Privacy Policy

FOSSBots are registered with the Information Commissioners Office under registration number ZB331532. You may contact the Data Protection Lead via dpl[at]fossbots.org if you have any concerns about our data protection policies or registration.

FOSSBots are committed to preserving your privacy and being transparent about how we use information collected through fossbots.org and any subdomain of it (the "Website") and any other applications, functionality, or services offered by FOSSBots (collectively with the Website, the "Services"). This Privacy Policy describes how FOSSBots uses, collects, and shares information collected through the Services. By using the Services, you agree to and accept the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

We may modify this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post changes on this page so be sure to check back regularly. We will also notify you by posting an announcement on the Website so you are always aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, it is disclosed. Continuing to use our Services after any changes have been posted, constitutes your acceptance of any modifications to the Terms.

Information Collected by FOSSBots

As part of the Services, we may collect the following types of information from you when you use the Services ("User Information"):

Registration Information. In order to access certain portions of the Services you must complete a registration form. In this registration form, we collect certain personal information, such as your email address, username and password. Your email address will remain private, unless you choose to post it on public facing portions of the Services, such as your profile page or the Contributors Page. Please use discretion on what you choose to post on public facing portions of the Services, as it will be available to the public and may show up in search results of third-party engines.

Username. You will also be asked to create a username, which will be used to identify when you are logged onto the Services, and to identify your Contributions to the Services. Again, your username will be visible to the public, and may show up in search results of third-party search engines.

Optional user information: As a registered user, you may choose to share more details publicly. You may provide your name, a personal website, share your email address or phone number, and talk about yourself on your profile page. Please use discretion on what you choose to post on public facing portions of the Services, as it will be available to the public and may show up in search results of third-party engines. If provided, your name may be used to identify your Contributions to the Service, and may be used by third parties as a means to attribute your contributions.

Usage Information.FOSSBots may collect certain usage data, such as your IP address, URL request, browser type, and the date and time of a request. FOSSBots may use cookies (as further described below) or other automated mechanisms to collect this information and may collect this information on an aggregate or individual basis. FOSSBots uses this information for statistical purposes to help administer, manage and improve the Services, prevent abuse, analyse trends, and to tailor your user experience. In addition, FOSSBots may use anonymised usage statistics that may be derived from this information for marketing, research or reporting purposes..

Cookies

Cookies are small files that FOSSBots can send to your browser for storage on your computer. Cookies make using the Services easier by saving your status and preferences and refreshing them every time you use the Services. For instance, FOSSBots may use cookies to recognise you when you return to the Services so that you do not have to resubmit your login credentials. In order to clear this logon information, for example if using a public terminal, you should log out of your account. While many browsers allow you to change your settings in order to refuse cookies or to be alerted when cookies are being sent, FOSSBots recommends that you leave cookies enabled, as disabling cookies may prevent you from using and may interfere with some functionality of the Services.

Cookies are not required to browse FOSSBots, but are technically required for some features. FOSSBots uses cookies for:

- Maintaining logged in status, using an account, and setting preferences; or
- Ensuring that once you have read the cookie warning required by UK law, you no longer see this notice; or
- Gathering Usage Information for statistical purposes. Use of this data is subject to the restrictions below.

No personally identifiable information will be disclosed to any third party solely and directly by your use of cookies.

Archiving

FOSSBots may retain User Information collected through the Services indefinitely for restorative, archival, or research purposes. Your personal information is kept private and stored securely until a time it is no longer required or has no use.

FOSSBots retains most individual Usage Information for up to 90 days, after which it is deleted. Some logs or backups may hold limited data indefinitely. We will only process this data after 90 days where there is a legal or technical requirement.

Email Communications

FOSSBots may send you emails containing FOSSBots-related news, products, offers, surveys or promotions. You may also receive notification emails from FOSSBots to inform you of changes in the Services, new service offerings or other information related to your use of the Services. If you do not want to receive promotional emails from FOSSBots, please email staff[at]fossbots[dot]org. However, please note that, even if you choose not to receive marketing emails from FOSSBots, you will continue to receive all emails related to your use of the Services (e.g. those regarding forgotten user passwords) from FOSSBots. Controls to set which emails you receive from FOSSBots should be in the Preferences pages of relevant applications. If you need assistance finding them, please email us on the above email.

Sharing of Information with Third Parties

Generally, FOSSBots does not share User Information with third parties without your consent. Nonetheless, in order to maximise your user experience on the Services, the following individuals or entities may have access to User Information:

FOSSBots Personnel. FOSSBots personnel and a small number of vetted volunteers may have access to User Information as necessary for FOSSBots to operate and to provide you the Services.

Third Party Service Providers. FOSSBots may share User Information with its third-party service providers as necessary for those third party service providers to provide services to FOSSBots.

Business Transfers. If FOSSBots is acquired by or FOSSBots otherwise transfers and/or sells substantially all its assets to another company, FOSSBots will transfer any User Information it has in its possession to the other company as part of the sale or transfer of the company or assets.

Legal Requests. We may share User Information when we believe in good faith that release is necessary to comply with a court order; to comply with applicable law; to comply with a subpoena from a third party; or where we believe doing so would protect life, limb, property or services of any person or organisation.

Information Sharing Partnerships. FOSSBots, our providers or partners may share information with industry databases or services including but not limited Cifas or the NCSC Cyber Security Information Sharing Partnership to help prevent, protect and detect fraud, cyber crime, other criminal activity and where otherwise appropiate to protect organisations within these groups. We will publish information where available on our website for groups we are part of for this purpose.

Data Analysis. FOSSBots may use, transfer, and share aggregated, anonymous data derived from User Information with wiki administrators, researchers, journalists, founders and other third parties that FOSSBots may choose to work with. This data will not include any personally identifiable information.

Children

FOSSBots does not operate Services that are targeted at people under 13 years of age, and does not collect personally identifiable information. If you are a parent or guardian and become aware that your child has been using the Services, please let us know and we will remove your child’s information.

Transfer of Information Across Borders

Your information may be transferred to, and maintained on, servers and databases located outside of your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction where the privacy laws may not be as protective as your jurisdiction. Please be advised that we may transfer your information to and from any state, province, country or other governmental jurisdiction, and process it in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and elsewhere at our discretion. By using the Services, you consent to any such transfer of your information.

Copies, Amendments, and Erasure of Personally Identifiable Information

You have a right to a digital copy of all personally identifiable information (PII) stored about you by FOSSBots. You also have the right to correct any PII that FOSSBots has collected or displays on the Service.

Additionally, you have a right to request erasure of PII stored by FOSSBots. Some Contributions are typically not subject to this clause, as they are governed by the applicable content licence contract under which you submitted the data. In particular, you should be aware that most Creative Commons licences require that FOSSbots provide attribution of the author of the content.

In order to make any of these requests, please email staff[at]fossbots[dot]org.

Security Notifications

You have the right to be notified of any security breach at FOSSBots which exposes your personal information. FOSSBots will make public disclosures of security breaches that we uncover on the Website. If we determine that a breach of the Services has revealed personally identifiable information of a large number of users, FOSSBots will announce the issue by a notice on all sites. If it is likely that your information has been stolen or damaged, and you have provided FOSSBots with your email where possible, FOSSBots will send email notifications on the breach to you.

Effective Date of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is effective as of 2022-05-31

This policy was last revised on 2022-05-31

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