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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: Wednesday, October 6, 2021

This privacy policy describes the way that the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) collects and handles information from visitors and members to its website, affiliate websites, and from users of ASN mobile applications ("apps") and Application Programming Interface (API) requests that interact with the ASN website and its data stores. These services will be collectively referred to in this document as "asn-online.org".

ASN may rewrite this Privacy Policy at any time. We will post any changes to this webpage, so be sure to check back periodically.

What Information Does ASN Collect?

Anonymous and Automatically Collected Information

Asn-online.org uses cookies, server logs, and browser scripts for statistical analysis of online traffic. The information is stored as log files on the asn-online.org server and/or transmitted to web analytics platforms. The data is regularly collected and analyzed by software to produce visitor trend reports. The information that is collected includes:

  • Your IP address
  • The length of time you stayed on the site
  • Where you came into the site
  • Where you left the site
  • The referring site that sent you
  • The type of browser you used

This information is used to determine:

  • Traffic patterns
  • Average visitor session length
  • Number of visitors to certain areas of the site
  • Tracking results of promotional campaigns
  • Other user trends

Asn-online.org uses three main analytics platforms: Webtrends, SmarterStats, and Google Analytics. In some cases, analytic data may be transferred to the server hosting the analytics software. This information does not contain personally identifiable information on individual users other than IP address. The sole purpose of the analytics collection is to track performance and these analytics are not used for user profiling, advertising, or any other commercial purposes. For more information, please visit the Privacy Policy for the respective platform.

What are Cookies and How Does ASN Use Them?

Cookies are pieces of data sent to your browser when you visit a website and stored on your computer's hard drive. Cookies may store user preferences and other information. For example, cookies can store your session information to allow a login to a website or platform, or your language or user interface customization preferences or may allow websites to record browsing analytics (for example, number of page views, number of visitors, and time spent on each page).

Asn-online.org uses both session ID cookies and persistent cookies. A session ID cookie expires when you close your browser and is necessary to facilitate website operations, such as logging in. A persistent cookie remains on your hard drive for a set period or until you delete it, and is used to store user preferences. The cookie expiration will vary based on the requirements of the respective usage; you can view all cookie expiration dates in your browser's settings.

You will be prompted to give consent and to opt-in to cookie usage before cookies will be stored on your device. Consent will be collected at the time the site attempts to set the cookie.

Types of Persistent Cookies

ASN may set persistent cookies to handle the following operations:

  • Determine if a user is currently logged in.
  • Hold language and automatic translation preferences.
  • To hide notifications and popups that have already been viewed or dismissed.
  • To facilitate integration functionality and cross-browser compatibility.

To view all cookies that are currently held on your device, visit My ASN - Privacy Controls.

Personally Identifiable Information

Asn-online.org collects personally identifiable information that you voluntarily submit through online forms on our website, and is necessary to establish an account, such as:

  • Name
  • Postal address
  • Email address
  • Organization name and address
  • Phone number

Personally identifiable information is used for the following purposes:

  • To establish an account in the ASN Association Management System (AMS) database
  • To provide key services and member benefits
  • To facilitate communication between you and ASN
  • To conduct surveys and polls
  • To provide you with information on events, products and services, or other news that we think might interest you

Additional Voluntarily Provided User Information

In addition to the required information needed to establish an account, users also have the option to provide additional information that helps ASN produce relevant content and services. This information includes, but is not limited to, research interests, professional information, educational background, resume/CV upload, etc.

How Does ASN Use the Collected Information?

Asn-online.org collects information to provide you with the services you request and to improve our websites, apps, and overall services. This includes:

  • Correspondence - If you correspond with ASN via email, the postal service, our web forms, or other form of communication, we may retain the correspondence and the information it contains. We may use the information for business purposes, including responding to your inquiry, notifying you of ASN-related opportunities, and other marketing purposes.
  • URL and IP Address - Asn-online.org collects information about users' IP addresses, including users' utilization of our websites, to help us design our websites to better suit our users' needs. ASN may use information about your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server, administer our websites, analyze trends, track visitor movements, and gather information that assists in identifying visitor preferences. ASN also may use your IP address to enhance security and investigate an actual or potential security incident.
  • Aggregated Data - Asn-online.org uses aggregate, anonymous data to perform statistical analysis of the collective characteristics and behavior of our site visitors; to measure user interests regarding specific areas of asn-online.org; and to analyze how and where best to use our resources. Without such data, we would not know which parts of asn-online.org are the most popular, and we would not be able to change and update the content and services appropriately.
  • Marketing - ASN uses your contact information to contact you by email, phone, or mail regarding information that we think may be of interest to you. If you do not wish to receive marketing materials, brochures, or emails from ASN, you may inform us of your preference by contacting ASN. You can also control your email preferences electronically through the ASN website by visiting the My ASN - Email Subscriptions portal, or by clicking on the "unsubscribe" link located at the bottom of all marketing emails.

Who Collects the Information and Who Has Access to It?

Data transmitted to asn-online.org is collected and maintained solely by ASN and official service providers. ASN does not sell or provide member lists, member data, registration lists, contact details, or other personally identifiable information to any third party not directly providing an essential ASN service.

Third Party Integrations and Service Providers

ASN shares your personal data with third parties who provide essential services that assist in meeting business operation needs. These parties are authorized to process your personal data, on our behalf and pursuant to our instructions, only as necessary to provide these services. We share your personal data with the following service providers:

  • Providers of payment processing and accounting, as necessary to process payment from ASN users
  • Association Management Systems, Registration Systems, Customer Relationship Management Systems, Learning Management Systems, Continuing Education Systems, Virtual Event/Meeting Systems, and other systems that integrate with the ASN platform
  • Customer service providers
  • Providers helping ASN fulfill subscription services
  • Providers of research and analytics services
  • Providers of cloud computing infrastructure services

ASN may also disclose personal data to third parties in the following circumstances: (1) if you request or authorize (when required by law, ASN will inform you in advance of the third parties to which we may provide your data and the purpose for doing so, and ASN will obtain your prior consent for such use); (2) the information is provided (a) to comply with the law (for example, to comply with a search warrant, subpoena or other legal process), (b) to enforce an agreement we have with you, (c) to protect our rights, property or safety, or the rights, property or safety of ASN employees or others, (d) to investigate fraud, or (e) to respond to a government request or to lawful requests by public authorities, including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements; (3) to address emergencies or acts of God; (4) to address disputes, claims, or to persons holding a legal or beneficial interest; (5) if ASN is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing due diligence, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, sale of company assets, or transition of service to another provider, in which case your personal data and other information may be transferred to a successor or affiliate as part of that transaction along with other assets.

Member Directory and Contact Information

Member contact information is published in the Member Directory. The directory is only available to current members and requires authentication to access. Use of the directory is governed by the Member Directory Use Policy and is strictly enforced. We encourage all members to participate in the directory. However, if you choose to opt-out, you can do so quickly and easily through the My ASN - Privacy Controls by unchecking the 'Show my information in the member directory' on the privacy tab. This will completely remove your listing in the Member Directory. If you change your mind later and would like to be listed again, simply return to the page and then check the box.

How Long Does ASN Retain My Data?

ASN retains your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Non-personal or anonymous data is generally held for 24 months, unless the respective data is necessary to facilitate a core business function. If requested, ASN can restrict processing or remove your data; please see the section below on data controls.

How Do I Control My Data?

Asn-online.org provides full data and privacy controls via the My ASN - Profile and the My ASN - Privacy Controls, allowing you to edit your information, control your preferences, obtain copies of receipts and email confirmations, export data, and provide transparency with regard to what information is held by ASN. Subject to applicable law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

  • Right of access - You may request confirmation whether ASN is processing your personal data, and if so, ASN can provide you with a copy of that personal data.
  • Right to rectification - If your personal data is inaccurate or incomplete, you are entitled to have it rectified or completed.
  • Right to data portability - You have the right to obtain your personal data from ASN that you consented to give or that is necessary to provide services. ASN will provide you with your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format. You may reuse it elsewhere.
  • Right to withdraw consent - You have the right to withdraw previously provided consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on your prior consent.
  • Right to restrict processing - You may ask ASN to restrict processing of your data, which will continue to allow ASN to store your data, but no new data will be collected, and your current data will be hidden from view, both publicly and from regular ASN staff.
  • Right to be forgotten - You may ask ASN to delete or remove your personal data and we will do so in some circumstances, such as where it is no longer needed (ASN may not delete or remove your data when other interests outweigh your right to deletion). If ASN has shared your data with others, we will tell them about the erasure where possible. If requested, where possible and lawful to do so, ASN will also tell you with whom we shared your personal data so that you can contact them directly.
  • Right to lodge a complaint with the data protection authority - If you have a concern about ASN privacy practices, including the way ASN handled your personal data, you can report it to the data protection authority that is authorized to hear those concerns.
  • Right to non-discrimination - ASN will not deny goods or services, charge you a different price, or provide a different level or quality of goods or services if you choose to exercise any of your data protection rights.

All of these rights can be facilitated via the My ASN - Profile section of the ASN website, or by sending a written request to ASN.

How Do I Unsubscribe From ASN Emails?

You can manage all of your email preferences in the My ASN - Email Subscriptions section of the ASN website. This will allow you to pick and choose which email types you wish to receive from ASN, and unsubscribe from the ones that you don't. This unsubscribe link is also in the footer of all emails sent from ASN.

Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL)

CASL generally prohibits individuals and businesses from sending commercial email to Canadians without their consent. In accordance with these regulations, beginning July 1, 2017, all ASN users residing in Canada will be required to opt-in and provide express consent in order to receive ASN email messages. You can quickly and easily provide your consent in the My ASN - Email Subscriptions section of the ASN website. Please note that Canadian users will continue to receive certain transactional emails, such as a receipt for a purchase, as that falls under the "implied consent" section of CASL. To learn more, visit http://fightspam.gc.ca.

European Union's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

GDPR specifies that explicit consent must be obtained in order to send marketing emails. In accordance with these regulations, beginning May 25, 2018, all ASN users residing in the European Union (EU) will be required to opt-in and provide consent in order to receive ASN email messages. You can quickly and easily provide your consent in the My ASN - Email Subscriptions section of the ASN website. Please note that EU users will continue to receive certain transactional emails, such as a receipt for a purchase. To learn more, visit https://www.eugdpr.org.

Brazil's Lei Geral de Proteção de Dados (LGPD)

LGPD specifies that explicit consent must be obtained in order to send marketing emails. In accordance with these regulations, beginning August 16, 2020, all ASN users residing in Brazil will be required to opt-in and provide consent in order to receive ASN email messages. You can quickly and easily provide your consent in the My ASN - Email Subscriptions section of the ASN website. Please note that Brazil users will continue to receive certain transactional emails, such as a receipt for a purchase. To learn more, visit http://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2015-2018/2018/lei/l13709.htm.

How is ASN Protecting My Data?

ASN is committed to taking reasonable efforts to secure the information that you choose to provide, and we use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect against unauthorized access to, or alteration, disclosure, or destruction of personal data. We restrict access to personal data to our employees, contractors and service providers (described in the "Third Party Integrations and Service Providers" section above) who need to know the information in order to operate, develop, or improve our services.

Unfortunately, no transmission of personal data over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Accordingly, and despite our efforts, ASN cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us, or to/from our online products or services. ASN has no responsibility or liability for the security of information transmitted via the Internet. If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or the security of your personal data, please contact ASN using the contact information in the "Comments and Questions" section below.

What Can I Do to Better Protect Myself on the Internet?

Be Aware

Asn-online.org logins will close out in 90 minutes if there is no activity, but users should close out of their own account information as soon as they are through accessing or modifying information, and should be aware of any website that maintains a persistent login. Users should not share their passwords with anyone. In cases where it is necessary to write down a password, that password should be stored in a secure location and properly destroyed when no longer needed.

Know the Risks

The opportunity to network in an online community (chat room, forum, message board, etc.) is one of the best things about the Internet, but you should always be careful about disclosing personal information such as an actual name, member name, email address, and so on. This information may be collected and used by others within the online community to send unsolicited email messages outside of asn-online.org. Some of the messages you receive may be useful to you, but some may not.

Educate Yourself

Search the Internet for as much information as you can about how to protect your privacy. Look for a Privacy Policy on the websites you visit. Learn more about available resources, such as the Federal Trade Commission's Protecting Consumer Privacy.

Comments and Questions

If there are any parts of this Privacy Policy that require more explanation or clarification, or if you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, please contact:

Hal Nesbitt
Senior Vice President for Information and Outreach
American Society of Nephrology
1401 H Street, NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
hnesbitt@asn-online.org