Gala 2024
Privacy Statement
General Principles
The US-China Business Council (referred to herein as “USCBC,” “we” or “us”), recognizes the importance of data privacy to our members, employees (including potential employees) and other individuals visiting our website or providing us with personal data in connection with our services (collectively referred to herein as “you”). This Privacy Statement describes our policy regarding the privacy of your personal data when visiting our website and social media platforms, reviewing content, subscribing to newsletters and content, applying as a member, submitting employment applications, and otherwise providing personal data to us at events, or in connection with service inquiries.
USCBC will collect, retain, use, store, process, transmit, share and handle your personal data based on the principles of necessity, legality and minimal impact and will take measures to protect the confidentiality of your personal data. USCBC expects all of our employees, consultants, advisers, and interns to comply with the above principles in processing your personal data.
When we collect your personal data, we will explicitly inform you of the purposes of the processing, type and scope of personal data to be processed, method of processing, your rights and procedures to exercise such rights, as well as our contact information.
If we intend to share or transfer your personal data to any other party, we will inform you and do so only after obtaining your consent in advance.
If there is a change to the purposes, method of processing or type or scope of personal data to be processed, we will inform you of such changes and seek your consent again.
We will not refuse to provide services or content if you refuse to provide your consent to the processing of your personal data or withdraw your consent unless such personal data is necessary for providing the services or content.
We will not publicize your personal data unless such data is already publicly available or we receive explicit and separate consent from you or a disclosure is compelled under applicable law.
What type of personal data do we collect?
The information that we learn from you helps us to continuously improve your experience with our website and services. Below are the types of personal data that we gather:
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Information that you provide to us.
- Website Browsing: When you browse our webpage, we will collect the following information: your IP address, browser type and version, time zone setting, browser plug-in types, geolocation information about where you might be, operating system and version.
- Contact and Account Registration Information: You might provide us with contact information and account registration data that you enter on our website, disclose by email or over the phone, or provide at events. This may include name, title, employer, email address, postal address and phone number.
- Becoming a Member: In order to become a member of USCBC, you will be asked to provide the following information: company name, business activities, company type, legal entity, industry, postal code, address, country of head office, phone number, contact person name and email. The above information you provide will be used during your membership period. When you cancel your membership, we will stop using and delete such information upon your request.
- Subscribing to Newsletters: In order to subscribe to newsletters, you will be asked to provide the following information: name, title, company, email, and location (city or locality, state or province, and country).
- Registering an Event: In order to register for an event, you will be asked to provide your name, email, title and company.
- Providing information through webforms: you will be asked to provide name, title, company, email and other relevant information through webforms.
- Customer Service Information: You may provide your personal data to us when you submit questions and other messages to us through customer service requests. This may include your name, email address, phone number, account log in information, title, employer and details on the issue you are reporting.
- Job Applicant Information. When you apply for a career through our website, dedicated email address or other platform, we collect the information required for such application and information that you voluntarily provide to us. This may include information such as job history, education, gender, disability information, veteran information, ethnic data, address, contact information, and citizenship.
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Automated Information.
- Cookies: We may use “cookies” and we obtain certain data when your web browser accesses our website.
- Email Interactions and analytics: Where permitted by law and if legally required you have given your express consent, we receive certain information about how you engage with our emails, such as email open and click rates, whether a link is clicked, the documents you view, the amount of time viewing an email or documentation attached to such email and which web pages are visited.
- Technical Information: We collect technical information associated with your activity on our website which may include information related to your browser and operating system, IP address and other information, such as your device type. For example, one way we use such information is for ensuring that our website operates correctly with your browser, computer, tablet, and/or smartphone.
- Website Usage Information: We may collect and analyze certain information about your usage of our website, in jurisdictions where this is permitted, to better understand user traffic patterns and website usage. Examples of the information we collect and analyze may include session information, including page load times, length of visits to certain pages, and page interaction information (e.g., scrolls, clicks, mouse-overs). In some cases, we may use software tools to measure and collect this information.
- Location Information: We use information about your country location to customize our website or services offered and features related thereto, in the jurisdictions that permit such use.
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Information from Others.
- In some cases, if you have consented or if it is necessary for the performance of a contract, we may obtain information about you from third parties, partners, and financial/credit services.
How to Opt-In and Opt-Out
You may have the right to opt-in to or opt-out of certain of our uses and disclosures of your personal data. For example, when you are asked to provide personal data on this website, you may have the opportunity to elect to, or not elect to, receive messages from us by e-mail. You may tell us that you do not want to receive our promotional messages or that you do not want to have your personal data shared with unaffiliated third parties by sending us your name, address, e-mail and phone number to: [email protected]. You can also opt-out of our promotional e-mails by clicking on the opt-out link within the e-mail you receive. Please understand that it may take us a few days to process any opt-out request and that even if you opt-out of receiving promotional correspondence from us, we may still contact you in connection with your relationship, activities, transactions and communications with us. Also, to stop receiving promotional messages from third parties who already have your contact information, please contact them directly.
How do we use the personal data that we receive?
We limit the use of the personal data that we collect from you. We might use your personal data in connection with the following legitimate business purposes and as otherwise described throughout this Privacy Statement:
- Enabling users to use our website and its features and improving the user experience on our websites, as permitted by applicable law;
- Providing services to you, which include:
- Using your personal data to grant you access to your account;
- Providing you with exclusive content available only to our members or subscribers;
- Registering you for our events. We use this information to confirm your registration, send you event confirmations and notifications, agendas, and any other relevant updates or materials related to the events you have signed up for; and
- Delivering and managing IT services that are essential for your interaction with our platform. This includes troubleshooting, maintenance, security updates, and ensuring the smooth operation of our digital services.
- Complying with certain legal proceedings or regulatory obligations applicable to our business. We store and use personal data that enables us to effectively defend ourselves in the event of a possible legal dispute, to the extent permitted by applicable law. In certain limited situations, we may also use your personal data to protect the health and safety of our employees, members and other partners;
- We may use the data for purposes of sending marketing materials to you regarding our content and services and to further communicate with you. In certain jurisdictions we need your consent to send marketing materials. You may opt-out of receiving such notices from us by following the instructions in the Opt-In and Opt-Out section above; and
- For account and network security purposes. We store and process your information about your use of our website for purposes of misuse detection and tracking.
- For processing your job application. When you apply for a position at USCBC, we use the personal data which you provide for the purpose of assessing your application, considering you for future positions, analyzing trends, and monitoring recruitment statistics.
How and why do we use Cookies?
A “cookie” is a small data file that our site transfers to your device through your web browser that enables the site systems to recognize your browser and subsequently capture and remember certain information. We use both session cookies, which are erased upon closing your web browser, and persistent cookies, which may be stored for a certain period. By using our website, you consent to our use of cookies as described above. We do not respond to “do not track” signals.
How do we share your personal data?
We may in some cases have a need to share your personal data in connection with our business operations. We do not sell personal data. Below are the categories of third parties that we may share your personal data with.
- Our Affiliates and Employees: We may share personal data with employees who have a need to know that personal data in connection with fulfilling our legitimate business purposes, as specified in this Privacy Statement. Further, we may share your personal data with our affiliates for business purposes. These entities are all bound to comply with the terms of this Privacy Statement with regard to their use of your personal data.
- Third Party Service Providers and Channel Partners: We may provide personal data to third parties that are bound by our instructions, obligations consistent with this Privacy Statement and are performing services on our behalf in connection with our business operations, unless you ask us not to by following the instructions in the Opt-In and Opt-Out section above. We do not permit our service providers or channel partners to use that personal data except as required to provide services requested by USCBC. Such services may include analysis on website usage, trends and traffic, hosting and IT storage services in which we might store submitted contact information, marketing vendors that help us to provide you with promotional offers, newsletters and event
- Corporate Transactions: We may share your personal data while negotiating or in relation to a change of corporate controls such as a restructuring, merger, acquisition, divestiture, or other sale of our assets.
- Legal Disclosures: We may disclose personal data where we believe it is required to comply with applicable law or to protect you and other users. For example, this may include exchanging information with companies and government agencies for fraud protection, credit risk reduction, or compliance with sanctions. We may also disclose your personal data to respond to requests if we are involved in a legal proceeding.
- With your Consent: We also may share or disclose your personal data with your consent or at your direction. By using our website, registering accounts, becoming members, applying for jobs, registering events, subscribing to content, or otherwise interacting with USCBC, you are voluntarily and explicitly granting USCBC consent to process your personal data for the purposes described in this Privacy Statement.
How are we securing your personal data?
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data integrity and ensure that your personal data is used only in connection with legitimate purposes, we have established certain technical, management and operational security controls to safeguard and secure the personal data that we process. We also take steps to safeguard information according to established industry practices and periodically evaluate our current practices against new technologies for methods of protecting information. Some of the specific technical and administrative safeguards that we employ include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Personal data that is transmitted to us via our website is stored behind our secure firewalls, which we maintain and update regularly;
- We provide access to systems containing personal data on a “need-to-know” basis and only after appropriate authorizations are obtained to ensure that the individual requires access in connection with his or her role;
- We deploy technologies that scan for potential viruses and malware for inbound and outbound communications to avoid unauthorized access to our networks and databases;
- We evaluate our external vendors from a security perspective and require certain technical thresholds be maintained to the extent that such vendors will have access to or otherwise manage a system or network containing personal data; and
- We provide privacy training to individuals within different facets of our organization that access or use personal data in connection with their role.
Cross-border Data Transfers
For personal data collected within the mainland territory of China, we will primarily store and process such data within the mainland territory of China. However, for legitimate business purposes as provided in this Privacy Statement, we may transfer personal data to USCBC-affiliated entities, service providers or business partners outside of mainland China. You acknowledge that you are informed of the purposes, methods of processing and types of personal data to be transferred, contact information of the overseas transfer, and procedures for you to exercise your rights and you hereby consent to such outbound data transfer. We will comply with the principles of necessity, legitimacy and minimal impact on your interests when we engage in outbound data transfer activities. We will take adequate security measures to protect your personal data during all phases of the outbound data transfer activities.
What choices and rights do you have regarding your personal data?
For personal data provided to or shared with USCBC, you have the right to review, make corrections or supplements, and request photocopies or deletion thereof. You also have the right to request that we cease to collect, use, process or transmit your personal data. If we change the purposes, the methods of processing or types or scope of personal data to be processed, you will have the right to be informed and decide whether to consent to such changes. We fully respect and protect your rights. We will respond to your requests relating to personal data within thirty (30) days after we receive such requests. If you receive such a request, please immediately submit it to [email protected].
We may reject a request under the following circumstances pursuant to applicable law:
- The requested data is directly related to our fulfillment of legal and regulatory obligations;
- The requested information is directly related to national security or national defense;
- The requested information is directly related to public safety, public health or public interest;
- The requested information is directly related to criminal investigation, prosecution, trial and enforcement of sentences, etc.;
- We have reasonable evidence to believe that such request involves abuse of rights;
- Responding to the request will damage the legitimate rights and interests of you or other individuals, entities or organizations;
- For the protection of life, property and other major legal rights and interests of you or other natural persons where your consent is difficult to obtain; or
- The requested information involves commercial secrets.
Children’s Privacy
We do not provide services for children. Our website is intended only to provide services and information related thereto for adults over the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
Data Retention
We will retain your personal data for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Statement and for as long as is legally required, in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.
We may also retain personal data as needed to resolve disputes or protect our legal rights.
Consistent with the foregoing guidance, some data may be retained indefinitely to the extent permitted under applicable law.
Links to Third Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. Those websites may have privacy policies that differ from ours. We are not responsible for those websites, and we recommend that you review their policies. Please contact those websites directly if you have any questions about their privacy policies.
Changes to this Privacy Statement
We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time as our practices change and privacy law evolves. You will know if this Privacy Statement has changed since the last time you reviewed it by checking the “Effective Date” included at the end of the document. If we make a material change to this Privacy Statement, you will be provided with appropriate notice in accordance with legal requirements. By continuing to use our website, you are confirming that you have read, understood and agree to the latest version of this Privacy Statement.
Personal Data Protection Impact Assessments
We will conduct Personal Data Protection Impact Assessments pursuant to applicable law. We may conduct such assessments under the following circumstances:
- When we process sensitive personal data;
- When we entrust others to process personal data, provide personal data to others or publicize personal data;
- When we transfer personal data overseas; and
- Other circumstances where Personal Data Protection Impact Assessment is required under applicable law.
We will keep records of Personal Data Protection Impact Assessment Reports and relevant actions taken for at least three years.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, comments, requests or concerns about this Privacy Statement or other privacy-related matters, you may contact us in the following ways:
Online: [email protected]
Address: 1818 N St NW # 200, Washington, DC 20036
Attention: Communications & Publications Department
The Effective Date of this Privacy Statement is November 7, 2024.
