iBiology Courses Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 9, 2024

Our Privacy Policy applies to information we collect when you use the Science Communication Lab, Inc. (“SCL”) website (https://www.sciencecommunicationlab.org), iBiology’s website (https://ibiology.org), iBiology Courses website (https://courses.ibiology.org), and any other websites and services that are owned and/or controlled by us (collectively, the “Website”).

Your Consent

This Privacy Policy does not cover information that you submit on other websites, even if we communicate with you on those sites. For example, if you post something on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube, that information is governed by the privacy policies on those websites and is not governed by this policy.

By using our Website, you consent to the collection and use of information by us as set forth in this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy was last updated July 9, 2024. If we decide to change our Privacy Policy, we will post those changes on this page so that you will always be aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what limited circumstances, if ever, we disclose it. Continued access or use of our Website shall constitute your express acceptance of any modifications to this Privacy Policy.

Privacy Policy Sections:

• What Information Do We Collect?
• How Do We Use This Information?
• Steps We Take to Protect Your Privacy
• How to Review, Change and Update Information You Provided that We Collected

Information We Collect:

1. Personal information that you directly provide to us, which includes information you supply when you sign up for our newsletter, register as an educator and/or save items to your profile, and/or register as a participant on our course platform, communicate with us or create an account, and/or save items to your profile (some of these fields are optional). This “Personal Information” may include your name, username, email, institution, country, address, gender, year of birth, credit card information for donation processing, and career stage. If you choose to correspond with us through email, we may retain the content of your email messages together with your email address and our responses.
2. Information that’s automatically gathered (see section below called “Information Collected Automatically”) as you use scicommlab.org or YouTube, which includes tracking information for our Website. This can include IP addresses, browser type, the date and time you accessed or left the Website, and which pages you viewed are tracked by our mailing list management software and Google Analytics. You can find the Google Analytics policy here. We also use Cookies (see section below called “What are Cookies?”), to help us understand what areas of the Website are most useful and interesting to our audience.

Information Collected Automatically

This type of information relates to how many views are associated with each video, how materials are accessed on the Website, and/or other areas of the Website that automatically store non-personal information about the Website’s usage, measuring impact and assessing engagement.

We may collect information about the computer, mobile device or other device you use to access the Website, such as IP address, geolocation information, unique device identifiers, browser type, and browser language. 

We perform statistical analyses of users of the Website, and their viewing and participation patterns, for our own analysis and to present to our funders.

What are Cookies?

A cookie is a very small text document, which often includes an anonymous unique identifier. When you visit a site, that site’s computer asks your computer for permission to store this file in a part of your hard drive specifically designated for cookies. Cookies may store user preferences and other information. 

Cookies provide a mechanism for us to understand how you use the Website over time so that we can provide you the best user experience according to your expressed preferences. 

Device Information: Each site can send its own cookie to your browser if your browser’s preferences allow it. Alternatively, you may modify your browsing preferences to refuse all cookies or set-up your browser preferences to notify you when a cookie is being sent. However, please keep in mind that some Website features or services may not function properly without cookies.

Tracking Usage: We use various technologies, including Google Analytics and our mailing list management software, to manage SCL and track use of the content we provide, including:

• Standard Web Analytics Information: We collect aggregated data about email click-through rates, Website page visits and video viewing through HTML cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies; and demographics and other details that are provided to SCL to help us customize the Website based on your preferences. We do not sell this information to any third party but may share this information with partners that assist us in updating, managing, or maintaining our Website. On iBiology Courses, you may elect to disable the cookies and tracking code for Google Analytics and our mailing list management software.
• Location Information: We may collect and use information about your location (such as your country and city) and the type of device you are using. You can change the settings on your computer or mobile device to prevent your location information from being shared with us.

“Do Not Track” Requests: Note that your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “Do Not Track” signal to sites and online services you visit. There is no consensus among industry participants as to what “Do Not Track” means in this context. Like many websites and online services, our Website currently does not alter our practices or respond when we receive a “Do Not Track” signal from a visitor’s browser. To find out more about “Do Not Track,” you may wish to visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com.

How Do We Use This Information?

We use the information gathered to improve the Website and do not sell it to any third parties. Further specific uses are outlined below.

Providing Requested Services

We may use the information that we collect to fulfill your requests for services and information relating to our organization. This includes, but is not limited to sharing information with you about upcoming events, course progression, to be responsive to any email requests, to register you for Services on our Website, and to administer our Website using Website analytics.

Communication

We use the information we collect to send email newsletters (if you have signed-up for this information), to be able to provide online courses, and to be able to grant educators access to our educator resources. We may also use the information that we collect to send you email communications, such as information about your account or changes to the Website. We use the information we collect in educator sign ups to understand how educators use our resources, and to determine how we can serve them better. The Website uses email automations to send you custom emails after certain interactions with Website content. 

Enforcement

We may use the information that we collect to protect and prevent against illegal activities or harm to the rights or safety of SCL, to enforce the SCL Terms of Use, or as otherwise required by law.

When Permitted

In addition to the uses identified above, we may use the information that we collect for any other purposes disclosed to you at the time we collect your information or pursuant to your consent.

Sharing Your Information

We may share your Personal Information with trusted third parties, including service providers under contract who help with our operations. If you donate to SCL through our Website, your donation will be processed through Stripe. We encourage you to learn more about Stripe’s privacy policy by visiting Stripe’s privacy policy page.

We may share your Personal Information with trusted third parties to:

• Assist us in providing our services to you, including by acting on our behalf to send emails, track course progression, provide customer assistance; 
• Comply with the needs of law enforcement, or court order, or subpoena, or to respond to any government or regulatory request;
• To enforce the Terms of Service or investigate suspected violations of the Terms;
• To complete a transaction or process a donation; and to
• Compile analytic statistics and reports regarding our audience and the users of our Website.

Steps We Take to Protect Your Privacy

We take reasonable steps to have physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in place to help protect your Personal Information. This includes but is not limited to the use of Secure Socket Layer (“SSL”) encryption and Website monitoring. We also limit access to any Personal Information we receive to employees who need access to that information in order to do their jobs.  Unfortunately, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any information collected through our Website.

Third-Party Websites and Social Media Features

Our Website may contain links to other sites, including those of third parties or business partners. While we seek to link only to sites that share our high standards and respect for privacy, we cannot be responsible for the privacy practices other websites use. By accessing other third party websites or applications through our Website, you are consenting to the terms and privacy policies of those websites. It is possible that other parties may collect personally identifiable information about your online activities over time and across different websites when you use our Website.

International Visitors

The Website is hosted and operated in the U.S. and elsewhere in the world. By using the Website, you are consenting to the transfer of your Personal Information to the U.S. If you are accessing our Website from outside the U.S., please be advised that U.S. law may not offer the same privacy protections as the law of your jurisdiction.  

We also protect all data transferred to the third parties by entering into contracts with the third party ensuring that your data is only processed for the limited and specified purposes consistent with your authorization.  

Upon mailed request using the address provided at the end of this Privacy Policy, we will provide a summary or a representative copy of the relevant privacy provisions of our contract with the third-party recipient.

European Union Visitors

For our Website visitors residing in the European Economic Area (EEA), the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) may be applicable.  The GDPR provides a framework for organizations to ensure protection of the Personal Information of European citizens and gives European citizens certain rights.  

Legal Basis for Processing

If you are an individual located in the EEA, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, our legal basis for processing your Personal Information will depend on the Personal Information concerned and the specific context in which it is collected.  However, we will normally collect or process Personal Information from you only where: 

• We have your consent to do so; or
• We need the Personal Information to perform a contract with you (e.g. to deliver services).

In some cases, we may also have a legal obligation to process Personal Information from you or may need the Personal Information to protect your vital interest or those of another person.  If we rely on your consent to process the Personal Information, you have the right to withdraw or decline your consent at any time in writing or as otherwise permitted.  Please note that this does not affect the lawfulness of the processing based on consent before withdrawal, nor will it affect the processing of your Personal Information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent. 

Retention

We will retain your Personal Information for as long as is needed to fulfill the purposes we collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.  

Rights to Access and Control Your Personal Information

Individuals residing in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland have certain rights to access and control their Personal Information.  These rights include:

• the right to be informed;
• the right of access;
• the right to rectification;
• the right to erasure;
• the right to restrict processing;
• the right to data portability;
• the right to object; and
• rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling.

To make a request, please email us at info@scicommlab.org with subject line “Data subject request.”

California Privacy Rights

California law allows California residents to ask companies with whom they have an established business relationship to provide certain information about the companies’ sharing of personal information with third parties for direct marketing purposes. We do not share any California consumer personal information with third parties for marketing purposes without consent. 

California users who wish to request further information about our compliance with this law or have questions or concerns about our privacy practices may contact us by mail using the contact information set forth below.

Children Under the Age of 13

Our Website is intended for a general audience over eighteen (18) years of age and not directed to children under thirteen (13) years of age. We do not intend to collect personal information as defined by the U.S. Children’s Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) in a manner that is not permitted by COPPA.  If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected your child’s Personal Information in a manner not permitted by COPPA, please contact us by sending a letter to the address listed below (Attention: Legal) and we will remove such data to the extent required by COPPA. 

How to Review, Change and Update Information You Provided that We Collected

You can login to your profile on the Website and edit or update your information. You may also ask to have your data deleted. Please contact us at info@scicommlab.org to have your data deleted.

If your information has been shared with a third party, as described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, then that third party has received its own copy of your data.  If you have been contacted by one of these third parties and wish to correct or delete your information, please contact them directly.

Right to Portability and Right of Access

Upon request, we will collect any information we have stored in our system from your use of the Website and provide it as one or more file downloads in a secure location.

Contact Us:

We are always interested in what you have to say. If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please feel free to contact us online at info@scicommlab.org or by mailing a letter to:

Science Communication Lab, Inc.
1936 University Ave, Suite 330
Berkeley, CA 94704.