Virtual Field Trips

 

Privacy Policy

 

Last modified: February 25, 2021

 

Introduction

 

VFT Virtual Field Trips, Ltd. (“Company” or “We”) respects your privacy and are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy.

This policy describes the types of personally identifiable information or other non-public information, including, but not limited to, metadata and user content (“information”) we may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit the website https://virtualfieldtrips.org (our “Website“), whether as a representative of a school or other educational institution with whom we do business (“Educational Institution”), teachers or other types of educators using the Website to facilitate an educational curriculum (“Teacher(s)”), students who have been provided access to our services by a Teacher or Educational Institution (“Student(s)”), or any other type of user (collectively, “User(s)”) and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.

This policy applies to information we collect:

  • On this Website.
  • In email, text, and other electronic messages between you and this Website.

It does not apply to information collected by:

  • Us offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by Company or any third party; or
  • Any third party, including through any application or content (including advertising) that may link to or be accessible from or on the Website.

 

Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, your choice is not to use our Website. By accessing or using this Website, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see Changes to Our Privacy Policy). Your continued use of this Website after we make changes is deemed to be acceptance of those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates.

 

Children Under the Age of 13

The Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998 and its rules (collectively, “COPPA“) applies to operators of commercial websites and other online services that knowingly collect personal information from their users and are directed towards or likely accessed by children under the age of 13 (“children”). We actively avoid collecting, using, storing, or sharing any personal information related to Students (including children), and only collect generic information from Students as described in this section. Nonetheless, we greatly value children’s safety and provide this section out of transparency for parents and legal guardians (as used in this policy, “parents“) about our practices for collecting, using, and disclosing information from children. This section is intended to supplement the rest of this Privacy Policy, which all Users are subject to. In the event this section conflicts with another section of this Privacy Policy, this section supersedes if and only in a case where it relates to Students.

 

This section notifies parents of:

  • The types of information we may or may not collect from Students (including children).
  • How we use the information we collect.
  • Our practices for disclosing that information. 

This section only applies to Students (including children) and does not apply to Teachers, Educational Institutions, or other Users that we do not have actual knowledge as being under the age of 13. Non-Student Users are subject to the other terms of this Privacy Policy and should be aware that this section does not apply to them. If you believe we might have any personal information about any User under the age of 13, please contact us at: [email protected].

 

Information We Collect from Children

Students can access many parts of the Website and its content and use many of its features without providing us with personal information. Students may access content assigned for educational purposes by using an Access Key (as defined below). Otherwise, Students do not need to create an account, provide us with an email address, or provide any other personal information to access the Website or any of its contents.

However, we use certain technologies, such as cookies or web beacons, to automatically collect information from our Users (including children) when they visit or use the Website. We only collect as much of such information about a Student as is reasonably necessary for the child to participate in an activity (typically automatically and in unidentifiable form), and we do not condition his or her participation on the disclosure of personal information.

 

 Information We Collect Directly

A Student (including a child) must provide us with an Access Key provided by their Teacher or Educational Institution to access certain content or functionality of our Website. These Access Keys are provided to Teachers or Educational Providers to allow us to fulfill our agreements with them. We do not link Access Keys to any personal information, though they may be linked to web beacons, cookies, or other similar types of technology that we only use to facilitate the operation and ease of use of the Website and our content.

 Automatic Information Collection

We use technology to automatically collect information from our Users, including children, when they access and navigate through the Website and use certain of its features. The information we collect through these technologies may include:

  • Information related to cookies or web beacons that assist in the functionality and ease of use of the Website and are only used for internal operations (and for non-marketing purposes); and
  • Non-individually identifiable information about your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website, and usage details.

 

We only use this information to the extent that it may enable certain functionality for Users, such as not requiring Students to re-enter Access Keys with each new session of using the Website or enabling their device to recognize which content they have already viewed or to assist in our internal analytics. We do not automatically collect any information beyond as is necessary and related to these types of functionality purposes.

 

We do not use or share automatically collected information from our Users for marketing purposes unless it has been aggregated or de-identified so that it may not be linked back to any particular User. Aggregated or de-identified information will have all direct and indirect personal identifiers removed, including (but not limited to) name, ID numbers, date of birth, email address, telephone number, geographic location, demographic information, or school ID. We do not attempt to re-identify aggregated or de-identified information.

 

How We Use Children’s Information

We use non-personal information (including Access Key information) we collect from Students (including children) to:

  • Register him or her with or provide access to certain areas of the Website;
  • Perform (and document our performance of) agreements with Teachers or Educational Institutions;
  • Provide technical or other similar types of support with Users, including a Student’s Teacher(s) or Educational Institution(s);
  • Our own internal business purposes.

 

We use the information we collect automatically through technology and other non-personal information we collect to improve our Website and to deliver a better and more personalized experience by enabling us to:

  • Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.
  • Store information about the child’s preferences, allowing us to customize the content according to individual interests.
  • Speed up your searches.

 

We do not use information collected from Students to advertise or market to Students or their parents. Advertising or marketing may be directed towards Teachers or Educational Institutions only if Student information is properly de-identified.

 

Our Practices for Disclosing Children’s Information 

We do not share, sell, rent, or transfer children’s personal information other than as described in this section. We may disclose aggregated information about many of our Users and information that does not identify any individual to a third party. In addition, we may disclose information collected from Students (including children):

  • To third parties we use to support the internal operations of our Website.
  • If we are required to do so by law or legal process, such as to comply with any court order or subpoena or to respond to any government or regulatory request.
  • If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of VFT Virtual Field Trips, Ltd., our customers, or others, including to:
    • protect the safety of a child;
    • protect the safety and security of the Website; or
    • enable us to take precautions against liability.
  • To law enforcement agencies or for an investigation related to public safety.

 

Further, if the Company is involved in a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of the Company’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding or event, we may transfer the information we have collected or maintain to the buyer or other successor.

 

Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

 

We collect several types of information from and about Users of our Website, including information:

  • By which you may be personally identified, such as name, postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, or professional information (“personal information“);
  • That is about you but individually does not identify you, such as a link or code provided to Teachers which may be communicated to their Students to provide access to our some of our materials and services (“Access Key”); and/or
  • About your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Website, and usage details.

 

We collect this information:

  • Directly from you when you provide it to us.
  • Automatically as you navigate through the site. Information collected automatically may include usage details, and information collected through cookies, web beacons, or other functionality-oriented technology.
  • From third parties, for example, our business partners.

 

Information You Provide to Us.

The information we collect on or through our Website may include:

  • Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Website. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with our Website.
  • Records and copies of your correspondence (including email addresses), if you contact us.

 

Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies.

As you navigate through and interact with our Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions, and patterns, including:

  • Details of your visits to our Website, including traffic data, logs, and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on the Website.
  • Information about your computer and internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, and browser type.

 

The information we collect automatically is only statistical data and does not include personal information. It helps us to improve our Website and to deliver a better and more personalized service, including by enabling us to:

  • Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.
  • Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Website according to your individual interests.
  • Speed up your searches.
  • Recognize you when you return to our Website.

 

The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:

  • Cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer. You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website or may otherwise suffer diminished functionality. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Website.
  • Flash Cookies. Certain features of our Website may use local stored objects (or Flash cookies) to collect and store information about your preferences and navigation to, from, and on our Website. Flash cookies are not managed by the same browser settings as are used for browser cookies. For information about managing your privacy and security settings for Flash cookies, see Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information.
  • Web Beacons. Pages of our Website and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of certain website content and verifying system and server integrity).

 

We do not collect personal information automatically, but we may tie this information to personal information about you that we collect from other sources or you provide to us.

 

How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information: 

  • To present our Website and its contents to you.
  • To provide you with information, products, content, or services that you request from us.
  • To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
  • To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.
  • To notify you about changes to our Website or any products or services we offer or provide though it.
  • To allow you to participate in interactive features on our Website.
  • In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.
  • For any other purpose with your consent.

 

Disclosure of Your Information 

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction (unless otherwise stated in this Privacy Policy). Aggregated or de-identified information will have all direct and indirect personal identifiers removed, including (but not limited to) name, ID numbers, date of birth, email address, telephone number, geographic location, demographic information, or school ID. We do not attempt to re-identify aggregated or de-identified information.

 

We may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide as described in this privacy policy:

  • To our subsidiaries and affiliates.
  • To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business.
  • To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of VFT Virtual Field Trips, Ltd.’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by VFT Virtual Field Trips, Ltd. about our Website users is among the assets transferred.
  • To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.
  • For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
  • With your consent.

 

We may also disclose your personal information:

  • To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
  • To enforce or apply our Terms of Use and other agreements, including for billing and collection purposes.
  • If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of VFT Virtual Field Trips, Ltd., our customers, or others.

Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information

 

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:

  • Tracking Technologies and Advertising. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. To learn how you can manage your Flash cookie settings, visit the Flash player settings page on Adobe’s website. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this site may then be inaccessible or not function properly.

 

Changes to Our Privacy Policy 

It is our policy to post any changes we make to our privacy policy on this page with a notice that the privacy policy has been updated on the Website home page. Additionally, we will notify Educational Institutions and Teachers by email of such changes. The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for you, and for periodically visiting our Website and this privacy policy to check for any changes.

 

Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at [email protected].

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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