Privacy Policy

American Academy of Ophthalmology
Privacy Policy
Last Updated: February 15, 2023

I. Introduction

ATTENTION: PLEASE READ CAREFULLY THIS AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (“AAO,” “we,” or “our”) PRIVACY POLICY (“PRIVACY POLICY”), BEFORE YOU (“YOU”) ACCESS, DOWNLOAD ANY CONTENT FROM, OR OTHERWISE USE THE WEBSITE, located at https://www.aao.org/ OR ANY ASSOCIATED WEBSITES OR APPLICATIONS (“CONTENT”).

ACCESSING, DOWNLOADING OR OTHERWISE USING THE SERVICE INDICATES THAT YOU ACCEPT AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS PRIVACY POLICY IN FULL. IF YOU DO NOT ACCEPT THIS PRIVACY POLICY, DO NOT ACCESS, DOWNLOAD OR OTHERWISE USE THE SERVICE. You acknowledge (a) that You have read and understood this Privacy Policy; and (b) for users outside the European Union, this Privacy Policy shall have the same force and effect as a signed agreement.

The Content is operated by AAO and can be contacted at P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424. This Privacy Policy describes the information collected through Your use of the Content, how We use it, how We share it, how We protect it, and the choices You can make about Your information. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any new features that augment or enhance the current Content shall be subject to this Privacy Policy.

Please review the Privacy Policy each time You use the Content. If We materially change this Privacy Policy, We will update this page to reflect any changes to this Privacy Policy and notify You by email, if We have Your email address. BY USING THE SERVICE, YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE MOST RECENT VERSION OF THE PRIVACY POLICY.

II. Information We Collect

We may collect information from You when You use the Content and when You contact or interact with us.

A. Information You Provide to Us

When You complete an online membership application, We collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; telephone number; credit or debit card information; date of birth; and education/training background.

When You make a donation through the AAO Foundation, We collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; and credit or debit card information. Any payment is processed by a third-party service provider, PayFlow Pro via Personify; information on third-party service providers is described in the Third-Party Service Providers and Business Partners section below. Your card information is not stored in AAO’s systems.

When You enroll as a volunteer, We collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; telephone number; and authentication credentials, such as username and password.

When You sign up for the Intelligent Research In Sight (“IRIS”) Registry, We collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; and telephone number.

When You use the Academy Store, We may collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; telephone number; persistent identifier, such as customer number held in a cookie, static Internet protocol (“IP”) address, mobile device ID, or processor serial number; and authentication credentials, such as username and password.

When You apply for a job through the Ophthalmology Job Center, We may collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; telephone number; and authentication credentials, such as username and password. The job application process is run by a third-party service provider; information on third-party service providers is described in the Third-Party Service Providers and Business Partners section below.

When You sign up for a AAO Listserv, We will collect the email address You provide.

When You join OPHTHPAC, We will collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; credit or debit card information; and occupation. Any payment is processed by a third-party provider, PayFlow Pro via Personify; information on third-party service providers is described in the Third-Party Service Providers and Business Partners section below. Your card information is not stored in AAO’s systems.

When you use the Advocate Tools, We may collect your zip code and other demographic information for use in finding politicians of interest to you and for use in AAO-based reporting.

When You use EyeWiki, We may collect Your first name, last name, ophthalmology subspecialty, degree type, password, email address, location, affiliation, financial disclosures, job title, and name of sponsoring ophthalmologist.

When You click “Contribute” for the Surgical Scope Fund, We will collect Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; and credit or debit card information. Any payment is processed by a third-party provider, PayFlow Pro via Personify; information on third-party service providers is described in the Third-Party Service Providers and Business Partners section below. Your card information is not stored in AAO’s systems.

When You click on the Update Profile Section, We collect the information You provide such as Your first and last name; home or other physical address, including street name and name of city or town; email address or other online contact information, such as instant messaging user identifier or screen name; telephone number; photograph, video, or audio file where such file contains Your image or voice; CV; and authentication credentials, such as username and password.

When You interact with the AAO eBooks website, We may collect Your username and password, and any other information You voluntarily provide.

When You use the AAO eBooks App, We may collect Your AAO credentials, including Your username and password.

When You use or contact us through the AAO Advocacy App, We may collect Your email address, password, and any other information You voluntarily provide.

When You submit a Congressional Advocacy Day feedback form through the AAO Advocacy App, We collect Your first name, last name, email address, cell phone number, business information (including Your title, company name, street address, and zip code), information related to whether You would like to receive email alerts, and information relating to visits with each of Your lawmakers, including the name of the lawmaker, who the meeting was with, what issues You discussed during Your visit and Your lawmaker’s corresponding support for each issue, information related to any supplemental issues discussed during Your meeting and Your lawmaker’s corresponding support for each issue, and information related to Your lawmaker’s feedback on the issues discussed.

When You submit an in-district feedback form through the AAO Advocacy App, We collect Your first name, last name, email address, cell phone number, business information (including Your title, company name, street address, and zip code), information related to whether You would like to receive email alerts, and information related to Your lawmaker meeting including when You met with a federal or state lawmaker, where You met, whose office You met with, which official or official’s staff You met with, information related to the issues You discussed with Your lawmaker and his/her feedback, information related to meeting follow-up, including whether any follow up is needed, and information related to Academy feedback, including any feedback You provide to Academy staff regarding the advocacy campaign.

When You use the congressional directory located in the AAO Advocacy App, We may collect Your location and Your address (including city, state, and zip code).

When You add events to Your calendar using the AAO Advocacy App, We will require permission to access events in Your device’s calendar. However, AAO neither collects nor receives any personal information when We add events to Your calendar.

When You sign up to become a congressional advocate through the AAO Advocacy App, We collect Your first name, last name, email address, cell phone number, business information (including Your title, company name, street address, and zip code), information related to whether You would like to receive email alerts, and information related to whether You already have a relationship with a member of Congress (including his/her name and a description of Your relationship).

When You use the AAO Ophthalmic Education App, We may collect Your username, password, and subspecialties.

When You create an EyeWiki account through the AAO Ophthalmic Education App, We collect Your username (formatted as firstname.lastname), password, and email address. When You contribute to EyeWiki through the AAO Ophthalmic Education App, We may collect any information You voluntarily provide, including text, images, and video with voice over (via YouTube). We may also collect Your name.

When You use the Global EyeCare Volunteer Registry, We may collect demographic information such as your first and last name; location; email address; volunteer preferences such as the areas you want to volunteer and services you can provide; subspecialty information; credentials; travel requirements; languages spoken and organization contact information. The volunteer registry is run by a third-party service provider; information on third-party service providers is described in the Third-Party Service Providers and Business Partners section below.

B. Information We May Automatically Collect When You Use the Content.

When You access and use the Content, We may automatically collect information about You, including Your Content browsing history, Your purchase history of AAO products and services, Your attendance history at AAO meetings, webinars, courses, and other AAO events, Your education/training background, Your AAO course evaluations, Your clicks on AAO Content or emails from AAO, Your selected preferences on the Content, summarized data from IRIS, and Your engagement with AAO social medical accounts and community platforms.

In addition, when You access and use the Content, We may automatically collect information regarding You and Your device, including Your device’s IP address, the domain name of Your Internet service provider (“ISP”), Your location, Your mobile device information (e.g., device model and operating system version), Your page visits, and aggregated information that cannot be used to specifically identify You. Additional information collected is described in the Analytics and Cookies, Local Storage and Other Tracking Technologies sections below.

C. Information We May Collect From Other Sources

We may collect information about You from third-party sources including social media companies – AAO may have access to the information You make public on the following social media platforms.

• Cvent. We use Cvent to retrieve leads. Cvent may provide us with information related to Your name, organization, title, postal address, email address, telephone number, fax number, social media account ID, credit or debit card number, and information related to Your dietary preferences, interests, opinions, activities, age, gender, education, and occupation. For more information, please visit the Cvent privacy policy at: https://www.cvent.com/en/cvent-global-privacy-policy.
• Facebook. By clicking on the Facebook button on the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official Facebook pages for AAO, https://www.facebook.com/AmericanAcademyofOphthalmology/; https://www.facebook.com/AcademyEyeSmart/; and https://www.facebook.com/aaoe.practicemanagement/.
• Google Calendar and iCalendar. We use Google Calendar and iCalendar to add AAO and Advocacy Events to Your personal calendars. If You integrate AAO and Advocacy Events with Google Calendar and iCalendar, Google Calendar and iCalendar may provide us with Your email address and authentication token. The Google privacy policy can be viewed here: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=us. The Apple privacy policy can be viewed here: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/.
• Google Maps. Google Maps is integrated with the AAO Advocacy App, and We may receive Your personal information from Google in connection with Your use of the App, including search terms, IP address, and latitude/longitude coordinates. See https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=us for Google’s privacy policy.
• Instagram. By clicking on the Instagram button the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official Instagram page for AAO, https://www.instagram.com/aaoeye/.
• LinkedIn. By clicking on the LinkedIn button on the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official LinkedIn page for AAO, https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-academy-of-ophthalmology/.
• Twitter. By clicking on the Twitter button on the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official Twitter pages for AAO, https://twitter.com/aao_ophth; and https://twitter.com/AcademyEyeSmart.
• YouTube. By clicking on the YouTube button on the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official YouTube pages for AAO, https://www.youtube.com/user/AAOtv; and https://www.youtube.com/user/geteyesmart.

We may combine all of the information We collect from or about You and use it in the manner described in this Privacy Policy.

III. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information We collect for several purposes, including:

• The Purposes for which You provided it;
• To ensure eligibility for the member category You selected, and to process Your membership application with payment;
• To complete transactions that You initiate;
• To provide Content to You (including, but not limited to, customized Content recommendations, and sending an SMS message or other notification);
• To redirect You to the Ophthalmology Jobs Center hosted by Webscribble;
• To process and respond to Your inquiries and comments;
• To identify You as a user of the Content;
• To connect with Your social media accounts;
• To send You information about Your relationship or transactions with us;
• To enable You to provide comments and participate in questions and answers and surveys;
• To contact You with information, including promotional information, that We believe will be of interest to You;
• To provide relevant advertising;
• To display relevant advertising across websites and mobile applications;
• To create anonymous data and to compile aggregate data, which We may use for any purpose, including for internal and external business purposes;
• To analyze the Content;
• To improve our understanding of user and AAO member preferences and interests;
• To administer, operate, and improve the Content or develop new services;
• To generate and review reports and data about our user base and service usage patterns;
• To prevent fraud and abuse of the Content and to otherwise protect users and visitors and our business;
• To assist law enforcement if requested and respond to subpoenas; and,
• To perform other business activities as needed, or as described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy or the TOS as permitted or required by law.

 Please note that You may choose not to allow us to use Your personal information for certain purposes as described in the Your Choices Regarding Your Information section below.

IV. Legal Bases for Processing Your Information

                Performance of a contract

The use of Your personal information may be necessary to perform the agreement You have with Us to provide products and services. Here are some examples: to complete Your membership application, to register and maintain Your account, and to respond to Your requests.

                Legitimate interests

We may use Your personal information for Our legitimate interests. For example, We rely on Our legitimate interest to administer, analyze and improve our Content, to operate our business including through the use of service providers and subcontractors (who may have access to your data – see further under the section How Your Information is Disclosed), to send You notifications about Our services, for archiving, records keeping, statistical and analytical purposes, or to use Your personal information for administrative, fraud detection, audit, training, security, or legal purposes.

                Consent

Prior to accessing this site and providing Your personal data, You may have provided Your informed consent to the collection and use of certain personal data. You are free to withdraw Your consent at any time, subject to the Your Choices Regarding Your Information section below and the preceding Legal Bases for Processing Your Information in this Section.

                 Compliance with legal obligations

 We may use Your personal information to comply with legal obligations to which we are subject, including to comply with legal process.

                 Performance of a task carried out in the public interest We may use Your personal information may be necessary to perform a task in the public interest.

V. How Your Information is Disclosed

Information may be disclosed to third parties in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Note that a user may choose not to share certain information as described in Your Choices Regarding Your Information below.

A. Third-Party Service Providers and Business Partners

We may use third party service providers and business partners to perform functions in connection with the Content, such as credit card and other payment processing, accepting employment applications, email marketing, social sharing, relationship management, analyzing and improving the Content usefulness, reliability, user experience, and operation, advertising, storing data, and as otherwise described in this Privacy Policy. We also may share Your personal information with these providers and partners for their direct marketing and promotional purposes and so they can provide services to You. Additionally, We may share Your information with Apple and Google in their capacities as mobile application platforms, to be used in accordance with their respective privacy policies.

• 4Q. We use 4Q to collect feedback from website visitors to measure the quality of their experience and understand their intent. If You submit responses to a 4Q-hosted survey, 4Q may collect and store information from You on behalf of AAO. For more information, review the 4Q privacy policy, https://www.iperceptions.com/en/legal/privacy-pii.
• AddThis. AddThis allows users to share content across different Internet platforms. AAO uses AddThis to enable users to share via social channels. For more information, review its privacy policy: https://www.addthis.com/privacy/.
• AAO uses Alchemer for polling and providing users with interactive decision trees. For more information, please review their privacy policy at https://www.alchemer.com/privacy/.
• American Medical Communications (“AMC”) Ads. AAO contracts with AMC Ads to sell advertisements and to serve them through Google Doubleclick Publishers platform. AMC Ads may collect Your IP address. For more information, review AMC Ads’ website, http://events.americanmedicalcomm.com/.
• Apprisor/Digital Acumen. AAO uses Digital Acumen to provide program schedules to users during its annual meeting. Digital Acumen may collect information such as Your name, email address, IP address, association member number or other unique identifier, information related to any ticketed sessions You have purchased, information related to items in Your personal planner, username, Your password, security question and answer, browser type and version, screen resolution, operating system and platform, and system use data (including date, time, unique identifiers, and content You view on the Digital Acumen site). For more information on how Digital Acumen uses information, contact Digital Acumen at: privacy@digitalacumen.com.
• Beekeeper Group. We use Beekeeper Group to facilitate advocacy campaigns. For more information, visit the Beekeeper Group’s privacy policy, available at: https://www.beekeepergroup.com/.
• BlueKai. We use BlueKai to deliver interest-based advertising. BlueKai may provide us with information related to Your preferences or behaviors, on the basis of which Your personal information may be associated with interest segments or profiles. For more information, please visit BlueKai's privacy policy: https://www.oracle.com/legal/privacy/marketing-cloud-data-cloud-privacy-policy.html#2.
• Broadstreet. We use Broadstreet for serving advertisements. Broadstreet may collect information such as the Content pages You view. For more information on how Broadstreet collects and uses information, review its privacy policy at: https://broadstreetads.com/privacy-policy/.
• Cvent. We use Cvent to retrieve leads. Cvent may collect information related to Your name, organization, title, postal address, email address, telephone number, fax number, social media account ID, credit or debit card number, information related to Your Application usage, information related to Your computer and Internet connection (including IP address), and information related to Your dietary preferences, interests, opinions, activities, age, gender, education, and occupation. For more information, please visit the Cvent privacy policy at: https://www.cvent.com/en/cvent-global-privacy-policy.
• Disqus. AAO uses Disqus to allow users logged-in to the Content to comment on articles. Disqus may collect both personal and non-personal information. For more information, review its privacy policy: https://help.disqus.com/terms-and-policies/disqus-privacy-policy.
• DoubleClick/Google Ad Manager. We use DoubleClick/Google Ad Manager to improve advertising. DoubleClick/Google Ad Manager is a Google/Alphabet service. For more information on the information DoubleClick will collect, please visit: https://support.google.com/dfp_premium/answer/2839090?hl=en&ref_topic=7395141. If You wish to change preferences or opt out of DoubleClick/Google Ad Manager’s use of cookies, visit: https://support.google.com/ads/answer/2662922?hl=en&ref_topic=7048998or http://optout.networkadvertising.org/#!/.
• ExpoCharger. AAO uses ExpoCharger to allow users to do virtual walk-throughs of annual meeting exhibit halls. Users can create an account through ExpoCharger on their own, and AAO does not exchange information with the platform. For more information, review its privacy policy: http://www.expocharger.com/privacy.aspx.
• Expovision. AAO uses Expovision to help individuals attending annual meetings find accommodations. We may provide Expovision with information for login and user identification. Expovision may collect demographic and credit card information. For more information, review its website: https://expovision.com/. Expovision's privacy policy is available in their hotel registration site, which You would access when you are registering for a hotel.
• Facebook. By clicking on the Facebook button on the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official Facebook pages for AAO, https://www.facebook.com/AmericanAcademyofOphthalmology/; https://www.facebook.com/AcademyEyeSmart/; and https://www.facebook.com/aaoe.practicemanagement/.
• FeathrWe use Feathr in order to more accurately track our advertising campaigns. Feathr uses the standard “cookies” feature of major browser applications to store a small piece of data on users’ computers about users’ visits to certain websites. See https://www.feathr.co/privacy-policy for Feathr privacy policy.
• Freeman. AAO uses Freeman for virtual meetings, and the service collects information for login and identification of users. For more information, review the Freeman privacy policy: https://www.freeman.com/privacy-policy/.
• Google Calendar.We use Google Calendar to add AAO and Advocacy Events to Your personal calendar. Google may receive Your personal information in connection with Your use of the AAO Advocacy App. See https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=us for Google’s privacy policy.
• Google Forms. AAO may use Google’s forms to ask Content users more information about the Website. For more information, please review Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://policies.google.com/?hl=en.
• Google Maps. Google Maps is integrated with the AAO Advocacy App, and Google may receive Your personal information in connection with Your use of the App, including search terms, IP address, and latitude/longitude coordinates. See https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=usfor Google’s privacy policy.
• Google Translate. Google Translate is an Alphabet, Inc. service. AAO uses Google translate to translate Content pages. For more information, review Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Use: https://policies.google.com/?hl=en.
• Higher Logic. AAO uses Higher Logic to facilitate an exchange of information between its email marketing system and its database. AAO will use data about its users and demographic information to better target users with informational and promotional emails. For more information on Higher Logic, review its privacy policy: https://www.higherlogic.com/legal/privacy/.
• Hurix. We use Hurix to make ebooks available on AAO’s services. Hurix may collect Your first name, last name, email address, telephone number, information You include in Your user profile and public profile, information related to Your use of the Hurix services (including file uploads, annotations, notes, highlights, page views, touch gestures, bookmarks, drags, clicks, hover-overs, errors, response times, the length of Your visit to certain pages, and information related to other applications You may use with the Hurix services), and information related to the Hurix services (such as available memory, errors, status, and uptime). See https://hurix.com/privacy-policy/for Hurix’s privacy policy.
• We use iCalendar to add AAO and Advocacy Events to Your personal calendar. Apple may receive Your personal information in connection with Your use of the AAO Advocacy App. See https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/en-ww/ for Apple’s privacy policy.
• Instagram. By clicking on the Instagram button the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official Instagram page for AAO, https://www.instagram.com/aaoeye/.
• LinkedIn. By clicking on the LinkedIn button on the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official LinkedIn page for AAO, https://www.linkedin.com/company/american-academy-of-ophthalmology/.
• Lyris. AAO uses Lyris to assist users in signing up for listservs and to send out email communications. For more information on how Lyris uses information, review its privacy policy: https://www.aurea.com/legal/privacy-statement/.
• Maritz Global Events. AAO uses Maritz Global Events to streamline annual meeting registrations. AAO may provide it with user information for login and user identification, such as name, address (including city, state, zip code, and country), home telephone number, cell phone number, company name, age demographic range, suffix, credentials (if applicable), job title, and email address. For more information, review its privacy policy: https://www.maritz.com/privacy.
• MediaWiki. MediaWiki is the content management software that We use to power EyeWiki. MediaWiki may collect Your IP address, username, password, gender, age, location information, public log information (such as the date on which You created Your account), information related to Your use of Wikimedia sites (such as the pages You request and visit, the date and time of those requests and visits, and the website that referred You to the Wikimedia sites), information related to Your device (such as unique device identification number and the type and version of Your device’s operating system), information related to Your browser (including type, version, and language preference), information related to Your internet service provider or mobile carrier, and any other information You voluntarily provide (including Your public contributions). For more information, visit the Wikimedia privacy policy at https://foundation.wikimedia.org/wiki/Privacy_policy.
• MobileCause. AAO uses MobileCause to send SMS messages where needed. For more information on how MobileCause uses Your information, review its privacy policy: https://www.mobilecause.com/privacy/.
• Mobilize. We use Mobilize for virtual communities and email communications. AAO may provide Mobilize with email address, name and membership status information for login and user identification. Mobilize may collect additional demographic information. For information on Mobilize’s privacy policy, review at https://www.mobilize.io/privacy-policy/
• Payflow Pro/PayPal. Any payment information You provide through the Content may be shared with and may be stored by our payment processor, PayFlow Pro, and is subject to its privacy policy, including in the case of data breach. AAO uses PayFlow Pro as its payment processor in concert with Wells Fargo. AAO receives information from PayFlow Pro when You contribute or purchase anything from the Content, including Your name, address, email address, and payment information for processing. However, AAO does notstore Your credit or debit card information. For more information on Payflow Pro, review its privacy policy: https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/ua/ceagreement-full#WellsFargoPro.
• Poll Daddy. AAO uses Poll Daddy for polling of Content users. Poll Daddy may collect information such as IP addresses, browser information, OS information, time and date of event, and any text or choices entered by a poll recipient. For more information, review the Poll Daddy privacy policy: https://polldaddy.com/privacy/.
• Recruiterbox. AAO uses Recruiterbox to host its job openings for the organization. Recruiterbox may collect Your first name, last name, email address, telephone number, city, state, available date, information related to Your willingness to relocate, desired salary, information related to Your work eligibility, and information contained in Your cover letter and resume. For more information, review Recruiterbox’s privacy policy: https://recruiterbox.com/privacy-policy.
• Semasio. We use Semasio to create custom audiences and run targeted online marketing campaigns. Semasio may collect cookie IDs and the URL addresses of websites visited by users that are connected to one of Semasio’s data providers. Semasio participates in cross-device matching. For more information on the information that Semasio collects, visit the Semasio privacy policy, available at: https://www.semasio.com/privacy.
• ShareThis. We use ShareThis to facilitate social sharing, and to inform us regarding the content our users prefer. ShareThis may collect usage data related to the unique ID of a cookie placed on Your web browser, device ID, browser type, user agent string, IP address, referring domain, information related to the Content pages You view (including URL, search parameters, search terms, and keywords), the search queries from which You are directed to a Content page, information related to Your navigation from page to page, the content You highlight, items You click, the time You spend on each page, information related to the ads displayed to You or viewed by You (including information related to Your interaction with those ads), information related to the content You share (including what content You share and where), geographic information (such as country, city, state, or postal code), information related to the items You browse online, and certain profile information. ShareThis receives information related to the content of the websites You visit and the audience of those websites, from which ShareThis makes inferences about Your age, income, education, gender, ethnicity, and family composition. Third-party companies, including ad networks, may serve You advertisements and collect information when You interact with the Content. Such third-party companies may use pseudonymized personal information obtained during Your interactions with the Content to serve You advertisements about goods and services that may interest You. To learn more about interest-based advertising, or to opt out of interest-based advertising, please visit the DAA opt-out program, available at: aboutads.info or the NAI opt-out program, available at: optout.networkadvertising.org (for U.S. users), or the EDAA-opt-out program, available at: eu(for E.U. users). Third-party companies may also use non-cookie technologies, such as statistical IDs. Your web browser may not allow You to block these non-cookie technologies, and browser settings that block cookies do not affect non-cookie technologies. You can opt out of interest-based advertising by third-party companies that use non-cookie technologies at www.networkadvertising.org/choices. Such an opt out will only apply to interest-based advertising, and will not apply to the use of non-cookie technologies for analytics or attribution. For more information on the information that ShareThis will collect, visit the ShareThis privacy policy: https://www.sharethis.com/privacy/.
• We use Tapad for the purposes of cross-device marketing. Tapad may collect unique device identifiers (including browser cookies and mobile ad IDs, such as IDFAs and Android Ad IDs), timestamps indicating the time the device was recognized, user agent strings (including browser type, device type, operating system, model or version number, and screen size), IP addresses, general location data, the web address or app ID of a webpage or mobile application where users are browsing, and matching IDs (which may represent device IDs, underlying cookie IDs, or customer IDs). For more information about the information that Tapad collects, please visit the U.S. Tapad privacy policy, available at: https://www.tapad.com/us-privacy-notice. For information relevant to the EU, visit the EU Tapad privacy policy, available at: https://www.tapad.com/eu-privacy-policy.
• Twitter. By clicking on the Twitter button on the Content, You will be automatically transported to the official Twitter pages for AAO, https://twitter.com/aao_ophth; and https://twitter.com/AcademyEyeSmart.
• Vitrium. AAO uses Vitrium for patient education handouts and encryption pdfs. For more information on how Vitrium may use any information it collects, if any, review its privacy policy: https://www.vitrium.com/privacy/.
• VoterVoice. AAO uses VoterVoice as an advocacy tool. Using VoterVoice, users can send messages to elected officials. Your zip code and demographic information may be shared with VoterVoice. VoterVoice processes information provided by AAO according to its privacy policy: https://fiscalnote.com/privacy/.
• Webscribble. AAO uses Webscribble to host the Ophthalmology Job Center and the Global EyeCare Volunteer Registry. Depending on how you use the Job Center, AAO may provide Webscribble with your employer ID, billing contact, billing contact name, name, address, email address, phone number, URL, and customer number.Depending on your use of the Global EyeCare Volunteer Registry, AAO may provide your customer number and name. For more information, review Webscribble’s privacy policy: https://www.webscribble.com/privacy-policy.
• YouTube. We host videos on YouTube that are embedded in the Content. These are hosted on our accounts, viewable at: https://www.youtube.com/user/AAOtvand https://www.youtube.com/user/geteyesmart. When You view the videos on the Content, YouTube may collect Your information, including Your user name and other account information. For more information, visit the YouTube privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en&gl=us.

B. Business Changes

If We become involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, joint venture, securities offering, bankruptcy, reorganization, liquidation, dissolution, or other transaction or if the ownership of all or substantially all of Our business otherwise changes, We may transfer Your information to a third party or parties in connection therewith.

C. Affiliates

We may also share Your information with Our affiliates for purposes consistent with this Privacy Policy. Our affiliates will be required to maintain that information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

D. Investigations and Law

We may disclose information about You to third parties if We believe that such disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with the law or guidance and cooperate with government or law enforcement officials or private parties;
• Investigate, prevent or take action regarding suspected illegal activities, suspected fraud, False Claims Act violations, the rights, reputation, safety, and property of Us, users, or others, or violations of Our policies or other agreements with Us;
• Respond to claims and legal process (for example, subpoenas); and/or
• Protect against legal liability.

E. Aggregated Information

We may share aggregated information relating to users of the Content with affiliated or unaffiliated third parties. This aggregated information does not contain personal information about any user.

F. Analytics

We use third-party analytics tools to better understand who is using the Content and how people are using it. These tools may use cookies and other technologies to collect information about Your use of the Content and Your preferences and activities. These tools collect information sent by Your device or the Content and other information that assists us in improving the Content. This information may be used to analyze and track data, determine the popularity of certain content, and better understand Your online activity, among other things.

AAO uses Google Analytics, including custom dimensions and metrics features, to better understand who is using the Content and how people are using it. Google uses cookies, pixel tags and other technologies to collect and store information such as Content pages visited, places where users click, time spent on each Content page, IP address, app instance identifier, type of operating system used, location-based data, device ID, search history, gender, age, and phone number. To better understand how Google collects and processes data, You may review Google’s policies at www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/, or any other URL Google may provide from time to time. You may also visit https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout for more information about the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On. Google may track Your activity over time and across websites.

We use Google Firebase to authenticate users, facilitate account management, provide security, deliver messages, and detect and fix crashes. Specifically, We use Firebase Cloud Messaging, Firebase Crashlytics, and Firebase Authentication. As part of these services, Google may collect information related to Your password, email address, telephone number, user agent, IP address, instance ID, crash traces, activity within the apps, breakpad minidump formatted data (for NDK crashes), and other stored device information relevant to debugging crashes. For more information, please visit the Google privacy policy at: https://policies.google.com/privacy?hl=en-US. AAO also uses an in-house analytics service to better understand who is using the Content and how people are using it. AAO uses cookies and other technologies to collect and store information such as member identifier number, browser information, hardware/software type, interaction data, page views, and IP address collected from third parties.

G. Cookies and Local Storage, and Other Tracking Technologies.

We, along with third parties, use cookies, local storage objects, Web beacons and other technologies. These technologies are used for tracking, analyzing, personalizing, and optimizing the Content.

Cookies are small files that are transferred to and stored on Your computer through Your Web browser (if You allow it) that enable the website’s or service provider’s system to recognize Your browser and capture and remember certain information. You can instruct Your browser to stop accepting cookies. But if You do not accept cookies, You may not be able to use all portions of all functionality of the Content.

• Persistent cookies remain on the visitor’s computer after the browser has been closed.

• Session cookies exist only during a visitor’s online session and disappear from the visitor’s computer when he/she closes the browser software.

 Flash cookies (also known as local shared objects) are data files that can be created on Your computer by the websites You visit, and are a way for websites to store information for later use. Flash cookies are stored in different parts of Your computer from ordinary browser cookies. You can disable the storage of flash cookies. For additional information about managing and disabling flash cookies, visit: http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/disable-local-shared-objects-flash.html.

Web beacons are small strings of code that provide a method for delivering a graphic image on a Web page or in an email message for the purpose of transferring data. You can disable the ability of Web beacons to capture information by blocking cookies.

We use cookies and other tracking technologies on the Content to help us understand and save Your preferences and interests so We can personalize Your future visits and compile aggregate data about Content traffic and Content interaction so that We can offer better Content experiences and tools in the future.

Some of our business partners, such as our analytics providers and social media connections, also use cookies and other tracking technologies on the Content, some of which may track users across websites and over time.

VI. Security

We implement a variety of security measures to protect the safety of Your personal information when You enter, submit, or access Your personal information.

While We take reasonable measures to protect the information You submit via the Content against loss, theft and unauthorized use, disclosure, or modification, We cannot guarantee its absolute security. No Internet, email, or mobile application transmission is ever fully secure or error free. Email or other messages sent through the Content may not be secure. You should use caution whenever submitting information through the Content and take special care in deciding with which information You provide us.

We cannot guarantee that transmissions of Your personal information will be fully secure and that third parties will never be able to defeat our security measures or the security measures of our partners. WE ASSUME NO LIABILITY FOR DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION DUE TO TRANSMISSION ERRORS, THIRD PARTY ACCESS, OR CAUSES BEYOND OUR CONTROL.

Any information collected through the Content is stored and processed in the United States. If You use our Content outside of the United States, You consent to having Your data transferred to the United States.

VII. Data Retention, Managing Your Information

We will retain Your information for as long as You use the Content and for a reasonable time thereafter. We may maintain anonymized or aggregated data, including usage data, for analytics purposes. We may retain and use Your information as necessary to comply with Our legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, and/or for the period required by laws in applicable jurisdictions. Please note that some or all of the information We have collected may be required for the Content to function properly.

VIII. Links to Other Websites or Applications

This Privacy Policy applies only to the Content. The Content may contain links to other websites or apps or may forward users to other websites or apps that We may not own or operate and to which this Privacy Policy does not apply. The links from the Content do not imply that We endorse or have reviewed these websites or apps. The policies and procedures We describe here do not apply to these websites or apps. We neither can control nor are responsible for the privacy practices or content of these websites or apps. We suggest contacting these websites or app providers directly for information on their privacy policies. Nonetheless, We seek to protect the integrity of our Content, and welcome any feedback about these linked websites and mobile applications.

IX. Your Choices Regarding Your Information

You have choices regarding the use of information by the Content.

A. Changing Your Information

You have choices regarding the use of information by the Content.

• Changing Your Information– You may review, update, or delete any personal information collected from You through the Content through accessing your profile at https://secure.aao.org/aao/MyProfile. You may also request to review update, or have deleted any personal information by sending us an email at member_services@aao.org, asking to review or update Your personal information, or to have us delete Your personal information. However, We reserve the right to retain personal information as necessary for our business purposes and to comply with laws.
• Closing Your Account– If the email account associated with Your email address is not active, We may remove it from Our system without notice.
• Withdrawing Consent- If You are an individual residing in the EU, and You provided your consent for any particular processing of Your personal information, You have the right to withdraw Your consent to Our processing of Your information any time by requesting that Your personal information be deleted. See further under the section “EU privacy rights” below. This deletion is permanent and Your information cannot be reinstated. To proceed with this request, email member_services@aao.org.

B. Social Networking

You should make sure You are comfortable with the information that a third-party social networking service may make available to Us by carefully reviewing the social media service’s privacy policy and terms and conditions and by modifying Your privacy settings directly on the social media service.

C. Opt-Outs Available from Our Third-Party Providers

Some of our third-party providers allow users to opt-out of their collection of information. Some of our partners provide information on controlling cookies. For more information, You may visit the Network Advertising Initiative’s Consumer Opt-Out Link and/or the Digital Advertising Alliance’s Consumer Opt-Out Link to opt-out of receiving tailored advertising from companies that participate in those programs.

To opt out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising or customize Google Display Network ads, You can visit the Google Ads Settings page. Please note that to the extent advertising technology is integrated into the Content, You may still receive advertisements even if You opt-out of tailored advertising. In that case, the ads will just not be tailored to Your interests. Also, We do not control any of the opt-out links above and are not responsible for any choices You make using these mechanisms or the continued availability or accuracy of these mechanisms.

X. EU Privacy Rights

Users based in the European Union have the following legal rights in respect of their information:

• The right to require AAO to confirm whether or not their information is being processed, the purpose of any such processing, the recipients of any information that has been disclosed, the period for which their information is to be stored, and whether any automated decision-making processes are used in relation to their information;
• The right to require AAO to rectify inaccurate information without undue delay;
• The right to request the erasure of their information. Subject to certain conditions, AAO may be required to erase the information in response to such request where:
  • the information is no longer necessary in relation to the purpose for which it was collected, such as where a user chooses to terminate his or her use of the Content;
  • where the processing of the information is based on the user’s consent (and the other circumstances described in the Legal Bases for Processing Your Informationand How Your Information is Disclosed sections above no longer apply), if the user withdraws his or her consent; or
  • the user objects to the processing of his or her information and there are no overriding legitimate grounds for the processing.
• Where AAO has disclosed the information of a European Union user to a third party and the user requests the erasure or rectification of the data, AAO will take all reasonable steps to inform the third party of such request.
• The right to restrict AAO from processing their information in certain circumstances, such as where the accuracy of that information is disputed or an objection has been raised (see below). In such circumstances, AAO will only process that information with the express consent of the user, or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims or for the protection of the rights of another natural or legal person or for reasons of important public interest;
• The right to receive their information from AAO in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format;
• The right to object to the processing of their information by AAO where:
  • AAO has relied on the ‘legitimate interest’ basis for processing that information, in which case we will immediately stop processing the user’s information unless we have compelling legitimate grounds which override the interests, rights and freedoms of the user; or
  • the information is used for direct marketing purposes, in which case we will immediately stop processing the user’s information for such purposes.
• The right to lodge a complaint with the data protection supervisory authority of the EU member state where the user resides.
• The above legal rights are subject to various conditions and exceptions including where the data is used for statistical or scientific research purposes and the exercise of the right would prevent such purposes from being attained or would seriously impair their attainment.

XI. Information Collected from Other Websites and AAO’s Do Not Track Policy

Through cookies We place on Your browser or device, We and our partners may collect information about Your online activity after You leave the Content. Just like any other usage information We collect, this information allows us to improve the Content, customize Your online experience, and act as otherwise described in this privacy policy.

Your browser may offer a “Do Not Track” option, which allows You to signal to operators of websites and mobile applications and services (including behavioral advertising services) that You do not wish such operators to track certain of Your online activities over time and/or across different websites and mobile applications and services. AAO’s Content does not support Do Not Track requests at this time, which means that We collect information about Your online activity both while You are using the Content and after You leave the Content.

XII. Children

Our Content is not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from an individual under age 16. If You are under the age of 16, please do not submit any personal information through the Content. If You have reason to believe that We may have accidentally received personal information from an individual under age 16, contact us immediately at member_services@aao.org.

XIII. Terms of Use

Please also visit the AAO Terms of Service at https://www.aao.org/terms-of-service, which state the terms, disclaimers, and limitations of liability governing Your use of the Content.

XIV. Changes to the Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time and from time to time without prior notice. Please review this Privacy Policy periodically, and especially before You provide any information. This Privacy Policy was made effective on the date indicated above.

XV. Your California Privacy Rights

Section 1798.83 of the California Civil Code permits California residents to request from a business, with whom the California resident has an established business relationship, certain information about the types of personal information the business has shared with third parties for those third parties’ direct marketing purposes and the names and addresses of the third parties with whom the business has shared such information during the immediately preceding calendar year. California residents may make one request each year by emailing us at member_services@aao.org or by writing us at American Academy of Ophthalmology, P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424.

XVI. Your Nevada Privacy Rights

The Nevada Revised Statutes (NRS 603A.300 et seq.) permit a Nevada consumer to direct an operator of an Internet website or online service to refrain from making any sale of any covered information the operator has collected or will collect about that consumer. You may submit a request pursuant to this directive by emailing us at member_services@aao.org. We will provide further information about how We verify the authenticity of the request and Your identity.

XVII. How to Contact Us

For any enquiries or complaints relating to the use of your personal information or this Privacy Policy, feel free to contact us by email at member_services@aao.org or by writing us at American Academy of Ophthalmology, P.O. Box 7424, San Francisco, CA 94120-7424, if You have any questions about this Privacy Policy.

Cookie Use

 Cookie List

A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website – when visited by a user – asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies – which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting – for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes:

Targeting Cookies

These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites.    They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.

Performance Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site.    All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not know when you have visited our site, and will not be able to monitor its performance.

Functional Cookies

These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages.    If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.

Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms.    You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work. These cookies do not store any personally identifiable information.