Privacy Policy
Your
Privacy Matters
At
Converge, our fundamental philosophy is "members first." That value powers all of the decisions we make,
including how we gather and respect your personal information.
We've
crafted the policy below to be as clear and straightforward as possible. Our aim is for you--our members
(and subscribers)--to always feel informed and empowered with respect to your privacy on
Converge.
Who we
are:
Last
revised on Jan 05, 2021
Converge is
a content amplification platform.
Here are
the details that the Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April
2016 on the protection of natural persons with regards to the processing of personal data and on the
free movement of such data, known as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) says we have to give you
as a 'data controller':
●
Our site address
is www.converge.today
●
Our company name
is Converge Group Ltd
●
Our registered
address is 22 Quay Level, St Peters Wharf, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 1TZ
●
Our [nominated
representative or Data Protection Officer] is James Tennant (Founder) and they can be contacted at
info@converge.today
Converge
has been founded to help businesses amplify their content effectively and consistently. Our registered
users ("Members") share their professional identities, and post and view relevant content. Content on
some of our services is also visible to unregistered viewers ("Visitors"). We believe that our services
allow our Members to effectively compete and achieve their full potential. In short, Converge helps you
reach and influence more and bigger audiences outside of your current circles of influence.
We protect
your personal information using industry-standard safeguards.
We may
share your information with your consent or as required by law, and we will always let you know when we
make significant changes to this Privacy Policy.
Maintaining
your trust is our top priority, so we adhere to the following principles to protect your
privacy:
●
We protect your
personal information and will only provide it to third parties: (1) with your consent; (2) where it is
necessary to carry out your instructions; (3) as reasonably necessary in order to provide our features
and functionality to you; (4) when we reasonably believe it is required by law, subpoena or other legal
process; or (5) as necessary to enforce our User Agreement or protect the rights,
property, or safety of Converge, our Members and Visitors, and the public.
●
We have
implemented appropriate security safeguards designed to protect your information in accordance with
industry standards.
This
Privacy Policy applies to Converge.today and all other Converge websites, apps, developer platforms and
other products and services (collectively the "Services"). We may modify this Privacy Policy from time
to time, and if we make material changes to it, we will provide notice through our Service, or by other
means so that you may review the changes before you continue to use our Services. If you object to any
changes, you may close your account.
Continuing
to use our Services after we publish or communicate a notice about any changes to this Privacy Policy
means that you are consenting to the changes.
1. What
information we collect
We may
collect and process the following data about you:
●
Information you
put into forms or surveys on our site at any time
●
A record of any
correspondence between us
●
Details of
transactions you carry out through our site
●
Details of your
visits to our site and the resources you use
●
Information
about your computer (e.g. your IP address, browser, operating system, etc.) for system administration
and to report aggregate information to our advertisers
Under GDPR
we will ensure that your personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently, without
adversely affecting your rights. We will only process your personal data if at least one of the
following basis applies:
1.
you have given
consent to the processing of your personal data for one or more specific purposes, such as
membership;
2.
processing is
necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or in order to take steps at the
request of you prior to entering into a contract;
3.
processing is
necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject;
4.
processing is
necessary to protect the vital interests of you or of another natural person;
5.
processing is
necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of
official authority vested in the controller; and/or
6.
processing is
necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by us or by a third party such as our
credit card payment processing, except where such interests are overridden by the fundamental rights and
freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data
subject is a child.
1.1. Data
Controllers
Our Privacy
Policy applies to any Member or Visitor. We collect information when you use our Services to offer you a
personalised and relevant experience, including growing your network and enabling business
opportunities.
The
personal information provided to or collected by our Services is controlled by Converge Group Ltd, 22
Quay Level, St Peters Wharf, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE6 1TZ. If you have any concern about providing
information to us or having such information displayed on our Services or otherwise used in any manner
permitted in this Privacy Policy and the User Agreement, you should not become a Member, visit our
websites, apps or otherwise use our Services. If you have already registered, you can close your
account.
We
specifically collect your personal information in the following ways:
1.2.
Registration
When you
create an account with us, we collect information (including your name, email address, and
password).
To create
an account on Converge, you must provide us with at least your name, email address, and a password and
agree to our User Agreement and this Privacy Policy, which governs how we treat your information. You
may provide additional information during the registration flow (for example, your postcode, and
company) to help you build your profile. You understand that, by creating an account, we and others will
be able to identify you by your Converge profile. You will also be asked for your credit card details to
allow you to purchase our service.
1.3.
Profile Information
We collect
information when you fill out a profile. A complete Converge profile that includes professional details
-- like your name or your business name, business address, email address, business bio and social media
accounts -- helps you get found by other people for opportunities.
Providing
additional information enables you to derive more benefit from our Services by helping you express your
professional identity; find other professionals, opportunities, and information. It also enables us to
serve you ads and other relevant content on and off of our Services.
1.4.
Customer Service
We collect
information when you contact us for customer support.
When you
contact our customer support services we may have to access your notifications, and other contributions
to our Services and collect the information we need to categorise your question, respond to it, and, if
applicable, investigate any breach of our User Agreement or this Privacy Policy. We also use this
information to track potential problems and trends and customize our support responses to better serve
you. We do not use this information for advertising.
1.5. Using
the Converge Sites and Applications
We collect
information when you visit our Services and interact with advertising on and off our
Services.
We collect
information when you use (whether as a Member or a Visitor) our websites, applications, our platform
technology (such as "Share on Converge" plugins for publishers) or other Services. For example, we
collect information when you view or click on ads on and off our Services, perform a search, join and
participate in groups, participate in polls and share articles on our Services.
1.6.
Cookies
We use
cookies and similar technologies to collect information, to help us recognise you across different
Services, learn about your interests both on and off our Services, improve your experience, increase
security, measure use and effectiveness of our Services, and serve advertising. You can control cookies
through your browser settings and other tools. By visiting our Services, you consent to the placement of
cookies and beacons in your browser and HTML-based emails in accordance with this Privacy
Policy.
1.7.
Other
We are
constantly innovating to improve our Services, which means we may create new ways to collect information
on the Services.
Our
Services are a dynamic, innovative environment, which means we are always seeking to improve the
Services we offer you. We often introduce new features, some of which may result in the collection of
new information. Furthermore, new partnerships or corporate acquisitions may result in new features, and
we may potentially collect new types of information. If we start collecting substantially new types of
personal information and materially change how we handle your data, we will modify this Privacy Policy
and notify you in accordance with Section 4.2.
2. How we
use your personal information
2.1.
Consent to Converge Processing Information About You
You agree
that information you provide on your profile can be seen by others and used by us as described in this
Privacy Policy and our User Agreement.
The
personal information that you provide to us may reveal or allow others to identify aspects of your life
that are not expressly stated on your profile (for example, your picture or your name may reveal your
gender). By providing personal information to us when you create or update your account and profile, you
are expressly and voluntarily accepting the terms and conditions of our User Agreement and freely
accepting and agreeing to our processing of your personal information in ways set out by this Privacy
Policy. Supplying to us any information deemed "sensitive" by applicable law is entirely voluntary on
your part. You can withdraw or modify your consent to our collection and processing of the information
you provide at any time, in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy and the User Agreement, by
changing your account settings or your profile on Converge.today.
2.2.
Converge Communications
We
communicate with you using Converge notifications, email, and other ways available to us. We may send
you messages relating to the availability of the Services, security, or other service-related issues. We
also may send promotional notification messages to your Converge inbox.
We
communicate with you through email, notices posted on the Converge websites or apps, messages to your
Converge inbox, and other means available through the Services, including mobile text messages and push
notifications. Examples of these communications include: (1) welcome and engagement communications -
informing you about how to best use our Services, new features, updates about other Members you are
connected to and their actions, etc.; (2) service communications - these will cover service
availability, security, and other issues about the functioning of our Services; (3) promotional
communications - these include both email and notification messages (notification messages are only
delivered to your Converge inbox), and may contain promotional information directly or on behalf of our
partners. These messages will be sent to you based on your profile information. Please be aware that you
cannot opt out of receiving service messages from us.
2.3. User
Communications
With
certain communications you send on our Services, the recipient can see your name, email address, and
some network information.
Many
communications that you initiate through our Services (for example, an invitation sent to a non-Member)
will list your name and primary email address in the message.
Other
communications that you initiate through the Services, like a request for an introduction, will list
your name as the initiator but will not include your personal email address contact information. Once
you have connected with an individual, regardless of who sent the invitation, your contact information
will be shared with that individual.
2.4.
Service Development; Customised Experience
We use the
information and content you provide to us to conduct research and development and to customise your
experience and try to make it relevant and useful to you.
We use
information and content that you and other Members provide to us to conduct research and development for
the improvement of our Services in order to provide you and other Members and Visitors with a better,
more intuitive experience and drive membership growth and engagement on our Services and to help connect
professionals to economic opportunity.
We also
customise your experience and the experiences of others on our Services. We try to show you content,
such as news and presentations, that is relevant to you, your industry, or your profession. We also use
Members information and content for invitations and communications promoting our Services that are
tailored to the recipient.
2.5.
Sharing Information with Third Parties
Any
information you put on your profile and any content you post on Converge may be seen by
others.
We don't
provide any of your non-public information (like your email address) to third parties without your
consent, unless required by law, or as described in Sections 2.5 and 2.7 of this Policy.
Other
people may find your Converge profile information through search engines, or use services like Twitter
in conjunction with your Converge account.
We offer a
"public profile" feature that allows you as a Member to publish portions of your professional profile to
the public Internet. This public profile will be indexed and displayed through public search engines
when someone searches for your name.
The
visibility of your employees' profile is only visible to other Members and not visitors
We do not
rent or sell personal information that you have not posted on our Services, except as described in this
Privacy Policy. We will not disclose personal information that is not published to your profile or
generated through engagement with our other services, except to carry out your instructions (for
example, to process payment information) or unless we have your separate consent, unless we have a good
faith belief that disclosure is permitted by law or is reasonably necessary to: (1) comply with a legal
requirement or process, including, but not limited to, civil and criminal subpoenas, court orders or
other compulsory disclosures; (2) enforce this Privacy Policy or our User Agreement; (3) respond to
claims of a violation of the rights of third parties; (4) respond to Member service inquiries; or (5)
protect the rights, property, or safety of Converge, our Services, our Members, Visitors, or the public.
See Section 2.7 for additional details about our compliance with legal requests for
information.
2.6.
Testimonials and Advertisements Placed through Converge Ads
If you
provide any testimonials about our goods or services, we may post those testimonials and examples of
advertisements you place in connection with our promotion of these services to third parties.
Testimonials and advertisements may include your name and other personal information that you have
provided.
2.7.
Compliance with Legal Process and Other Disclosures
We may
disclose your personal information if compelled by law, subpoena, or other legal process, or if
necessary to enforce our User Agreement.
It is
possible that we may need to disclose personal information, profile information, or information about
your activities as a Member or Visitor when required by law, subpoena, or other legal process, whether
in the United States, Ireland, or other jurisdictions, or if we have a good faith belief that disclosure
is reasonably necessary to (1) investigate, prevent, or take action regarding suspected or actual
illegal activities or to assist government enforcement agencies; (2) enforce the User Agreement,
investigate and defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations, or protect the security
or integrity of our Service; or (3) exercise or protect the rights, property, or safety of Converge, our
Members, personnel, or others. We attempt to notify Members about legal demands for their personal
information when appropriate in our judgment, unless prohibited by law or court order or when the
request is an emergency. In light of our principles, we may dispute such demands when we believe, in our
discretion, that the requests are overbroad, vague or lack proper authority, but do not commit to
challenge every demand.
2.8.
Disclosures to Others as the Result of a Change in Control or Sale of Converge Corporation
If there is
a change in control or sale of all or part of Converge, we may share your information with a third
party, who will have the right to use that information in line with this Privacy Policy.
We may also
disclose your personal information to a third party as part of a sale of the assets of Converge Group
LTD, a subsidiary, or division, or as the result of a change in control of the company or one of its
affiliates, or in preparation for any of these events. Any third party to which we transfer or sell our
assets will have the right to continue to use the personal and other information that you provide to us
in the manner set out in this Privacy Policy.
2.9.
Service Providers
We may
employ third parties to help us with the Services
We may
employ third party companies and individuals to facilitate our Services (e.g. maintenance, analysis,
audit, marketing, and development). These third parties have limited access to your information only to
perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated to Converge not to disclose or use it for other
purposes.
3. Your
Choices & Obligations
3.1. Rights
to Access, Correct, or Delete Your Information, and Closing Your Account - the right to be
forgotten
You can
change your Converge information at any time by editing your profile, deleting content that you have
posted, or by closing your account. You can also ask us for additional information we may have about
your account. You have a right to (1) access, modify, correct, or delete your personal information
controlled by Converge regarding your profile, (2) change or remove your content, and (3) close your
account. You can request your personal information that is not viewable on your profile or readily
accessible to you (for example, your IP access logs) through Converge's Help Centre. If you close your
account, your information will generally be removed from the Service within 24 hours. We generally
delete closed account information and will de-personalise any logs or other backup information through
the deletion process within 30 days of account closure, except as noted below.
Please
note: Information you have shared with others (for example, through notifications, network updates,
content sharing) or that others have copied may also remain visible after you have closed your account
or deleted the information from your own profile. In addition, you may not be able to access, correct,
or eliminate any information about you that other Members copied or exported out of our Services,
because this information may not be in our control. Your public profile may be displayed in search
engine results until the search engine refreshes its cache.
3.2. Data
Retention
We keep
your information for as long as your account is active or as needed. For example, we may keep certain
information even after you close your account if it is necessary to comply with our legal obligations,
meet regulatory requirements, resolve disputes, prevent fraud and abuse, or enforce this
agreement.
We retain
the personal information you provide while your account is in existence or as needed to provide you
services. We may retain your personal information even after you have closed your account if retention
is reasonably necessary to comply with our legal obligations, meet regulatory requirements, resolve
disputes between Members, prevent fraud and abuse, or enforce this Privacy Policy and our
User Agreement. We may retain personal
information, for a limited period of time, if requested by law enforcement. Our Customer Service may
retain information for as long as is necessary to provide support-related reporting and trend analysis
only, but we generally delete or de-personalize closed account data consistent with Section
3.1.
4.
Important Information
4.1.
Minimum Age
You have to
meet Converge's minimum age requirements to create an account.
As
described in Section 2.1 of the User Agreement, persons must be of Minimum
Age to use Converge.
4.2.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We will
notify you when we change this Privacy Policy.
We may
change this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make significant changes in the way we treat your
personal information, or to the Privacy Policy, we will provide notice to you on the Services or by some
other means, such as email. Please review the changes carefully. If you agree to the changes, simply
continue to use our Services. If you object to any of the changes to our terms and you no longer wish to
use our Services, you may close your account. Unless stated otherwise, our current Privacy Policy
applies to all information that we have about you and your account. Using our Services after a notice of
changes has been communicated to you or published on our Services shall constitute consent to the
changed terms or practices.
4.3.
Security
We take
privacy and security seriously and have enabled HTTPS access to our site, in addition to existing SSL
access over mobile devices. Also, please know that the Internet is not a secure environment, so be
careful and select strong passwords.
We have
implemented security safeguards designed to protect the personal information that you provide in
accordance with industry standards. Access to your data on our Services is password-protected, and data
such as credit card information is protected by SSL encryption when it is exchanged between your web
browser and the Services. We also offer secure https access to the converge.today website. To protect
any data you store on our servers, we also regularly monitor our system for possible vulnerabilities and
attacks. However, since the Internet is not a 100% secure environment, we cannot ensure or warrant the
security of any information that you transmit to us. There is no guarantee that information may not be
accessed, disclosed, altered, or destroyed by breach of any of our physical, technical, or managerial
safeguards. It is your responsibility to protect the security of your login information. Please note
that emails, instant messaging, and similar means of communication with other Members are not encrypted,
and we strongly advise you not to communicate any confidential information through these means. Please
help keep your account safe by using a strong password.
5. How To
Contact Us
If you want
to send us notices or service of process, please contact us:
EMAIL at:
hello@converge.today
OR BY MAIL
at:
Converge
Group Ltd
22 Quay
Level,
St Peters
Wharf,
Newcastle
Upon Tyne,
NE6
1TZ