Privacy Statement
Effective Date: September 1, 2017
This Privacy Statement describes how your personal information may be used by the American Planning Association (APA) and others, your choices regarding the collection and use of such information, and the security measures we employ to protect the information. By using our Web and mobile sites or our mobile applications, you agree to our practices concerning such information, including our use of cookies, as described below, which may be revised from time to time.
What Information Do We Collect?
We collect personal information while offering products and services, from affiliates, partners and other third parties we do business with, and from public sources. We collect certain information from all visitors to our sites and from users of our mobile apps. This information includes cookie data, Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, the types of browsers used, and information about navigation patterns including the specific web and/or mobile site pages visited. We may also collect geolocation information and computer and mobile device IDs. We also track data such as the total number of visits to our sites, the number of visitors to each page of our sites, and the number of users of our apps.
We collect certain contact, demographic, and personal interest information about our members, event attendees, and other registered users (in-person or online). Such information may include: name, telephone number, physical and email address, and other required and optional fields. In addition, credit card numbers may be collected by service providers who work on our behalf to process your transactions.
Children: We do not knowingly collect, use, or disseminate any information from children under age 13. If, however, we become aware that such information has been collected, we will delete such information.
Your Choices Regarding the Information We Collect
You have some choices concerning our use of your personal information. For example, if you have requested communications from us (e.g., newsletters and communications regarding our events) but do not wish to receive further information, you can "opt-out" by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link provided in the relevant communication. You may change your browser cookie settings, and you may request that we:
- Update, correct, or delete your Personal Information
- Provide you with access to your Personal Information
- Withdraw your consent to marketing or other communications
- Change your preferences regarding our sharing of your personal information with third parties
If you are a member or registered user, you may make these changes by modifying your "My APA" account. If you are not a member or registered user, you may contact us as described below.
You may be located be in a country or region where data privacy or data protection laws differ from the United States. If you access our sites or apps, your personal information may be transferred to APA in other countries, including the United States.
How Do We Use the Information We Collect?
We may use your personal information for various purposes, including:
- To communicate with you about your membership, subscription, event registration, or other resources or information of interest
- To improve our content and communications and to respond to the interests and preferences of our members and others
- If needed to process credit cards, with the assistance of a third-party processor, so that you may pay for membership; purchase products or services; or attend our events
- To help you locate and attend our events (e.g., geolocation information)
- To better understand the demographic makeup of our membership
We use cookies to deliver our online services. We may also use information collected for data analytics purposes related to our site visitors and app users, for system maintenance, and to understand how visitors use our sites, apps, and services. We utilize third party analytics tools that use cookies or other tracking technologies to generate information on your use of our sites and apps (e.g., your IP address). This information may be transmitted to, and stored by, our third-party service providers. It is used to evaluate our visitor or app user statistics to improve content, navigation, and structure. We or our contractors may also transfer this information to third parties as required by law, or where such third parties process the information on our or our service provider's behalf.
How Do We Share the Information We Collect?
APA member information is available to our members through our Membership Directory for use in networking with their peers. Users also have the option of creating their own "My APA" account. They can control how they share information about themselves in that account with others by setting their profile to private, member-only, or publicly-accessible. APA also may share information, including member contact lists, with our chapters and divisions, as well as with:
- Organizations with a common or complementary mission
- Organizations in professions allied with planning
- Sponsored research and academic partners
We may share information with third parties. When we disclose personal information, we obligate the recipient to use that information in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Statement. We may also share your information to fulfill our legal obligations in connection with a lawsuit or similar proceeding; to respond to a matter of personal or public safety; to investigate security incidents; to protect our interests, rights, and property; and to effectuate a sale or transfer of assets or other business transaction. We may also share personal information with regulatory authorities as may be required or requested under applicable law.
Third-Party Links: Our sites and apps may contain links to websites operated by third parties. We do not control these websites or their content, and any information you provide to such sites is governed by the terms of that site's privacy policy. The inclusion of third party sites on our sites or apps in no way constitutes an endorsement of the content, actions, or policies of the sites of others.
How Do We Secure the Information We Collect?
APA is committed to maintaining your confidence and trust. We take steps to help protect personal information, however, no data transmission over the Internet or electronic storage of information is guaranteed to be secure.
Changes to This Policy
This Privacy Policy may be amended from time to time. Any such changes will be posted on this page. If we make a significant or material change in the way we use or share your personal information, you will be notified via email and/or prominent notice within the Services at least 30 days prior to the changes taking effect.
California Privacy Rights
California residents have the right to annually request and obtain information free of charge about any third parties that received Personal Information from the company during the preceding calendar year for direct marketing purposes by directing a request to the contact information provided below.
Do Not Track Signals: Our websites do not respond to web browser "do not track" signals. APA and its service providers engage in information collection and disclosure practices, including tracking browsing history. We offer choices to all consumers, as described in this Privacy Statement regardless of the "do not track" choice made by the consumer. We may allow ad serving networks and other third parties to engage in online behavioral advertising and activities such as marketing automation.
Contact Us
American Planning Association
205 N. Michigan Ave, Suite 1200
Chicago, IL 60601
+1-312-431-9100
customerservice@planning.org