Last Updated: September 10, 2021
HackMIT (“HackMIT”, “us”, “we”, or “our”) takes the privacy and security of your personal data seriously. This Privacy Policy describes how we protect and use the personal data we collect about you through our website and in connection with the services we offer.
Please contact [email protected] with any requests, questions, or concerns relating to this Privacy Policy.
1. Who We Are.
1.1 HackMIT.
Welcome to HackMIT! We are MIT's premier college hackathon. Through our platform, mobile apps and services, we enable people all over the world to ideate, innovate, and create.
HackMIT’s products, features and offerings are available (a) online through hackmit.org, code.hackmit.org, and the HackMIT mobile app; (b) through sponsorship and marketing or distribution services; and (c) through mobile applications, webpages, and mobile app interfaces (“Applications,”). These are collectively referred to in this Privacy Policy as “HackMIT Properties” or our “Services”).
If you have any questions or concerns at any time, please do not hesitate to contact us at [email protected] or at the address below.
2. Our Privacy Statement.
2.1 Application.
This Privacy Policy sets forth our policy with respect to information that can be associated with or which relates to a person and/or could be used to identify a person (“Personal Data”) that is collected from Users on or through the Services. We take the privacy of your Personal Data seriously. Because of that, we have created this Privacy Policy. Please read this Privacy Policy as it includes important information regarding your Personal Data and other information.
“Non-Personal Data” as used in this Privacy Policy is anonymized or de-identified information that does not relate to a person and/or cannot be used to identify a person.
3. Personal Data That We Collect.
When you use or interact with us through the Services, we may collect Personal Data. This is explained in more detail below.
3.1 Information Collected From All Users.
Information you provide to us: For all Users we collect Personal Data when you voluntarily provide such information to the Services, such as when you register for access to the Services, contact us with inquiries, respond to one of our surveys or browse and use certain parts of the Services. The Personal Data we may collect includes without limitation your name, email address and any other information that you choose to provide and/or that enables Users to be personally identified.
Information we automatically collect: We also automatically collect certain technical data that is sent to us from the computer, mobile device and/or browser through which you access the Services (“Automatic Data”). Automatic Data, includes without limitation, a unique identifier associated with the device you use and/or browser (including, for example, your Internet Protocol (IP) address) characteristics about your access device and/or browser, statistics on your activities on the Services, information about how you came to the Services and data collected through Cookies, Pixel Tags, Local Shared Objects, Web Storage and other similar technologies. You can find out more information about how we use Cookies and other similar tracking technologies in our Cookie Policy.
When you register for the Services or otherwise submit Personal Data to us, we may associate other Non-Personal Data (including Non-Personal Data we collect from third parties) with your Personal Data. At such instance, we will treat any such combined data as your Personal Data until such time as it can no longer be associated with you or used to identify you.
4. How We Use Your Personal Data.
We collect and use the Personal Data we collect in a manner that is consistent with this Privacy Policy, and applicable privacy laws. We may use the Personal Data as follows:
4.1 Specific Reason– Customer Service and Communications.
We may use your information in connection with the purpose for which it was provided. For instance, if you contact us by e-mail, we will use the data you provide to answer your question or resolve your problem and will respond to the email address from which the contact came.
4.2 Use of and Access to the Services.
We will use your data to provide you with access to or use of the Services or functionality and to analyze your use of such Services or functionality. For instance, if you supply data relating to your identity or qualifications to use certain portions of the Services, we will use that information to make a decision as to granting you access to use such Services and to assess your ongoing qualification to use such Services.
4.3 Internal Business Purposes and Operations.
We may use your personal data for internal business purposes, including without limitation, to help us improve the content and functionality of the Services, to better understand our customers and users of the Service, to improve the Services, to protect against, identify or address wrongdoing, to enforce our Terms of Service, to manage your account and provide you with customer service, and to generally manage the Services and our business.
4.4 Other Purposes.
If we intend to use any Personal Data in any manner that is not consistent with this Privacy Policy, you will be informed of such anticipated use prior to or at the time the Personal Data is collected or we will obtain your consent subsequent to such collection but prior to such use.
5. How We Disclose and Transfer Your Personal Data.5.1 Background.
We are not in the business of selling your Personal Data. We consider this information to be a vital part of our relationship with you. Therefore, we will not sell your Personal Data to third parties, including third party advertisers. There are certain circumstances in which we may disclose, transfer or share your Personal Data with certain third parties without further notice to you, as set forth in this Privacy Policy.
5.2 Third-parties and Service Providers.
We may share your personal data with third parties to help us provide the Services and for our internal operations. We may also disclose your information to third parties if we determine that such disclosure is reasonably necessary to (a) comply with the law; (b) protect any person from death or serious bodily injury; (c) prevent fraud or abuse of our Services or our users; or (d) protect our property rights.
We do not sell, license, lease or otherwise disclose your information except as described in this Privacy Policy.
We share your personal data with the following third parties:
Google LLC (Firebase): For tracking analytics and usage of mobile apps. This helps us learn from trends and fix errors.
6. How We Store Your Personal Data.
We strive to keep your information secure. We have made significant investments in protecting and safeguarding your information. However, we cannot and do not promise, represent, warrant or guarantee that your information or any information about you will not be accessed by third parties or misused by them in spite of our security efforts.
7. Cookies, Pixels Tags, Local Shared Objects, Web Storage And Similar Technologies.A cookie is a string of information that a website stores on a visitor’s computer, and that the visitor’s browser provides to the website each time the visitor returns. We use cookies solely to remember formerly logged-in users. Visitors who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using our Services. If you disable cookies certain features of our Services may not function properly.
Please refer to our Cookie Policy for more information about our use of cookies and other similar tracking technologies.
8. Changes To This Privacy Policy.
If we modify this Privacy Policy, we will post the updated version on our website. It is your responsibility to periodically review this Privacy Policy, and you are bound by any changes to it by using our Services or websites after such changes have been posted.
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your rights, please email [email protected].