Privacy Policy
1. Introduction – Our Commitment to Privacy
At Schneider for Congress, we are committed to maintaining the trust and confidence of our website visitors, supporters, and constituents. Your privacy is of paramount importance to us. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, handle, store, and protect personal data in connection with our website (schneider-for-congress.com), whether you are visiting, interacting with us, signing up for communications, donating, or otherwise engaging with our platform. This Policy reflects our dedication to transparency, accountability, and adherence to applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other privacy-related regulations.
2. Scope of Policy and Data Controller Role
This Policy applies to all personal data processing activities carried out through schneider-for-congress.com. Schneider for Congress is the data controller with respect to the personal information collected and processed through this website. As data controller, we determine the purposes and means of processing your personal data. You may contact us via email at [email protected] with any questions related to our data processing practices.
3. Categories of Personal Data We Process
We collect and process various categories of personal data, depending on your interaction with our website and services:
A. Usage Data
Includes information automatically collected about your interactions with the website, such as IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referral source, pages visited, time and date of your visits, session duration, and clickstream data.
B. Account Data
If you create an account or complete a form, we may process data such as your full name, postal address, email address, and phone number.
C. Profile Data
May include your stated interests, preferences, past interactions, donation history, volunteer activity, and any engagement behavior relevant to your relationship with us.
D. Communication Data
Includes contact history, support inquiries, feedback, content of messages sent via contact forms or email, and responses from our team.
E. Technical Data
Covers information about devices you use to access schneider-for-congress.com, such as device model, hardware/software specs, language settings, browser settings, and time zone.
F. Transaction Data
If you make a donation or purchase merchandise, we may process payment information (via secure third-party providers), billing address, transaction details, and delivery information.
G. Preference Data
Includes your opt-in choices and marketing preferences, such as email subscription status, preferred channels of communication, and areas of interest.
4. Legal Bases for Processing
We rely on the following legal bases for processing personal data:
– Consent: Where required, we will seek your explicit consent before collecting or processing your data—for example, when you subscribe to our newsletter or accept non-essential cookies.
– Contractual Necessity: To perform pre-contractual or contractual obligations, such as managing donations, merchandise purchases, or service requests.
– Legitimate Interests: To operate and improve the website, ensure security, prevent fraud, gather analytics, and strengthen community engagement, provided these interests are not overridden by your data protection rights.
– Legal Obligation: Where compliance with legal, regulatory, or law enforcement requirements necessitates processing.
5. Your Rights
Subject to applicable law, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
– Right of Access: To receive a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
– Right to Rectification: To request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
– Right to Erasure: Also known as “right to be forgotten”—to ask for deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
– Right to Restriction: To limit the processing of your data where permitted by law.
– Right to Data Portability: To receive your data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and transfer it to another service provider.
– Right to Object: To object to our processing of your data under specific grounds, including direct marketing and profiling.
– Right to Withdraw Consent: If processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.
– Right to Lodge a Complaint: To contact your local data protection authority if you believe your data rights have been violated.
To exercise any of the above rights, please contact us at [email protected].
6. Security Measures
We take the security of personal data seriously and employ a range of technical and organizational safeguards, including:
– Encryption of data both at rest and in transit
– Role-based access control and strict data access policies
– Routine backups and tested disaster recovery systems
– Regular staff training on data protection and information security
– Secure third-party tools with appropriate data processing agreements in place
Despite these measures, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is ever fully secure. You use schneider-for-congress.com at your own risk, but we are fully committed to minimizing and mitigating potential risks.
7. International Data Transfers
Where we transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or other regulated jurisdictions, we use legally recognized mechanisms such as:
– Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
– Data transfer impact assessments
– Binding internal security and privacy policies
– Transfers only to countries with adequate levels of protection as determined by regulatory authorities
8. Data Retention
We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, in accordance with legal and operational requirements. Retention periods differ based on the type of data:
– Usage and Technical Data: retained for up to 12 months for performance monitoring and security auditing.
– Account, Communication, and Preference Data: retained as long as your relationship with us remains active, and for up to 3 years thereafter.
– Transaction Data: retained for up to 7 years to comply with financial, tax, and regulatory obligations.
– Legal or dispute-related data may be retained beyond standard timeframes if required for compliance or resolution.
9. Cookie Policy
Cookies are small files placed on your device that allow us to enhance your experience and understand user behavior. We use the following types of cookies:
– Essential Cookies: Necessary for core site functionality and security.
– Functional Cookies: Enhance usability by remembering settings or preferences.
– Analytics Cookies: Help us understand website usage patterns and assess performance, using tools like Google Analytics.
– Performance Cookies: Optimize loading times, detect errors, and ensure responsiveness.
We do not use cookies to collect sensitive personal data or for third-party behavioral advertising.
10. Cookie Management and Compliance
Upon your first visit to schneider-for-congress.com, you will have the option to opt in or reject non-essential cookies via our cookie consent banner. You may also adjust your preferences at any time using the cookie settings link provided on the site or by adjusting browser settings.
In accordance with GDPR and CCPA, we:
– Obtain consent before setting non-essential cookies.
– Provide a clear option to decline cookies.
– Respect Do Not Track (DNT) signals where supported.
– Disclose cookie-related data sharing and retention.
11. Children’s Privacy
Schneider for Congress does not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that data from a child under 13 has been inadvertently collected, we will take proactive steps to delete such information from our records. Parents or guardians who believe their child may have submitted data through schneider-for-congress.com are encouraged to contact us at [email protected].
12. Updates to This Policy
We reserve the right to revise, update, or amend this Privacy Policy from time to time, as necessary to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or website functionality. Substantive modifications will be communicated through appropriate channels on schneider-for-congress.com, and your continued use of the site after such changes constitutes acceptance of the new policy.
13. Contacting Us
For any questions, requests, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]
We are committed to resolving privacy-related issues and welcome your inquiries as part of our dedication to transparency and user trust.
Compliance Commitment Statement
Schneider for Congress is committed to complying with applicable data protection laws, including the GDPR, CCPA, and relevant U.S. federal and state privacy statutes. We value your privacy, and you may contact us at any time via [email protected] regarding your data rights or to raise a privacy concern.