Skip to content

Updated July 12, 2021

Use

The American Academy of Audiology (“the Academy”) offers the Data Usage and Privacy Statement outlined herein as a guide for both Academy members and nonmembers [“User(s)”] utilizing the American Academy of Audiology Web site (“Site” and “the Site”). Please read all information carefully. By using this Web site, Users agree to be bound by these Terms. If Users accept these Terms, they should periodically review these Terms as the Academy may revise them from time to time as may be necessary.

Applicability and Eligibility

This privacy policy applies to the Academy’s collection, use, disclosure, and protection of your data. It does not apply to third party websites, applications, or services. Before accessing, using, or interacting with our services, carefully review the terms and conditions of this privacy policy. Services are not directed to children under the age of 18. You may not use our services if you are under the age of 18.

Collection and use of Personal Information 

1. Purpose of collecting and processing the data

We collect and process your data to provide you with the goods or services you have requested or purchased from us, including membership services, events, publications and other content, certification, and training. We use this information to refine our goods and services to better tailor them to your needs and to communicate with you about other services we offer that may assist you in your career or otherwise help you to advance your career. We may also use this information to help us understand our members’ needs and interests to better tailor our products and services to meet your needs.

2. Personal information we collect -includes but not limited to

  • First, Middle and last name
  • Job title
  • Email address, Work address
  • Work Phone number
  • Shipping and billing information, credit or debit card number, card expiration date, CVV code credit card information or other preferred payment means (collectively known as ‘Payment Information’)
  • Documentation required for approving and/or renewing memberships and certifications
  • May also collect your personal email address, a personal mailing address, and a mobile phone number.

Members may voluntarily provide additional information in their membership profile, such as information about their educational background, number of years in the industry, and the like.

3. How do we gather your information

The above personally identifiable information may be gathered from

  • Our online web portal when you create an account and sign up for membership, renewals, apply for certifications etc.
  • contest or sweepstakes registration,
  • the registration process for subscription sites or services and
  • in connection with content submissions, community postings (e.g., chat and bulletin boards), suggestions, voting/polling activities and transactional areas.

4. How do we use your information

  • Membership–
  1. We process your personal information for membership administration, to deliver member benefits, and to inform you of our events, content, and other benefits or opportunities associated with your membership. We may also use this information to help us understand our members’ needs and interests to better tailor our products and services to meet your needs.
  2. Events and Webinars

We host events throughout the year, including our annual conference, webinars, and trainings (collectively “events”). If you are a member and register for one of our events, we will access the information in your member account to provide you with information and services associated with the event. If you are not a member and you register for one of our events, we will collect your name and contact information, which we will store in our database and use to provide you with information and services associated with the event. If you are a presenter at one of our events, we will collect information about you including your name, employer and contact information, and photograph, and we may also collect information provided by event attendees who evaluated your performance as a presenter. As an attendee, speaker, or sponsor/exhibitor, we will keep a record of your participation to provide you with post-event information including details on upcoming events you may be interested in.

We reserve the right to use any photograph/video taken at our events, without the expressed written permission of those included within the photograph/video. We may use the photograph/video in publications or other media material produced, used or contracted including but not limited to: brochures, invitations, books, newspapers, magazines, television, websites, etc. To ensure the privacy of individuals, images will not be identified using full names or personal identifying information without written approval from the photographed subject.

  • Advertising and Mailing Lists-

The Academy reserves the right to perform statistical analyses of user behavior and characteristics in order to measure interest in and use of the various areas of the site and to inform advertisers of such information as well as the number of users that have been exposed to or clicked on their advertising banners. The Academy will provide only aggregated data from these analyses to third parties. Also, users should be aware that the Academy may permit third parties to offer subscription and/or registration-based services through the Academy Site. The Academy is not responsible for any actions or policies of such third parties and users should check the applicable privacy policy of such party when providing personally identifiable information.

Additionally, users should be aware that when they voluntarily disclose personally identifiable information (e.g., user name, e-mail address) on the bulletin boards or in the chat areas of the Academy Site, that information, along with any substantive information disclosed in the user’s communication, can be collected and correlated and used by third parties and may result in unsolicited messages from other posters or third parties. Such activities are beyond the control of the Academy. See “Terms of Use” specific to the communities for more information.

Users should be aware that the Academy may sell or provide member or event attendee mailing lists to third parties. Users have the opportunity to opt-out of being included in these lists through the membership and event registration processes. You may opt out of this activity by contacting the Academy office.

  •  Publications

In addition to producing original content, the Academy also subscribes to news feeds and blogs produced by others, which we often link to from the Academy’s Site. This means a User may find one’s self on the Academy Site or reading an email where the Academy will offer a link to another organization’s web site for additional relevant content. At these times, the User will be leaving our web site. The Academy is not responsible or liable for content provided by these third-party websites or personal information they may happen to gather from you.

Some individuals who use Academy services are not Academy members and may still receive our communications by virtue of the relationship with the Academy. The Academy may retain contact information (first name and last name, an email address, and the country in which you live) for this purpose. We do not share this information with any third party other than to store the information in our database.

You may manage your subscriptions by subscribing or unsubscribing at any time. You also may opt out of email communications by contacting the Academy office.

  •  Payment Processing

We collect information related to purchases if you choose to purchase goods and services from us. You may provide certain information to complete payments, including your credit or debit card number, card expiration date, CVV code, and billing address (collectively, “Payment Information”), along with your name and billing, and shipping address, to complete payment transactions. Per PCI Compliance, we do not accept credit card information via email. Credit card information received via secure fax, phone, or mail is entered into a secure system and then deleted and destroyed.

  • Access to your Information

Users can access, correct, delete or modify their personal information through the member dashboard on the academy’s member portal. The Academy welcomes users to contact us regarding the information we have collected about you, including the nature and accuracy of the data collected about you, to request an update, modification, or deletion of your information, to opt-out of certain services, or to withdraw any consent you may have granted. Please note that if you choose to delete your information or opt-out of the collection and use of your information, certain features may no longer be available to you. You can exercise your right to be forgotten by contacting the Academy office. Users may also opt-out of receiving certain communications by following the unsubscribe process described in an email communication, or by contacting our office directly.

By submitting such requests to organizations, individuals are entitled to receive:

  • Confirmation that their personal information is being processed;
  • Access to that information;
  • The organization’s lawful basis for processing;
  • The names or categories of any third parties that the information has been shared with;
  • The estimated period for which the personal data will be stored (or, if this hasn’t yet been decided, the criteria used to determine that period);
  • Any relevant information about how the personal data was obtained; and
  • Information about automated decision-making, including profiling, and the reasoning for and potential consequences of the automation.

Sharing Information 

Information about your purchases are maintained in association with your membership or profile account. The personal information we collect from you is stored in a database hosted by a third party, Euclid Technologies. Euclid does not use or have access to your personal information for any purpose other than cloud storage and retrieval. Other third-party vendors used by the Academy may store data for the provision of services. These vendors include Thieme (JAAA), Boxwood/Naylor (HearCareers), CommPartners/Cadmium (eAudiology), Higher Logic (Audiology Community), Cadmium (AAA Annual Conference Call for Submissions and online Conference Planner), Experient (AAA Annual Conference Registration and Housing), Geico.

We do not otherwise reveal your personal data to third-parties for their independent use unless:

  1.  You request or authorize it;
  2.  It’s in connection with any of our events as described above;
  3.  The information is provided to comply with the law (for example, to comply with a search warrant, subpoena or court order), enforce an agreement we have with you, or to protect our rights, property or safety, or the rights, property or safety of our employees or others; (4) the information is provided to our agents, vendors or service providers who perform functions on our behalf; (5) to address emergencies or acts of God; and (6) to address disputes, claims, or to persons demonstrating legal authority to act on your behalf.

Our website uses interfaces with social media sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and others. If you choose to “like” or share information from our website through these services, you should review the privacy policy of that service. If you are a member of a social media site, the interfaces may allow the social media site to connect your site visit to your personal data.

Website Usage

We may use IP addresses to analyze trends, administer the site, track user’s movement, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information. Additionally, for systems administration, detecting usage patterns and troubleshooting purposes, our web servers automatically log standard may access information including browser type, access times/open mail, URL requested, and referral URL. This information is not shared with third parties and is used only within this Company on a need-to-know basis. Any individually identifiable information related to this data will never be used in any way different to that stated above without your explicit permission.

Cookies

Users also should be aware that non-personal information and data may be automatically collected through the standard operation of the Academy’s Internet servers or through the use of “cookies.” “Cookies” are small text files a Web site can use to recognize repeat users, facilitate the user’s ongoing access to and use of the site and allow a site to track usage behavior and compile aggregate data that will allow content improvements and targeted advertising. Cookies are not programs that come onto a user’s system and damage files. Generally, cookies work by assigning a unique number to the user that has no meaning outside the assigning site. Users should be aware that the Academy cannot control the use of cookies or the resulting information by advertisers or third parties hosting data for the Academy. If a user does not want information collected through the use of cookies, there is a simple procedure in most browsers that allows the user to deny or accept the cookie feature; however, users should note that cookies may be necessary to provide the user with certain features (e.g., customized delivery of information) available on the Site. The foregoing policies are updated and effective as of August 25, 2021. The Academy reserves the right to change this policy at any time by notifying users of the existence of a new privacy statement. This statement and the policies outlined herein are not intended to and do not create any contractual or other legal rights in or on behalf of any party. See Terms of Use.

Changes and Updates to the Privacy Policy

By using this site, you agree to the terms and conditions contained in this privacy policy. As our organization, membership, and benefits change from time to time, this privacy policy is expected to change as well. We reserve the right to amend the privacy policy at any time, for any reason, without notice to you, other than the posting of the amended privacy policy on our website. We may e-mail periodic reminders of our notices and terms and conditions and will e-mail members of material changes.

wave-mark

Join the Academy

Academy members receive many benefits for professional development, practice management, and community development.

Become a Member
Scroll To Top