Privacy policy
Last Modified: 9/27/2022
The Association of Businesses Advocating Tariff Equity (“ABATE,” “we”, “us”, or “our”) value their members, their information, their privacy, and their trust. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”) applies to information collected from users and visitors of the ABATE website, abate-energy.org (the “Site”), and explains how we collect, use, and protect that information. This Policy applies to ABATE’s collection, use, processing, storage, and transfer of information associated with ABATE’s Site. For the purposes of this Policy, unless otherwise noted, all references to the Site, includes ABATE’s online member portal, mobile applications, submissions solicited through the Site, and other electronic messages between you and the Site.
Throughout this Policy, we refer to the term “Personal Information.” “Personal Information” means data which identifies, describes, is associated with, or could be linked to an individual, such as a name, birthdate, postal address, email address, telephone number, driver’s license number, Social Security Number or other government-issued identification number, credit card number, or other unique identifiers.
Personal Information does not include anonymous or aggregated data that can no longer be used to identify a specific person, even if combined with other data. Also, we may collect information related to businesses, companies, institutions, or other entities rather than individuals (“Business Information”). We do not consider Business Information, such as title, employer’s name, work email, work phone number, work address, and other similar business information, to be Personal Information.
Information we Collect
We collect information about you in two ways: 1) directly from you; and 2) indirectly from you via your use of the Site.
Information Collected Directly From You
When you contact us using our Site or submit forms from the Site at the time of registration or subscribing to our services, post material, or request additional information, we will collect certain Personal Information about you such as your first and last name, postal address, email address, and phone number, and any other information you directly submit through the Site so that we may post your content, address your concerns, adequately respond to your inquiry or offer services to you.
Information Collected Indirectly from You
When you visit our Site, we may collect information about your visit and maintain that information in our web server logs, which are records of the activities on our Site. The servers automatically capture and store the information electronically. Examples of the information we may collect include: Internet Protocol (IP) address; browser type and language; Internet Service Provider (ISP), referring and exit websites and applications; websites viewed while on the Site; operating system; date/time stamp of activity; clickstream data; whether you are a first-time or a returning user; links you clicked on while in the Site; and your flow and navigation path through the Site. We use this information in a deidentified and aggregated fashion to help us administer the site, analyze its usage, protect the website and its content from inappropriate use, and improve your Site experience.
Cookies
We use technologies, such as “cookies,” so we can remember certain information about you, remember your preferences, or recognize you when you return to the Site. Cookies also help us compile aggregate data about Site traffic and Site interaction so that we can improve our Site and protect our Site from fraud.
A cookie is a text file that is stored on your computer. As text files, cookies cannot read information on your hard drive, run programs, or deliver viruses to your computer.
Most browsers are set to accept cookies automatically. You can set your browser to decline all cookies automatically or to prompt you for a response each time a cookie is offered. If you decline cookies, you may find that you cannot access all our Site’s features.
Website Analytics
We use third-party website analytics software from third-party providers [e.g., Squarespace] in connection with our Site to gather data such as age, gender, and interests to provide advertising targeted to suit your interests and preferences.
This analytics software helps us target our online ads based on information collected directly from you or by automated means, like cookies. These companies also use automated technologies to collect information when you click on our ads, which helps track and manage the effectiveness of our marketing efforts.
ABATE utilizes analytics software provided by Squarespace. Squarespace collects information associated with the Site (like information about your browser, network, and device, web pages visited before and during your view of the Site, and your IP address) that is not used to identify a user. This information helps us better understand how visitors use our Site, detect and defend against fraud and other security risks, and present advertisements, products, and/or services of interest to you.
Children’s Information
Our Site is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under the age of 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with Personal Information without your consent, please contact us by using the information in the “Questions and Contact Information” section, below, and we will take steps to remove such Personal Information from our systems.
Use of Personal Information
We only use your Personal Information for the original purposes it was given and to further our legitimate interests, such as to enroll members in our organization, provide information about our organization and services, and to communicate with Site visitors. Personal Information is used also to provide you with a more enjoyable, convenient online experience. We may use your Personal Information to send you requested information, to personalize content for you, to compile, analyze, and better understand user data, demographics and behavior, and to detect, investigate, and prevent activities that may violate our policies or be illegal. We may also use your Personal Information to communicate with you about events and services we believe you might find of interest and to administer marketing materials and surveys in which you might participate.
We also use the information automatically collected about you during your use of the Site, as described above, to improve the effectiveness of our website, operations, mobile experience, or marketing efforts, to prevent against fraud and theft, and otherwise to protect our Site’s visitors and our organization.
Our employees and agents may view your Personal Information to perform their jobs and address your needs. We authorize their access to your Personal Information on a need-to-know basis to provide you with information or services, or for one of the other reasons listed in this section, and always in connection with a contractual obligation to protect the privacy of that information.
We may also use information you provide to us to communicate with you in the future. If you do not wish to receive such communications, you may opt out (unsubscribe) as described below in the “Access and Consent to Use of Your Personal Information” and “Questions and Contact Information” section.
Disclosure of Your Information
We will not sell, rent, or lease any information we collect from you to others. We will not make your Personal Information available to any unaffiliated parties, except as follows:
To employees, contractors, agents, website vendors, and/or contractors who may use it on our behalf or in connection with their relationship with us;
To our affiliates, service providers, and third-parties [e.g., Squarespace] for marketing purposes, building targeted ad campaigns, and providing you information about us or our services.
To others, including law enforcement, if we believe such release is reasonably necessary to comply with law or legal process; enforce or apply the applicable ABATE Terms of Use, if reasonably necessary to protect our operations, members, or users; detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues; protect the rights, property, or safety of others; in a matter of public safety or Policy; or as needed in connection with the transfer of our assets. In the event of an insolvency, bankruptcy, or receivership, your Personal Information may also be transferred as a business asset.
In addition, we may share aggregate, non-individual information, incapable of identifying a person, with third parties for lawful purposes. We will not disclose any of your Personal Information except when we have your permission or under special circumstances, such as when we believe in good faith that the law requires it or under circumstances described in this Policy.
Access and Consent to Use of Your Personal Information
If you believe that the Personal Information that we have collected about you is incomplete, inaccurate, or not up to date, or if you would like to review and/or request changes or deletion of that information, please see the contact information in the “Questions and Contact Information” section.
If you do not consent or want to withdraw your consent for us to collect, use, or disclose your Personal Information as described in this Policy, please use the contact information provided in the “Questions and Contact Information” section. In your request, please identify the Personal Information at issue and the collection, use, or disclosure you wish to stop.
Denying or withdrawing consent may not allow us to provide you with some or all the products, services, or information you request.
You may opt-out of receiving emails from ABATE by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any email you receive from us or emailing us at rwilliamson@clarkhill.com.
If you opt-out from receiving emails or text messages, we may still need to send you communications about your account, membership, and other matters.
Security of your Personal Information
We are committed to protecting the information we receive from you. We take appropriate security measures to protect your information against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of data. While no computer system is completely secure, we believe the measures we have implemented reduce the likelihood of security problems to a level appropriate to the type of data involved.
Retention and Accuracy of Personal Information
We do our best to ensure that the Personal Information we hold, and use is accurate. We rely on the individuals we do business with to disclose to us all relevant information and to inform us of any changes. Personal Information is kept only for so long as is required, in accordance with our records retention policy and legal and regulatory requirements. If Personal Information is no longer required, we destroy it or render it anonymous. In any event, all Personal Information collected by us will be deleted within 24 months of your having last interacted with us or the Site.
Changes to the Policy
From time to time, we may change this Policy and will notify you of material changes by posting the changed or modified Policy on our Site. Any changes will be effective immediately upon the posting of the revised Policy unless otherwise specified.
Questions and Contact Information
If you have any questions, wish to access, correct, or amend your Personal Information or unsubscribe, want to register a complaint or simply want more information, you may contact us at: