Privacy


Privacy Policy


Adult Learning Australia (ALA) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it. ALA makes every effort to comply with the National Privacy Principles developed by the Australian Privacy Commissioner (see http://www.privacy.gov.au/).


This policy explains ALA's processes for collecting, using, disclosing and updating your personal information; and provides information on security.


While this policy was created for specifically for Adult Learning Australia websites, the principles are applied to all ALA's handling of privacy. Note that ALA is not responsible for the privacy practices of organisations whose websites are accessible through the ALA website.


How ALA collects and uses your information


Personal information


ALA collects the information you provide to us for purposes related to a function or activity of ALA.


Where applicable, you provide us with personal information when you use the following services on our website:


  • Initial and renewing memberships
  • Conference registrations
  • Ordering publications
  • Interest groups and mailing lists
  • Feedback

The specific information we collect from you will depend on the nature of the service being accessed. For example to register you for a conference we may require your full name, mailing address, phone number and email address; to use our feedback form to make a suggestion you may volunteer personal details but are not obliged to provide any. Payment details and credit card numbers are also collected when you choose to pay online for your conference registration, membership or publications order. In each case we only request the personal information necessary to perform the service for you, and will use the information only for the purpose for which you provide it to us.



Email addresses


Your email address is recorded when you send us a message, subscribe to or participate in a discussion group or email list, or place an online registration or order. It will only be used for the purpose for which you have provided it and will not be added to other mailing lists, nor disclosed to third parties.


See below ('Online interactivity') for more about participation in email discussion groups.



Online interactivity


The ALA website hosts a variety of interactive features that users can contribute to, including mailing lists, discussion forums, public links archives, and event calendars.


When using such features it is recommended that you exercise discretion and caution in the information, particularly personal information, that you contribute. You should be aware that when posting such information online it becomes accessible to the public, and as a result you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties.


In particular, posting a message to a discussion group renders the name and email address you use accessible to other members of the discussion group, and to anyone else reading the message on the website.


Anonymous information


Clickstream data


When you visit the ALA website, we make a record of your visit and log some or all of the following information:


  • Your server or IP address (the name or number which uniquely identifies the computer through which you are connected to the Internet)
  • The address of the referring site
  • The date and time of your visit
  • Your top level domain name (e.g. .gov, .org, .au etc)
  • The address of the pages accessed and the documents downloaded
  • The type of browser that you used.

This information is used in the aggregate for statistical purposes, and will only be used to identify individuals in exceptional circumstances where authorised by law.



Cookies


Cookies are a mechanism to keep track of certain information between visits to the site by the same user.


The ALA website uses cookies to make the browsing experience more responsive when accessing some services on the website. You can adjust your web browser's settings to detect or disable cookies if preferred.


For more information about cookies, see http://www.cookiecentral.com/faq/.


Disclosure of information

We may use or disclose your personal information for reasons related to the primary purpose for which we collect it, and where such use or disclosure would be reasonably expected by you.


For example:


  • to assist in internal accounting and administration
  • to efficiently process and deliver your order or registration, name and address details may be disclosed to the relevant mailing/billing authorities
  • for the purposes of contacting you about relevant locality-based information, membership data is provided to the ALA state and territory Branches. As explained in the membership process, joining ALA includes membership of your state/territory branch.

ALA will not disclose your information to third parties for any other reasons, without your prior authorisation.


Accuracy and access to your information

ALA takes reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect is accurate, complete and up-to-date.


If you believe than any information we hold about you is incorrect or out of date, you are invited to contact us and we will take steps to ensure it is corrected. Additionally, as a member of ALA or a member of a discussion group, you have the ability to view and update your own details through our web-based registration system.


Security

ALA takes reasonable steps to protect your personal information from loss, misuse, unauthorised disclosure or destruction. We have generally accepted standards of technology and operational security in place to keep your personal information safe.


ALA uses the Thawte Secure Socket Layer system for encrypting your personal information (including credit card details) at the point of transmission on the Internet. This encryption ensures that the information cannot be viewed if intercepted. For further information see http://www.thawte.com/.


Users should be aware that there are inherent risks associated with the use of the Internet for any transmission of information. For processes where information is collected online, we offer an optional alternative means, such as a mailing address, fax and telephone contact numbers.


In addition to the online security measures, personal information held in offline forms by the ALA National office is protected in the following ways:


  • the office is locked, secured and alarmed
  • computers are password-restricted
  • personal information (including membership data and credit cards details) is held in a secure location, and shredded if it does not need to be retained.

Changes to this policy

ALA may make changes to this privacy policy in the future. If we do, the changes will be posted on the website.


Further information

If you have any queries, concerns or require further information relating to this privacy policy, please email info@ala.asn.au or contact us directly.