Reporting Lockbox Privacy Policy
Welcome to the Reporting Lockbox
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. It describes for you the various ways we collect, use, and share information about you when you visit our website located at www.reportinglockbox.org (the “Website”) and when you create an account for and use the Reporting Lockbox located on the Website. This Privacy Policy does not apply to any other website, service, or application of MWI or any websites, services, or applications linked to or from the Website.
In this Privacy Policy, Mediation Works, Inc. (“MWI”) is sometimes referred to simply as “we”, “our”, or “us”. This Privacy Policy is a legally binding agreement between MWI and you, so please read it carefully. If you do not agree to this Privacy Policy, you may not use the Website or the Reporting Lockbox. This Privacy Policy is subject to, and made a part of, the Terms of Use available here.
The Information We Collect
a) Our Website Visitors
We collect two types of information about our Website visitors. The first type is information that identifies an individual (called “personal information”). The second type is information that does not identify, and cannot reasonably be used to identify, an individual (called “anonymous information”). We may collect the following particular personal and anonymous information during your use of the Website:
- Information you provide to us when you contact us through the Website.
- Information you provide to us about an incident on the Website.
- Information we obtain from a third party, such as a site or platform provider, about use of the Website on third-party platforms or devices.
- Location information, including location information provided by a mobile or other device interacting with our Website (including through beacon technologies), or associated with your IP address or other online or device identifier.
- Activity information about your use of our Website, such as the content you view, how often you visit our Website, and your preferences.
- Usage, viewing, technical, and device data when you use the Website. This information may be collected through the use of “cookies” or other technologies that automatically collect information while you are visiting our Website.
b) Reporting Members
The Reporting Lockbox available on our Website is a service which provides AEA members with a tool to report allegations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation (the “Reporting Member”) via an encrypted time-stamped online portal. It is separate and distinct from the AEA Ombuds program. The Reporting Lockbox provides Reporting Members with an option to log allegations of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation while giving the Reporting Member decision-making authority about what subsequently happens with this information. More specifically, Reporting Members are provided with the following reporting options: (1) the opportunity to coordinate with others who have reported similar experiences with the same alleged perpetrator in the AEA community; (2) the opportunity to receive support from a member of the AEA Ombuds team; or (3) the opportunity to file a formal complaint with the AEA Ethics Committee.
In order for you to log allegations and/or exercise one of these three reporting options via the Reporting Lockbox, you must create an account. Once you create an account, MWI stores your username, password, email address, and security question. When you create an account to access the Reporting Lockbox, you will also be asked to provide certain demographic information, including your name and email address.
If you decide to create a log of allegations, you will be asked to provide specific information to describe the events around the reported incident. You can include as much or as little information as you like. All information submitted by Reporting Members via the Reporting Lockbox is voluntary.
c) Limits of Use
The Website is not intended for non-residents of the United States and children under the age of eighteen (18). MWI does not knowingly collect or solicit any personal information from anyone under the age of eighteen (18) or knowingly allow such persons to use the Website or the Reporting Lockbox. If you are under eighteen (18), please do not attempt to send us any personal information. If you have reason to believe that we have collected any personal information from someone under eighteen (18) years of age, please have the child’s parent or guardian contact us as directed in Section 8 below.
How We Collect Your Information
We collect information from you two ways – information that you voluntarily choose to provide to us and information that we collect automatically, such as through certain technology we use on our Website. These methods are described more fully below:
- We collect information when you voluntarily provide it to us, such as when you contact us on the Website or submit a report via the Reporting Lockbox.
- We collect information using analytics tools, including when you visit our Website, including cookies, web beacons, and other technologies. A cookie is a file that a website can place on your computer’s hard drive for record-keeping or other administrative purposes. We may use cookies to help personalize your experience. You have the ability to accept or decline cookies, and you can usually modify your browser settings to decline cookies. If you decide to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully use the features of the Website. Cookies may also be used at sites accessible through links on the Website.
How We Use Your Information
Consistent with applicable law and any applicable choices and controls that may be available to you, we may use information collected from you, or from devices associated with you, to:
- Provide you with a tool to report allegations of harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, consistent with the goals of the Reporting Lockbox of providing Reporting Members options for support and reporting;
- Provide you with the Website and the functions and services you request, view, or engage with;
- Communicate with you and send you information or request feedback about features on our Website or changes to our policies;
- Personalize content and experiences;
- Operate, understand, optimize, develop, or improve our Website, services, and operations, including by using survey research and analytics tools; and
- Detect, investigate, and prevent activities that may violate our policies, pose safety issues, or be fraudulent or illegal.
We may also use or disclose the information we collect for any other purpose we describe when we collect your information or to which you consent. MWI will not sell or rent the information you choose to provide to us to any third party.
How We Share Your Information
We may share anonymous information in accordance with our practices. We will not share your personal information with another entity except in limited circumstances, including:
- When you allow or direct us to share your personal information with another person, company, or organization, including when you direct us to share your information consistent with your selected reporting option in the Reporting Lockbox as set forth in the Terms of Use (e.g., disclosure of your contact information to others who have reported similar experiences and disclosure to the AEA Ombuds team);
- Please note that once we share your personal information with another person, company, or organization in the above circumstances, the information received by the other person, company, or organization is controlled by that person, company, or organization and becomes subject to their privacy practices.
- When companies and consultants perform services on our behalf; and
- When we share your personal information with third parties to enforce our Terms of Use or rules, to ensure the safety and security of our users and third parties, to protect our rights and property and the rights and property of our users and third parties, to comply with legal process, or in other cases if we believe in good faith that disclosure is required by law.
Third Party Sites
MWI may include or offer links to certain external resources, including websites, apps, or platforms unaffiliated with or not controlled by MWI (“External Sites”). The Privacy Policy does not apply to External Sites and we are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of External Sites or your use of the External Sites. Please read the policies and practices of External Sites before accessing or using them.
Security and Retention of Your Information
The security of your information is important to us. We have implemented commercially reasonable security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, use, and modification. We regularly review our security procedures to consider appropriate new technology and methods. Please be aware that, despite our efforts, no measures are perfect or 100% secure.
MWI will retain your personal information for as long as needed to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and the Terms of Use unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law, but in no event longer than seven years after the logging your submission. When MWI no longer requires your personal information, we will securely delete your personal information.
Updates and Changes
From time to time, we may change this Privacy Policy to accommodate new technologies, industry practices, regulatory requirements, or for other purposes. We will provide notice to you if these changes are material and, if required by applicable law, we will obtain your consent. Notice may be by a posting of such changes on the Website, or by other means, consistent with applicable law. Your continued use of the Website, including the Reporting Lockbox, following such notice constitutes your acceptance of such changes. If you do not accept such changes, we ask that you not access or use the Website or the Reporting Lockbox.
Contact Us
Please let us know if you have any comments or questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices. You may email us at mailbox@mwi.org.
This Privacy Policy was last updated on November 15, 2023.
