Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

 

Information Collected By acton.org

When you interact with The Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty (“The Acton Institute” or “Acton”) through acton.org and other Acton sites, we may collect information from you, as further described below.

As part of the operation of The Acton Institute's main web site, acton.org, and other Acton sites, we gather certain types of information from users. Since your privacy is important to us, we would like to explain the types of information we gather, what we do with said information, and how to correct or change the information.

The Acton Institute does not sell or share your information whether collected online or offline.

Information You Provide: We collect two main types of information from users and donors: information voluntarily provided when you register for email updates, newsletters, and events, or make a donation. This may include but is not limited to personal data such as name, zip code, email address, mailing address, and demographic information. The second type of data collected is anonymized, aggregated data such as information about traffic patterns on acton.org (for example, how many users visit acton.org on a daily basis).

• Automatic collection - When you interact with us through one of our websites, we receive and store certain information on usage patterns. We may store such information or such information may be included in databases owned and maintained by affiliates, agents, or service providers. Acton may use such information and pool it with other information to track, for example, the total number of visitors to our site.
• Aggregated information - Aggregated information, such as which pages users visit, is collected through various means. One of these ways is through an IP address, a number that is automatically assigned to your computer whenever you access the Internet. Web servers, the computers that "serve up" Web pages, automatically identify your computer by its IP address. When you request a page from an Acton website, our servers log your IP address. Acton does not link IP addresses to anything personally identifiable, so although your session will be logged, your session will remain anonymous to us. Acton logs IP addresses for the purposes of system administration only. In an ongoing effort to better understand and serve the users of our websites, we may conduct research on our user and donor demographics, interests and behavior based on the information collected. This research may be compiled and analyzed on an aggregate, anonymized basis, and we may share this aggregate data with our affiliates, agents, and partners. We may also disclose aggregated user statistics in order to describe our mission, products, events, and services to current and prospective supporters and donors, and to other third parties for other lawful purposes.
• Use of Cookies - Acton uses cookies to automate the process of logging on to certain areas of acton.org and sub-sites. A cookie is a small data file stored on your computer that contains a single, randomly assigned user ID number. By recognizing this ID number, Acton sites can automatically provide you with the personalized content for which you requested. Cookies can neither read any other files on your computer, nor damage your computer. Most browsers are initially set to accept cookies. If you'd prefer, you can set your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. You can disable cookies by changing your browser settings. Further information about how to disable cookies can be found on your Internet browser provider's website. We may use third party web site analytic tools such as Google Analytics, HubSpot, and Parse.ly, among others, on our websites that employ cookies to collect certain information concerning your use of our websites. Additionally, some of the third-party analytics tools we use also set “tracking pixels” to record log data such as open rates for emails. We encourage you to research the aforementioned tools’ privacy policies if you are concerned about their handling of information.

How we use your information

We use the information you provide in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy. If you provide information for a certain reason, we may use the information in connection with the reason for which it was provided. For instance, if you sign up for an email newsletter, we will use the information to send you said newsletter. If you contact us by email, we will use the information you provide to answer your question or resolve your problem. Also, if you provide information in order to obtain access to Acton products, events, or services, we will use your information to provide you with access to such products/events/services and to monitor your use of such products/events/services. Acton and its affiliates may also use your information collected through our websites to help us improve the content and functionality of our sites, and to better understand our users and donors. The Acton Institute may use this information to contact you in the future to tell you about products, events, and services we believe will be of interest to you. If we do so, each marketing communication we send you will contain instructions permitting you to "opt-out" of receiving future marketing communications. In addition, if at any time you wish not to receive any future marketing communications or you wish to have your name deleted from our mailing lists, please contact us as indicated below.

Where information is processed

The Acton Institute is based in the United States, with a subsidiary office in Rome, Italy. No matter where you are located, you consent to the processing and transferring of your information in and to the U.S. and other countries. The laws of the U.S. and other countries governing data collection and use may not be as comprehensive or protective as the laws of the country where you live.

Legal basis for handling information

The laws in some jurisdictions require organizations to tell you about the legal ground they rely on to use or disclose your personal data. To the extent those laws apply, our legal grounds are as follows:

• Legitimate interests: In many cases, we handle personal data on the ground that it furthers our legitimate interests in ways that are not overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the affected individuals. This includes:
  • Providing a safe and enjoyable user experience
  • Constitutent service
  • Marketing, e.g. sending emails or other communications to let you know about new products, events, and services
  • Protecting our users, personnel, and property
  • Analyzing and improving our websites and services, e.g. collecting information about how you use our services to optimize the design and placement of certain features
  • Processing job applications
  • Managing legal issues
• Legal compliance: We need to use and disclose personal data in certain ways to comply with our legal obligations.
• Consent: Where required by law, and in some other cases, we handle personal data on the basis of your implied or express consent.

Disclosure of your information

The Acton Institute does not sell your information. We consider this information to be a vital part of our relationship with you. There are, however, certain circumstances in which we may share your information with certain third parties, as set forth below:

• Consent: We may transfer your information with your consent.
• Affiliates: We may also share your information with our affiliates for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy.
• Agents, Consultants and Related Third Parties: Like many organizations, we sometimes hire other companies or individuals to perform certain mission-related functions. Examples of such functions include mailing information, maintaining databases, and processing payments.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to (i) comply with a legal obligation, (ii) protect and defend the rights or property of the Acton or it’s affiliates, (iii) protect the personal safety of users of our websites or the public, or (iv) protect against legal liability.
• Aggregated or Non-identifiable Data: We may also share aggregated or non-personally identifiable information with our partners or other third parties for business purposes.
• Donors: The Acton Institute does not sell or share any donor information without permission of the donor whether the information was collected online or offline. Donors can opt-out of all lists and emails at any time by following the instructions indicated below.

Children

Acton does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are a parent or guardian of a child under the age of 13 and believe he or she has disclosed personal information to us please contact us at [email protected]. For residents of the EEA, where processing of personal information is based on consent, Acton will not knowingly engage in that processing for users under the age of consent established by applicable data protection law. If we learn that we are engaged in that processing with such users, we will halt such processing and will take reasonable measures to promptly remove applicable information from our records.

The Acton Institute encourages parents and guardians to spend time with their children online and to be fully familiar with the sites visited by their children. In general, acton.org will not contain content that is reasonably considered unsuitable for children.

Links to other sites

This Privacy Policy applies only to Acton websites. Acton websites may contain links to other websites not operated or controlled by us. The policies and procedures described in this Privacy Policy do not apply to aforementioned sites. The links from Acton websites do not imply that we endorse or have reviewed the aforementioned sites.

Data retention

We generally retain personal data for so long as it may be relevant to the purposes identified herein. To dispose of personal data, we may anonymize it, delete it or take other appropriate steps. Data may persist in copies made for backup and mission continuity purposes for additional time.

Security

The Acton Institute understands the need for user privacy and access to user data is strictly limited and can only be accessed by specific individuals who have the necessary credentials and qualifications. We take reasonable steps to protect the information provided to us from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no Internet or email transmission is ever fully secure or error free. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any information via the Internet.

Your data rights

You can unsubscribe from certain emails by clicking the “unsubscribe” link they contain. You can opt out from certain cookie-related processing by changing the proper settings in your browser. Individuals in the European Economic Area, Canada, Costa Rica and some other jurisdictions outside the United States have certain legal rights to obtain confirmation of whether we hold personal data about them, to access personal data we hold about them, and to obtain its correction, update, amendment, or deletion in appropriate circumstances. They may also object to our uses or disclosures of personal data, to request a restriction on its processing, or withdraw any consent, though such actions typically will not have retroactive effect. They also will not affect our ability to continue processing data in lawful ways.

• How can I access the personal data you have about me? If you would like to submit a data access request, you can do so from the Privacy Contact Form page, where there is a fillable form which you may complete and submit. We will then start the process by confirming your identity and then provide you with an email containing the personal data that Acton has on you within 30 days.
• How do I correct, update, amend, or delete the personal data you have about me? In addition to the functionality available through the Privacy Contact Form, you can also request other modifications from us via email. Please write us at [email protected]. Your continued use of Acton websites after any changes or revisions to this Privacy Policy shall indicate your agreement with the terms of said revised Privacy Policy.
• How do I object or restrict the manner in which Acton processes my personal data? You have a right to ask us to stop using or limit our use of your personal data in certain circumstances—for example, if we have no lawful basis to keep using your data, or if you think your personal data is inaccurate. Individuals in the European Economic Area have the right to opt out of all of our processing of their personal data for direct marketing purposes. To exercise this right, please use the Privacy Contact Form. You may also click the “unsubscribe” link in any of our marketing emails. The rights and options described above are subject to limitations and exceptions under applicable law. In addition to those rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority. However, we encourage you to contact us first, and we will do our very best to resolve your concern.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

The Acton Institute reserves the right to change the policy on use of information collected. Any changes in policy will be noted in a revised Privacy Policy statement. You may direct any Privacy Policy questions to [email protected]. Your continued use of Acton websites after any changes or revisions to this Privacy Policy shall indicate your agreement with the terms of said revised Privacy Policy.

Contact us

If you have questions or inquiries regarding this Privacy Policy or Acton’s handling of user information, feel free to contact us at [email protected].

Permission is granted to download unlimited copies of the materials (information or software) on Acton Institute's web site or mobile applications for viewing. This is the grant of a license, not a transfer of title, and under this license you may not:

• Modify the materials
• Attempt to decompile or reverse engineer any software contained on Acton Institute's web site or mobile applications
• Remove any copyright or other proprietary notations from the materials

This license shall automatically terminate if you violate any of these restrictions and may be terminated by Acton Institute at any time. Upon terminating your viewing of these materials or upon the termination of this license, you must destroy any infringing materials in your possession whether in electronic or printed format.

You may reprint Acton Institute's writings online or in print as long as you provide a link to our website and credit the original author(s).