PRIVACY POLICY
The Writers’ Federation of Nova Scotia (WFNS) is committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy sets out WFNS’s policy with respect to the collection, use, and disclosure of such personal information via our website (writers.ns.ca) and via other communications (digital, telephonic, and in-person) that we conduct with you. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, the term “personal information” means information that can be used to personally identify you or any information which is directly associated with any such information.
WFNS limits the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information to what is necessary to conduct its business, to serve the needs of its membership, and to provide services to the public. If you do not consent to the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not provide us with your personal information.
Please note that WFNS practice strictly prohibits the sharing of member or non-member information (including contact information) with anyone other than the member or non-member in question. We cannot share your email address, phone number, or residential address with anyone unless you explicitly request in writing that we do so.
SECTION 1 - WHAT INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We collect information about you only if we have a reason to do so—for example, to provide our services, to communicate with you, or to improve how our services are offered. We collect this information from three sources: if and when you provide information to us, automatically through operating our services, and from outside sources. Here are some examples of information you provide to us:
General Membership account: We ask for basic information from you in order to set up your General Membership account, including a username, name, email address, and password along with a mailing address and phone number. You may provide us with additional information about your experience as a writer.
Writers’ Council profile: If you become a member of WFNS’s Writers’ Council, we collect the information that you provide for your public profile. If you create a public profile, any information you put into your public profile, like a photo or biographical description, will be publicly available. Please keep that in mind when deciding what information you would like to include.
Payment and contact information: If you buy something from us, we’ll collect information to process those payments and to contact you. Additionally, during online or telephone payments, you’ll provide additional personal and payment information like your name, credit card information, and contact information (see Section 4 – Square). We also keep a record of the purchases you’ve made.
SECTION 2 - CONSENT
When you provide us with personal information to complete a transaction, verify your credit card, place an order, arrange for a delivery, or return a purchase, we imply that you consent to our collecting it and using it for that specific reason only.
By joining WFNS as a General Member or renewing your General Membership, you consent to subscription to our weekly member email newsletter, Subtext. You may unsubscribe from Subtext at any time via a link at the bottom of each issue.
If we ask for your personal information for a secondary reason, like marketing, we will either ask you directly for your expressed consent, or provide you with an opportunity to say no.
To withdraw your consent after you opt-in, you may withdraw your consent for us to contact you, for the continued collection, use, or disclosure of your information, at anytime, by contacting us at communications@writers.ns.ca
SECTION 3 - DISCLOSURE
WFNS will not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to any party. WFNS will not disclose any of your personal information to any third party except (i) where such party provides services to us in furtherance of the permitted use of such information and where such third person has agreed to be bound by equivalent terms to this Privacy Policy; (ii) as may be required by law; or (iii) as may be required during any due diligence process reasonably undertaken, provided that such third party is bound by obligations as least as restrictive as those contained in this Privacy Policy.
SECTION 4 - SQUARE
Purchases on the WFNS website or by phone are processed through the payment gateway Square. Square provide us with the payment transaction processes that allow for online and telephonic purchases, including General Membership subscriptions. Your data is stored through Square’s data storage and databases and through the general Square application on a secure server behind a firewall. For more information, see Square’s policy on privacy and security.
SECTION 5 - THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
In general, the third-party providers used by WFNS will collect, use, and disclose your information only to the extent necessary to allow them to perform the services they provide to us. However, certain third-party service providers may have their own privacy policies with respect to the information we are required to provide to them for your purchase-related transactions. For these providers, we recommend that you read their privacy policies so you can understand the manner in which your personal information will be handled by these providers. In particular, remember that certain providers may be located in or have facilities that are located a different jurisdiction than either you or WFNS. So if you elect to proceed with a transaction that involves the services of a third-party service provider, then your information may become subject to the laws of the jurisdiction(s) in which that service provider or its facilities are located. Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or our website’s Terms of Service.
When you click links on our website, they may direct you away from our site. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other sites and encourage you to read their privacy statements.
SECTION 6 - SECURITY
To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry best practices to make sure this information is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed. If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer (SSL) technology and stored with a AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional generally accepted industry standards.
SECTION 7 - COOKIES
Parts of our website may make use of “cookie” technology to measure site activity and to customize information to your personal tastes. A cookie is an element of data that a website can send to your browser, which may then store the cookie on your hard drive. So, when you come back to visit writers.ns.ca again, we can tailor information to suit your individual preferences. The goal is to save you time and provide you with a more meaningful visit.
SECTION 8 - AGE OF CONSENT
By using this site, you represent that you are at least the age of majority in your state or province of residence, or that you are the age of majority in your state or province of residence and you have given us your consent to allow any of your minor dependents to use this site.
SECTION 9 - CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please review it frequently. Changes and clarifications will take effect immediately upon their posting on this website. If we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated, so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.
QUESTIONS AND CONTACT INFORMATION
If you would like to access, correct, amend, or delete any personal information WFNS may have about you, would like to register a complaint, or simply want more information, please contact our Executive Director at director@writers.ns.ca.
