Website Privacy Policy
The Personal Genome Project (PGP) operates several websites including http://www.personalgenomes.org. This privacy policy pertains only to visitors of our websites and does not pertain in any way to our privacy policies related to enrolled participants.
Website Visitors
Like most website operators, PGP collects information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. PGP’s purpose in collecting this information is to better understand how PGP’s visitors use its website. From time to time, PGP may release this information in the aggregate, e.g., by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.
PGP also collects potentially personally-identifying information like Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. PGP does not use such information to identify its visitors, however, and does not disclose such information, other than under the same circumstances that it uses and discloses personally-identifying information, as described below.
Gathering of Personally-Identifying Information
Certain visitors to PGP’s websites choose to interact with PGP in ways that require PGP to gather personally-identifying information. The amount and type of information that PGP gathers depends on the nature of the interaction. For example, we ask visitors who register for enrollment updates at http://www.personalgenomes.org/register.html to provide an email address and to volunteer other data such as name and whether the individual resides in the United States. Those who engage in transactions with PGP – by providing financial donations, for example – may be asked to provide additional information, including as necessary, the personal and financial information required to process those transactions. Visitors can always refuse to supply personally-identifying information, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related activities.
Aggregated Statistics
PGP may collect statistics about the behavior of visitors to its websites. For instance, PGP may monitor the most popular parts of the http://www.personalgenomes.org site. PGP may display this information publicly or provide it to others. However, PGP does not disclose personally-identifying information other than as described below.
Protection of Certain Personally-Identifying Information
PGP discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only to those of its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations that (i) need to know that information in order to process it on PGP’s behalf or to provide services available at PGP’s websites, and (ii) that have agreed not to disclose it to others. Some of those employees, contractors and affiliated organizations may be located outside of your home country; by using PGP’s websites, you consent to the transfer of such information to them. PGP will not rent or sell potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information to anyone. Other than to its employees, contractors and affiliated organizations, as described above, PGP discloses potentially personally-identifying and personally-identifying information only when required to do so by law, or when PGP believes in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the property or rights of PGP, third parties or the public at large.
Cookies
A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. PGP may use cookies to help PGP identify and track visitors, their usage of PGP website, and their website access preferences. PGP visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using PGP’s websites, with the drawback that certain features of PGP’s websites may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
Privacy Policy Changes
Although most changes are likely to be minor, PGP may change its Privacy Policy from time to time, and in PGP’s sole discretion. PGP encourages visitors to frequently check this page for any changes to its Privacy Policy. Your continued use of this site after any change in this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such change.
This document is based upon the Automattic Privacy Policy, and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike 2.5. This means that you are free to use and edit it for your own purposes, even commercially, provided you release your new versions under the same license and credit Automattic and OwnTerms. http://www.ownterms.org/documents/privacy-policy/