PRIVACY POLICY

What information does OpenWater collect for processing USC Norman Lear Center Walter Cronkite Award submissions?

Responses to Forms

We collect and store the responses that you submit to forms. A form may ask you to provide personal information or data.

How does OpenWater use the information collected?

OpenWater does not share or sell your data, the primary purpose of collecting it is to be able to contact you to ensure a successful submission process.

Who do we share your information with?

OpenWater does not share or disclose your information to any third party for marketing or profit motives.  The primary use of your data is for operations of the OpenWater Awards system.

Security, cookies and other important information.

Online Tracking.  OpenWater does not process or comply with any web browser’s Do Not Track signal or other similar mechanism that indicates a request to disable online tracking of individual users.

General Privacy Policy for all Users

ACCEPTANCE

We have created this Privacy Policy because we value your privacy. The Policy describes the types of information we may collect from you, or that you may provide, when you visit a website powered on the OpenWater platform, as well as how we collect, maintain, use, protect and disclose your information. This Policy covers the information we collect on or through our Site, or when you contact us for any reason. Your use of this Site constitutes your acceptance of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy you may not use our Site.

PRIVACY SHIELD

OpenWater complies with the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use, and retention of personal information transferred from the European Union and Switzerland to the United States.  OpenWater has certified to the Department of Commerce that it adheres to the Privacy Shield Principles.  If there is any conflict between the terms in this privacy policy and the Privacy Shield Principles, the Privacy Shield Principles shall govern.  To learn more about the Privacy Shield program, please visit https://www.privacyshield.gov/

PRIVACY PRINCIPLES

Consistent with our commitment to protect personal privacy, we adhere to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework (hereinafter “Privacy Shield Principles”).  The privacy principles in this Policy are based on the Privacy Shield Principles.

OpenWater does not disclose individuals’ personal information to third parties or use individuals’ personal information for purposes materially different from the purpose(s) for which it was originally collected or subsequently authorized by the individual. In the event that we modify this practice and disclose personal information to third parties or use personal information for purposes materially different from the purpose(s) for which it was originally collected or subsequently authorized by the individual, we will update this Privacy Statement to (a) identify the circumstances under which we disclose data to third parties, and (b) illustrate when and how we offer individuals the choice to opt-out of such disclosure.

Data Integrity: We will use personal information only in ways that are compatible with the purposes for which it was collected or subsequently authorized by the individual. We will take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is relevant to its intended use, accurate, complete, and current. We will only collect and store personal information that is relevant to fulfill the purpose of the request and will retain such information no longer than appropriate to fulfill the purpose of the request.

Onward Transfer: OpenWater does not transfer personal information to third parties. Therefore, the Privacy Shield provision regarding liability for the actions of agent processors does not apply. In the event that OpenWater modifies this policy and transfers personal information to third party agent processors, OpenWater will be subject to the Privacy Shield provision regarding liability for the actions of agent processors.

Security: We will take reasonable precautions to protect personal information in our possession from loss, misuse and unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration and destruction. Personal information you provide to us is stored on a password protected server accessible only by administrator. We adhere to generally accepted industry standards to protect the personal information submitted to us, both during transmission and once we receive it. However, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to our Site because any transmission of information over the Internet has its inherent risks. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Site. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials, if any, confidential.

Enforcement: We will conduct periodic compliance reviews of our privacy practices to verify adherence to this Policy. Any employee that we determine intentionally violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, including termination of employment. Any questions or concerns regarding the use or disclosure of your personal information should be directed to contact@getopenwater.com.

OpenWater has further committed to refer unresolved Privacy Shield complaints to the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB), an alternative dispute resolution provider located in the United States. If you do not receive timely acknowledgment of your complaint from us, or if we have not addressed your complaint to your satisfaction, please contact or visit https://www.bbb.org/EU-privacy-shield/for-eu-consumers  for more information or to file a complaint.  The services of the CBBB are provided at no cost to you.

OpenWater is subject to the investigatory and enforcement powers of the Federal Trade Commission.

Limitation on Application of Principles: Adherence by us to these Privacy Shield Principles may be limited (a) to the extent required or permitted by law or legal process, such as to respond to or investigate a legal or ethical obligation or request or pursuant to court orders, subpoenas, interrogatories or similar directive carrying the force of law; and (b) to the extent expressly permitted by an applicable law, rule or regulation.

INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We only collect personal information that you voluntarily submit to us (e.g. when you fill out forms or contact us for any reason). We do not use your data for our own purposes, we do not sell or share it with third parties. You are responsible for the data you submit in responses to the forms. We may collect several types of information from and about users of our Site, including the following:

Name, email address, payment information, responses to forms.

Analytical Site usage information collected via Google Analytics. This data may include the Site pages you view and other similar information about your behavior on our Site.

We collect this information:

Directly from you when you provide it to us (e.g. when you contact us for any reason).

Automatically as you navigate through the site. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses and information collected through cookies and other tracking technologies.

HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

We will not use your personal information for our own purposes outside of administering the platform. We do not sell or share it. We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information:

To provide the services you requested.

b. To notify you about changes to our Site or any services we offer or provide though it.

c. To allow you to participate in interactive features on our Site.

d. To carry out our obligations and enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including for billing and collection.

e. In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION

We may disclose personal information that we collect or you provide as described in this Policy:

a. To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it.

b. To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution or other sale or transfer of some or all of the Site’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation or similar proceeding, in which personal information about our Site users is among the assets transferred.

c. We may disclose aggregated information about our users and information that does not identify any individual without restriction.

d. For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.

We may also disclose your personal information:

e. To comply with any court order, law or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.

f. If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of the Site, our customers or others.

COOKIES

Our Site utilizes cookies. A cookie is a small amount of data, which often includes a unique identifier that is sent to your computer or mobile device browser from a website’s server and is stored on your device’s hard drive.  Cookies do not contain any personal information about you and therefore cannot be used to identify you personally. However, cookies assist us in tracking which of our features you like best and help us to customize our content according to your preferences. You can decline cookies by modifying your browser’s.

However, if you decline cookies, some features of our Site might not be available to you.