Privacy Policy

PRIVACY POLICY FOR MASSLOOP.ORG

Effective: November 3, 2014

Health Care For All, Inc. (“Health Care For All, “we” or
“us”) owns and operates the website located at www.massloop.org  (“In the Loop – Massachusetts” or the “Site”). In the Loop – Massachusetts is a project of Health Care For All, Inc. with the support of the National Health Law Program, Inc. and Community Catalyst, Inc. (“NHeLP,” “Community Catalyst,” “we” or “us”). This Privacy Policy helps to clarify what information we collect on this Site, how we will use it, and with whom we share it. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information that we collect by telephone, mail or otherwise off-line.

Before submitting information to or through this Site, please read this Privacy Policy carefully. (If you have not already done so, please also review our Terms and Conditions). If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy, contact us at theloop@massloop.org or as described in the Questions About This Privacy Policy section later in this policy. When you submit information to or through the Site, you hereby consent to the collection and use of Personal Information as described in this Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

CHANGES TO PRIVACY POLICY

The Effective Date of this Privacy Policy is noted at the top of this page.  We will notify you in advance if we make any material change to this Privacy Policy by posting notice on this webpage and, when feasible, contact you using the email address you have provided to us.  We will not make retroactive changes that reduce your privacy rights unless we are legally required to do so.  Your continued use of the Site after the Effective Date of the amended Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the amended Privacy Policy.  The amended Privacy Policy supersedes all previous versions. 

WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT?

We collect two types of information (“Information”):

• “Personal Information” is information that can be used to identify an individual, such as name, email address, organization name, postal address or telephone number.

• “General Information” is information about an individual’s online activity that, alone, cannot be used to identify him or her, such as the type of browser and operating system used to access the Site.

The Personal Information that we collect from or about you depends on the nature of your activities.  For example: 

• When you register with In the Loop – Massachusetts, you may provide Personal Information, such as your first and last name, mailing address, email address, phone number and biography.
• You may submit comments in our community forums (i.e. our “See all Posts” section) and during webchats that include your Personal Information.                                                                                                                                                  

We also collect General Information about how you and other users interact with the Site, such as the domain name and IP address associated with your computer, the date, time and length of time that you view specific web pages, which web pages are viewed most often and the number of users visiting the Site.  Collecting this Information may include use of cookies, as described below.

DATA COLLECTION TOOLS AND DO NOT TRACK INFORMATION

(1) Cookies
We may collect Information automatically by using cookies.  A cookie is a small text file that is placed onto a computer’s hard drive to distinguish a user at a website.  Cookies help to improve users’ experience on the Site by, for example, recognizing you when you return to the Site. Cookies may be either permanent or temporary.  A temporary (or session) cookie is placed on your computer during your visit to a website and is deleted when the web browser is closed and/or computer is turned off. A permanent (or persistent) cookie means a cookie that remains on a hard drive until deleted.  The cookies that we currently use do not enable us to access or retrieve Personal Information.

Depending on which web browser you use, you may have the option to accept or deny cookies. (see, for example, http://www.mozilla.org/en-US/dnt/, http://support.apple.com/kb/PH11952, http://ie.microsoft.com/testdrive/browser/donottrack.)  Disabling cookies through your web browser may adversely affect your use and experience of the Site. 

(2) “Do Not Track” Information
Some web browsers incorporate a “Do Not Track” feature that signals the website that you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked.  Many web browsers’ “Preferences,” “Tools” or similar menu option will explain how to enable or disable the Do Not Track signal. This Site, however, is not set up to respond to Do Not Track signals.

(3) Tracking by Third Parties
This Site does not allow third parties to use the Site to track users over time and across third party websites. 

HOW DO WE USE INFORMATION?

We use your Information to operate the Site.  For example, we may use your Information to:

• respond to your requests, such as when you contact us for help or request information from or about us;
• customize, analyze, adjust and improve the Site to better meet your needs;
• provide you with information that we think may interest you, such as newsletters or educational materials;
• provide you with important administrative information regarding the Site, such as changes to this Privacy Policy and our Terms and Conditions;
• enforce our agreements with you, including the Site’s Terms and Conditions;
• prevent fraud and other prohibited or illegal activities; and
• protect the safety and security of users of the Site.

HOW DO WE DISCLOSE INFORMATION?

Except as described in this Privacy Policy, Health Care For All will not sell, rent or otherwise disclose Information to any other organization unless legally required to do so.

We may disclose Information in the following ways:

• To Affiliates and Partners:  In limited instances, we may share Information with our affiliates and strategic partners. For example, we may share your name with a lead assister in your state to inform him/her of your participation in In the Loop – Massachusetts;
• Fulfillment of Services:  We may retain third-parties to perform functions on our behalf, such as web hosting or data analyses companies. These third parties may have access to Information needed to perform their functions;
• Compliance with Law and Fraud Protection:  We may disclose any Information, including Personal Information, as we deem necessary, in our sole discretion and without your prior permission, to comply with a subpoena, regulations, binding order of a data protection agency, legal process, governmental request or other legal or regulatory process.  We reserve the right to disclose your Personal Information in order to protect or defend our rights or property, even without a subpoena, warrant or other court order;
• Infringement.  We may disclose Information when responding to a claim of copyright infringement;
• Business Transition:  If all or part of Health Care For All (or any of its assets) is merged or otherwise transferred to another entity, we will continue to process Information consistent with this Privacy Policy and, when possible, will provide you with notice before Personal Information is transferred or becomes subject to a different privacy policy. 

THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES
The Site may contain links to other websites. We do not own and cannot control these linked websites or any information submitted to or collected by these linked websites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage you to be aware when you leave our Site. This Privacy Policy applies solely to Information collected by or through the Site. We encourage you to carefully read about the privacy practices of any other website that you visit.

CHILDREN UNDER AGE 13
We do not knowingly collect, store or use Personal Information about children under the age of 13. Please contact us at theloop@massloop.org subject line: “Privacy Policy” if you have reason to believe that a child under the age of 13 has provided us with personal information.

SECURITY
We have implemented reasonable security measures in order to protect Information from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration or destruction. These security measures include administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect all Information that we process. Please note, however, that no transmission of data over the Internet is completely secure. Third parties not under the control of Health Care For All may unlawfully intercept or access transmissions or private communications containing Information. We are not responsible for any interception or interruption of any communications through the Internet or for changes to or losses of Information.   

GOVERNING LAW / TRANSMISSION OF INFORMATION
The Site is controlled and operated from Health Care For All’s office in Boston, Massachusetts, United States of America. By choosing to visit the Site or otherwise provide information to us, you agree that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Policy will be resolved as set forth in our Terms and Conditions.

FOR CALIFORNIA RESIDENTS
Under California law, if a California resident has provided personal information to a business in connection with an established business relationship and if that business has within the immediately preceding calendar year disclosed such resident’s personal information to a third party knowing or having reason to know that the third party used such resident’s personal information for its direct marketing purposes, then that business must disclose in writing to such resident upon request what personal information was disclosed and with whom it was shared.

Health Care For All does NOT knowingly share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. For information on how to contact us about our data privacy practices, see the Questions About This Privacy Policy section below.

QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PRIVACY POLICY

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: