Privacy Policy
Who We Are
Our website address is: https://stap.org.
The Society of Turkish American Physicians (STAP) is the organization behind this website. You can contact us via the Contact Us page on our website or by email at [email protected]. Our physical or registered address and company registration number (if applicable) can be provided upon request. Please also check our terms of use information.
Information We Collect and Why We Collect It
We collect various types of personal data when you interact with our site, including:
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Personal Data: Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, city, educational history, and demographic details, collected when you join as a member, register for events, donate, or request services.
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Account Data: Username, password, and billing information when you create an account or make purchases.
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Transactional Data: Credit card details processed securely through third-party payment gateways (e.g., Stripe); only limited card info (last 4 digits and expiration date) is retained for reference and billing reminders.
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Technical Data: Cookies, IP addresses, browser information, device type, pages visited, and duration of visits collected via website analytics and plugins (e.g., Google Analytics).
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Sensitive Data: We do not intentionally collect sensitive data such as health information unless voluntarily provided (e.g., in contact forms).
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User-generated Data: Comments, media uploads, and contact form submissions.
We collect this data to:
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Manage your membership, process donations, registrations, and payments;
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Communicate with you regarding events, updates, and services;
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Improve and personalize our website and user experience;
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Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
We rely on your consent and/or legitimate interest as the legal basis for collecting and processing your data.
Comments
When visitors leave comments, we collect the data shown in the comment form, plus the visitor’s IP address and browser user agent string for spam detection. An anonymized hash of your email may be shared with the Gravatar service to display your profile picture. After approval, your comment and profile picture become publicly visible.
Media
If you upload images, please avoid including embedded location data (EXIF GPS), as uploaded images are publicly accessible and such data can be extracted by others.
Contact Forms
Personal data submitted through contact forms is retained for customer service purposes and is not used for marketing. We retain contact form submissions for up to six months unless otherwise requested.
Cookies
Our site uses cookies to improve your experience, including:
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Cookies to remember comment form information (lasting 1 year);
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Temporary cookies to check if your browser accepts cookies;
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Login cookies to keep you signed in (last 2 days to 2 weeks depending on “Remember Me” setting);
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Cookies to save screen display preferences (lasting 1 year);
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Cookies for plugin functionality and analytics.
You can disable cookies in your browser, but this may affect site functionality.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics to collect anonymized usage data to improve the website. Please see Google Analytics Privacy Policy for more details. You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking via browser add-ons.
Embedded Content from Other Websites
Content such as videos or images embedded from other sites behaves as if you visited those sites directly. These third-party sites may collect data, use cookies, and track your interactions.
Who We Share Your Data With
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third parties except:
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Service providers helping us run the site (e.g., payment processors, hosting providers, email services);
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As legally required by courts, law enforcement, or regulatory authorities;
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With your explicit consent.
All third parties are required to adhere to privacy standards consistent with ours. Links to their privacy policies will be provided when applicable.
How Long We Retain Your Data
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Comments and metadata are retained indefinitely to recognize follow-up comments automatically;
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Contact form data is kept for six months;
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Account data is retained as long as your account is active;
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Payment information (partial card data) is kept for billing and reference purposes;
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Analytics data is kept for up to one year.
You may request data deletion subject to legal or administrative constraints.
What Rights You Have Over Your Data
You have the right to:
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Access your personal data;
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Correct or update inaccurate data;
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Request deletion of your data (with exceptions for legal retention);
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Object to or restrict processing;
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Withdraw consent at any time;
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Request data portability.
To exercise these rights, please contact [email protected].
Where Your Data Is Sent
Your data may be stored or processed outside the European Union, including in the United States, on servers of our service providers such as web hosts, payment gateways, and analytics services. We ensure appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or certifications are in place to comply with EU data protection laws.
How We Protect Your Data
We use reasonable technical and organizational security measures, including encryption, secure server hosting, access controls, and staff training to protect your data. However, no system can guarantee 100% security
Third Parties We Receive Data From
We may receive data about you from third parties such as payment processors and anti-spam services (e.g., Akismet) to help manage spam and payments. The data collected depends on the service settings.
Automated Decision Making and Profiling
We do not engage in automated decision-making or profiling using your data.
Industry Regulatory Disclosure Requirements
Not applicable / STAP is not a regulated industry subject to additional privacy disclosures.
Contact Information
For any privacy-specific concerns, questions, or to exercise your data rights, please contact:
Information Technology Team
Email: [email protected]
Last Update: 5/25/2025