Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
At Stamford Toastmasters, we are firmly committed to safeguarding the privacy and personal data of our users. Your trust is paramount to us, and we take our data protection responsibilities seriously. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you engage with our website, stamfordtoastmasters.com, and its associated services. We process your data in strict accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), prioritizing transparency, fairness, accountability, and user rights.
2. Scope of this Policy and Data Controller Role
This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors, members, and users of stamfordtoastmasters.com and governs any interaction with our site and services offered therein. For the purposes of data protection law, Stamford Toastmasters acts as the “Data Controller,” meaning we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data. Any reference to “we,” “our,” or “us” refers to Stamford Toastmasters as the entity responsible for your information.
3. Categories of Data We Process
We collect and process various categories of personal data as described below:
– Usage Data: Includes information about how individuals use our website, such as IP addresses, browser type and version, pages visited, session durations, interactions, and navigation paths.
– Account Data: Includes full name, residential or mailing address, email address, and telephone number, typically collected when users register or fill out forms on stamfordtoastmasters.com.
– Profile Data: Encompasses user interests, group affiliations, membership preferences, purchase history (when applicable), event enrollment data, and behavioral patterns related to the site.
– Communication Data: Comprises details of email correspondence, feedback submissions, support inquiries, and any other communication between you and Stamford Toastmasters.
– Technical Data: Includes device identifiers, operating system and platform details, screen resolution, language preference, and browser plug-in types and versions.
– Transaction Data: Contains records of payments made to or from you, along with details such as billing address and delivery method, where applicable.
– Preference Data: Involves information on your chosen communication preferences, marketing consent choices, and areas of interest indicated either directly or through your interaction with stamfordtoastmasters.com.
4. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data
We process your personal data under the following legal bases, as permitted by GDPR and other applicable regulations:
– Performance of Contract: Where data processing is necessary to fulfill a contract to which you are party, such as registering for events, accessing member services, or making purchases.
– Legitimate Interests: For exercising our legitimate interests in maintaining and securing our website, communicating with users, and improving our offerings, provided such interest does not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.
– Consent: Where you have provided explicit consent, such as opting in to newsletters or consenting to specific categories of cookies.
– Compliance with Legal Obligations: When we are obliged to retain or disclose certain information to satisfy legal or regulatory requirements.
5. Your Privacy Rights
Subject to applicable laws, you are entitled to exercise the following rights:
– Right of Access: You may request information about whether we hold personal data about you and receive a copy of such data.
– Right to Rectification: You may request that inaccurate or incomplete data be corrected or completed.
– Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Under certain circumstances, you may request the deletion of your personal data.
– Right to Restrict Processing: You may request that we limit the use of your data in specific situations.
– Right to Data Portability: You may request to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and have it transmitted to another controller.
– Right to Object: You can object to processing based on legitimate interest or marketing purposes at any time.
Requests for the exercise of any rights may be submitted to [email protected].
6. Security Measures
We employ appropriate technical and organizational measures to secure your data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These safeguards include but are not limited to:
– Encryption of data both at rest and in transit
– Role-based access control to systems handling personal data
– Regular system backups and cybersecurity audits
– Secure hosting infrastructure compliant with international standards
– Ongoing privacy training for our personnel
7. International Data Transfers
Where personal data is transferred outside of the European Economic Area or other jurisdictions with similar protections, such transfers are conducted under legally approved mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses, ensuring adequate levels of protection consistent with applicable data protection laws.
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected. Specific retention periods include:
– Usage Data: Retained for up to 12 months for analytics and service improvement
– Account Data: Retained for the duration of your user relationship and for a maximum of 5 years thereafter, unless extended for legal obligations
– Profile and Communication Data: Retained for as long as relevant to your engagement, generally not exceeding 3 years from last activity
– Transaction Data: Retained for at least 7 years for tax and auditing compliance
– Preference Data: Retained until you update your preferences or withdraw your consent
9. Cookie Policy
stamfordtoastmasters.com uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance the user experience, analyze website usage, and support advertising efforts. Categories include:
– Essential Cookies: Required for core website functionality such as login, form submissions, or account management.
– Functional Cookies: Facilitate website customization and user preferences.
– Analytics Cookies: Collect aggregated data on website usage to help us improve performance.
– Performance Cookies: Monitor site efficiency and diagnose technical issues.
10. Cookie Management and Legal Compliance
In compliance with GDPR and CCPA, users are notified of cookie usage upon their first visit and provided with the option to accept, reject, or customize their cookie preferences. You may also control cookies through your browser settings or via our on-site Cookie Consent tool. California residents may opt out of the sale of personal data in accordance with CCPA.
11. Children’s Privacy
We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 13. If you are under 13, do not use this website, submit information, or make any purchases or registrations. If we learn that we have collected data from a child under 13, we will promptly delete such information. Parents or guardians who believe their child may have submitted personal data can contact us at [email protected].
12. Policy Updates & Notifications
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time to reflect technological, legal, or privacy practice changes. Material updates will be communicated to users via prominent website notifications or email, where applicable. Continued use of stamfordtoastmasters.com after changes have been posted indicates acceptance.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or your personal data, you may contact us using the information below:
Stamford Toastmasters
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://stamfordtoastmasters.com
We are committed to upholding your privacy and ensuring compliance with all applicable data protection regulations. Please reach out if you need assistance managing your data or understanding your rights.