1. Scope
This Privacy Policy applies to flaicouncil.org and related services operated by the Florida AI Council (“Council,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). It does not govern third-party websites, services, or organizations that may be linked from the website.
We seek to collect only information reasonably needed to operate the website, maintain accounts, support community participation, respond to inquiries, and protect the Service.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide
- Account information: email address, first and last name, optional company, optional profile photo, account preferences, and membership or administrator status.
- Authentication information: information needed to register, verify, and sign in. Authentication credentials are processed by our authentication provider; we do not have access to your password in readable form.
- Community content: forum threads, replies, likes, timestamps, edits, and related moderation records.
- Communications: your name, email address, organization, message, and other information submitted through the Contact form or in correspondence with us.
- Event registration information: your name, email address, optional company, RSVP status, registration time, and attendance status for events you register to attend.
- Optional communications preferences: whether you choose to receive newsletters or event invitations.
Information processed automatically
Our hosting, security, and service providers may automatically process limited technical information such as IP address, browser type, device type, requested pages, timestamps, referring pages, error logs, and security events. We use this information to deliver, troubleshoot, measure, and protect the Service.
3. How We Use Information
We may use personal information to:
- create, verify, maintain, and secure accounts;
- display member identities and content within the forum;
- provide role-based access, including administrator and Founder’s Club access;
- publish and manage forum discussions, likes, news, and events;
- respond to Contact form submissions and support requests;
- process RSVPs and manage event attendance;
- send account, security, and service-related communications;
- send newsletters or event invitations when you opt in;
- detect abuse, enforce community rules, and protect users and the Service;
- maintain, analyze, and improve website performance; and
- comply with law and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
4. Public and Community Information
Forum content is intended to be viewed by others. Your displayed name, profile photo or placeholder, posts, replies, likes, and posting times may appear with your contributions. Depending on the forum area, content may be visible publicly or only to signed-in members or authorized groups.
Do not include sensitive personal information, confidential business information, or anything you do not want others to read in a forum post or profile.
5. How We Disclose Information
We may disclose information in the following circumstances:
- Service providers: vendors supporting authentication, database hosting, file storage, website hosting, content delivery, security, form processing, and transactional email. These providers process information on our behalf.
- Public and member areas: profile and community information is displayed as described above.
- Legal and safety purposes: when reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to lawful requests, enforce our terms, investigate misuse, or protect rights, safety, and security.
- Organizational changes: in connection with a merger, financing, reorganization, transfer of operations, or similar transaction, subject to appropriate safeguards.
- With your direction: when you ask or authorize us to share information.
We do not sell personal information. We do not currently use personal information for targeted advertising or automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
6. Cookies, Local Storage, and Similar Technologies
The Service may use browser storage, cookies, or similar technologies that are necessary for authentication, session continuity, security, preferences, and core functionality. Our infrastructure providers may also use limited technologies to prevent abuse and reliably deliver the website.
We do not currently operate third-party advertising cookies. You may control cookies through your browser, but blocking essential storage may prevent sign-in or other account features from working correctly.
7. Retention and Security
We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Service, maintain legitimate operational and security records, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, and comply with legal obligations. Retention periods vary by the type and purpose of the information.
If an account is deleted, we will take reasonable steps to remove or deidentify associated account information and content from active systems, subject to legal obligations and limited backup, fraud-prevention, security, and dispute-resolution retention.
We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards designed for the nature of the information we maintain. No website, transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
8. Your Choices and Privacy Requests
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of certain personal information. You may also withdraw newsletter consent and update available profile information through account settings.
Until secure self-service deletion is fully connected, submit an account or privacy request through our Contact Us form using the email associated with your account. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. If we deny a request, you may use the same form to ask us to review the decision.
We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.
9. Children’s Privacy
The Service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information, please notify us through the Contact form so we can investigate and take appropriate action.
10. Changes and Contact
We may update this Policy as the Service, our practices, or legal requirements change. The effective date at the top identifies the latest revision. Material changes may also be communicated through the website or by another appropriate method.
Privacy questions and requests may be submitted through the Contact Us form. Please do not submit passwords or other highly sensitive information through the form.