We at Marine Resource Foundation Tamil Nadu are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of information that we receive through our website and services. By using our website or services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us and information that is automatically collected when you use our website. The types of information we may collect include:

Personal Information You Provide:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, postal address, and other contact details
• Donation Information: Donation amounts, payment method details, transaction history, and recurring donation preferences
• Account Information: Username, password, and profile information if you create an account
• Event Registration: Information you provide when registering for events, workshops, or programs
• Communication Preferences: Your preferences for receiving communications from us
• Feedback and Inquiries: Information you provide when you contact us, submit feedback, or respond to surveys
• Volunteer Information: Information provided when you apply to volunteer or participate in our programs

Automatically Collected Information:

• Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device information, and unique device identifiers
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring website addresses, and navigation patterns
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar tracking technologies
• Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address (not precise location)
• Analytics Data: Website performance metrics, user engagement statistics, and traffic patterns

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various purposes to operate, maintain, and improve our services:

• Processing Donations: To process your donations, issue receipts for tax purposes, and maintain accurate financial records as required by law
• Communication: To send you acknowledgments, updates about our programs, newsletters, event invitations, and respond to your inquiries
• Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and improve our website, services, and programs
• Event Management: To register you for events, manage event logistics, and communicate event-related information
• Volunteer Coordination: To process volunteer applications, coordinate volunteer activities, and communicate with volunteers
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, respond to legal requests, and enforce our terms and conditions
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address fraud, security breaches, and other harmful activities
• Analytics and Improvement: To analyze website usage, understand user preferences, and improve user experience
• Marketing: To send you information about our programs, fundraising campaigns, and opportunities (with your consent, where required)
• Research: To conduct research and analysis to better understand our community and improve our services

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We respect your privacy and do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers:

• We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as:
• Payment processing companies to handle donation transactions
• Email service providers to send communications
• Cloud hosting and storage providers
• Analytics and marketing service providers
• These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify

Legal Requirements:

• We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government regulation
• We may share information to protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or others
• We may disclose information in connection with legal proceedings or investigations

Business Transfers:

• In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity

With Your Consent:

• We may share your information with third parties when you explicitly consent to such sharing

4. Payment Processing and Financial Information

When you make a donation through our website, payment processing is handled by secure, PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment gateways. We do not store complete credit card numbers, CVV codes, or other sensitive payment information on our servers.

• Payment transactions are encrypted and processed securely through our payment service providers
• We only retain payment information necessary to process transactions and maintain records as required by law
• Your payment information is subject to the privacy policies of our payment processors
• We may retain transaction records and donation history for accounting, tax, and legal compliance purposes

5. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure.

• We use SSL/TLS encryption to protect data transmitted between your browser and our servers
• We restrict access to personal information to authorized personnel who need it to perform their duties
• We regularly review and update our security practices and systems
• We use secure hosting services and implement firewall and intrusion detection systems
• Despite our efforts, we cannot guarantee absolute security, and you use our services at your own risk

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Donation records are retained for tax and accounting purposes as required by law (typically 7 years)
• Account information is retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period after account closure
• Marketing preferences are retained until you opt out or request deletion
• We may retain anonymized or aggregated data for analytical purposes indefinitely
• Upon request, we will delete your personal information unless we are required to retain it by law

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have certain rights regarding your personal information, subject to applicable laws:

• Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and record-keeping obligations
• Objection: You may object to certain processing of your personal information
• Restriction: You may request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
• Data Portability: You may request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Opt-Out: You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link or contacting us
• Account Settings: You can update your account information and preferences through your account settings

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided at the end of this Privacy Policy. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable laws.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, pixel tags, and similar tracking technologies to collect and store information about your interactions with our website.

Types of Cookies We Use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings to enhance your experience
• Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign effectiveness (with your consent)

Managing Cookies:

• You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse or delete cookies
• Disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our website
• You can opt out of certain third-party analytics and advertising cookies through their respective opt-out mechanisms
• We may use third-party services like Google Analytics. You can opt out by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on

9. Children's Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without parental consent.

• If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately
• If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18 without parental consent, we will take steps to delete such information
• We may collect limited information from children for specific programs or events with explicit parental consent

10. Third-Party Links and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources that are not owned or controlled by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services.

• We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party websites
• We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit
• Your interactions with third-party services are governed by their respective privacy policies
• We may use third-party services for payment processing, email delivery, analytics, and other functions

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country.

• By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to countries outside your jurisdiction
• We take appropriate safeguards to ensure your information receives adequate protection when transferred internationally
• We comply with applicable data protection laws regarding international data transfers

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website with a new "Last updated" date
• Sending you an email notification if the changes are significant
• Displaying a notice on our website for a reasonable period

Your continued use of our website or services after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want to have your online activity tracked. Currently, there is no standard for how DNT signals should be interpreted. As a result, we do not currently respond to DNT browser signals or mechanisms.

14. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Right to delete personal information held by businesses
• Right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

15. GDPR Rights (European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent at any time

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country if you believe your rights have been violated.

16. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

We will make every effort to respond to your privacy-related inquiries promptly and address any concerns you may have. For requests to access, correct, or delete your personal information, please allow up to 30 days for us to process your request.