ASTA Privacy Policy Effective August 1, 2023
The American String Teachers Association (“ASTA,” “us”, “we”, or “our”) provides this Privacy Policy to describe how we collect, use, and disclose the information of individuals who visit our website at https://astastrings.org and who use ASTA social media components including The ASTA Community Platform (together the “Site”). This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors, users, and others who access or use the Site.
Some of our information practices apply to ASTA Chapters. When you register to become a member of an ASTA Chapter, ASTA will share your registration information with that chapter to administer your membership.
By accessing or using the Site you are accepting this Privacy Policy and agreeing to ASTA’s use of your data according to its contents. If you disagree with any part of the Privacy Policy, then you may not access the Site.
Summary
ASTA operates the Site, which is hosted in the United States through a contracted vendor/processor. We use cookies, which gather certain forms of information from your computer to help us monitor and improve Site usage and performance. Portions of the Site may allow you to voluntarily submit personal information, which may include your name, address, email address, telephone or other contact, as well as any content you post, and certain other information, which we explain in more detail below. You can choose not to provide us with this information, but certain portions of the Site and certain functionality may not be available to you.
We may disclose this information to third parties who may use it to provide you with offers for products and services. In addition, we share your personal information with ASTA Chapters when you become a Chapter member.
What Information Does ASTA Collect?
General Usage Data: ASTA does not collect any personal information from users browsing its website. We do automatically collect certain data regarding the usage of the Site, in order to improve the performance of the Site. The data we collect could include information such as the type of browser you are using, IP address, the pages you view, the length of your visit to the Site, and other information we collect through the use of cookies and similar technology. This information is all anonymous and used in an aggregated manner.
Site Functionality: In order to utilize certain functions, we may also ask you to provide personal information on the Site, which may include your name, address, telephone number, company name, e-mail address and relevant details about your expertise and interests. This information can be gathered when you send us an e-mail, when you complete the specific web page request form, or as you complete or modify your personal profile. In all such cases you choose whether to provide us with the personal information, but certain portions of the Site may not be available to you, or we may not be able to respond to your inquiry effectively if you do not provide the personal information requested (e.g., an email address to respond to an email inquiry).
From ASTA Members, Event Registrants and Other Customers: In order to access some services and functions on the site, including members-only resources, purchased content, class or event registration, we may ask you to provide additional personal information regarding your membership or other customer relationship with ASTA. This additional information may include existing account/member numbers, organization name, payment or credit card details, education and certification preferences, etc. Similar information may be submitted to ASTA through membership applications, conference or seminar registration, publication orders, subscriptions, and competition registrations. We will use this information only to support your membership or relationship with ASTA. This includes responding to your requests, customizing your experience on the Site, communicating with you about your membership, and providing you choices about how to view and manage the products and services that you receive from us.
From Social Media. This Site includes social media and other networking functions, which include personal identification and the posting of information. ASTA collects the information provided through social media functions, including the contact information and the post content.
Surveys, Contests and Other Voluntary Functions. We may occasionally request information from you via surveys, contests, or other voluntary submissions, some of which may be sponsored. Your participation in these surveys or contests is completely voluntary. The information that we request typically includes your contact details. If you choose to participate, the information that you provide will be shared with the contest/survey sponsors, as well as used to notify winners or share results. If relevant, ASTA will share the name of Sponsors on the survey/contest. Survey information may also be used to monitor and improve the content and performance of the Site or ASTA services.
Cookies and Web Beacons
Cookies are small bits of data cached or stored on your computer based on Internet activity. We use cookies to monitor individual activity in aggregate to improve the Site. The information we gather may include IP address, user language, the operating system, browser type, the presence/absence of “flash” plug-ins, screen resolution, connection type, and information that identifies the cookie. On most web browsers you can use browser settings to stop accepting cookies, be notified when you receive a browser cookie, and disable existing browser cookies. Remember though that without browser cookies you may not be able to take advantage of all our Site features.
We also use web beacons (also known as clear gifs), which are tiny graphics embedded on a web page to help us measure the effectiveness of particular content. Unlike cookies, web beacons are not stored on your computer’s hard drive.
Passwords
To use many aspects of the program, you will need a username and password. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the username and password, and you are responsible for all activities, whether by you or by others, that occur under your username or password and within your account. ASTA is not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to protect your username, password, or account information, including access of your Personal Data. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized or improper use of your username or password or any other breach of security.
ASTA will use its best efforts to keep your username and password(s) private and will not otherwise share your password(s) without your consent, except as necessary when the law requires it or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary, particularly when disclosure is necessary to identify, contact or bring legal action against someone who may be causing injury to others or interfering with our rights or property.
How Does ASTA Use Data Collected?
Statistical. We use the information collected through the Site for statistical purposes and for improving the Site. We may also work with third parties that collect anonymous data about your use of the Site over time for non-advertising purposes. ASTA uses Google Analytics to improve the performance of the Solution and for analytics and marketing purposes. For more information about how Google Analytics collects and uses data when you use our Site visit www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners, and to opt out of Google Analytics, visit tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.
Fulfilling Purpose. We use the personal information you provide through the Site in connection with the reason for which it was provided. For instance, if you contact us by email, we may use the personal information you provide to answer your question or resolve your problem.
Communications/Marketing. We use the personal information you provide through the site to provide email and other communications about relevant information on ASTA member benefits, publications, products, and offerings from ASTA and ASTA partners. We may use a third party to assist us with these collections and analyses. On certain of our Site pages where you have submitted detailed information concerning potential products or services, we use this information only for the purposes of contacting you and determining which product or services may be most relevant to you. Upon submitting your membership or any order, you will have the right to opt out of receiving any of these communications. After registration, you always have the choice to opt out of receiving any communications emails by either contacting us, updating preferences in your Member Profile or through the “unsubscribe” link found at the bottom of our newsletters and emails.
Processing Orders. In addition to using your information to populate your Member Profile pages, ASTA and our agents will use your personal information to process purchase orders that you submit via the Site and enable you to track the progress of purchase orders. This may include sharing certain data with delivery providers such as UPS and providing you access to shipper tracking numbers. Similarly, if you qualify for any rewards based on your purchase history, this information too will be processed by us and our agents to enable your access to these benefits.
Legal Requirements. We may also disclose personal information in order to respond to a subpoena, court order or other such request. We may also provide such personal information in response to a law enforcement agency’s request or as otherwise required by law.
Structural Change. We may provide your personal information to a third party if we file for bankruptcy, or there is a transfer of the assets or ownership in connection with proposed or consummated corporate reorganizations, such as mergers, acquisitions, or sales of business units.
Membership Directory for Attendees and Members. ASTA makes member contact information available through the ASTA Membership Directory to other members using its website and to those who register for its conferences.
Uses by Third Parties. On occasion, ASTA may also provide limited data to third parties who offer products and services. These limited data include names, job titles, companies, and business addresses, but do not include phone numbers, fax numbers, or email addresses. If you choose to opt-in for specific product types, we work closely with certain companies to communicate with you about products and services of interest to you, including special offers available to our members. Users will be informed of these uses and may request that ASTA refrain from disclosing the data it collects to third parties, by checking certain boxes on the membership application form, conference registration form, or any other form on which they are providing information. Alternatively, users may contact ASTA at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113 to express their preferences if they later determine they do not wish to have their personal information shared.
You should know in advance that each of these companies has its own policies with respect to the collection and use of personal information and that we are not responsible for their use of your information.
Third Party Information Request. You have the right to request a list of any third parties to whom your personal information has been provided. Upon receipt of a request, ASTA will provide a list of all third parties to whom your personal information was disclosed in the preceding calendar year, as well as a list of the categories of personal information that were disclosed. If you would like to request this information, please send an email to asta@astastrings.org.
Credit Card Account Information. ASTA does not retain credit card account information provided by its members and customers. When members and customers choose to pay using their credit cards, ASTA submits the information needed to obtain payment to the appropriate clearinghouse and removes the data from its system.
Storage of Data – Use of Third-Party Processor
Your data is submitted to ASTA and is hosted and stored in a database on servers located in the United States by ASTA and by third parties (data processors) on our behalf. The third parties are under instructions from and have data security procedures compliant with all relevant data protection statutes and regulations and are no less strict than ASTA’s.
International Transfer of Data
ASTA’s headquarters is located in the United States. Your personal data may be accessed from or transferred to the United States or to our affiliates, partners, merchants, or service providers who are located worldwide. If you are visiting our website from outside the United States, note that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using our service, you consent to any transfer of this information.
Information Security
ASTA and its providers have implemented reasonable security measures for the purpose of protecting your personal information against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure, or access and against any other unlawful forms of processing. When you create a user profile and log in to a secure portion of our Site, your personal information benefits from the protections of Secure Sockets Layer (“SSL”) technology. Our web servers have been enabled with SSL technology to automatically encrypt your information and help prevent unauthorized parties from viewing your account or payment information during a secure session.
Digital Advertising & Analytics
ASTA may partner with ad networks and other ad serving providers. Some of those ads may be personalized, meaning that they are intended to be relevant to you based on information advertising providers collect about your use of the Sites over time, including information about relationships among different browsers and devices. This type of advertising is known as interest-based advertising. We adhere to the Digital Advertising Alliance (“DAA”) Self-Regulatory Principles in connection with this activity.
For more information on how to opt out of receiving interest-based advertisements, or to learn more about interest-based advertising please visit the Network Advertising Initiative at http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ or the Digital Advertising Alliance at http://www.aboutads.info/choices/.
Other Websites
Please be aware that our Site may contain links to other sites on the Internet that are owned and operated by third parties. The information practices of those websites linked to our Site are not covered by this Privacy Policy. ASTA is not responsible for the privacy policies of websites to which the Site links. If you provide any information to such third parties, different rules regarding the collection and use of your personal information may apply. We strongly suggest you review such third party’s privacy policies before providing any data to them. These other sites may send their own cookies or web beacons to users, collect data or solicit personally identifiable information. We cannot control this collection of information. You should contact these entities directly if you have any questions about their use of the information that they collect.
Data Retention
ASTA will store your personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purpose for which the personal data is processed. We may retain and use your personal data as necessary to comply with our legal and accounting obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements and rights, or if it is not technically reasonably feasible to remove it. Consistent with these requirements, we will try to delete your personal data quickly upon request. If you wish to cancel your account or request that we no longer use your information to provide you service, contact us at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113. Children’s Privacy
Our website is not directed to children under the age of 13. If you are not 13 years or older, do not use our site without a parent present. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13. If we learn that personal data of persons less than 13 years-of-age has been collected through our site, we will take the appropriate steps to delete this information. If you discover that your child or any minor under the age of 13 has posted, submitted, or otherwise communicated personal data to our site without your consent, then you may alert us at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113 so that we may take appropriate action to remove the minor’s personal data from our systems. Additional Data Rights
Inquiry. You have the right to view any of your personal data that ASTA holds as well as related information, including the purposes for processing the personal data, the recipients or categories of recipients with whom the personal data has been shared, where possible, the period for which the personal data will be stored, the source of the personal data, and the existence of any automated decision making. If you wish to request this information, please contact us at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113.
Correction or Removal. If any of the information that ASTA has about you is incorrect, or you wish to have information (including personal data) removed from our records, you may do so by visiting your ASTA Profile, or contacting us at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113.
Automated Decision Making. If you wish to request that your personal data not be subject to automated decision making, you may do so by visiting your ASTA Profile, or contacting us at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113. Opting Out. If you prefer not to receive marketing messages or any or all other processing of your personal data from us, please let us know by clicking on the unsubscribe link within any marketing message that you receive, by visiting your ASTA Profile, or by contacting us at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113. Please note that some processing of personal data is required to provide some services and functions of this Site or your ASTA membership.
Request Transfer of Your Personal Data. You may have the right to request transfer of your personal data directly to a third party where this is technically feasible. Complaints
Internal. If any user thinks ASTA has handled its personal information in a manner that does not comply with this privacy statement, please contact us at asta@astastrings.org or (703) 279-2113.
Government Authorities. In addition, where you believe that ASTA has not complied with its obligations under this notice, you have the right to make a complaint to the relevant government body (EU Data Protection Board, State Authority, etc.). Who is ASTA?
For the purposes of Data Protection statutes (including the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation – GDPR) the data controller is The American String Teachers Association, Inc., registered in Virginia, USA, with a registered address at 4155 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030. Changes to the Privacy Policy
If we make any material changes to this notice or to the way we use, share, or collect personal data, we will notify you by revising the effective date at the top of this notice, prominently posting an announcement of the changes on our website, or sending an email to the email address you most recently provided. Please check back frequently to see any updates or changes to this notice.