The Genetics Society of America (GSA) respects the privacy of its members and other visitors to its Web site. To protect online privacy, GSA has implemented the following Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy discloses the information gathering and dissemination practices for the GSA Website, www.genetics-gsa.org and the GSA blog genestogenomes.org (the “Website”). Please also review our Terms of Use.
By accessing or using the Website and/or providing any personal information to GSA, you are accepting the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not accept these practices, you must not access or use the Website or provide GSA with your personal information.
Policy Overview & Collected Information
Data collected by the GSA is used to provide better service to GSA members and other users of GSA’s Web site. GSA may ask you to provide personal information, meaning individually identifiable information such as email address, name, mailing address, telephone number, or other information associated with individually identifiable information through the Website when you register to become a member and obtain a user account to access the Website, and when you contact GSA. GSA may also collect publicly available information about you from other sources, such as information from newspapers, blogs, and commercial websites. All information collected on the Website is submitted by members and users voluntarily.
Providing Visitors with Anonymous Access
Visitors can browse our Web site without disclosing personal data, subject to the specific policies and provisions set forth below. Only aggregate data, such as IP addresses and the number of hits per page, are collected. These data do not provide any personally identifying information, and are used only in aggregate form for internal analysis of Web site usage and traffic and for the improvement of GSA programs. GSA may disclose to carefully chosen third parties navigational and transactional information in the form of anonymous, aggregate usage statistics and demographics but only in forms that do not reveal a Website user’s identify or confidential information, except as required by law, as needed in connection with legal proceedings or unless we have received the User’s consent.
Informational and Educational Purposes Only
The contents of this Web site are intended for educational and general informational purposes only. GSA does not endorse, guarantee, warrant, or recommend any products or services discussed or advertised on or linked from this Web site. Information on this site is not and should not be considered medical advice.
Online Forms
Several areas of the GSA Web site (such as membership forms, meeting registration forms, abstract submission forms, and online voting) require users to provide various types of information: contact information (e.g., names and email addresses), financial information (like account or credit card numbers), and demographic information (like address and zip code). Each type of information serves a different purpose, depending on where it is requested. Contact information obtained from forms may be used to provide information about that user. Financial information that is collected is used solely to bill the user for products and/or services ordered. Financial information will in no way be used for marketing purposes, nor will they be shared with any third parties unless the third party manages the billing for GSA.
Sharing and Disclosure of Member Information
GSA uses member contact information to send information about meetings and membership benefits and discounts, such as voting privileges, award opportunities, funding agency requests for information, leadership opportunities, etc. Membership contact information is also used to contact members when necessary for administrative purposes. The online Membership Directory is provided for informational purposes, and members may opt out of being listed by contacting the GSA management office and asking to be removed. Users of the online Membership Directory are to use the information for individual, personal, and confidential reference purposes only. GSA takes great steps to ensure that the member database is not used except through special arrangement with the GSA management office and in compliance with GSA procedures.
GSA may rent its membership and conference registration lists for one-time use by third parties promoting meetings, publications, or products of interest. These rented lists are mailing addresses only and do not include email addresses, phone numbers, or any other information collected by GSA. Members have the option to opt out of receiving communications from third parties by contacting GSA.
Except for the purposes stated above, it is GSA’s general policy not to share or disclose any of the information collected on the Website with third parties without user’s consent. Notwithstanding the foregoing, GSA will divulge any information collected from Website users on the Website if required to do so by law or as needed in connection with legal proceedings. In addition, in the event that GSA’s assets are assigned, Website users’ information will be one of the transferred assets.
If you have specific requests concerning GSA’s disclosure of information practices, you may email: society@genetics-gsa.org.
Security Measures
The Website has security measures in place to protect the loss, misuse, and alteration of the information under the Website operator’s control. However, you should keep in mind that this Website is run on software, hardware, and networks, any component of which may, from time to time, require maintenance, experience problems or breaches of security.
Emails
GSA uses email as a method to communicate with members and colleagues when an email is voluntarily submitted by the members and colleagues to GSA or is available from publicly accessible sources. Users may choose to unsubscribe from selected categories of mailings.
Registration and Password
You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your information and password. You are responsible for all use associated with your registration and the compliance with all Terms of Use. You agree to immediately notify GSA of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security.
Security Capabilities and Financial Information
Financial information may be collected online when individuals register for meetings, publications, or make payment for membership. The online forms are within an SSL secured site using https. The SSL certificate is provided by Equifax. This encrypts the information during the transaction so as to secure the cardholder data from access by unauthorized users. Notwithstanding the above, GSA makes NO WARRANTY in respect of the strength or effective ness of the encryption and GSA is not responsible for events arising from unauthorized access of the information you provide. You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your username and password and are responsible for any unauthorized use.
Notice to All Users
You can always contact society@genetics-gsa.org if you wish to review any personal information the Website operator may have about you. If the Website operator has personal information about you, you will be provided with a readable copy of such personal information at no charge. Factual errors in your personal information, including out-of-date information, can be corrected by sending the Website administer a request that credibly shows the Website’s error. To protect your privacy and security, the Website administer takes commercially reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access to personal information or making corrections.
External Links
This site contains links to other sites. GSA is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of external Web sites. Web sites maintained by third parties may collect information and use it in a way inconsistent with this privacy statement. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave GSA’s Web site, and to read the privacy statements of each Web site they visit. Web sites maintained by third parties may also refer to GSA services. Unless GSA has provided explicit authority, such references in no way indicate our endorsement, recommendation, or preference.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
GSA reserves the right to change this privacy policy at any time. Changes to GSA’s Privacy Policy will be posted here so that Website users will know what information GSA gathers, how GSA might use that information, and whether GAS will disclose it to anyone. We will use data in accordance with the privacy policy under which any data have been collected. GSA encourages you to periodically review this page for the latest information on GSA’s privacy practices.
Cookies and Use of the Information This Site Gathers and Tracks
Cookies are files that contain information created by a web server that can be stored on a Website user’s hard disk for use either during a particular session (“per-session” cookie) or for future use (“persistent” cookie). The Website uses cookies only to track session status. Cookies are not used to disseminate significant information about you over the Internet or to analyze any information that you have knowingly or unknowingly provided. You may instruct their Internet browsers to opt out of accepting cookies.
We use your Internet Protocol (IP) address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our Web site. IP addresses are used, for example, to gather broad demographic information, but we do not link them to any personally identifiable information.
Questions
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of this Web site, or dealings with this Web site, please contact GSA at Genetics Society of America, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814 (society@genetics-gsa.org)
Effective Date: September 2015