriers with whom we have a relationship. We disclose this information toCarriers to evaluate and process your application for insurance, issue a policy to you, and service or renew your insurance policies. We may disclose the information you provide to, and/or make that information available to, Carriers, its successors-in-interest, and other relevant third parties that the Carrier has authorized to access the information in order to facilitate the loan process or other financial services transaction, and provide related services and products to you. Carriers may also obtain information about you in connection with providing you an insurance quote and issuing you an insurance policy. This may include information regarding your past claims history, including liability claims, insurance claims and automobile claims, and DMV records, in each case, for the purpose of providing you an insurance quote and policy. If you are a customer of such a Carrier and have questions about its privacy practices or you no longer want to be contacted by the Carrier, please contact the Carrier directly.
  • Service Providers and other third parties. We may provide access to or disclose your information to select third parties who perform services on our behalf to facilitate and expand the operation and functionality of the Service. For example, we may use companies that assist with billing, customer support, fulfillment, data storage, to mitigate fraud and verify your identity and information you provide, analysis and processing, and legal services. We may also provide access to or disclose information to third parties as necessary to effect, administer, or enforce a transaction that you request or authorize. These service providers are only permitted to use your personal information in order to perform services on our behalf or as permitted by law.
  • Affiliates and subsidiaries of Blend. With your authorization, we may disclose information we collect from and about you (and your device) to a parent, subsidiary or affiliate entity of Blend Insurance corporate family  to deliver products and services to you, ensure a consistent level of service across our products and services, and enhance our products, services, and the customer experience.
  • Consent. With your consent, we may also disclose your information to any third party that provides products or services in support of the provision of the Service.
  • Protection of Blend Insurance and others. We may access, preserve, and disclose your information, including but not limited to any user content, if required to do so by law or in a good faith belief that such access, preservation, or disclosure is reasonably necessary to: (a) comply with legal process; (b) enforce any agreements, including investigation of potential violations thereof; (c) respond to claims that any content violates the rights of third parties; and/or (d) protect the rights, property, or personal safety of Blend Insurance, its agents and affiliates, and/or its users and/or the public.
  • Business transfers. As we continue to develop our business, we may buy or merge with other companies. In such transactions (including in contemplation of such transactions, e.g., due diligence), user information may be transferred to continue providing services through or in connection with the Service.

4. How Does Blend Insurance Secure My Data?

We have implemented administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect against the loss, misuse, and/or alteration of your information. These safeguards vary based on the sensitivity of the information that we collect and store. For example, we store usernames, passwords,, and other log-in information in encrypted form. However, we cannot and do not guarantee that these measures will prevent every unauthorized attempt to access, use, or disclose your information because despite our efforts, no internet and/or other electronic transmissions can be completely secure. For your added protection, we also require non-affiliated companies with whom we disclose information to keep all personal information secure and confidential.

5. What Choices Do I Have?

You may be able to add, update, or edit certain information while using the Service. When you update information, however, we may maintain a copy of the unrevised information in our records to the extent necessary for legal compliance purposes and where permitted by applicable law. We may also retain some of the information for reasons including, but not limited to, compliance with applicable regulations, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements.

Any information that cannot be updated or edited through the Service will require you to contact us for further assistance. To submit a request, please use the Data Request Form or call 866-602-9022. We may have a reason under the law why we do not have to comply with your request, or why we may comply with it in a more limited way than you anticipated. If we do, we will explain that to you in our response.

6. Notice at Collection for California Residents

This section of the Policy applies solely to those individuals who reside in the State of California (“consumers” or “you”). We are providing this section in compliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), and other applicable California privacy laws. Any terms used in this section that are not defined in the Policy itself have the same definition as used in the CCPA/CPRA and its implementing regulations.

          What Information We Collect

We collect the categories of information described above in “What Information Does Blend Insurance Collect?” section of the Policy, and we collect that information from the categories of sources described above in “Categories of Sources of Information.” The exact information we collect about you, and the sources, depends on what products or services you use and how you use our Services and interact with us. We base the information in this disclosure on our data collection practices over the previous 12 months until present time.

          How We Use and Disclose Your Information

We use your information for the business or commercial purposes described above in the “How Will Blend Insurance Use My Information?” section of the Policy, and we disclose your information to the categories of third parties described above in “How Will Blend Insurance Disclose My Information?” Exactly how we use and disclose your information depends on what products or services you use and how you use our Services and interact with us. We base the information in this disclosure on our data collection and disclosure practices over the previous 12 months until present time.

          Right to Know

You have a right to know what personal information is being collected about you. This includes the following: the categories of personal information collected; the categories of sources of that information; the business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing personal information; the categories of third parties to whom the business discloses personal information; the specific pieces of personal information collected; and, to the extent applicable, the categories of personal information sold or shared (and to which categories of third parties) and the categories of personal information disclosed for a business purpose (and to which categories of persons). However, this “Right to Know” is subject to certain exceptions. Please see below under “Contact us” for information on how to submit an access request.

          Right to Delete

You have a right to request deletion of personal information collected about you. However, this “Right to Delete” is subject to certain exceptions. Please note, we need certain types of information so that we can provide the Service. If you request deletion of your information and we are required to delete your information, your access or use of the Service may be impacted. Please see below under “Contact us” for information on how to submit a deletion request.

          Right to Correct

You have a right to request correction of inaccurate information about you. However, this “Right to Correct” is subject to certain exceptions. Please see below under “Contact us” for information on how to submit a correction request.

          Right to Limit

While the CCPA/CPRA provides California consumers with the right to request that covered businesses limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information collected or processed with the purpose of inferring characteristics about them (subject to certain exceptions), Blend Insurance does not use or disclose sensitive personal information that is subject to the CCPA/CPRA for any purposes other than those specified in the CCPA/CPRA and its implementing regulations.

          Blend Insurance Does Not Sell or Share Your Data

While the CCPA/CPRA provides California residents with the right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of their personal information (subject to certain exceptions),Blend Insurance has not “sold” or “shared” consumer personal information or sensitive personal information in the preceding 12 months and does not “sell” or “share” your personal information or sensitive personal information, as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA and its implementing regulations.

           Authorized Agents

When a consumer uses an authorized agent to submit a request to know, correct or delete,  a business may require that the consumer do the following (this does not apply when a consumer has provided the authorized agent with power of attorney pursuant to Probate Code sections 4000 to 4465):

  • Provide the authorized agent signed permission to do so.
  • Verify their own identity directly with the business.
  • Directly confirm with the business that they provided the authorized agent permission to submit the request.

A business may deny a request from an authorized agent that does not submit proof that they have been authorized by the consumer to act on their behalf.To make an authorized request on behalf of another pursuant to consumer rights provided by California law, please visit the section titled “Contact us” further below.

          Financial Incentives

Blend Insurance does not offer financial incentives for the collection of your data.

        Right of No Retaliation

You also have the right to not be discriminated against for exercising your rights under the CCPA/CPRA.

          How other data privacy laws may affect your ability to request access to, correct, limit, or delete your data

Please note that your rights and choices regarding your personal information are often subject to other laws. Personal information collected pursuant to other laws, such as information governed by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, and the California Financial Information Privacy Act, may be exempt from CCPA/CPRA requests to access, correct, limit or delete data.

         Contact us

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please use the Data Request Form or call 866-602-9022. You will be required to verify your identity before we fulfill your request. You can also designate an authorized agent as described above.

7. What Is Blend’s Responsibility for Third-Party Links?

The Service may contain links to, or or the ability for you to access, third-party websites, applications, and other services available to support Service operations and functionality. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites and services. If you submit information to any of those websites, your information is governed by their privacy statements. We encourage our users to be aware when they access third-party websites and/or leave the Service and to read the privacy statements of each and every site they visit that collects their information.

8. What Is Blend Insurance’s Policy on Children?

We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information (as defined by the “Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act”) from anyone under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please do not attempt to send any personal information about yourself to us. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe that a child under 13 may have provided us personal information, please contact privacy@blend.com.

9. What is Blend Insurance’s Policy on Retaining Information?

Blend Insurance keeps your information in identifiable form for no longer than necessary to provide you services. The length of time for which we retain information depends on the purposes for which we collect and use it and/or as required to comply with applicable laws. We may, if necessary, retain some of the information for compliance with applicable banking and lending regulations, fraud prevention and identity verification, resolving disputes, and enforcing our agreements. We may also continue to use any aggregated or de-identified information but not in a manner that would identify you personally.

10. Will Blend Insurance Change this Policy?

We reserve the right to change this Policy at any time to reflect changes in the law, our data collection and use practices, the features of the Service, or advances in technology. Please check this page periodically for changes. Your continued use of the Service following the posting of changes to this Policy will mean you accept those changes.

11. What If I Have Questions About This Privacy Policy?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding our Privacy Policy, please send us a detailed message to privacy@blend.com and we will try to resolve your concerns.

 

Blend Insurance Agency, Inc.

415 Kearny Street

San Francisco, CA 94108