Privacy Policy

Families USA has created this Privacy Policy to explain why we collect particular information and how we will protect your personal privacy within our Web site. The statement below discloses our information-gathering and dissemination practices for the Web site located at the URL www.familiesusa.org.

In order to fully understand your rights, we encourage you to read this Privacy Policy as well as our Terms of Use. Families USA reserves the right at any time and without notice to change this Privacy Policy simply by posting such changes on our site. Any such change will be effective immediately upon posting.

Because we want to demonstrate our commitment to your privacy, this Privacy Policy notifies you of the following:

what personally identifiable information of yours is collected through the site;
who collects such information;
how such information is used;
with whom your information may be shared;
what choices you have regarding collection, use, and distribution of your information;
what kind of security procedures are in place to protect the loss, misuse, or alteration of information under our control; and
how you can correct any inaccuracies in your information.

Questions regarding this statement should be directed to Families USA by sending an e-mail to HealthAction@familiesusa.org. Please reference this Privacy Policy in your subject line.

What Information We Collect and How We Use That Information:
Our registration forms require users to give us contact information that may include name, e-mail address, street address, interests, format preference (HTML vs. text), and similar information. For those who take action on our alerts, we also store the content of the messages forwarded and the names of the legislators to whom those messages are sent. All of this information is kept strictly confidential, and only site administrators have access to it. We do not share this information with, or sell it to, any other organization or company. We also do not request or store sensitive information from our visitors, such as credit card or Social Security numbers.

Internet Protocol Address:
We collect an IP address from all visitors to our site. An IP address is a number that is automatically assigned to your computer when you use the Internet. We use IP addresses to help diagnose problems with our server, administer our site, analyze trends, track users' movements, gather broad demographic information for aggregate use in order for us to improve the site, and deliver customized, personalized content. IP addresses are not linked to personally identifiable information.

Use of "Cookies":
Our site may use cookies to enhance your experience while using our site. Cookies are pieces of information that some Web sites transfer to the computer that is browsing that Web site and are used for record-keeping purposes at many Web sites. Use of cookies makes Web-surfing easier by performing certain functions, such as saving your passwords, your personal preferences regarding your use of the particular Web site, and to make sure you don't see the same ad repeatedly. Many consider the use of cookies to be an industry standard.

Your browser is probably set to accept cookies. However, if you would prefer not to receive cookies, you can alter the configuration of your browser to refuse cookies. If you choose to have your browser refuse cookies, it is possible that some areas of our site will not function properly when you view them.

Security:
All information provided to Families USA is transmitted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. SSL is a proven coding system that lets your browser automatically encrypt, or scramble, data before you send it to us. We also protect account information by placing it on a secure portion of our site that is only accessible by certain qualified employees of Families USA. Unfortunately, however, no data transmission over the Internet is 100 percent secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of such information.

Tell-A-Friend:
If a user elects to use our referral service for informing a friend about our site, we ask them for the friend's name and e-mail address. Families USA will automatically send the friend a one-time e-mail inviting them to visit the site. Families USA stores this information for the sole purpose of sending this one-time e-mail.

Other Web Sites:
Our site contains links to other Web sites. Please note that when you click on one of these links, you are entering another Web site for which Families USA has no responsibility. We encourage you to read the privacy statements on all such sites, as their policies may be different than ours.

Contacting the Web Site:
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of this site, or your dealings with this site, you can contact:

Families USA
1201 New York Avenue Street NW
Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005

You can also send an e-mail to: HealthAction@familiesusa.org