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Privacy Policy

Collection, Storage and Security

Last Updated: August 2024

This Privacy Policy explains how The Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology (“Wistar”, “we” or “us”) collects, uses, and discloses information about you when you access or use our publicly available websites (“Websites”) or our content on social media platforms (collectively, the “Services”), engage with us offline, or otherwise interact with us. This policy does not apply to websites or applications that are accessible as part of a business relationship with Wistar.

We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will notify you by revising the date at the top of the policy and, in some cases, we may provide you with additional notice (such as adding a statement to our Website(s) homepage). We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy whenever you access the Services or otherwise interact with us to stay informed about our privacy practices and the choices available to you.

Collection of Information

What Information we Collect

“Personal Information” means any information that relates to you and can—either on its own or in combination with other information—identify you as an individual. The Personal Information you provide may include but is not limited to:

  • Name
  • Postal Address
  • Telephone Number
  • Email Address
  • Social media account ID
  • Profile Picture
  • Payment information (please note that your payment information, if collected in connection with a donation, is collected by a third-party and such third party’s privacy policy and privacy practices will control. Wistar has no control over, and will not be liable for, such third-party’s collection, use, or disclosure of your information).

Personal Information does not include information that has been de-identified or aggregated such that you can no longer be identified.

“Automatically Collected Information” means any information that is automatically collected when you access or use our Services. Automatically Collected Information is any information that you do not provide directly and may include:

  • Browser and device information
  • App usage data
  • Information collected through cookies, pixel tags, and other technologies
  • Demographic information and other information provided by you that does not reveal your specific identity
  • Information that has been aggregated in a manner such that it no longer reveals your specific identity

“Collected Information” includes both Personal Information and Automatically Collected Information.

How we Collect Information

This section explains how we and our third-party service providers collect information regarding you or your devices through our Services, offline, or from other sources in a variety of ways, including:

Personal Information you Provide

As part of using our Services, you may elect to provide Personal Information to Wistar. Examples of when you may provide this information may include but are not limited to:

  • Signing up for communications
  • Registering for an event
  • Providing a donation
  • Interacting on our social media platforms
  • Applying for a job with us

Personal Information from Other Sources

We may collect Personal Information from you through offline activities, e.g., if you attend one of our events, visit our business, or contact us over the phone or via email.

Wistar may receive Personal Information regarding you through other sources. Examples include publicly available databases or through our service providers who may share Personal Information with us regarding individuals who may be interested in our Services (e.g., potential donors or event attendees).

If you provide any Personal Information relating to other people, you represent that you have the authority to provide us with any Personal Information you disclose to us related to the third-party and to grant us the right to use the information as set forth in this Privacy Policy.

Automatically Collected Information

We and our third-party service providers may collect Automatically Collected Information in a variety of ways, including:

  • Usage Information: We collect information about your use of the Services.
  • Transaction Information: When you make a donation, we (or our service providers) collect information about the donation.
  • Log Information: We collect information related to your access to and use of the Services, including the type of browser you use, app version, access times, pages viewed, and your IP address.
  • Device Information: We collect information about the computer or mobile device you use to access our Services, including the hardware model, operating system and version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
  • Location Information: We may derive the approximate location of your device from your IP address. Your IP address is automatically assigned to your computer by your internet service provider. Your IP address may be identified and logged automatically in our server log files whenever a user accesses the Services, along with the time of the visit and the page(s) that were visited. Collecting IP addresses is standard practice and is done automatically by many websites, applications, and other services.
  • Information Collected by Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies:
    • Cookies. We (and our service providers) use different technologies to collect information, including cookies and web beacons. Cookies are small data files stored on your device to save browsing information. We use cookies to improve our Services and your experience, see which areas and features of our Services are popular, and count visits. We may also use cookies or other technologies in online advertising to track responses to our ads. We do not currently respond to browser do-not-track signals. If you do not want information collected through the use of cookies, check your browser settings. If, however, you do not accept cookies, you may experience some inconvenience in your use of the Services. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, see “Your Choices” below.
    • Pixel tags. Pixel Tags (also known as web beacons or clear GIFs) may be used to, among other things, track the actions of users of the Services, measure the success of our marketing campaigns, and compile statistics about usage of the Services.
    • Analytics. In some instances, we may use Google Analytics or similar third-party tools, which may use cookies and similar technologies to collect and analyze information about use of the Services. You can learn about Google’s practices by going to www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/, and opt out by downloading the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on, available at https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Use of Information

We (and our third-party service providers) use Collected Information (i.e., Personal Information or Automatically Collected Information) to provide, maintain, and improve our Services and to communicate with you. We and our third-party service providers may also use Collected Information for the following types of purposes, among others:

  • To provide, maintain, and improve the Services. This includes:
    • To provide you with features that make the Services functional for you.
    • To respond to your comments, questions, and other requests.
  • To provide you with our newsletter and/or other marketing and promotional materials. To communicate with you about products, services, and events offered by Wistar and others, and provide news and information we think will be of interest to you (see “Your Choices” below for information about how to opt out of these communications at any time).
  • To research, analyze, and improve our Services.
    • In connection with research and development activities.
    • To monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities in connection with our Services.
    • To personalize your online experience and the advertisements you see when you use the Services based on your preferences, interests, and browsing behavior and audit your interactions with our online ads, including by counting ad impressions and verifying positioning and quality of ad impressions.
  • For security and fraud prevention.
    • To protect our systems, including to detect security incidents, protect against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and protect the rights and property of Wistar and others.
    • To debug to identify and repair errors that impair existing intended functionality.
  • For our other business and operational purposes.
    • For data analysis, for example, to improve the efficiency of our Services.
    • To comply with our legal, regulatory or contractual requirements.
    • For developing new offerings, initiatives, and services.
    • For enhancing, improving, or modifying our current offerings, initiatives, and services.
    • For identifying usage trends, for example, understanding which parts of our Services are of most interest to users.
    • For determining the effectiveness of our promotional and informational campaigns, so that we can adapt our campaigns to the needs and interests of our users.
    • In connection with research and development activities.

Disclosure of Information

We may share Collected Information about you as follows or as otherwise described in this Privacy Policy:

  • With vendors, service providers, and consultants who provide services to us. This can include service providers that provide us with website hosting, analytics services, payment processing, event registration, IT related services, email services, auditing, and other services.
  • To comply with applicable law and regulations. This can include laws outside your country of residence.
  • To cooperate with public and government authorities. For example, to respond to governmental or law enforcement requests and orders. These can include authorities outside your country of residence.
  • For other legal reasons. To enforce any terms and conditions, or to protect our rights, privacy, safety or property, and/or that of our affiliates, you, or others.
  • In connection with a sale or business transaction. We may disclose or transfer your Collected Information to a third party in connection with or during the negotiations of any merger, sale of company assets, or financing or acquisition of all or a portion of our business by another company (including in connection with any bankruptcy or similar proceedings).
  • With your consent or at your direction.

We may also share aggregated or de-identified information that cannot reasonably be used by third parties to identify you.

Storage and Security

Wistar is located in the United States, and you agree that we may store and process the information we collect anywhere in the world, including but not limited to, the United States. We seek to use reasonable organizational, technical, and administrative measures to protect your Collected Information and ensure it is used in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Unfortunately, the Internet cannot be guaranteed to be 100% secure. If you have any security concerns, please immediately notify us in accordance with the “Contact Us” section below.

Your Choices

  • Cookies. Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies. Please note that if you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect the availability and functionality of our Services.
  • Promotional Communications. You may opt out of receiving promotional communications from us. If you no longer want to receive marketing and promotional-related emails from us, you may opt-out according to the instructions in such communications. Please note that if you opt-out of receiving marketing and promotional-related emails from us, we may still send you administrative messages.

Retention Period

We retain Collected Information for as long as needed or permitted in light of the purpose(s) for which it was obtained and consistent with applicable law.

Third Party Services

This Privacy Policy does not address, and we are not responsible for, the privacy, information, or other practices of any third parties, including any third-party websites/applications linked to from the Services. The inclusion of a link on the Services does not imply endorsement of the linked site or service by us or by our affiliates and these other websites and applications are not controlled by us. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of each website and application with which you interact. Visiting these other websites or applications is at your own risk.

Use of Services by Minors

The Services are not directed to individuals under the age of thirteen (13), and we do not knowingly collect information from individuals under 13.

Transfer of Information to the United States

Wistar is based in the United States, and we process and store information in the United States. Therefore, we and our service providers may transfer your information to, or store or access it in, jurisdictions that may not provide equivalent levels of data protection as your home jurisdiction.

Third Party Payment Service

We may use a third-party payment service to process payments (e.g., donations) made through the Services. If you wish to make a payment through the Services, your Personal Information will be collected by such third party and not by us, and will be subject to the third party’s privacy policy, rather than this Privacy Policy. We have no control over, and are not responsible for, those third parties’ collection, use, and disclosure of your Personal Information or Automatically Collected Information.

California Residents

California Civil Code Section 1798.83 (California’s “Shine the Light” law) permits users of our Services that are California residents and who provide Personal Information in obtaining products and services for personal, family, or household use to request certain information regarding our disclosure of Personal Information to third parties for their own direct marketing purposes. If applicable, this information would include the categories of Personal Information and the names and addresses of those businesses with which we shared your Personal Information for the immediately prior calendar year. You may request this information once per calendar year. To make such a request, please contact us using the information below. Please note, we do not disclose Personal Information to third parties for their own direct marketing purposes.

Updates to this Privacy Policy

Wistar may update this policy from time to time and at its own discretion. The “Last Updated” legend at the top of this policy indicates when this Privacy Policy was last revised and the effective date of the Privacy Policy. Your use of the Services means you accept the terms of the Privacy Policy.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at privacy@wistar.org or:

The Wistar Institute
Attn: Office of General Counsel
3601 Spruce Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

Please do not include sensitive information or payment information in your email or mail correspondence to us.