Disclaimer and Policies
Disclaimer
The Free State Project’s publication of participant opinions and activities does not represent support or endorsement and may not portray the diversity of opinions and activities that exists among participants. The work of creating and sustaining a free society in New Hampshire is the job of residents, including project participants, not the Free State Project itself. The FSP does not endorse any specific strategies or changes to government. The FSP does not take positions on issues, candidates, legislation, places to move within New Hampshire, tactics or methods of action. The one stipulation the FSP does make is that people who promote violence, racial hatred, or bigotry are not welcome.
Privacy Policy
This privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their ‘Personally identifiable information’ (PII) is being used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website.
What personal information do we collect from the people that visit our blog, website or app?
When ordering or registering on our site, as appropriate, you may be asked to enter your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, credit card information or other details to help you with your experience.
When do we collect information?
We collect information from you when you register on our site, place an order, subscribe to a newsletter, respond to a survey or enter information on our site.
How do we use your information?
We may use the information we collect from you when you register, make a purchase, sign up for our newsletter, respond to a survey or marketing communication, surf the website, or use certain other site features in the following ways:
- To personalize user’s experience and to allow us to deliver the type of content and product offerings in which you are most interested.
- To administer a contest, promotion, survey or other site feature.
- To quickly process your transactions.
- To send periodic emails regarding your order or other products and services.
How do we protect visitor information?
We do not use vulnerability scanning and/or scanning to PCI standards. We do not use Malware Scanning. Your personal information is contained behind secured networks and is only accessible by a limited number of persons who have special access rights to such systems, and are required to keep the information confidential. In addition, all sensitive/credit information you supply is encrypted via Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. We implement a variety of security measures when a user places an order enters, submits, or accesses their information to maintain the safety of your personal information. All transactions are processed through a gateway provider and are not stored or processed on our servers.
Do we use ‘cookies’?
Yes. Cookies are small files that a site or its service provider transfers to your computer’s hard drive through your Web browser (if you allow) that enables the site’s or service provider’s systems to recognize your browser and capture and remember certain information. For instance, we use cookies to help us remember and process the items in your shopping cart. They are also used to help us understand your preferences based on previous or current site activity, which enables us to provide you with improved services. We also use cookies to help us compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interaction so that we can offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We use cookies to:
- Help remember and process the items in the shopping cart.
- Compile aggregate data about site traffic and site interactions in order to offer better site experiences and tools in the future. We may also use trusted third party services that track this information on our behalf.
You can choose to have your computer warn you each time a cookie is being sent, or you can choose to turn off all cookies. You do this through your browser (like Internet Explorer) settings. Each browser is a little different, so look at your browser’s Help menu to learn the correct way to modify your cookies. If users disable cookies in their browser:
- If you disable cookies off, some features will be disabled It will turn off some of the features that make your site experience more efficient and some of our services will not function properly.
- However, you can still place orders by contacting customer service.
Third Party Disclosure
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer to outside parties your personally identifiable information.
Third party links
Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third party products or services on our website. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites.
Google Adwords and Remarketing Policy
The FSP uses all features of Google Analytics for Display Advertisers. That includes obtaining specific visitor cookie data, such as the source, medium and keyword used to visit our website. Google Analytics does not store any visitor specific data and we will not use visitor specific data in any way related to Google Analytics, Google Adwords, and Remarketing. The FSP uses remarketing with Google Adwords and analytics to display content specific advertisements to visitors that have previously visited our site when those visitors go to other websites that have the Google Display Network implemented. The FSP and other third-party vendors, including Google, use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) together to inform, optimize, and serve ads based on visitor’s past visits to our website. We take our users’ privacy very seriously. We feel that certain personal information should always be kept private, so we’ve developed restrictions around the types of ads where we don’t allow remarketing. When creating remarketing lists, we can’t use any sensitive information about users. This includes information such as their financial status, sexual orientation, and other sensitive categories. As adwords advertisers, we are restricted from and will not perform the following actions: (a) Running ads that collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII) including, but not limited to, email addresses, telephone numbers, and credit card numbers (b) Creating a remarketing list or creating ad text that specifically targets users in ways that are outlined as “prohibited” in the categories below Visitors can opt out of Google Analytics for Display Advertisers and opt out of customized Google Display Network ads by visiting the Ads Preferences Manager. Definitions “User” means a unique instance of a browser, application or similar technology. “User Cookie” means the User identifier (of which a cookie is one example) associated with a User for remarketing or similar audiences. “Remarketing Lists” means a list of User Cookies created or otherwise obtained by you and used in connection with remarketing or similar audiences. “Similar Audiences Lists” means a list of Users created by Google based on a Remarketing List for use in connection with similar audiences. “Properties” means properties or content on which advertisements are shown.
California Online Privacy Protection Act
CalOPPA is the first state law in the nation to require commercial websites and online services to post a privacy policy. The law’s reach stretches well beyond California to require a person or company in the United States (and conceivably the world) that operates websites collecting personally identifiable information from California consumers to post a conspicuous privacy policy on its website stating exactly the information being collected and those individuals with whom it is being shared, and to comply with this policy. According to CalOPPA we agree to the following:
- Users can visit our site anonymously
- Once this privacy policy is created, we will add a link to it on our home page, or as a minimum on the first significant page after entering our website.
- Our Privacy Policy link includes the word ‘Privacy’, and can be easily be found on the page specified above.
- Users will be notified of any privacy policy changes on our Privacy Policy Page.
Users are able to change their personal information:
- By emailing us
- By calling us
- By logging in to their account
- By chatting with us or sending us a ticket
How does our site handle do not track signals?
We don’t honor do not track signals and do not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track (DNT) browser mechanism is in place. We don’t honor them because we don’t store/use tracking information.
Does our site allow third party behavioral tracking?
It’s also important to note that we do not allow third party behavioral tracking
COPPA (Children Online Privacy Protection Act)
When it comes to the collection of personal information from children under 13, the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) puts parents in control. The Federal Trade Commission, the nation’s consumer protection agency, enforces the COPPA Rule, which spells out what operators of websites and online services must do to protect children’s privacy and safety online. We do not specifically market to children under 13.
Fair Information Practices
The Fair Information Practices Principles form the backbone of privacy law in the United States and the concepts they include have played a significant role in the development of data protection laws around the globe. Understanding the Fair Information Practice Principles and how they should be implemented is critical to comply with the various privacy laws that protect personal information. In order to be in line with Fair Information Practices we will take the following responsive action, should a data breach occur:
- We will notify the users via email within 7 business days
- We will notify the users via in site notification within 7 business days
We also agree to the individual redress principle, which requires that individuals have a right to pursue legally enforceable rights against data collectors and processors who fail to adhere to the law. This principle requires not only that individuals have enforceable rights against data users, but also that individuals have recourse to courts or a government agency to investigate and/or prosecute non-compliance by data processors.
CAN SPAM Act
The CAN-SPAM Act is a law that sets the rules for commercial email, establishes requirements for commercial messages, gives recipients the right to have emails stopped from being sent to them, and spells out tough penalties for violations. We collect your email address in order to:
- Send information, respond to inquiries, and/or other requests or questions.
- Process orders and to send information and updates pertaining to orders
- Market to our mailing list or continue to send emails to our clients after the original transaction has occurred
To be in accordance with CANSPAM we agree to the
- NOT use false, or misleading subjects or email addresses
- Identify the message as an advertisement in some reasonable way
- Include the physical address of our business or site headquarters
- Monitor third party email marketing services for compliance, if one is used.
- Honor opt-out/unsubscribe requests quickly
- Allow users to unsubscribe by using the link at the bottom of each email
If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can follow the instructions at the bottom of each email, and we will promptly remove you from ALL correspondence.
Contacting Us
If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy you may contact us using the information below. Free State Project 816 Elm Street #351 Manchester, NH 03101 help@fsp.org Last Edited on 2015-02-07
Additional Policies
This is a list of the policies passed by the FSP Board of Directors. As new policies are passed, they will be added here. Conflict of Interest Policy (passed 12/19/11) The purpose of the conflict of interest policy is to protect the FSP’s interests when it is contemplating entering into a transaction or arrangement that might benefit the private interest of an officer or director of the Free State Project or might result in a possible excess benefit transaction. This policy is intended to supplement but not replace any applicable state and federal laws governing conflict of interest applicable to nonprofit and charitable organizations. Policy and Procedure for Removing Participants (passed 7/11/04) Participants may be removed for promoting violence, racial hatred, or bigotry. Participants who are deemed detrimental to the accomplishment of the Free State Project’s goals may also be removed. A committee consisting of all of the board members plus the President and Vice President shall consider all cases of participant removal. Participants shall be removed only upon an affirmative vote of five members of this committee. Participants Database Policy (passed 7/11/04) Everyone who gets the Database signs a non-disclosure. The Secretary gets a copy as required by the bylaws. The President gets a complete copy with appropriate updates. The President can authorize release of a copy to the VP and ongoing updates if he/she feels the VP needs it. (i.e. it is not automatic. President needs to approve once.) Any other board member who wants a copy needs board approval. Anyone else who wants the database needs a reason for getting it, needs to get permission from the President, gets only opt-ins or no preference participants, and gets the smallest possible subset of information required to do the job. The President and IT will notify the board of all such filled requests. Information Technology Department Policy (passed 12/13/03) Set up an Information Technology (IT) department with an IT Director, Webmaster, and Database Manager. The IT Director reports to the President. The Database Manager sends a list of members to the Secretary weekly. The President reports to the Board. The President should fill these positions as soon as possible. Original server access is limited to the President, the Board, the IT Director, the Webmaster, and the Database Manager, but the President may grant new server access privileges, which he may also revoke at any time. However, the President may not revoke the access privileges of himself, the Board of Directors, or the Web Team. Travel Reimbursement Policy (passed 11/08/03) When a person is traveling on approved FSP business, he or she may receive driving compensation at the rate of 25 cents a mile without specific further approval, while if he or she needs a hotel, plane ticket, rental car, or other transportation or lodging reimbursement costing more than $100 in total, he or she must receive specific approval of those expenditures before receiving reimbursement; the approval of the President is necessary and sufficient for amounts below $500, while the approval of the President and at least one Board Member is necessary and sufficient for amounts above $500; and that approval must be given in writing, whether by email or letter. FSP Partner Policy (passed 10/29/03) To be an FSP partner, a company would have to maintain some business standards, e.g. send us a sample of their goods. The requirement for FSP partnership is that the entity (person or business) who wishes to be an FSP partner have items that are related to the mission of the FSP and be in good taste. The FSP logo may be used only with the explicit permission of the FSP, and only for official FSP business. A separate FSP Partner logo that would contain the FSP logo, modeled on the Amazon.com Associate program, may be provided to certain authorized third parties. Web banners have been created for linking to the FSP web site. They may be used without advance permission. The FSP may grant authorization to use the FSP Partner logo to certain entities that have satisfied the requirements for FSP partnership. Appearing on a web site, the FSP Partner logo will always contain a link to the FSP web site home page. Until the partner logo is ready, those standing “in line” and those already using the official logo may continue to do so, but will be asked to change as soon as the partner logo is available. The FSP may without cause or explanation revoke authorization to display the FSP Partner logo, having first given advance notice, not more than 90 days, to prevent any business losses. If an entity violates the requirements for FSP partnership, the FSP may revoke authorization to display the logo without warning. Any person or corporation wanting FSP partnership shall establish to the FSP’s satisfaction that the business activity is legitimate, e.g. by providing full contact details and a sample of the merchandise to be sold. For entities offering products for sale, the license fee shall be 5% of gross sales from sale of the licensed product. The board agreed unanimously to have CPA Malcolm Hastings check over the licensing fee for tax purposes. Web Team Policy (passed 10/29/03) The Web Team, consisting of Matt Cheselka, Tom Parker, and Steve Cobb are responsible for day-to-day running of the website and associated tech features. The President is responsible for overseeing the Team and solving any problems on a day to day basis. Dual Officers Policy (passed 10/25/03; updated 03/22/09) The executive, corporate officers of the FSP should not hold executive, corporate office in political organizations during their FSP term of office. Web Submissions Policy (passed 10/25/03) If any BOD or Officer receives a link request, they check out the site & send it to Tom Parker to be added to the web page in the appropriate section. If any BOD or Officer receives an article submission, they send it to Steve Cobb for copy editing & htmling, or to Mary Lou Seymour for copy editing & Tom Parker for html-ing when Steve unavailable. Greeters Program Policy (passed 10/25/03) The FSP will expand the Greeter Program to have a Greeter in every state. When someone joins the FSP, he or she would be asked, “Allow my local area greeter to contact me about meetings or events.” For those who answered yes, our system automatically sends an email to the appropriate greeter with the new member’s email address and/or phone number. Within days of joining the FSP, a new member gets a call or an email from their Greeter welcoming the new member to the FSP, inviting the new member to local group activities and offering to answer any questions. Treasurer Instructions (passed 10/04/03) The FSP treasurer is directed to set up a bank account that needs two signatures for any check written over $500, and that the second signature be either the chairman of the board, or his designee. The bank account should be with a bank with online access, and all Directors shall have the ability to review the account online at any time. Organizers List Resolution (passed 9/13/03; updated 5/16/04) The Board has made permanent the category of “Organizers,” a leadership group of FSP volunteers and advisors chosen by a majority of the Board. Organizers enjoy the right to participate on the e-mail list for Board members and Officers. The maximum minimum membership on the e-mail list is 15.