Your privacy is important to the American Public Gas Association Research Foundation (APGARF). You have the right to understand how APGARF handles your personal identifiable information (PII) prior to providing it to APGARF through the APGARF Web site at www.apgarf.org.
To better protect your privacy, we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on the APGARF homepage and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.
By using this site, you signify your assent to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the APGARF Privacy Policy, please do not use the APGARF Web site, www.apgarf.org. APGARF reserves the right, at our complete discretion, to change, modify, add, or remove portions of this policy at any time. Please check back periodically for any changes we may make to the policy. Your continued use of the APGARF Web site, www.apgarf.org, following the posting of changes to these terms will mean you accept those changes.
About Information APGARF Collects
When you visit our Web site you may provide us with two types of information: personal information you knowingly choose to disclose that is collected on an individual basis, and Web site use information collected on an aggregate basis as you and others browse our Web site. This notice applies to all information collected or submitted on the APGARF Web site, . On some pages, you may make requests, participate in online surveys or register to receive materials or services. Participation in these activities is completely voluntary. The types of user information collected at these pages may include:
- First & last name
- Job title
- Company
- Mailing address
- Phone number
- E-mail address
- Comments or suggestions
- Other relevant industry information (e.g. company website, biography)
As you browse APGARF’s Web site, information may be automatically collected such as your
- IP address
- Device type
- Browser type & version
- Operating system types
- Dates and times that our Web site is accessed
- And other categories of web use data (e.g. internet service provider information)
Cookies. Cookies are small text file of information sent to your browser from a website’s computers and stored on your computer. The APGARF Web site uses browser cookies for different purposes, including cookies that are strictly necessary for functionality such as facilitating a user’s log in process as well as ones used for supporting a better web experience and analytics to assess our websites’ performance. The cookies will not provide APGARF with any personally identifiable information about you, and we do not sell, rent or share this information except where expressly set forth below. In addition, the APGARF Web site uses Google Analytics to collect data about traffic via analytics cookies and anonymous identifiers to help improve our website.
Most web browsers are set up to accept cookies; however, you may be able to adjust your browser to warn you before accepting certain cookies or to disable certain cookies by visiting your web browser’s documentation. Please note that if you block cookies or disable cookies, your use of certain features or functions on APGARF’s websites or service may be limited it as well disabling cookies for all websites you visit. You can also prevent your data from being collected by Google Analytics on the Websites by downloading and installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on for your current web browser at the following link .
Email Information In addition to providing the foregoing information to us, if you choose to correspond further with us through email, we may retain the content of your email messages together with your email address and our responses. We provide the same protections for these electronic communications that we employ in the maintenance of information received by mail and telephone.
How APGARF Uses Information Broadly speaking, we use personal information for purposes of administering our business activities, providing membership service and making available other products and services to our members. Occasionally, we may also use the information we collect to notify you about important changes to our Web site, new and special offers we think you will find valuable.
APGARF uses non-identifying and aggregate information to better design the APGARF. For example, APGARF staff may report that X number of individuals visited a certain area on the APGARF Web site. APGARF staff may also report on the operating system, Web browser software (i.e., Chrome or Internet Explorer), screen resolution and referrer Web site of our online visitors. Information about your computer allows APGARF to improve the content and services of interest to members and site visitors. However, APGARF does not disclose anything that could be used to those individuals. The APGARF uses Google Analytics including Google Analytics Demographic and Interest Reporting to collect data about traffic via advertising cookies and anonymous identifiers. This information is not personally identifying and we do not sell, rent or share this information except where expressly set forth below. You can prevent your data from being collected by Google Analytics on the Websites by downloading and installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on for your current web browser at the following link here.
APGARF uses return e-mail addresses to answer the e-mail sent directly to APGARF staff. If email is received from an APGARF member, APGARF staff may add the individual’s e-mail address to the APGARF database if the association does not currently have one entered for the individual. This information helps APGARF improve electronic communication among APGARF members, and other interested parties.
You may choose to make requests, participate in online surveys and register to receive materials or services. you submit on the APGARF will not be used for any other purpose. Participation in these activities is completely voluntary. APGARF provides you with the opportunity to specifically choose the communications you wish to receive from APGARF.
APGARF never discloses, rents, sells PII provided to us online except where outlined below.
Notice of New Services and Changes Occasionally, we may also use the information we collect to notify you about important changes to our Web site, new and special offers we think you will find valuable. As an APGARF member, you will be given the opportunity to notify us of your desire not to receive these offers by clicking on a response box when you receive such an offer.
How Do We Secure Information Transmissions? When you send confidential personal credit card information to us on our Web site, a secure server software which we have licensed encrypts all information you input before it is sent to us. The information is scrambled en route and decoded once it reaches our Web site.
Other email that you may send to us may not be secure unless we advise you that security measures will be in place prior to your transmitting the information. For that reason, we ask that you do not send confidential information such as Social Security or account numbers to us through an unsecured email.
How Do We Protect Your Information?
Information Security We utilize encryption/security software to safeguard the confidentiality of personal information we collect from unauthorized access or disclosure and accidental loss, alteration or destruction. Although APGARF takes measures to safeguard against unauthorized disclosures of information, we cannot guarantee the complete elimination of security risks to PII.
Evaluation of Information Protection Practices Periodically, our operations and business practices are reviewed for compliance with corporate policies and procedures governing the security, confidentiality and quality of our information.
Employee Access, Training and Expectations Our association values, ethical standards, policies and practices are committed to the protection of APGARF member information. In general, our business practices limit employee access to confidential information, and limit the use and disclosure of such information to authorized persons, processes and transactions.
How Can You Access and Correct Your Information? You can make changes to your PII if you have a user account through the APGARF website by logging into your account. You may request access to all your personally identifiable information that we collect online and maintain in our database by e-mailing privacy@apga.org
Do We Disclose Information to Outside Parties? We respect your privacy and only disclose information when APGARF partners with a third party for a service or product that is beneficial for APGARF members in order to better market or inform APGARF members of this opportunity. We will only share information that is absolutely necessary for the delivery of the service/program and the third party vendor is required to restrict the use of such information solely for the purpose for which the service/program is intended.
What About Legally Compelled Disclosure of Information? We may disclose information when legally compelled to do so, in other words, when we, in good faith, believe that the law requires it or for the protection of our legal rights.
What About Other Web Sites Linked to Our Web Site? We are not responsible for the practices employed by Web sites linked to or from our Web site nor the information or content contained therein. Often links to other Web sites are provided solely as pointers to information on topics that may be useful to the users of our Web site. Please remember that when you use a link to go from our Web site to another Web site, our Privacy Policy is no longer in effect. Your browsing and interaction on any other Web site, including Web sites which have a link on our Web site, is subject to that Web site’s own rules and policies. Please read over those rules and policies before proceeding. How You Can Control The Use Of Your Information APGARF provides you with choice and control over the collection and use of your PII. To correct, delete or update any PII on the APGARF Web site or in your membership profile, you may do so online or you may opt to notify us by e-mail to the following address: privacy@apga.org or write to: APGARF, 201 Massachusetts Avenue, NE Suite C-4 Washington, DC 20002. At any time, you may also request a copy of the PII gathered through the APGARF Web site.
Data Subject Rights Data subjects in certain jurisdictions may have certain rights under applicable data protection law(s) related to data collection and usage of your PII. Where we are processing your PII, subject to applicable law(s), you may have rights including, but not limited to, to request access, modification, or erasure of your PII; request restriction of processing; object to processing; and data portability. To request information or seek action pursuant to these rights, please send an email to privacy@apga.org with the specific request and regulation. APGARF reserves the right to seek additional information to respond to a request or, if permissible, charge a fee in regard to a request.
Personal Information About Children
The APGARF website and related online services are not intended for children under 16. APGARF does not knowingly collect or use information from children under the age of 16 without the consent of a parent or guardian. If APGARF becomes aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 16 without parental or guardian consent, we will remove that information as permitted by law.
Your Consent
By using our Web site you consent to our collection and use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. If we change our privacy policies and procedures, we will post those changes on our Web site to keep you aware of what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances we may disclose it.