Cookies
We collect some data through the use of cookies. Cookies are alphanumeric identifiers that are transferred either to your computer's hard drive ("Long-term Cookies") or temporarily to your computer's Random Access Memory ("Session Cookies").

We use Long-term Cookies only when you select a "remember" option on the ACLU Site, for example the "remember my login" option offered when you log on to the ACLU Site, or the "remember me" option offered on the Write Your Elected Representative page. If you select these options, a Long-term Cookie will be stored on your computer's hard drive solely for the purpose of automatically filling in the remembered information, for example, automatically filling in your password when you log in to the ACLU Site or your postal address when you write a letter to your representative. These "remember" options are offered only for your convenience and are completely voluntary. If you do not select a "remember" option, no Long-Term Cookie will be stored on your computer's hard drive.

We use Session Cookies whenever you visit the ACLU Site to run the Site's interactive applications, such as the shopping cart. Session Cookies last only as long as your session on the ACLU Site. They expire when the session ends and are not written onto your computer's hard drive. We also use Session Cookies in e-mails containing the HTML-format ACLU online newsletter. If you select "text-only" format for the online newsletter, it will not contain any Session Cookies.

How We Use The Data We Collect
We use anonymous data to identify the source of user traffic (for example, umich.edu, or aol.com), but we are not able to use this data to identify individual users. We use data on which sections of the ACLU site are most visited, so that we can evaluate the popularity of our different Web pages and continue to improve the ACLU Site. We do not link any anonymous data with the Personal Data you provide to us.

We use your Personal Data for various purposes:

If you are a U.S. resident, we may also from time to time combine your Personal Data with some publicly available data collected from third parties, to improve our services to you and for our own internal marketing, communications, and fundraising purposes.

Third-Party Sharing
We share your Personal Data with third-party service providers who fulfill your orders, contact you on our behalf, or facilitate some other aspect of the ACLU Site activities, services or products, including those third-party service providers we use to assist us in our own fundraising efforts. These service providers have access to your Personal Data solely for the purpose of providing these services to us on our behalf, and they are contractually prohibited from sharing your Personal Data with any other third parties. Please note that we do not share data from non-U.S. residents with any other third parties (except where required by law, see below), even if a non-U.S. resident has subsequently authorized such use, for example, by not checking an opt-in request.

If you are a U.S. resident and member/donor to the ACLU, we also share your Personal Data with our local offices in order to permit them to contact you regarding any local activities we think may interest you, if you have not opted out of receiving this information.

We may also share the Personal Data of members and donors who are U.S. residents with other non-profit organizations and publications ("Sharing Organizations"), but never to any partisan political groups or to groups whose programs are incompatible with ACLU policies. We never give your Personal Data directly to the Sharing Organizations; instead we send the list to a third-party service provider that prepares the mailing for the Sharing Organization (and that is contractually bound to use your Personal Data only for this purpose and not to share it with any other third parties). The Sharing Organizations never see our list and never know what names are on it unless you respond to the Sharing Organizations' mailing. Exchanging lists enables the ACLU to expand our membership base. However, if you have signed up as a member or donor on the ACLU Site, you can choose to opt out of having your data shared. To learn more, read the section on "Your Ability to Choose" below.

Finally, we may disclose and use Personal Data regardless of where you reside in special circumstances when it is necessary to enforce our User Agreement or this Online Privacy Statement, or when we, in good faith, believe that the law requires us to disclose your Personal Data to third parties.

Except as described in this Online Privacy Statement, we will not share your Personal Data with any third party unless we first notify you and offer you an appropriate choice to consent to such further use, for example, through an opt-out or opt-in request.

Your Ability to Choose
When you provide us with your Personal Data on the ACLU Site, you can let us know that you do not wish to receive our online newsletter, ACLU Online, or any e-mailed action alerts by un-checking the subscription request boxes on the form you are completing, by un-checking the subscription request boxes on our User Preference Page or by contacting us via postal mail sent to Webmaster, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, New York, 10004.

If you are signing up as a donor/member on the ACLU Site, you can opt out of having your Personal Data shared with Sharing Organizations on the online form you are filling out or thereafter by filling out the No-Exchange of Name Form or by contacting the Membership Department via postal mail sent to Membership Department, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, New York, 10004.

Again, please remember that if you are a non-U.S. resident, we will not use your Personal Data beyond the purpose for which it was originally collected regardless of whether you check or un-check a box.

Children
We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 13.

Security
The Personal Data we collect about you is stored on a secure, password protected server. We use industry-standard encryption technologies with respect to the receipt and transfer of Personal Data you submit to us on the ACLU Site and only authorized personnel have access to your information. Nevertheless, despite our best efforts, no transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

Updating Your Data
To update your Personal Data or to make corrections, you can do so by using our User Preference Page, or by sending us the update via postal mail sent to Membership Department, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004.

Comments and Questions
If you have any questions, comments or concerns about this Online Privacy Statement or our data collection practices or to request that we delete your Personal Data, you can fill out the ACLU Feedback Page, or send us your questions or comments via postal mail sent to Webmaster, American Civil Liberties Union, 125 Broad Street, 18th Floor, New York, New York 10004.