Dotloop, the popular real estate transaction management software, is changing its privacy policy regarding third-party sharing. The company, which is owned by Zillow, is giving users until midnight tonight, July 16, to opt out of its information-sharing policy in which Dotloop will be able to pass along certain transaction information to other companies in the Zillow Group and its subsidiaries.
Users who don’t opt out of data sharing before July 17 give Dotloop the right to share their information dating back to Jan. 1, 2016, until the date they opt out. Anyone making the election July 17 or later can only restrict the sharing of information that's provided from that date forward.
According to Dotloop’s policy, the company is collecting “non-personally identifiable information such as occupation, language, ZIP code, area code, unique device identifier, location, and the time zone where dotloop.com is used.” The company also collects IP addresses, browser data, and how users interact with the site.
The purpose of collecting this data, according to Dotloop, is to better understand user behavior and improve its product. “For example, we may tell an advertiser that X number of individuals visited a certain area on our website, or that Y number of men and Z number of women filled out our registration form, but we do not share personally identifiable information in this way,” the policy states.
The Pennsylvania Association of REALTORS® outlines the importance of knowing what information vendors and websites are collecting and how that information is being used. "In the real estate industry, it is not just your information being entered, but your clients’ information as well," the association points out in a recent blog post.
Registered users of Dotloop can opt out of affiliate sharing by emailing the company at support@dotloop.com. Email requests should clearly state the user's intention to opt out of affiliate sharing, noting that they do not want their information shared with Dotloop affiliates.
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