Privacy Statement
Introduction
MIT Open is committed to supporting the privacy of MIT Open members. This Privacy Statement explains how we handle and use the personal information we collect about users of the web site.
What personal information we collect
While specific information may vary for particular individuals, we may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal information about you, which we have grouped together as follows:
- For members of MIT Open, we collect basic biographic/contact information – name, email addresses, and social media contact information
- For all users of MIT Open, we collect aggregated information related to web visitor activity and email marketing actions
How we collect personal information about you
We collect personal information only when you share it with us, and when you use the MIT Open web site.
How we use your personal information
We use your personal information for a number of legitimate purposes all in support of the Institute and its mission. Specifically, we use your personal information to:
- We share your name, headline and biography with other users of MIT Open, when you submit posts, or comment on posts.
- We collect information about your use of the site in order to make content recommendations to you.
If you have concerns about any of these purposes, or how we communicate with you, please contact us at odl-discussions-support@mit.edu. We will always respect a request by you to stop processing your personal information (subject to our legal obligations).
When we share your personal information
To perform the functions listed above, it may be necessary to share your personal information with third parties and vendors under contract with us.
How your information is stored and secured
MIT uses risk-assessed administrative, technical and physical security measures to protect your personal information. Only authenticated users with specific permissions may access the data. We use firewalls and regular monitoring to evaluate any attempts at accessing the systems without permission.
How long we keep your personal information
We consider our relationship with MIT Open members to be lifelong. This means that we will maintain a record for you until such time as you tell us that you no longer wish us to keep in touch. If you no longer wish to hear from MIT Open, we will retain a core set of information about you to fulfill administrative tasks and legal obligations.
Rights for Individuals in the European Economic Area
You have the right in certain circumstances to (1) access your personal information; (2) to correct or erase information; (3) restrict processing; and (4) object to communications, direct marketing, or profiling. To the extent applicable, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation provides further information about your rights. You also have the right to lodge complaints with your national or regional data protection authority.
If you are inclined to exercise these rights, we request an opportunity to discuss with you any concerns you may have. To protect the personal information we hold, we may also request further information to verify your identify when exercising these rights. Upon a request to erase information, we will maintain a core set of personal data to ensure we do not contact you inadvertently in the future, as well as any information necessary for MIT archival purposes. We may also need to retain some financial information for legal purposes, including US IRS compliance. In the event of an actual or threatened legal claim, we may retain your information for purposes of establishing, defending against or exercising our rights with respect to such claim.
By providing information directly to MIT, you consent to the transfer of your personal information outside of the European Economic Area to the United States. You understand that the current laws and regulations of the United States may not provide the same level of protection as the data and privacy laws and regulations of the EEA.
You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide any personal data to us.
Additional Information
We may change this Privacy Statement from time to time. If we make any significant changes in the way we treat your personal information we will make this clear on our MIT websites or by contacting you directly.
The controller for your personal information is MIT. If you are in the EU and wish to assert any of your applicable GDPR rights, please contact dataprotection@mit.edu.
This policy was last updated in AUGUST 2018.