Privacy Policy for The Georgia Society of CPAs

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") discloses the privacy practices for The Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. ("GSCPA", "we", "our", and "us") website ("Site"), whose domain name is www.gscpa.org. This Policy only applies to the Site and does not apply to any other websites, or to the off-line data collection, disclosure and usage practices of GSCPA. Questions regarding this Policy should be directed via email to the Member Services Department.

Categories of Personal Information Collected Through the Site


Third Parties

Third party companies may operate and host the Site (or portions of the Site) on our behalf. If such companies do so, then they will collect the information described below on our behalf and disclose it to us. Such third party companies may also display the Policy on the Site which apply to the information collected through those portions of the Site that they operate or host. GSCPA will not have any liability for the collection, disclosure and usage of personally identifiable information by such third parties.

Information Submitted On Forms

When subscribing or registering for a product or service (such as GSCPA membership, insurance, GSCPA referral service, CPE programs or special services such as sections) or renewing service registration on the Site, you are asked to complete online forms which may collect personally identifiable information about you, such as regarding the following, among other categories of information:

  • Name
  • Mailing address
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Fax number 
  • Payment information (such as your credit card number, among other information)
  • Information about your company and your position with your company
  • Other information related to the applicable product or service

Cookies

Cookies are files that Web browsers place on your computer's hard drive to store information about you while you use the applicable website. The Site uses cookies to recognize you as you navigate through the Site.

IP Addresses

We gather your IP (Internet Protocol) address when you use the Site. Your IP address is a means of identifying your Internet location.

What We Do With Personal Information Collected Through the Site

Services

We will use the information collected through the Site ("Information"), which includes your personally identifiable information among other types of information, to provide products or perform services that you request that we, or a third party, perform. If the applicable service or product is to be performed or provided by a third party, such as insurance, then we will disclose the applicable Information to the third party performing the applicable service. For example, some parts of the Site, such as for specific Sections of GSCPA, are hosted by other companies, and we provide such companies with Information so that they can operate the Section pages of the Site and provide services to you.

Third Party Marketing

We reserve the right, without further notice to you, to share your Information with other companies who may use and disclose your Information to market products and services to you. Members have the ability to opt-out of receiving this information from third-party companies by contacting the Member Services Department.

Internal Use

We reserve the right, without further notice to you, to use your Information within our business for the purposes of furthering our business, including analyzing your information, matching your Information with the

Information of others, and other possible uses, provided that GSCPA Board of Directors approves such usage in advance.

Aggregate Use And Disclosure

We have the right to use and disclose your Information on an aggregate basis, which means that we combine parts of your Information with parts of the information from our other users without including your name, complete telephone number, complete email address or your street address, in the combination. For example, we might determine the most common zip code among the users of the Site and disclose that zip code to other companies. Depending on the combination of Information and the Information provided from other Site users, someone may be able to identify you.

GSCPA Communications

We have the right to contact you by email or other conventional means using your Information to keep you informed of GSCPA issues, products and services. GSCPA will remove any member's name (and his or her personal information) from any mailing list upon request. To request that your name be removed from any mailing list, please contact the Member Services Department.

Exceptions

We may also use and disclose your Information to the extent reasonably necessary to: (i) correct technical problems and malfunctions in how we or third parties provide products and services to you and to technically process your Information; (ii) protect the security and integrity of the Site and our services, including without limitation to enforce any agreements with you; (iii) protect our rights and property and the rights and property of others; (iv) take precautions against liability; (v) respond to claims that your Information violates the rights and interests of third parties; (vi) the extent required by law or to respond to judicial process; and (vii) the extent permitted under other provisions of law, to provide Information to law enforcement agencies or for an investigation on a matter related to public safety.

You understand and agree that technical processing of your Information is and may be required (a) to send and receive messages regarding your use of the Site; (b) to conform to the technical requirements of connecting networks; (c) to conform to the limitations of our service; or (d) to conform to other, similar technical requirements.

GSCPA does not release email addresses or provide any other personally identifiable Information collected through the Site to any third party, except (i) as stated in this Policy; as well as (ii) to authorized GSCPA affiliates who have been engaged or endorsed by GSCPA, with approval from GSCPA Board of Directors, to provide specific services to members.

General Information

Links to Other Websites

The Site contains links to other websites. GSCPA is not responsible and will not have any liability for the privacy practices or other content or policies that may be associated with any third party website or online company to which the Site may be linked.

Storage Of Information

We store your information as long as we deem necessary for GSCPA.

Information Review

If you are a member of the GSCPA, then you can change and modify the Information you previously have provided to us by logging into the "Members-Only" portion of the Site and revising the Information that is set forth in your profile within the Site, using the following link: www.gscpa.org/Content/Login.aspx.


Change in Control

If we experience a "change in control" (defined below), then we may amend our information practices as described in this Policy and provide your Information to the organization or other legal entity that succeeds our operation of the Site ("Successor"). The Successor's privacy policy will then govern the Successor's use and disclosure of your Information. If you are a member of GSCPA and we have an email address for you in our member records, then we will notify you by email of the change in control, the Successor, and where you may review the Successor's privacy policy. If you do not agree with the transfer of your Information to the Successor or the Successor's privacy policy, then you may contact us as described in the email notification and we will allow you to opt out of the proposed transfer of your Information to the Successor. If you do not opt out, then we will disclose your Information to the Successor.

"Change in control" means any of the following events:

  • we undergo a reorganization, merger, consolidation, acquisition or other restructuring involving all or substantially all of our voting securities and/or assets, by operation of law or otherwise;
  • we become insolvent;
  • we make a general assignment for the benefit of creditors;
  • we suffer or permit an appointment of a receiver for our business or assets;
  • we become subject to any proceedings under any bankruptcy or insolvency law, whether domestic or foreign; or
  • we are liquidated, voluntarily or otherwise.

Interactive Forums

The Site provides discussion boards and other interactive forums for members. GSCPA provides suggested guidelines for appropriate and acceptable behavior while engaged in these electronic forums, and asks each participant to follow the guidelines when entering into any GSCPA-sponsored interactive forum. While staff occasionally monitors these interactive forums, GSCPA is not responsible for and will not have any liability for content, discussions or opinions expressed by participants.

Policy Modifications

This Policy has been developed with the understanding that the Policy may change as our online business model continues to evolve. Changes to the Policy will be posted at this website address: www.gscpa.org/Content/PrivacyPolicy.aspx. If you are a member of GSCPA and we have an email address for you in our member records, then we will notify you by email of the revisions to the Policy. If you do not agree with our revisions to the Policy, then you may contact us as described in the email notification and we will allow you to opt out of the proposed revisions to the Policy. If you do not opt out, then the revised Policy will then govern the Information that we have collected and will collect from you.

 

© 2010 by the Georgia Society of Certified Public Accountants, Inc. All rights reserved.