Privacy Policy of MaVieFrançaise® – MyFrenchLife.org
For the use of the services under the top level domain www.myfrenchlife.org
Version: 15 July 2010
Part A: Privacy Principles
Welcome to My French Life™! The protection of your privacy and your personal data is taken very seriously and of utmost concern for My French Life™.
My French Life™ is a community of trust which helps its members at www.MyFrenchLife.org to exchange and share information on-line as well as to connect with other members at regular face to face events. My French Life™ ensures highest standards for the protection of your personal data and your privacy.
This Privacy Policy supplements the General Terms and Conditions for using www.MyFrenchLife.org and any of its sub-domains and aliases of these domains (“My French Life™Website(s)” or “Website(s)”), governing the entire relationship between the validly registered user (“User”) and My French Life™ and are applicable to all services provided to the User or offered on the My French Life™Websites (“My French Life™Service(s) or Service(s)”) and also to all the User’s actions, contents, or other material relating to the My French Life™Websites.
This Privacy Policy is designed to help you better understand how My French Life™ collects and deals with your personal data and information.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact My French Life™ by using ‘Contact’, available on each My French Life™Website send to info@MyFrenchLife.org .
By registering to use the My French Life™Websites, you consent to the practices described in the following Privacy Policy.
1. My French Life™ Principles
My French Life™ works hard to earn and keep its User’s trust. Therefore My French Life™ strictly adheres to the following principles to protect the User’s privacy:
My French Life™ collects, processes, and uses all data and/or information about and related to the User’s person and the User’s account with My French Life™ (“Personal Data”) in accordance with the laws and statutes on data protection forAustralia.
My French Life™ uses Personal Data solely to provide the User with the My French Life™Services. My French Life™ will never rent, sell, or otherwise provide Personal Data to any third party for advertising or for marketing purposes without the User’s consent. The User is aware of the fact and agrees that in case of online debiting procedures (i.e. payment via credit card) any data (e.g. name, credit card number, expiry date, bank details etc.) which is necessary for the due processing of such payment will be transferred to third parties involved in the execution of the debiting procedure (e.g. operator of the payment module, credit card acquirer and the bank issuing the credit/debit card).
2. Information Collection by My French Life™
2.1 Registration – to become a member
In order to become a User of My French Life™, it is necessary to first create an account on the My French Life™Website. To create an account, the User is required to provide the following mandatory contact information: full name; email address; gender; nationality; country of origin; local community at My French Life™; and country of residence. In addition, the User must choose a password. The User’s password and/or User name are never visible to any other User of My French Life™ or any third party at any time.
2.2 Profile Information and User Content
After successful registration with My French Life™, the User may provide additional information about himself/herself (e.g., international experience, professional background, interests). Providing additional information beyond what is required at registration is entirely optional and on a voluntarily basis, but enables the User to better use the Services. Additionally, the User can upload, publish, send, or display comments, photos, profiles, messages, notes, text, information, music, video, advertisements, listings, and other content (“User Content”) on or through the My French Life™Service or the My French Life™Websites, or transmit to or share with other Users or third parties accessing the My French Life™Websites. When the User updates information, My French Life™ usually keeps a backup copy of the prior version for a reasonable period of time to enable reversion to the prior version of that information.
2.3 Cookies and Log Files
Like most websites, My French Life™ may use cookies to identify the User during the course of his/her session and to recognize him/her as a user when he/she returns to the My French Life™Websites using the same computer and web browser. A cookie is a piece of data stored on the User’s computer tied to information about the User. My French Life™ uses session ID cookies to confirm that the User is logged in. These cookies terminate once the User closes the browser. By default, My French Life™ uses persistent cookies that store the User’s login ID (but not the password) to make it easier for the User to login when he/she comes back to the My French Life™Websites. These cookies will then store part of the login data in encrypted form. If the User selects the automatic login, he/she should be aware that this will then only be possible on the same computer on which the cookie was first saved, i.e., an automatic login on two (2) different computers is not possible. The User can remove or block this cookie using the settings in the browser if he/she wants to disable this convenience feature. Unfortunately, if the browser settings do not allow cookies, the User will not be able to use the My French Life™Websites.
Each time the User accesses the My French Life™Websites, My French Life™ automatically receives the URL of the site from which the User came and of the site to which the User is going when leaving the My French Life™Websites. My French Life™ also receives the Internet protocol (IP) address of the User’s computer (or the proxy server the User uses to access the World Wide Web), the computer operating system and type of web browser he/she is using, as well as the name of the User’s ISP. This data is saved in a log file and will be stored by My French Life™ in the standardized combined log file format unless the User objects to the processing of such data and notifies My French Life™ accordingly by sending a letter to My French Life™. The information is used in anonymous form to analyze overall trends to help My French Life™ improve its service, e.g., My French Life™ may analyze on which days and at which time the My French Life™Websites are particularly frequented. The linkage between the User’s IP address and his/her personally identifiable information is never shared with any third party without the User’s permission except when required by law. My French Life™ reserves the right to review the log files from the last known IP address of the User where My French Life™ has reasonable cause to believe that the User is using My French Life™Services in breach of contractual agreements or the applicable legislation. In doing this, My French Life™ protects other users, the safety of its user’s data, as well as My French Life™Websites and the My French Life™Services.
Like the information the User enters at registration or in his/her profile, cookie and log file data is used to customize the User’s experience on the My French Life™Websites.
3. Sharing Information with Third Parties
3.1 Sharing Personal Data with other Users of My French Life™ or third parties
Posting User Content on or through the My French Life™Service or the My French Life™Websites, or transmitting to or sharing with other Users on the My French Life™Websites is at the User’s own risk. The User should be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable and the User’s Personal Data, his/her User Content and other information may become publicly available. My French Life™ cannot control the actions of other Users with whom the User may choose to share data and information. Therefore, My French Life™ cannot and does not guarantee that Personal Data, User Content, and other information the User posts on My French Life™Websites will not be viewed by unauthorized persons. My French Life™ is not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the My French Life™Websites. The User understands and acknowledges that, even after removal, copies of Personal Data, User Content, and other information may remain viewable in cached and archived pages or if other Users have copied or stored this data and information.
Any information and User Content the User has submitted to My French Life™ or to others via the Platform may be accessed by third parties (i.e. non-registered users) when they visit My French Life™Websites. Such information and content may also be found and made accessible by search engines (e.g. Google, MSN, Yahoo etc.).
3.2 Newsletters, Emails, and Notifications to Users
My French Life™ regularly sends out newsletters, service-related announcements, or other notification messages and emails (altogether “Member Communication”) to all Users of My French Life™. Through this Member Communication My French Life™ informs the User, among other things, about new features, changes in his/her local community, invitation requests, and new messages. My French Life™ may also provide the User with specific personal statistics.
As part of the Member Communication, My French Life™ may present new Users of My French Life™ to the User. It may also be the case that My French Life™ presents the User as a possible contact to other Users of My French Life™. Generally, the User may opt out of such Member Communication through his/her individual personal settings, though My French Life™ reserves the right to send the User notices about his/her account even if the User opts out of all voluntary forms of the Member Communication.
3.3 Information Sharing with Third Parties
My French Life™ does not forward the User’s Personal Data, his/her User Content, or other information to third-party marketers without the User’s permission. My French Life™ shares Personal Data, his/her User Content, and other information with third parties only in limited circumstances where My French Life™ believes such sharing is legally permitted and either 1) reasonably necessary to offer the My French Life™Service or, 2) legally required or, 3) permitted by the User. For example:
My French Life™ may forward Personal Data, User Content and other information to service providers (including service providers located in other countries) to help My French Life™ offer the My French Life™Services. Specifically, My French Life™ may use third parties to facilitate My French Life™’ business, such as to host the service at a co-location facility for servers, to send out email updates about My French Life™, to remove repetitive information from User lists, to process payments for products or services, or to provide search results or links. In connection with these offerings and business operations, the My French Life™’ service providers may have access to the User’s Personal Data, his/her User Content and other information for use for a limited time in connection with these business activities. Where My French Life™ utilizes third parties for the processing of any personal information, My French Life™ will implement reasonable contractual and technical protections limiting the use of that information to the My French Life™-specified purposes.
My French Life™ may be required to disclose Personal Data, User Content or other information in compliance with applicable laws or pursuant to lawful requests, such as subpoenas or court orders. My French Life™ does not reveal information unless My French Life™ has the bonafide belief that an information request by law enforcement or private litigants meets applicable legal standards. Additionally, My French Life™ may share account or other information when My French Life™ believes it is necessary to comply with the law, to protect the interests or property of My French Life™, to prevent fraud or other illegal activity perpetrated through the My French Life™Service or using the My French Life™ name, or to prevent imminent bodily harm. This may include sharing information with other companies, lawyers, agents, or government agencies.
If the complete or partial ownership of the My French Life™ business, or individual business units owned by F3 Pty Ltd, were to change, the User’s personal information may be transferred to the new owner or shareholder. In any such transfer, the User’s Personal Data, his/her User Content, and other information would remain subject to the promises made in any pre-existing Privacy Policy.
My French Life™ may use the User’s Personal Data, his/her User Content, or any other information in an anonymous way without identifying the User as an individual to third parties. This includes for instance providing aggregated data about the usage of the My French Life™Service to third parties for such purposes as My French Life™ deems to be appropriate. My French Life™ may segment its Users by e.g., gender, age, geographic location, nationality, or employer.
4. Miscellaneous
4.1 Under Age
Children and minors (under the age of 18) are not eligible to use any My French Life™Service and are therefore not allowed to submit any personal information to My French Life™. Parents and legal guardians are responsible for the protection of their children’s privacy.
4.2 Links
My French Life™ may contain links to other websites. My French Life™ is not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites. My French Life™ encourages the User to be aware when he/she leaves the My French Life™Websites to read the privacy statements of each and every website that collects personally identifiable information. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by My French Life™.
4.3 Changing or Removing Information
Access and control over most personal information on My French Life™ is readily available through the profile editing tools on the My French Life™Websites. The User may modify or delete any of his/her profile information except the mandatory information required during the registration process at any time by logging into his/her account. Information will be updated immediately. Users who wish to deactivate their account with My French Life™ should send letter to My French Life™. In this case My French Life™ will remove the User’s name and other personally identifiable information from publicly viewable data. My French Life™ may retain certain data contributed by the User if it may be necessary to prevent fraud or future abuse, or for legitimate business purposes, such as analysis of aggregated, non-personally-identifiable data, account recovery, or if required by law. All retained data will continue to be subject to the terms of the Privacy Policy that the User has previously agreed to.
Where the User makes use of the communication features of the service to share information with other Users of My French Life™, however, (e.g., sending a personal message to another User of My French Life™) the User generally cannot remove such communications.
4.4 Terms of Use, Notices, and Revisions
The use of My French Life™Services, and any disputes arising from it, are subject to this Privacy Policy as well as My French Life™’ General Terms and Conditions for the use of the services under the top level domain www.MyFrenchLife.org and all of its provisions including limitation on damages and choice of law. My French Life™ reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time insofar as these amendments are not unreasonable for the User. My French Life™ shall give due notice of any amendments of this Privacy Policy to the User via the User’s email address. The amendments to the Privacy Policy shall be effective from that point in time unless the User objects within two (2) weeks after receipt of said notice by sending a letter to My French Life™, provided that My French Life™ has explicitly informed the User about the consequences of such non-objection.
Part B: User’s Consent
The User acknowledges the principles set forth in this privacy policy (Part A) and also consents to the processing of his/her personal data as described below. The User shall be entitled to revoke his/her consent at any time and with effect for the future. For such revocation please contact My French Life™ by using ‘Contact’ available on each My French Life™Website, or by sending a letter to My French Life™ G.P.O.Box 409Melbourne, 3001,Vic,Australia. The User declares the following:
1. Single-Sign-On-Process
I agree that My French Life™ shall be entitled to pass on personal data (first name, last name and email-address) to third party providers for the purpose described hereinafter:
Third parties may offer certain services on or via the My French Life™Websites. If the User decides to order such services he/she will access the third parties’ websites through a link or frame embedded in the My French Life™Websites and will then have the opportunity to use the third party services. In order to facilitate the ordering process My French Life™ and such third parties may have agreed on a single-sign-on-process. This means that the User does not have to enter his personal data on the third party website again, but My French Life™ rather passes on to the third party the personal data which is necessary for the third party service
2. Usage of personal data for marketing purposes of partners of My French Life™
I agree that My French Life™ shall be entitled to process and use my personal data for advertising or marketing purposes of partners of My French Life™ via the My French Life™Websites. Particularly, my personal data may be used in order to tailor the advertisement presented to me to my specific interests.
3. Cookies and Log Files
I agree that My French Life™ shall be entitled to use Cookies and Log Files as described in section 2.4 of Part A of this Privacy Policy.
