Privacy Policy
Introduction
HELPix (“we” or “us”) the host of this Website (“Site”) is committed to protecting your privacy. The following policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes what we will do related to getting, using, keeping, and sharing information that we get from you or that you give to us when you visit the Site, or use any other products and services made available by us (collectively with the Site, the “Services”).
We ask that you read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our policies and what we plan to do with your information. The use of information that we get through our Site will be limited to what we talk about in this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service. By accessing or using the Site, you agree to this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy may change from time to time. If we make any changes, we will post the changes on this page and write at the top of the page the date the policy was last changed. We will also let you know about any material changes either through a pop-up notice, by email or through other reasonable ways. Any such changes apply as soon as we post them, and apply to all access to and use of the Site from that point on. If you continue to use the site after changes have been made to the Privacy Policy, that means that you have agreed to the updated policy.
Information We Collect and How We Collect Information
A. Information You Provide
When you use our Site or register as a volunteer, we may collect some information from you, including:
- Your name
- Your email address
- Your institution name
- Your title/position if applicable
- Your phone number
- Your zip code
The information you provide may include Personal Information. “Personal Information” is information that identifies you personally.
B. Information We Automatically Collect
We may also collect certain information automatically when you visit the Site, including:
- Your browser type and operating system
- Your Internet Protocol (IP) address, which is the number automatically assigned to your computer whenever you get on the Internet and that can sometimes be used to find out your general location
- Sites you visited before and after visiting the Site
- Pages you view and links you click on within the Site
- Information about what you do with e-mail messages, such as the links clicked on and whether the messages were opened or forwarded.
We collect the above information by using “cookies.”
- Cookies are small bits of information that are stored by your computer’s browser. You can decide if and how your computer will accept a cookie by configuring your preferences or options in your browser. However, if you choose to reject cookies, you may not be able to use certain online products, services or features on the Services. We delete any cookies collected at the end of each session.
Third-Party Information Collection
We may allow third parties to place and read their own cookies, web beacons, and other technologies to collect information through the Site. For example, our third-party service providers may use these technologies to collect information that helps us with traffic measurement, research, and analytics.
The information collected and stored by third parties is subject to their policies and practices. We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they may be used.
We currently use the following third-party vendors, who may collect your information:
How We Use Your Information
We may use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including Personal Information, to measure how people use the Site, to do research, to improve how the Site works, to provide support for the Site and respond to our users, and to provide you with notices about updates or changes to the Site.
Choices About How We Collect, Use and Share Your Information
We try to provide you with choices about how we collect, use and share the information you give us. Below are two ways that you can control the information you provide:
- Cookies. You can decide to accept or disable cookies at any time through your browser. You may reject browser cookies by changing the setting on your browser. If you choose to reject cookies, what you can do on the Site may be affected.
- CGoogle Analytics. You can reject tracking by Google Analytics by going to https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. You may also reject Google marketing products, but this does not block generic ads.
Sharing Your Information
We want you to understand when and how we share the information we collect. We may share information that we get through the Site with these third parties:
- Service Providers. We may share your information with our agents and service providers that provide services such as host the Site, manage databases, host a store or other e-commerce platform, do analyses, or do surveys.
- Other Parties When Required By Law or as Necessary to Protect the Site. We may share your information with third parties to protect the legal rights, safety, and security of HELPix and our users; enforce our Terms of Service; prevent fraud; and comply with or respond to requests from law enforcement or other government groups, whether or not legally required.
- Service Providers. We may share your information with our agents and service providers that provide services such as host the Site, manage databases, host a store or other e-commerce platform, do analyses, or do surveys.
- Other Parties When Required By Law or as Necessary to Protect the Site. We may share your information with third parties to protect the legal rights, safety, and security of HELPix and our users; enforce our Terms of Service; prevent fraud; and comply with or respond to requests from law enforcement or other government groups, whether or not legally required.
- Other Parties With Your Consent. We may share information about you with third parties when you agree.
- Information About Groups of People (also called Aggregate Information). We may share information with third parties that does not describe or identify individual users, such as general website usage data
We will let you know by email and/or a large notice on our Site of any change in how we use your Personal Information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your Personal Information.
Links to Third-Party Sites and Services
The Site may contain links to other websites or online services that are operated by third parties and that are not controlled by HELPix. HELPix does not endorse these websites, the content on them, or the people or companies related with them. This Privacy Policy does not apply to this third-party content. You should look at the privacy policies of these third-party websites or services.
Do Not Track Signals
Third parties may keep track of your browsing activities on third party websites. California Business & Professions Code Section 22575(b) says that California residents are entitled to know how we respond to “Do Not Track” browser signals. Certain web browsers allow users to activate a “Do Not Track” signal but we do not currently respond to the “Do Not Track” signal or other similar things.
Keeping Your Information (Data Retention)
We try to keep your information only as long as we need it for legitimate business purposes and as allowed by law. If you close your volunteer account, we will keep certain data for analysis and our records, as well as to prevent fraud, enforce our Terms of Use, take actions that are necessary to protect our Site or our users, or take other actions allowed by law. In addition, if certain information has already been given to third parties, that information will be subject to those third parties’ policies.
You acknowledge that HELPix may set up general rules about how you use the Site, including the maximum period of time that data or other content will be kept by the Site and the maximum storage space that will be set up on HELPix’s servers for you. You also acknowledge that HELPix has the right to change these rules at any time. We will try to give you notice of any change when required by law.
Getting and Correcting Your Information
If you wish to get, update, correct or remove any Personal Information that you have already submitted to the Site, you may log into your account and make updates. If you wish to make changes that are not available through your account settings, please contact us at HELPix.
Security
We take reasonable steps to protect the Personal Information provided to us from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no information sent through the Internet or e-mail is ever fully safe or error free. In particular, e-mail sent to or from the Site may not be secure. Therefore, you should take special care in deciding what information you send to us via e-mail. Please keep this in mind when disclosing any Personal Information to us via the Internet. In the event that personal information is compromised as a breach of security, we will quickly notify users in compliance with the law.
Notice to California Residents
California Civil Code Section 1798.83, also known as the “Shine The Light” law, allows our users who are California residents to ask and receive from us, once a calendar year and for free, information about categories of personal information (if any) we disclosed to third parties for direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of all third parties with which we shared personal information in the last calendar year. If you are a California resident and would like to make such a request, please send an email to HELPix.
If you are under 18 years of age, reside in California, and have a registered account with the Site, you have the right to request removal of unwanted data that you publicly post on the Site. To request removal of such data, please contact us using the contact information provided and include the email address associated with your account and a statement that you live in California. We will make sure that the data is not publicly shown on the Site, but please be aware that the data may not be completely removed from our systems.
To request any other changes or information about our collection, use or sharing of your information, please email us at HELPix.
Children Under the Age of 13
Our Site is intended for users who are 18 years of age and older. If you are under the age of 13, you are not allowed to submit any Personal Information to us. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us at HELPix.
Users Outside of the United States
Please note that the Site is for users who live in the United States. By using the Site, you agree to the collection, storage, processing, and sharing of your information in and to the United States, or other countries and territories, according to the laws of the United States. Some of these countries may not offer the same level of privacy protection as your own.
Contact Information
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at HELPix.