PRIVACY POLICY

American Bible Society is committed to protecting the data you share with us. This privacy policy explains how American Bible Society processes information that can be used to directly or indirectly identify an individual (“Personal Data”) collected through use of its website and platform.

For the purposes of this policy, American Bible Society defines the term “User” as an entity with which American Bible Society has an established relationship, the term “Respondent” as any individual who responds to surveys powered by American Bible Society or who is included as a contact in a User’s account and the term “Visitor” as an individual that visits our front-end website (for example www.American Bible Society.com).

Any information stored on American Bible Society’s platform is treated as confidential. All information is stored securely and is accessed by authorized personnel only. American Bible Society implements and maintains appropriate technical, security and organizational measures to protect Personal Data against unauthorized or unlawful processing and use, and against accidental loss, destruction, damage, theft or disclosure.

The following sections cover the specifics of each of the three groups from which data is collected: website Visitors, Respondents and Users.

Personally Identifiable Information

As a general rule, ABS does not collect PII about you when you visit our website, unless you choose to provide such information to us. Submitting PII through our website is voluntary. By doing so, you are giving ABS your permission to use the information for the stated purpose. However, not providing certain information may result in ABS’s inability to provide you with the service you desire.

If you choose to provide us with PII on an ABS website, through such methods as completing a web form or sending us an email, we will use that information to help us provide you the information or service you have requested or to respond to your message. The information we may receive from you varies based on what you do when visiting our site.

Generally, the information requested by ABS will be used to respond to your inquiry or to provide you with the service you request. When this information is requested, the reasons for collecting it, a description of ABS’s intended use of the information, how to grant consent to use mandatorily provided information, and how to grant consent for other than statutorily mandated uses will be fully described in a separate customized “Privacy Notice.” This customized Privacy Notice will either appear on the web page collecting the information or be accessible through a hyperlink (link) prominently displayed immediately above or below the information request.

Email

Many of our programs and websites allow you to send us an email. We will use the information you provide to respond to your inquiry. We will only send you general information via email. You should be reminded that email may not necessarily be secure against interception. Therefore, we suggest that you do not send sensitive personal data (such as your Social Security number) to us via email. If your intended email communication is very sensitive, or includes information such as your bank account, credit card, or Social Security number, you should instead send it by U.S. mail. Another alternative may be submission of data through a secure web page, if available.

Electronic mail messages that meet the definition of records in the Federal Records Act (44 U.S.C. 3101 et seq.) are covered under the same disposition schedule as all other Federal records. This means that emails you send us will be preserved and maintained for varying periods of time if those emails meet the definition of Federal records. Electronic messages that are not records are deleted when no longer needed.

Parents are in complete control of any information we collect from children 17 and under.

If you are a Visitor to our website only, and not a Respondent to a survey, then this section is relevant for you.

By visiting this website, you consent to the collection and use of your Personal Data as described herein. If you do not agree with the terms set out herein, please do not visit this website. If required by applicable law, we will seek your explicit consent to process Personal Data collected on this website or volunteered by you. Kindly note that any consent will be entirely voluntary. However, if you do not grant the requested consent to the processing of your Personal Data, the use of this website may not be possible.

American Bible Society may collect, record and analyze information of Visitors to its website. We may record your IP address and use cookies. American Bible Society may add information collected by way of pageview activity. Furthermore, American Bible Society may collect and process any Personal Data that you volunteer to us in our website’s forms, such as when you register for events or sign up for information and newsletters. If you provide American Bible Society with your social media details, American Bible Society may retrieve publicly available information about you from social media.

Such Personal Data may comprise your IP address, first and last name, your postal and email address, your telephone number, your job title, data for social networks, your areas of interest, interest in American Bible Society products, and certain information about the company you are working for (company name and address), as well as information as to the type of relationship that exists between American Bible Society and yourself.

American Bible Society gathers data about visits to the website, including numbers of Visitors and visits, Geo-location data, length of time spent on the site, pages clicked on or where Visitors have come.

ABS uses social media websites and other kinds of third-party websites. ABS uses social media websites to interact with foreign constituencies and engage in public diplomacy worldwide. Social media websites are used to publicize embassy and Department events, and engage with members of the public in foreign countries. ABS also uses web measurement and customization technologies to measure the number of visitors to our websites and their various sections and to help make our websites more useful to visitors. In such cases, the third-party application may request an email address, username, password, and geographic location (e.g., State, region, or ZIP code) for account registration purposes. ABS does not use third-party websites to solicit and collect PII from individuals. Any PII passively collected (i.e., not solicited) by the third-party website will not be transmitted or stored by the Department; no PII will be disclosed, sold or transferred to any other entity outside the Department, unless required for law enforcement purposes or by statute.

ABS retains the data from the ACSI survey results as long as needed to support the mission of the American Bible websites

2.2.1. Purpose of processing personal data

American Bible Society uses the collected data to communicate with Visitors, to customize content for Visitors, to show ads on other websites to Visitors, and to improve its website by analyzing how Visitors navigate its website.

2.2.2. Sharing personal data

American Bible Society may also share such information with service vendors or contractors in order to provide a requested service or transaction or in order to analyze the Visitor behavior on its website.

2.2.3. Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of information sent by a website to a Visitor’s hard disk. Cookies cannot be used to run programs or deliver viruses to your computer. By continuing to visit the website, you agree to the placement of cookies on your device. If you choose not to accept our cookies, we cannot guarantee that your experience will be as fulfilling as it would otherwise be. We may also place cookies from third parties for functional and marketing purposes. The use of cookies is widespread and benefits the surfer. There are two types of cookies:

Session: Session cookies last only as long as your web browser is open. Once you close your browser, the cookie is deleted. Websites may use session cookies for technical purposes such as to enable better navigation through the site, or to allow you to customize your preferences for interacting with the site.

Persistent: Persistent cookies are saved on a user’s hard drive in order to determine which users are new to the site or are returning

2.2.4. Links to other sites

Please be aware that while visiting our site, Visitors can follow links to other sites that are beyond our sphere of influence. American Bible Society is not responsible for the content or privacy policy of these other sites.

Respondents should be aware that in responding to surveys or survey invitations, they could be disclosing information that could make them personally identifiable to American Bible Society Users. The security and privacy protection implemented on American Bible Society’s platform does not cover this type of transfer or disclosure of personal information. Respondents responding to surveys or survey invitations should be aware that they alone are responsible for the content of their responses. For more detailed information concerning the protection of privacy when responding to surveys or survey invitations, Respondents may contact the entity conducting the survey. It is the User’s responsibility to ensure that collection and processing of data is done in accordance with applicable law. American Bible Society will not process Personal Data of Respondents for other purposes or by other means than instructed by its Users.

ABS takes the security of all PII very seriously. We take precautions to maintain the security, confidentiality, and integrity of the information we collect at this site. Such measures include access controls designed to limit access to the information to the extent necessary to accomplish our mission. We also employ various security technologies to protect the information stored on our systems. We routinely test our security measures to ensure that they remain operational and effective.

We take the following steps to secure the information we collect:

• Employ internal access controls to ensure that only personnel who have access to your information are those with a need to do so to perform their official duties.
• Train appropriate personnel on our privacy and security policies and compliance requirements.
• Secure the areas where we retain paper copies of the information we collect online.
• Perform regular backups of the information we collect online to ensure against loss.
• Use technical controls to secure the information we collect online including, but not limited to:
  • Secure Socket Layer (SSL)
  • Encryption
  • Firewalls
  • Password protections
• Periodically test our security procedures to ensure personnel and technical compliance.
• Employ external access safeguards to identify and prevent unauthorized access by outsiders that attempt to “hack” into, or cause harm to, the information contained in our systems.

We hold our contractors and other third-party providers to the same high standards that we use to ensure the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal information they may have access to in the course of their work completed on behalf of ABS.

Interaction with Children Online

ABS is committed to the protection of children’s online privacy. The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) governs information gathered online from or about children under the age of 13. Verifiable consent from a child’s parent or guardian is required before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from a child under age 13. If a website intends to collect information about children under 13 years old, COPPA-required information and instructions will be provided by the specific web page that collects information about the child. The web page will specify exactly what the information will be used for, who will see it, and how long it will be kept.

2.4.1. General

In order to provide services to its Users, American Bible Society collects certain types of data from them. Furthermore, American Bible Society’s Users collect information from Respondents when they produce and distribute surveys. This section will describe how these two types of data are collected and used by American Bible Society as well as geographical differences that effect this policy. Data entered or transferred into American Bible Society by Users such as texts, questions, contacts, media files, etc., remains the property of the User and may not be shared with a third party by American Bible Society without express consent from the User.

2.4.2. Collection of User data

During a User’s registration and later American Bible Society’s platform, they provide information such as name, company name, email, address, telephone, credit-card number and other relevant data. This information is used by American Bible Society to identify the User and provide them with support, services, mailings, sales and marketing actions, billing and to meet contractual obligations.

American Bible Society Users can at any time access and edit, update or delete their contact details by logging in with their username and password to American Bible Society’s platform. American Bible Society Users may create more Users with different privilege levels within their account. It is the responsibility of the User that creates other User accounts, to choose the level of access each User should have. Once these new Users log into American Bible Society, they meet the definition of User in this policy. American Bible Society will not retain User data longer than is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by applicable laws or regulations.

2.4.3. Collection of Respondent data

Surveys used for gathering feedback are created by Users, who make them available to relevant businesses, organizations, and individuals. It is the User’s responsibility to ensure that collection and processing of data is done in accordance with applicable law. American Bible Society will not process Personal Data for other purposes or by other means than instructed by its Users.

Respondent data includes data from individuals uploaded, transferred or manually entered by a American Bible Society User into their account for the purpose of providing feedback to the User by responding to surveys. Personal Data may include, personal contact information such as name, home address, home telephone or mobile number, email address, information concerning family, lifestyle and social circumstances including age, date of birth, marital status, number of children, employment details, education/qualification, business contact details, gender, religion, race, health detail and other sensitive Personal Data. Answers to questions by Respondents, may also include Personal Data.

The purpose of collecting Personal Data as part of a survey will vary depending on the survey, as set up by American Bible Society’s Users. As American Bible Society provides surveys to a wide group of customers and businesses, the purpose may vary greatly. For Users in the EEA, or for Users providing surveys to Respondents in the EEA, the User will be the “controller”, as defined in the Directive and the GDPR. The purpose will consequently be defined by American Bible Society’s User.

If you or your organization are required under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to enter into a contract, or other binding legal act under EU or Member State law, with your data processors in your American Bible Society account.

2.4.4. Geographical location

American Bible Society offers a number of data regions. American Bible Society “Data Region” is a set of data centers located within a defined geographical area where User and Respondent data is stored. Personal Data is not transmitted between Data Regions. For American Bible Society Users with accounts located in American Bible Society’s European Data Region, all Personal Data is processed in the EEA. For Users with accounts in the Data Regions: United States of America (US) and Canada, all Personal Data is processed solely in the respective country. For Users with accounts in our Asia Pacific Data Region, all Personal Data is processed in Singapore.

2.4.4.1 Processing in the European Economic Area (EEA)

For Users with accounts located in American Bible Society’s European Data Region, all processing of Personal Data is performed in accordance with privacy rights and regulations following the EU Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 (the Directive), and the implementations of the Directive in local legislation. From May 25th, 2018, the Directive and local legislation based on the Directive will be replaced by the Regulations (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of Personal Data and on the free movement of such data, known as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and American Bible Society’s processing will take place in accordance with the GDPR.

2.4.4.1.1. Controller

American Bible Society processes Personal Data both as a Processor and as a Controller, as defined in the Directive and the GDPR:

The American Bible Society entity which you as a User entered an agreement with when using American Bible Society’s platform, will be the Controller for User data, as outlined above in “Collection of User data” section. For Respondent data, as outlined in the “Collection of Respondent data” section, the User will be the Controller in accordance with Directive and GDPR, and American Bible Society will be the Processor. American Bible Society adheres to the Directive of 1995 and the GDPR from May 25th, 2018. Consequently, American Bible Society processes all data provided by its Users with accounts in its European Data Region, in the European Economic Area (EEA) only.

All data collected by American Bible Society Users through surveys will be stored exclusively in secure hosting facilities provided by Amazon Web Services. American Bible Society has a data processing agreement in place with its provider, ensuring compliance with the Directive. All hosting is performed in accordance with the highest security regulations. All transfers of data internally in the EEA is done in accordance with this data processing agreement.

2.4.4.2 Processing in the United States of America (US)

For Users with accounts in the American Bible Society US Data Region, American Bible Society processes data solely in data centers located in the US. American Bible Society has adopted reasonable physical, technical and organizational safeguards which substantially mirror the EU safeguards against accidental, unauthorized or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure, access, use or processing of the User’s data in American Bible Society’s possession. American Bible Society will promptly notify the User in the event of any known unauthorized access to, or use of, the User’s data.

All data collected by American Bible Society Users through surveys will be stored exclusively in secure hosting facilities provided by Amazon Web Services. American Bible Society’s contract with its hosting provider ensures that all hosting is performed in accordance with the highest security regulations. American Bible Society’s policy is to protect and safeguard any personal information obtained by American Bible Society in accordance with United States state or federal laws governing the protection of personal information and data. Accordingly, American Bible Society adheres to practices and policies that aim to safeguard the data.

2.4.4.3 Processing in Canada

For Users with accounts in the American Bible Society Canada Data Region, American Bible Society processes data solely in data centers located in Canada. American Bible Society has adopted reasonable physical, technical and organizational safeguards which substantially mirror the EU safeguards against accidental, unauthorized or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure, access, use or processing of the Users data in American Bible Society’s possession. American Bible Society will promptly notify the User in the event of any known unauthorized access to, or use of, the User’s data.

All data collected by American Bible Society Users through surveys will be stored exclusively in secure hosting facilities provided by Amazon Web Services. American Bible Society’s contract with its hosting provider ensures that all hosting is performed in accordance with the highest security regulations. American Bible Society’s policy is to protect and safeguard any personal information obtained by American Bible Society in accordance with Canadian laws governing the protection of personal information and data. Accordingly, American Bible Society adheres to practices and policies that aim to safeguard the data.

2.4.4.4 Processing in other regions

For Users with accounts in our Asian Pacific Data Region, American Bible Society processes data solely in data centers located in Singapore. American Bible Society has adopted reasonable physical, technical and organizational safeguards which substantially mirror the EU safeguards against accidental, unauthorized or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure, access, use or processing of the Users data in American Bible Society’s possession. American Bible Society will promptly notify the User in the event of any known unauthorized access to, or use of, the User’s data.

All data collected by American Bible Society Users through surveys will be stored exclusively in secure hosting facilities provided by Amazon Web Services. American Bible Society’s contract with its hosting provider ensures that all hosting is performed in accordance with the highest security regulations. Accordingly, American Bible Society adheres to practices and policies that aim to safeguard the data.

American Bible Society will not retain data longer than is necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or as required by applicable laws or regulations. For Respondent data, American Bible Society’s Users have control of the purpose for collecting data, and the duration for which the Personal Data may be kept. For Respondent data, Users with an active account will therefore have the responsibility to delete data when required. When a user’s account is terminated or expired, all Personal Data collected through the platform will be deleted, as required by applicable law.

We assume that all Visitors of our website, Respondents to surveys powered by American Bible Society and users American Bible Society’s platform have carefully read this document and agree to its contents. If someone does not agree with this privacy policy, they should refrain from using our website and platform. We reserve the right to change our privacy policy as necessity dictates. Continued use of American Bible Society website and platform after having been informed of any such changes to these conditions implies acceptance of the revised privacy policy. This privacy policy is an integral part of American Bible Society’s terms of use.

We will reveal a user’s personal information without his/her prior permission only when we have reason to believe that the disclosure of this information is required to establish the identity of, to contact or to initiate legal proceedings against a person or persons who are suspected of infringing rights or property belonging to American Bible Society or to others who could be harmed by the user’s activities or of persons who could (deliberately or otherwise) transgress upon these rights and property. We are permitted to disclose personal information when we have good reason to believe that this is legally required.

We welcome feedback if you have any questions regarding our privacy policy or the use of your information. For additional information about our Privacy Policy, please contact us at info@americanbible.org.