Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

The American Association of Information Technology Professionals ("AAITP", "we", "us", "our") is a nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the State of Arizona, operating under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, with its principal office at 2952 E Salt Sage Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85048, United States.

AAITP is the controller of the personal information described in this policy.

For any question about privacy or your personal information, contact support@aaitp.org.

2. What this policy covers

This policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, who we share it with, and what rights you have. It applies to aaitp.org, to membership of AAITP, and to communications between you and us.

3. Information we collect

Information you give us when you apply for membership:

• your name
• your email address
• the membership grade you are applying for
• your organization and job title
• your highest qualification
• a description of your achievements

Information you give us when you contact us: your name, email address, and the content of your message.

Information you give us if you publish with us: your name, biographical details, and the material you submit.

Information we hold about members: your membership grade, the date it was granted, its current status, and records of activities you report to us.

Information collected automatically when you visit the site: IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, referring page, and the date and time of your visit. This is collected in our server logs. We do not use analytics or website tracking services.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive categories of personal information — such as health data, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or political opinions — and you should not include them in your application.

4. How we use your information, and our legal basis

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with anyone for their own marketing purposes.

5. If you applied to AAITP before this policy took effect

AAITP has historically received membership applications through its website. We hold the information those applicants provided, and we are consolidating those records into a single member register.

If you are in that group:

• we hold only the information you originally submitted;
• we will contact you once to confirm whether you wish to remain on the register;
• if you do not confirm, we will mark your record inactive and delete it in line with section 8;
• you can ask us to delete your record at any time by emailing support@aaitp.org.

We will not add you to any newsletter or announcement list on the basis of a historic application. That requires your consent.

6. Public listing

We do not publish a member or Fellow directory. Your membership record is not publicly visible on this website.

If we introduce a directory in future, we will update this policy and ask for your agreement before listing you. We will not publish your details on the basis of an application you have already submitted.

7. Who we share information with

We share personal information only with service providers who process it on our behalf, under contract, and only as needed to provide their service:

• Website hosting and database — our website and member register are hosted with Replit, Inc., a United States company, with data stored in North America
• Email — our support@aaitp.org mailbox is provided through Hostinger and accessed using Zoho Mail. We also operate a Google-hosted mailbox for general correspondence
• Analytics — we do not use any analytics or website tracking service

We may also disclose information where we are required to by law, or where necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

We do not transfer member information to any other organization for its own purposes.

8. How long we keep it

• Applications that are granted — for as long as you remain a member, and for seven years afterwards, so that we can verify past membership and answer questions about recognition we have conferred.
• Applications that are declined or withdrawn — for two years.
• Historic applications not confirmed under section 5 — for twelve months from the date we contact you, then deleted.
• Enquiries through our contact form — for two years.
• Server logs — for twelve months.

We may keep records longer where we are required to by law or where they are needed for an unresolved dispute.

9. International transfers

AAITP is based in the United States, and our service providers may store or process information in the United States and elsewhere. If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or another region with data transfer restrictions, your information will be transferred outside that region.

Where we do so, we rely on appropriate safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses with our service providers.

10. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• access the personal information we hold about you
• correct information that is inaccurate or incomplete
• delete your information
• restrict or object to how we use it
• receive a copy of information you gave us, in a portable format
• withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent
• complain to a data protection authority

To exercise any of these, email support@aaitp.org. We will respond within one month. We may need to verify your identity first.

If you are in the EEA or UK, you may lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority.

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the CCPA to know what personal information we collect, to request its deletion, to correct it, and not to be discriminated against for exercising those rights. AAITP does not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

Deleting your record will end your membership, and any recognition conferred will lapse.

11. Cookies and analytics

We use only cookies that are strictly necessary for the website to function, such as keeping you signed in to your member account. We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or third-party analytics.

Because we set no non-essential cookies, we do not display a cookie consent banner.

You can block or delete cookies through your browser settings, though parts of the site may not work correctly if you do.

If we introduce analytics in future, we will update this policy and, where required, seek your consent before setting any non-essential cookie.

12. Embedded content

Some pages embed video hosted on YouTube. When you view a page containing embedded video, YouTube may set cookies and collect information about your visit, in accordance with Google's privacy policy. This happens under Google's control, not ours.

13. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect personal information, including access controls that restrict member data to authorized officers, encrypted connections, and regular backups.

No system is completely secure. If a breach occurs that is likely to affect your rights, we will notify you and the relevant authority as required by law.

14. Children

This website and AAITP membership are not directed at children. Membership is open only to those aged 18 or over, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact support@aaitp.org and we will delete it.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. The effective date above shows when it last changed. Where changes are material, we will notify members by email or by prominent notice on this website.

16. Contact

Email: support@aaitp.org

Post: American Association of Information Technology Professionals, 2952 E Salt Sage Drive, Phoenix, AZ 85048, United States