PRIVACY NOTICE
Effective Date: May 25, 2018
Introduction
The Professional Liability Underwriting Society (“PLUS”) is a professional membership association for people who work in the professional liability insurance. We do not knowingly attempt to solicit or receive information from children.
This Privacy Notice describes PLUS’s policies and practices regarding its collection and use of your personal information, and sets forth your privacy rights. We recognize that information privacy is an ongoing responsibility, and so we will from time to time update this Privacy Notice as we undertake new personal information practices or adopt new privacy policies.
PLUS collects personal information about its members and other customers. This includes the kinds of information that can be found on a business card: first name, last name, job title, employer name, work address, work email, and work phone number. We use this information to provide members and customers with goods and services, including membership services, certification, training, and the like. We do not sell personal information to anyone and only share it with third parties who are facilitating the delivery of PLUS services.
How we collect and use (process) your personal information
1. Personal information you give to us
Membership
When you become a PLUS member, we collect information about you including (but not limited to) your name, your employer’s name, your work address (including your country location), and your email address. We also collect your personal email address, a personal mailing address, and a mobile phone number. We ask members to voluntarily provide additional information in their membership profile, such as information about their educational background, number of years in the industry, and the like. Members may edit their profile at any time to change, add, or remove personal information.
We process your personal information for membership administration, to deliver member benefits to you, and to inform you of PLUS-related events, content, and other benefits or opportunities associated with your PLUS membership. PLUS also uses this information to help PLUS understand our members’ needs and interests to better tailor our products and services to meet your needs.
2. Live events, chapter events, and webinars
PLUS hosts many events throughout the year. These include in-person national conferences like the Annual PLUS Conference and Annual Symposia, as well as local chapter events, and live webinars (collectively “events”). If you register for one of our events and you are a member, we will access the information in your member account to provide you with information and services associated with the event. If you are not a member and you register for one of our events, we will collect your name and contact information, which we will store in our database(s) and use to provide you with information and services associated with the event.
If you are a presenter at one of our events, we will collect information about you including your name, employer and contact information, and photograph, and we also collect information provided by event attendees who evaluated your performance as a presenter. We may also make and store a recording of your voice and likeness in certain instances.
We keep a record of your participation in PLUS events as an attendee or presenter. This information is used to provide you with membership and or to tell you about other events and publications. It is also used to help PLUS understand our members’ needs and interests to better tailor our products and services to meet your needs.
In association with attending one or more of our conferences, you will have the option to download the “PLUS Events App” to help you navigate the conference and plan your schedule. The PLUS Events App may require the device identifier associated with your device and require us to obtain and hold members first name, last name, position, employer and email address.
Some of our events are sponsored. PLUS provides an attendee list to sponsors, co-sponsors and exhibitors of our events. If you do not wish to have your information included in an attendee list you can express your preferences when you register for events or you may contact PLUS directly at info@plusweb.org.
3. Publications
PLUS offers a great deal of content for our members. In addition to producing original content, PLUS also subscribes to news feeds and blogs produced by others, which we often link to from our website. This means you may find yourself on the PLUS website or reading an email from PLUS publications team and we will offer you a link to another organization’s website where you will find content that we find relevant and useful to you. At these times, you will be leaving PLUS website. PLUS is not responsible or liable for content provided by these third party websites or personal information they may happen to gather from you.
You may manage your PLUS subscriptions by subscribing or unsubscribing at any time. Please note that if you have set your browser to block cookies, this may have an impact on your ability to unsubscribe. If you have any difficulties managing your email or other communication preferences with the PLUS, please contact us at info@plusweb.org.
We also conduct surveys after events. We do not track individuals but look at information in the aggregate only. Participation in surveys is voluntary.
4. Training
If you participate in PLUS training, you may sign up directly through PLUS in which case we collect your name and contact information directly from you.
5. Certification
When you sign up to take one of PLUS’s certification exams, we will collect your name and contact information. This information is shared with our computer-based exam hosting service. The computer-based exam hosting service may also share with us information you provide to them to verify your identity in taking the exam. PLUS will collect your exam results and, in conjunction with maintaining your certification(s), your record of participation in continuing education. Only authorized employees within PLUS have access to your certification exam scores.
6. Your correspondence with PLUS
If you correspond with us by email, the postal service, or other form of communication, we retain such correspondence and the information contained in it and use it to respond to your inquiry; to notify you of PLUS events, publications, or other services; or to keep a record of your complaint, accommodation request, and the like. As always, if you wish to have PLUS “erase” your personal information or otherwise refrain from communicating with you, please contact us at info@plusweb.org.
Note: if you ask PLUS not to contact you by email at a certain email address, PLUS will retain a copy of that email address on its “master do not send” list in order to comply with your no-contact request.
7. Purposes for processing your data
As explained above, PLUS processes your data to provide you with the goods or services you have requested or purchased from us, including membership services, events, publications and other content, testing, and training. We use this information to refine our goods and services to better tailor them to your needs and to communicate with you about other services PLUS offers that may assist you in your career or otherwise help you do your job and meet our mission to our members.
8. Payment card information
You may choose to purchase goods or services from PLUS using a payment card. Typically, payment card information is provided directly by users, via PLUS website, into the PCI/DSS-compliant payment processing service to which PLUS subscribes, and PLUS does not, itself, process or store the card information. Occasionally, members or customers ask PLUS employees to, on their behalf, enter payment card information into the PCI/DSS-compliant payment processing service to which PLUS subscribes. We strongly encourage you not to submit this information by email. When PLUS employees receive payment card information from customers or members by email, fax, phone, or mail, it is entered as instructed and then deleted, destroyed, or saved in a secure location.
9. Personal information we get from third parties
From time to time, PLUS receives personal information about individuals from third parties. This may happen if your employer is a corporate member of PLUS and signs you up for and event, testing, or membership.
10. What happens if you don’t give us your data
Much of the information on our website is available even to those who are not PLUS members. You can even enter only the minimal amount of information (name and contact information) to your PLUS member profile if you wish, and you can edit your profile at any time. Some personal information is necessary so that PLUS can supply you with the services you have purchased or requested, and to authenticate you so that we know it is you and not someone else. You may manage your PLUS subscriptions and you may opt-out of receiving marketing communication at any time. The provision of information is sometimes required by law and at other times is a result of a contractual requirement. You may be required to provide information, for example in a case where we sign a contract with you, and the non-provision of information could, in certain circumstances, prevent a transaction from concluding.
11. Additional information on information use
We do not use automatic decision-making or engage in profiling. Where we intend to process your personal information for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was collected, we will provide you with information regarding the purpose for the processing, as well as other relevant information, prior to processing your personal information for the new purpose.
12. Use of the PLUSweb.org Website
As is true of most other websites, PLUS’s website collects certain information automatically and stores it in log files. The information includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, the region or general location where your computer or device is accessing the internet, browser type, operating system and other usage information about the use of PLUS’s website, including a history of the pages you view, access times and referring Web site address. We use this information to help us design our site to better suit our users’ needs. We also use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our website, analyze trends, track visitor movements, and gather broad demographic information that assists us in identifying visitor preferences. PLUS’s website also uses cookies and web beacons.
13. Cookies and web beacons
Cookies are pieces of data that a Web site transfers to a user’s hard drive for record-keeping purposes. Web beacons are transparent pixel images that are used in collecting information about website usage, e-mail response and tracking.
The Site uses cookies and Web beacons to provide enhanced functionality on the site (e.g., user ID and password prompts, and conference registration) and aggregate traffic data (e.g., what pages are the most popular). These cookies may be delivered in a first-party or third-party context. PLUS also uses cookies and web beacons in association with e-mails delivered by PLUS. Our Site also captures limited information (user-agent, HTTP referrer, last URL requested by the user, client-side and server-side clickstream) about visits to our Site; we use this information to analyze general traffic patterns and to perform routine system maintenance. You have many choices with regards to the management of cookies on your computer. All major browsers allow you to block or delete cookies from your system. To learn more about your ability to manage cookies and web beacons, please consult the privacy features in your browser.
This website uses Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your computer, to help the website analyze how users use the site. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Website (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers in the United States. Google will use this information for the purposes of evaluating your use of the website, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google’s behalf. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser, however please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website. By using the PLUS website, you consent to the processing of data about you by Google in the manner and for the purposes set out above. PLUS does not track its customers when they cross to third party websites. For more information about how Google Analytics collects and uses data when you use our Website, visit https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/, and to opt out of Google Analytics, visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout/.
PLUS also uses a marketing database management program that deploys a cookie when a user interacts with a marketing communication, such as a marketing email or a marketing-based landing page on our website. This cookie collects personal information such as your name, which pages you visit on the PLUS website, your history arriving at the PLUS website, your purchases from PLUS and the like. We use this information to evaluate the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. You may set your browser to block these cookies.
PLUS tracks users when they cross from our primary public website (www.plusweb.org) to our members’ only sections of the website by logging in with their user name and password.
14. When and how we share information with others
Information about your PLUS purchases and certification status are maintained in association with your membership or profile account. The personal information PLUS collects from you is stored in one or more databases hosted by third parties located in the United States. These third parties do not use or have access to your personal information for any purpose other than cloud storage and retrieval. On occasion, PLUS engages third parties to mail information to you, including items like books you may have purchased.
We do not otherwise reveal your personal information to third-parties for their independent use unless: (1) you request or authorize it; (2) it’s in connection with PLUS-hosted and PLUS co-sponsored event; (3) the information is provided to comply with the law (for example, to comply with a search warrant, subpoena or court order), enforce an agreement we have with you, or to protect our rights, property or safety, or the rights, property or safety of our employees or others; (4) the information is provided to our agents, vendors or service providers who perform functions on our behalf; (5) to address emergencies or acts of God; or (6) to address disputes, claims, or to persons demonstrating legal authority to act on your behalf; and (7) through the PLUS Member Directory.
The PLUS website uses interfaces with social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others. If you choose to “like” or share information from the PLUS website through these services, you should review the privacy notice of that service. If you are a member of a social media site, the interfaces may allow the social media site to connect your site visit to your personal information.
Member directory
PLUS makes member information available through the PLUS Member Directory to other PLUS members using this Site. Members are invited to opt-in to having their information shared in the Member Directory.
15. International Visitors
This section applies to those that visit our Website from the European Economic Area or Switzerland.
16. Lawful basis for processing
PLUS processes personal information with your consent (e.g., when you agree that PLUS may place cookies, or when PLUS processes personal information to provide goods and services you request).
On other occasions, PLUS may process personal information when it needs to do this to fulfill a contract (for example, to process membership applications) or where required to do this by law.
If necessary, PLUS may also process personal information when it is in PLUS’s legitimate interests to do this (e.g., for customer service or to administer membership benefits) and when these interests are not overridden by your data protection rights.
17. Transferring personal information from the EU to the US
PLUS has its headquarters in the United States. Information we collect from you will be processed in the United States. PLUS collects and transfers to the U.S. personal information only: with your consent; to perform a contract with you; or to fulfill a compelling legitimate interest of PLUS in a manner that does not outweigh your rights and freedoms. PLUS endeavors to apply suitable safeguards to protect the privacy and security of your personal information and to use it only consistent with your relationship with PLUS and the practices described in this Privacy Notice. PLUS also minimizes the risk to your rights and freedoms by not collecting or storing sensitive information about you.
18. Data subject rights
This Privacy Notice is intended to provide you with information about what personal data PLUS collects about you and how it is used. If you have any questions, please contact us at info@plusweb.org.
If you wish to confirm that PLUS is processing your personal data, or to have access to the personal data PLUS may have about you, please contact us at info@plusweb.org.
You may also request information about: the purpose of the processing; the categories of personal data concerned; who else outside PLUS might have received the data from PLUS; what the source of the information was (if you didn’t provide it directly to PLUS); and how long it will be stored. You have a right to correct (rectify) the record of your personal data maintained by PLUS if it is inaccurate. You may request that PLUS erase that data or cease processing it, subject to certain exceptions. You may also request that PLUS cease using your data for direct marketing purposes. In many countries, you have a right to lodge a complaint with the appropriate data protection authority if you have concerns about how PLUS processes your personal data. When technically feasible, PLUS will—at your request—provide your personal data to you or transmit it directly to another controller.
Reasonable access to your personal data will be provided at no cost to PLUS members, conference attendees and others upon request made to PLUS at info@plusweb.org. If access cannot be provided within a reasonable time frame, PLUS will provide you with a date when the information will be provided. If for some reason access is denied, PLUS will provide an explanation as to why access has been denied.
19. Security of your information
To help protect the privacy of data and personal information you transmit through use of this Site, we maintain physical, technical and administrative safeguards. We update and test our security technology on an ongoing basis. We restrict access to your personal information to those employees who need to know that information to provide benefits or services to you. In addition, we train our employees about the importance of confidentiality and maintaining the privacy and security of your information. We commit to taking appropriate disciplinary measures to enforce our employees’ privacy responsibilities.
20. Data storage and retention
Your personal information is stored by PLUS on its servers, and on the servers of the cloud-based database management services PLUS engages, located in the United States. PLUS retains data for the duration of the customer’s or member’s business relationship with PLUS, as long as it is necessary to achieve the purpose of the storage, or as permitted by law. For more information on where and how long your personal data is stored, and for more information on your rights of erasure and portability, please contact PLUS at info@plusweb.org. After expiration of that period, the corresponding information is routinely deleted, as long as it is no longer necessary for the fulfillment of a contract or the initiation of a contract.
21. Changes and updates to the Privacy Notice
As our organization, membership and benefits change from time to time, this Privacy Notice and Conditions of Use is expected to change as well. We reserve the right to amend the Privacy Notice and Conditions of Use at any time, for any reason, without notice to you, other than the posting of the amended Privacy Notice and Conditions of Use at this Site. You should check our Site frequently to see the current Privacy Notice and Conditions of Use that is in effect and any changes that may have been made to it.
By using this Site, you agree to the terms and conditions contained in this Privacy Notice and Conditions of Use and/or any other agreement that we might have with you. If you do not agree to any of these terms and conditions, you should not use this Site or any PLUS benefits or services. You agree that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Notice and Conditions of Use, or any other agreement we have with you, will be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota. You also agree to arbitrate such disputes in Minnesota, and to abide by any limitation on damages contained in any agreement we may have with you.
Contact us
To provide questions, concerns or complaints, please email us, in our role as controller, at info@plusweb.org.
PLUS
5353 Wayzata Boulevard, Suite 306
Minneapolis, MN 55416
800-845-0778 or 952-746-2580