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Privacy Policy

The Palaeontological Association (informally known as 'PalAss') is committed to safeguarding and preserving the privacy of visitors and our membership to our websites. Please note that we do update this Privacy Policy from time to time so please do review this policy regularly. Last modified: 17/07/2017.

What is this Privacy Policy for?

This policy explains what happens to any personal data that you provide to us, or that we collect from you whilst you visit our websites. This privacy policy is for the websites www.palass.org, www.palass-hosting.org, www.palass-pubs.org, including all subdomains, and governs the privacy of users who choose to use them.

The privacy policy sets out the different areas where your privacy is concerned and outlines the obligations and requirements of the user, the website and website owners. Furthermore the way our sites process, store and protect your data and information will also be detailed within this privacy policy.

Our Websites

The Palaeontological Association takes a proactive approach to the privacy of visitors and members and ensures that the necessary steps are taken to protect privacy throughout their visiting experience. Our websites comply with all UK national laws and requirements for user privacy.

Information We Collect

In running and maintaining our websites we may collect and process the following data about our users:

  1. Information about use of our site including details of visits such as pages viewed and the resources that have been accessed. Such information includes traffic data, location data and other communication data.
  2. Information provided voluntarily by you. For example, when you register for information, become a member or make a purchase.
  3. Information that you provide when you communicate with The Palaeontological Association, or its representatives, by any means.

In addition we use Google Analytics to track various metrics of our site by enabling the optional "Google Analytics Advertising Features". The extra features we use are:

  • Remarketing with Google Analytics
  • Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting
  • Google Display Network Impression Reporting
  • Integrated services that require Google Analytics to collect data via advertising cookies and anonymous identifiers

These feature require the setting of extra cookies: the 'Google advertising' and 'anonymous identifiers' cookies; (see below for more information on our use of cookies). As an individual user you can opt-out of these Google tracking products we use by going to: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/

Use of Cookies

Cookies are small files saved to the user's computer hard drive that track, save and store information about the user's interactions and usage of the website. This allows our websites, through our server, to provide the user with a tailored experience within this website. Users are advised that if they wish to deny the use and saving of cookies from this website on to their computers hard drive they should take necessary steps within their web browsers' security settings to block all cookies from this website.

Our websites uses tracking software to monitor visitors to better understand how they use it. This software is provided by Google Analytics and uses cookies to track visitor usage. Where used, these cookies are downloaded to your computer and stored on the computer’s hard drive. Such information will not identify you personally. It is statistical data. This statistical data does not identify any personal details whatsoever.

You can adjust the settings on your computer to decline any cookies if you wish. This can easily be done by activating the reject cookies setting on your computer.

Use of Your Information

We use the information that we collect from you to provide our services to you. In addition to this we may use the information for one or more of the following purposes:

  1. To provide information to you that you request from us relating to our products or services.
  2. To provide information to you relating to other products that may be of interest to you. Such additional information will only be provided where you have consented to receive such information.
  3. To inform you of any changes to our website, services or goods and products.

If you have previously purchased goods or services from us we may provide to you details of similar goods or services, or other goods and services, that you may be interested in.

Where your consent has been provided in advance we may allow selected third parties to use your data to enable them to provide you with information regarding unrelated goods and services which we believe may interest you. Where such consent has been provided it can be withdrawn by you at any time.

Storing Your Personal Data

In operating our websites it may become necessary to transfer data that we collect from you to locations outside of the United Kingdom/European Union for processing and storing. By providing your personal data to us, you agree to this transfer, storing or processing. We do our upmost to ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to make sure that your data is treated stored securely.

Unfortunately the sending of information via the internet is not totally secure and on occasion such information can be intercepted. We cannot guarantee the security of data that you choose to send us electronically. Sending such information is entirely at your own risk.

Contact & Communication

Users contacting The Palaeontological Association do so at their own discretion and provide any such personal details requested at their own risk. Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use, as detailed in the Data Protection Act 1998.

The Palaeontological Association may use any information submitted to provide you with further information about the products/services we offer or to assist you in answering any questions or queries you may have submitted. This includes using your details to subscribe you to any newsletter/bulk e-mail program the website operates but only if this was made clear to you and your express permission was granted when submitting any form to email process. Or whereby you the consumer have previously purchased from or enquired about purchasing from The Palaeontological Association a product or service that the newsletter/bulk e-mail relates to. This is by no means an entire list of your user rights in regard to receiving email marketing material. Your details are not passed on to any third parties.

E-mail Newsletters/Bulk E-Mailing

The Palaeontological Association operates an e-mail newsletter/bulk e-mailing program, used to inform subscribers about products and services supplied The Palaeontological Association. Where provided users can subscribe through an online automated process should they wish to do so but do so at their own discretion. Some subscriptions may be manually processed through prior written agreement with the user (e.g. on purchase of new/renewal of membership).

Newsletter/bulk e-mailing subscriptions are taken in compliance with UK Spam Laws detailed in the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003. All personal details relating to subscriptions are held securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998. No personal details are passed on to third parties nor shared with companies/people outside of The Palaeontological Association.

E-mail marketing campaigns published by The Palaeontological Association may contain tracking facilities within the actual e-mail. Subscriber activity is tracked and stored in a database for future analysis and evaluation. Such tracked activity may include: the opening of e-mails, forwarding of e-mails, the clicking of links within the e-mail content, times, dates and frequency of activity. This information is used to refine future e-mail campaigns and supply the user with more relevant content based around their activity.

In compliance with UK Spam Laws and the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 subscribers are given the opportunity to un-subscribe at any time. If an automated un-subscription system is unavailable the Executive Officer (executive@palass.org) should be contacted.

Third Party Links

On occasion we include links to third party external websites/services on our websites. Where we provide a link it does not mean that we endorse or approve that site’s policy towards visitor privacy. You should review their privacy policy before sending them any personal data.

Although The Palaeontological Association only looks to include quality, safe and relevant external links to third-parties users should always adopt a policy of caution before clicking any external web links mentioned throughout this website.

The Palaeontological Association cannot guarantee or verify the contents of any externally linked website despite their best efforts. Users should therefore note they click on external links at their own risk and The Palaeontological Association cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any external links mentioned.

Social Media

Communication, engagement and actions taken through external social media platforms that this website and it's owners participate on are custom to the terms and conditions as well as the privacy policies held with each social media platform respectively.

Users are advised to use social media platforms wisely and communicate/engage upon them with due care and caution in regard to their own privacy and personal details. The Palaeontological Association will ever ask for personal or sensitive information through social media platforms and encourage users wishing to discuss sensitive details to contact them through primary communication channels such as by telephone or email.

Our websites may use social sharing buttons which help share web content directly from web pages to the social media platform in question. Users are advised before using such social sharing buttons that they do so at their own discretion and note that the social media platform may track and save your request to share a web page respectively through your social media platform account.

Shortened Links in Social Media

The Palaeontological Association through their social media platform accounts may share web links to relevant web pages. By default some social media platforms shorten lengthy URLs (e.g. http://goo.gl/Yqj0Rl).

Users are advised to take caution and good judgement before clicking any shortened URLs published on social media platforms by The Palaeontological Association. Despite the best efforts to ensure only genuine URLs are published many social media platforms are prone to spam and hacking and therefore The Palaeontological Association cannot be held liable for any damages or implications caused by visiting any shortened links.

Disclosing Your Information

We will not disclose your personal information to any other party other than in accordance with this Privacy Policy and in the circumstances detailed below:

  1. To provide a third-party service that you have requested (e.g. subscription to one of The Palaeontological Associations publications via our publishers and distributers).
  2. Where we are legally required by law to disclose your personal information.
  3. To further fraud protection and reduce the risk of fraud.

Access to Information

In accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998 you have the right to access any information that we hold relating to you. Please note that we reserve the right to charge a fee of £10 to cover costs incurred by us in providing you with the information.

Resources & Further Information

Contacting Us

Please do not hesitate to contact us regarding any matter relating to this Privacy Policy by e-mailing the Executive Officer (executive@palass.org).

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