Privacy Policy for ThinkQuest New York City 2009 Internet Challenge Competition
OUR COMMITMENT TO PRIVACY
The Privacy Policy set forth herein (“Privacy Policy”) applies to your use of nyc.ThinkQuest.org (the “Site”) to compete in the annual ThinkQuest New York City 2009 Internet Challenge Competition (“Local Competition”). The Site is hosted by ThinkQuest New York City. The Site serves as the on-line communication platform for team coaches (“Coaches”), student team members and Local Competition staff of ThinkQuest New York City that are registered for the Local Competition (“Users”).
We, at ThinkQuest New York City respect the personal privacy of all Users of the Site and support initiatives intended to preserve individual privacy on the Internet. This Privacy Policy discloses the current information-gathering, use and dissemination practices of ThinkQuest New York City with respect to the Local Competition. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully so that you understand exactly what information we collect about you during your visit to the Site, how we may use your personal information, the choices you have about how we use your personal information and how we protect that information.
By using the Site, you accept and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. Your use of the Site also is subject to and contingent upon your agreement with the Local Competition Terms of Use: http://www.tqnyc.org/termsofuse, which are hereby incorporated by reference.
ThinkQuest New York City welcomes any comment or question that Users may have. Please contact us sending us an email at helpdesk@tqnyc.org.
INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Information That You Provide. ThinkQuest New York City collects from its Users certain personally identifiable information (“Personally Identifiable Information”), including:
School and Coach Enrollment Information. As the first step in forming a team for the Local Competition, a Coach enrolls by providing his/her contact information, the name, mailing address and phone number of the Coach’s school (submission of a school’s website address is optional) and the name and contact information for the person with legal signing authority for the participating school. Each school enters into an agreement with ThinkQuest New York City that governs the terms of the school’s participation (a “School Agreement”).
Team Enrollment Information. During the enrollment process for the Local Competition, the Coach also provides information about members of his/her team, including the first name, the name of the team member’s school and country of team members.
Other: In addition to registering for the Local Competition, Users may submit Personally Identifiable Information to ThinkQuest New York City in order to, among other things, (a) register to receive additional information from ThinkQuest New York City or regarding the Site or the Local Competition; (b) register online for awards and/or associated events; (c) order printed certificates of achievement; and (d) in the case of Coaches, register to use a non-public area of the Site. Personally Identifiable Information submitted to ThinkQuest New York City in these circumstances may include: First and Last name; Email Address; School Name and School Address; Mailing Address; Telephone Number; Age/Date of Birth; Gender; Social Security Number; Passport Number; Country of Citizenship; Demographic Information; Personal Interests (hobbies and sports); Photographs; and Income Level Range of Students (reported only to ThinkQuest New York City’s board of directors for purposes of confirming ThinkQuest New York City’s participation in projects with low-income communities).
Unless you provide it to us voluntarily, neither ThinkQuest New York City nor its partner organizations independently collect Personally Identifiable Information about you in connection with your use of the Site. As Coaches may be required to provide information about team members, Personally Identifiable Information also includes information that we ask you to provide about other people. When providing Personally Identifiable Information via the Site, Users must take all reasonable care to ensure that it is accurate, up-to-date, complete, relevant and not misleading. Any information that you provide to ThinkQuest New York City, including Personally Identifiable Information, must be true, current, consistent and relevant for the purpose for which you are providing such information. You must have the authority to provide the information submitted to and through the Site and you understand and agree that we may from time to time use the information submitted to verify such authority.
THINKQUEST NEW YORK CITY DOES NOT WISH TO RECEIVE ANY PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PERTAINING TO ANY INDIVIDUAL UNLESS ALL REQUISITE PERMISSIONS HAVE BEEN OBTAINED IN ADVANCE, INCLUDING PARENTAL CONSENT. YOU HEREBY REPRESENT AND WARRANT TO THINKQUEST NEW YORK CITY THAT YOU HAVE FULL AUTHORITY TO SUBMIT THE PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION AND OTHER INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR PARTICIPATION IN THE LOCAL COMPETITION AND ANY OTHER INTERACTION WITH US.
Information Collected Automatically.
Usage Data: ThinkQuest New York City automatically tracks the IP/Internet addresses of the domains from which Users access the Site. This information is part of the computer contact information provided to the Site’s server when Users log in.
Cookies: “Cookies” are small pieces of data that Sites send to web browsers. ThinkQuest New York City often uses cookies to track Users’ preferences and personal interests, as well as to evaluate how the Site is used. This information is important to help us develop the correct ordering of screens and to facilitate User navigation. Within the Site, ThinkQuest New York City uses cookies to authenticate Users, which helps maintain the security of the Site.
USE OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE COLLECT
ThinkQuest New York City collects Personally Identifiable Information as part of providing the educational services of the Site and we use the information solely for this purpose. We use this information for the duration of a User’s participation in the Local Competition and for a reasonable time thereafter as may be required for legitimate legal and organizational purposes.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE COLLECT
Personally Identifiable Information is shared only as described in this Privacy Policy and ThinkQuest New York City establishes contractual protections to confirm that any such party does not use or disclose the information for marketing or other functions not related to the Local Competition. ThinkQuest New York City does not sell or rent any information that we collect from Users to third parties, nor doesThinkQuest New York City use the information collected for any marketing purpose. We do not require that Users disclose more information than is reasonably necessary to use the Site.
While our primary data center is in the United States, in order to provide service in a timely, cost effective and efficient manner, information provided in connection with the Site may be made available to authorized ThinkQuest New York City staff that require access to the information for the purpose of supporting the Site. Any information provided is used in accordance with this Privacy Policy and processed in compliance with the relevant instructions provided by ThinkQuest New York City.
Once logged in to the Site, all Users, including ThinkQuest New York City staff and school staff can view the information posted by Users on the Site. This information is made available by each User through the act of publishing content and can be withdrawn at the User’s discretion. In addition, ThinkQuest New York City and school staff have access to students’ and teachers’ full names for purposes of creating and administering accounts.
In addition to other data sharing described in this Privacy Policy, we may share Personally Identifiable Information and other data as may be required or permitted by applicable legal requirements, including the disclosure of information to the government, law enforcement or other authorities. You should be aware that Personally Identifiable Information also could be accessed if someone unlawfully logged into the Site (for example, by obtaining a student’s ID and Password, or unlawfully “hacking” the Site), despite the security measures adopted by ThinkQuest New York City Further, ThinkQuest New York City can (and by agreeing to the Local Competition Terms of Use and this Privacy Policy you authorize us to) disclose Personally Identifiable Information in cases where ThinkQuest New York City in its sole discretion, believes that disclosing this information is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to or interference with (either intentionally or unintentionally) the Site, ThinkQuest New York City’s rights or property, any User or any third party.
In the event of a sale, merger, liquidation, dissolution or transfer of substantially all of the assets of ThinkQuest New York City Personally Identifiable Information and/or usage data submitted by you via the Site may be sold, assigned, or transferred to the party acquiring all or substantially all of the equity and/or assets of ThinkQuest New York City in order to permit the party to continue the operation of the Site. By using the Site, you consent to the sale and transfer of your information as described in this paragraph.
CONSENT TO PROCESSING
By using the Site or providing information to ThinkQuest New York City, you understand and unambiguously consent to the collection, processing, transfer and use of such information, including Personally Identifiable Information, in the United States and other countries and territories, exclusively for the purposes set forth in this Privacy Policy. You hereby consent to the collection, processing and disclosure by ThinkQuest New York City of your Personally Identifiable Information, to the use of cookies and to the tracking of IP addresses (as described in Section II of this Privacy Policy.) For further certainty, any consent relating to a right to transfer information referred to in this Section shall be deemed to include your consent to the transfer of the applicable Personally Identifiable Information to a jurisdiction which may have a different level of privacy protection than that available in your own country.
MODIFICATION OF INFORMATION AND OPT-OUT CHOICES
Parents of children using the Site have the right to review and have ThinkQuest New York City modify or delete their child’s Personally Identifiable Information. Each parent has the right to request that ThinkQuest New York City terminate a child’s status as a User and to refuse to permit further use of a child’s Personally Identifiable Information. Parents should contact their children’s schools or ThinkQuest New York City directly by sending an email to helpdesk@tqnyc.org.
Site Users have the right to review their Personally Identifiable Information, to modify the information they make available on the Site at any time and to request the opportunity to review and correct their own Personally Identifiable Information by contacting their school’s administrators. Users also may receive assistance by sending an email to helpdesk@tqnyc.org.
Parents of Users and Users also may opt-out of certain functions on the Site. Parents of Users and Users may “opt-out” of (1) receiving communications from ThinkQuest New York City, except for communications necessary for the use of the Site or participation in a project, or (2) any other consent previously granted for a specific purpose concerning your Personally Identifiable Information, by contacting Support by sending an email to helpdesk@tqnyc.org.
THIRD-PARTY LINKS
This Privacy Policy applies only to the Site. ThinkQuest New York City, its affiliates and subsidiaries operate many other websites for different purposes and in multiple jurisdictions where local laws may apply. The Site may include links to certain affiliated sites and to other educational resource and non-profit websites, including access to content, products and services of such affiliated and non-affiliated sites (“Other Sites”). When you click on a link to these Other Sites, you leave the Site. Prior to accessing Other Sites or non- ThinkQuest New York City content via the Site, we urge you to familiarize yourself with the privacy policy and other terms of use for each Other Site prior to submitting any Personally Identifiable Information. ThinkQuest New York City takes no responsibility for the compliance or non-compliance by any Other Site with any privacy law or undertaking.
PARENTAL CONSENT
Parental consent is required before a student can participate in the Site. Schools are responsible for obtaining written parental consent before a student is provided with a Student Account and before any Personally Identifiable Information about the student is submitted to ThinkQuest New York City to enable participation in the Site.
DATA SECURITY
ThinkQuest New York City is concerned with the security of the Personally Identifiable Information and has in place adequate security measures to prevent unauthorized access to that information. These measures include policies, procedures, and technical elements relating to data access controls. In addition, ThinkQuest New York City uses standard security protocols and mechanisms to exchange the transmission of sensitive data such as Personally Identifiable Information.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
ThinkQuest New York City reserves the right to revise the Privacy Policy by posting the revised Privacy Policy on the Site. We will provide notice of any material change to the terms of this Privacy Policy by posting a “New Privacy Policy” (or similar formulation) link on the Site’s home page. Member schools are responsible for obtaining updated parental consent if material changes are made to this Privacy Policy.
NO RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES
This Privacy Policy does not create rights enforceable by third parties.
QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PRIVACY POLICY
ThinkQuest New York City welcomes your comments or questions. Please contact us by sending us an email to helpdesk@tqnyc.org or by sending a letter to:
ThinkQuest New York City
245 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1801
New York, NY 10016
LAST UPDATED: October 30, 2008
