Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Personal Data

We may collect personal identification information from you in a variety of ways, including, but not limited to, when you:

• Register on our Site or App
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Fill out a form or survey
• Submit barking spider sightings or recordings
• Apply for expeditions or educational programs
• Contact us via email or through our contact form

Depending on the context, we may collect the following types of personal data:

• Name, email address, postal address, and phone number
• Academic credentials and institutional affiliations
• Geographic location data (when reporting spider sightings)
• Photos, audio recordings, or videos you upload
• Account login credentials
• Payment information (for donations or purchases)

Non-Personal Data

We may collect non-personal identification information about you whenever you interact with our Site or App. This may include:

• Browser name and type
• Device type
• Operating system
• Internet service provider
• Pages visited
• Time and date of your visit
• Time spent on pages
• Other statistics

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect from you for the following purposes:

Personal Data

• To provide, operate, and maintain our Site and App
• To process and respond to your inquiries
• To send administrative information, such as updates, security alerts, and support messages
• To send newsletters, updates, and educational content if you have subscribed to such services
• To process your spider sighting reports and incorporate them into our research database
• To process applications for fieldwork expeditions, educational programs, or research access
• To process donations and provide tax receipts
• To improve our educational outreach and research programs
• To communicate with you about events, surveys, and research findings

Research and Educational Purposes

Data you provide about barking spider sightings, including location data, recordings, and observations, may be:

• Added to our scientific database for research purposes
• Aggregated with other data to analyze population trends
• Used in academic publications (always anonymized unless you explicitly consent to being credited)
• Shared with partner research institutions (in anonymized form)
• Used in educational materials about barking spiders

3. Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose your personal information in the following situations:

Compliance with Laws

We may disclose your information where we are legally required to do so in order to comply with applicable law, governmental requests, judicial proceedings, court orders, or legal processes.

Business Transfers

We may share or transfer your information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of institute assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of our organization to another entity.

Third-Party Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as web hosting, data analysis, payment processing, and customer service. These third parties are contractually obligated to keep personal information confidential and use it only for the purposes for which we disclose it to them.

Research Partners

We may share anonymized data with other research institutions, universities, and conservation organizations for scientific research purposes.

With Your Consent

We may disclose your personal information for any other purpose with your consent.

4. Security of Your Information

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:

• Secure SSL encryption for all data transfers
• Regular security audits and vulnerability testing
• Access controls for staff and researchers
• Data minimization practices
• Regular backups and disaster recovery planning

However, please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Site and App and to hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data that may include an anonymous unique identifier.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Site to function properly.
• Analytical/Performance Cookies: Allow us to recognize and count the number of visitors and see how visitors move around our Site.
• Functionality Cookies: Enable the Site to provide enhanced functionality and personalization.

Cookie Control

Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies if you prefer. If you disable cookies, some features of the Site may not function properly.

6. Third-Party Websites

Our Site and App may contain links to third-party websites and applications of interest, including social media buttons and widgets. Clicking on these links or enabling these connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. We do not control these third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy statements. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.

7. Children's Privacy

Our Site and services are not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us. If we discover that a child under 16 has provided us with personal information, we will delete such information from our servers.

For educational materials used in school settings, we work with teachers and educational institutions who obtain appropriate parental consents when required.

8. Your Rights Regarding Your Data

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request copies of your personal information.
• Right to Rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any information you believe is inaccurate or complete information you believe is incomplete.
• Right to Erasure: You have the right to request that we erase your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to Object to Processing: You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information, under certain conditions.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request that we transfer the data we have collected to another organization, or directly to you, under certain conditions.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the "Contact Us" section below.

9. International Data Transfers

As a global research organization with field stations in multiple countries, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries where our facilities are located or where our service providers are located or hosted. By submitting your personal information, you consent to this transfer, storing, or processing.

We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: