Privacy Policy

By visiting our digital properties, you are accepting the practices described in our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not use the digital properties.

 

Updated on March 30, 2020

The Aspen Institute (“Institute”), which houses the Stevens Initiative, values your privacy. Because the Institute gathers certain types of information from and about users of our digital properties, we want you to fully understand our policies and the terms and conditions surrounding the gathering and use of that information. This privacy statement discloses how we gather, use, and disclose information about you when you are engaged on Institute websites, apps, and other digital properties.

The policies below are applicable to the website located at www.aspeninstitute.org and any other websites, apps or digital properties under the control of the Aspen Institute, in whatever manner the properties are accessed and/or used, whether via personal computers, mobile devices, or otherwise, and other interactive features, applications (including mobile applications), or downloads that are operated by the Aspen Institute (“we” and “us”) that are made available by us. Please be advised that the practices described in this Privacy Policy do not apply to information that you may submit to digital properties maintained by other companies or organizations to which we may link.

By visiting our digital properties, you agree that any information that we collect from or about you through our website services, including personally identifiable information, anonymous information, and aggregate information, will be handled as described in this privacy statement. Your use of our digital properties, and any dispute over privacy, is subject to this privacy statement and any other applicable agreements between you and the Institute (see our Legal Notices), including any applicable limitations on damages and the resolution of disputes.

Collection and Use of Information

The Institute collects information voluntarily given by users. For example, if a user signs up for a newsletter, we will collect an email address. If a user contributes to the Institute, we will collect a name, billing address, and information needed to complete a transaction. Most of our websites and digital properties can be viewed without providing personal information. Here are some Aspen Institute services provided via websites, apps, email, and social media that might require you to submit personal information:

  • When you purchase a publication directly from us.
  • When you subscribe to receive newsletters or program-specific updates via email.
  • When you register to attend events, participate as a speaker, volunteer to assist the organization, or apply to participate in an activity we organize.
  • When you contact staff at the Institute through websites, email, or social media.
  • When you make a monetary contribution or payment to the Aspen Institute.
  • When you register for a website or mobile app account to interact with event organizers, event attendees, fellows, or other Institute program participants.
  • When you register to receive event information restricted to participants and provided via websites, mobile apps, email, push alerts, or social media.
  • When a speaker or event attendee completes a form providing consent to record and publish their remarks.
  • When you share a public or private comment, submit content for publication, or reply to a survey on one of our websites or other digital properties.
  • As you inquire about job openings or apply for a job.
  • As you apply for grants or fellowships.

We may also collect certain non-personal information that is automatically recorded when users visit our websites, mobile apps, and other digital properties. We use this non-personal information to make return visits more convenient, to analyze trends, to administer our services, and to better understand how people interact with our digital properties. We improve our digital services by reviewing usage information. Here are types of information that the Aspen Institute collects that cannot be used to identify you individually:

  • Some non-personal information may be collected in the processes described above that result in the collection of personal information.
  • We may collect general information about the device you use to view our digital content. This information helps us better understand the types of browsing software, phone hardware, computer display size, or other technical factors preferred by our audience.
  • We record information about your visits to our websites, mobile apps, and other digital properties. Data about the pages you view, links you click, and times of your visits are recorded. This information is used to improve the design and efficiency of our services. Popular content, as evidenced by visitor data, might be shared more widely or promoted across our digital properties.
  • Search terms entered on website or app search tools may be recorded.
  • Some interactions via websites, email, and other properties result in the collection of your IP address, geolocation information, and the website you visited before reaching our content.

We use the information we learn from you to help us personalize and continually improve your experience on our websites, apps, and digital properties. We use your personal and non-personal information in the following ways:

  • For editorial purposes.
  • Responding to your inquiries.
  • Communicating with you about your account or transactions with us and sending you information about features on our digital properties or about the Institute.
  • Communicating with you about changes to our policies.
  • Personalizing content and experiences on our digital properties, including providing you with recommendations based on your preferences.
  • Sending you newsletters, mailings, and information about programs, initiatives, activities, and events by email or another medium.
  • Processing your grant application or employment application.
  • Event or program registration.
  • Optimizing or improving our programs, services, and operations.
  • Research and development.
  • Verifying your account and account activities.
  • Detecting, investigating, and preventing activities that may violate our policies or be illegal.
  • Performing statistical, demographic, and marketing analyses of users of the website and their usage patterns.
  • Managing our organization.

The Institute may also use your information to protect the safety, rights, property, or security of the Institute, the services, or the general public; to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues; to prevent or stop activity which the Institute may consider to be, or to pose a risk of being, an illegal, unethical, or legally actionable activity; to use as evidence in litigation; to enforce this privacy statement or our Legal Notices; to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations; or as part of an investigation or request from law enforcement or a governmental authority.

Disclosure of Information

The Institute may disclose your information to current or future affiliated organizations; vendors, service providers, or agents who perform functions on our behalf (e.g., payment card processors); as part of, including during negotiations or planning for, a business transfer, such as an acquisition or asset sale; to protect the safety, rights, property, or security of the Institute, the Services, or the general public; to detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues; to prevent or stop activity which the Institute may consider to be, or to pose a risk of being, an illegal, unethical, or legally actionable activity; to use as evidence in litigation; to enforce this privacy statement or our Legal Notices; to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations; or as part of an investigation or request from law enforcement or a governmental authority. We may also disclose aggregate, anonymous, or de-identified information about users for marketing, advertising, research, compliance, or other purposes.

Combining of Information

We may combine information gathered from our digital properties and information that we have received, gathered, acquired, or stored from other sources, both information collected offline by the Institute and information received from third parties—including information that currently exists in our files—into a single data record. We also use and/or combine information that we collect offline or receive from third-party sources (e.g., contact information from government funders or grantor information) to edit, enhance, and/or check the accuracy of your relationship record.

Cookies and Other Tracking Mechanisms

We and our service providers may use cookies and other tracking mechanisms to better understand your use of our digital properties. We or our service providers may combine this information with other information, including personally identifiable information, we or they collect about you. Some cookies allow us to make it easier for you to navigate our digital properties, while others are used to enable a faster log-in process or to allow us to better understand popular usage of our digital properties. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but if you prefer, you can edit your browser options to block.

Pixel tags display tiny graphics with a unique identifier, similar in function to cookies. In contrast to cookies, which are stored on your device, pixels are embedded on pages. We may use pixel tags (also referred to as clear GIFs or beacons), in connection with our digital properties to understand the activities of users of our Services, help us manage content, and compile statistics about usage of our Services. We or our third-party service providers may use similar methods in emails to help us understand email response rates and identify when our emails are viewed.

Third-Party Analytics

We may use third-party analytics tools to better understand how audiences use our digital properties. Along with our service providers, we use these tools to improve our content and user experiences. These analytics tools may use cookies and other tracking technologies, such as pixel tags, to perform their services. Such analytics products include Google Analytics. For more information about Google’s privacy practices, please see the Google Privacy Policy.

Security

The Institute has taken steps to help protect the personal information we collect and we review the security practices of vendors trusted to process data for the Institute. But no transmission and storage of data is completely secure, and submissions are at your sole risk. Our digital properties may contain links to sites operated by third parties. Please be advised that the practices described in this policy do not apply to information gathered through these other websites. Please remember that any information you share in public areas, such as comment areas, message boards, social media platforms, or feedback sections, becomes public, and therefore this privacy policy does not apply to information you choose to make public. Please be careful about what you choose to disclose. Do not post any personal information that you expect to keep private.

GDPR: Personal Information

The General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) is a European Regulation concerning the use and processing of personal information. We are committed to processing your information in compliance with the GDPR. We will use reasonable efforts to securely process all personal information in line with the rights specified under the GDPR, in particular those related to the following requests:

  • Access to your personal information;
  • Correction of the personal information that we hold;
  • Deletion of your personal information;
  • A restriction of processing of your personal information;
  • Transfer of your personal information to another party; or
  • Objection to processing of your personal information based on the Aspen Institute’s legitimate interest (or those of a third party) to use it and there is something about your particular situation that causes you to object to such processing.

We hold your information and use it as described in this Privacy Policy and will use reasonable measures to ensure that your personal information is only transferred to third parties who also maintain at least the standard of protection required under the GDPR.

We consider that the Aspen Institute has a legitimate interest in collecting and processing your information. The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization with a mission to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues; pursuing this mission is not in conflict with your rights. This provides our lawful basis to use your personal information, within the limitations set forth herein. Additionally, there are circumstances where the Institute has a contractual basis or other legal obligation for collecting and processing your information.

Opt-Out Policy and Removal of Personally Identifiable Information

The Institute gives users practical options to remove themselves from Institute mailing lists and from participation in certain interactive areas of Institute websites, mobile apps, and other digital properties. You may correct, update or deactivate your personally identifiable information by contacting us at Data.Privacy@aspeninstitute.org, or via telephone or postal mail at the contact information listed below.

Commenting Policy

In keeping with our mission to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with and discussing critical issues, the Institute welcomes comments on our websites and across other social media and digital platforms. We welcome strong opinions and comments. The opinions expressed in these comments are not necessarily those of the Aspen Institute. Comments that the Institute deems to include profanity, hate speech, personal attacks, or libelous, defamatory, discriminatory, obscene, pornographic, abusive or otherwise illegal (including violations of copyright or trademark laws) or unacceptable material may be removed. We reserve the right to block or remove the posting privileges of commenters who violate these standards of decorum at any time.

Children

Consistent with the Federal Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 (COPPA), our services are not targeted to children under thirteen (13) years of age and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will promptly delete such personal information from our systems.

Changes to this Privacy Statement

This privacy statement is current as of the Effective Date set forth above. We may change this privacy statement from time to time, so please check this page periodically. The Institute reserves the right to modify this privacy statement at any time. If the Institute makes material changes to this privacy statement, we may notify you here, by email, or by means of a notice on the Institute’s home page. Your continued use of our website following the posting of changes to this Privacy Policy will mean you accept those changes.

Contact Us

Questions and comments should be directed to Data.Privacy@aspeninstitute.org.

If you have any questions or requests regarding this policy, if you would like to change your preferences, if you no longer wish to receive e-mail updates from the Aspen Institute, or if you believe the Aspen Institute has erroneous or incomplete information about you, please send an e-mail to Data.Privacy@aspeninstitute.org.

Data Privacy – The Aspen Institute
2300 N Street, NW
Suite 700
Washington, D.C. 20037
(202) 736-5800
Data.Privacy@aspeninstitute.org