Privacy Policy
Smiles for Life Privacy Policy
Smiles for Life (SFL) respects the privacy of its users and other visitors to its Web site. SFL strongly believes that if electronic commerce and on-line activities are to flourish, consumers must be assured that information provided on-line is used responsibly and appropriately. To protect online privacy, SFL has implemented the following policy based on the privacy policy of our sponsoring organization, the Society of Teachers of Family Medicine (STFM). To read the STFM privacy policy you can visit: http://www.stfm.org/About/ContactUs/PrivacyPolicy
The SFL Site contains links to other websites. Once you enter a Web site of a third party (whether through a hypertext link or other method), be aware that SFL is not responsible for the privacy practices of such Web site. We encourage you to look for and review the privacy policies of each and every Web site that you visit through a link on SFL.
What Information Does SFL Collect?
Most data SFL collects is used to help SFL better serve the curriculum users, provide information to the funders regarding curriculum utilization, and provide continuing education (CE) crediting organizations proof of user CE credit. It is our general policy to collect and store only personal information that our users and visitors knowingly provide.
General Users
SFL does not collect any personal information from users browsing our Web site. Users to the public areas of SFL Web site browse anonymously. Only aggregate data such as the number of hits per page are collected. Aggregate data are only used for internal and marketing purposes and do not provide any personally identifying information.
SFL uses Google Analytics to store the aggregate data (hits, visits, page views, etc) developed when people visit the SFL Web site. To find out more about Google Analytics and to read their privacy policy you can visit: http://www.google.com/analytics/
If a user has logged into a password protected area of the SFL Web site, the user's name and password are recorded. In the course of using SFL Web site, the user may be asked to provide personal information to obtain continuing education credit or download teaching materials. In addition, the user may be asked to update their contact information.
All information provided by users when completing a registration page on the SLF Web site is stored in our database. We may use this information in the future to market SFL products or seek user feedback on the curriculum.
How does SFL use data collected?
SFL uses the data it collects from its Web site to better serve users and visitors to the SFL Web site. SFL uses information submitted on the SFL Web site by members and other customers in the following ways:
SFL services and products
SFL uses data collected to improve its Web content, to respond to visitor needs and preferences, and to develop new products and services.
Disclosure to third parties
SFL makes user contact information available to the information technology company who maintains the curriculum and database (MKP Creative web design and development Co.), to the research company who performs the curriculum user analytics, and to continuing education accrediting organizations if proof is required to grant continuing education credit.
Disclosure required by law or emergency circumstances: SFL may release personal information to third parties in order to comply with valid legal requirements such as a law, regulation, search warrant, subpoena, or court order. In the event that the SFL is legally required to disclose your personal information to a third party, SFL will notify you unless doing so would violate the law or court order.
How does the SFL use cookies?
Cookies are a technology used by SFL to identify a user as the user moves through the SFL Web site. The user's browser allows SFL to place some information on the user's hard drive that identifies the computer utilized. Two types of cookies are commonly used. A session cookie is a temporary file stored in memory on the user's computer drive whenever a Web site is accessed and is terminated by closing the browser. A persistent cookie is a file stored on the user's hard drive that may be deleted manually by the user or expired by the Web server.
SFL may use session cookies on some public areas of its Web sites to provide greater functionality. SFL may use persistent cookies in the password protected areas of SFL Web site. These persistent cookies may be used to personalize a member's visit, to offer greater functionality, and to track visitor practices. The information generated from these cookies is used to help determine which services are most important and guide editorial decisions.
Users who may not desire the functionality offered by the cookie have the option to disable the cookie either by indicating that they do not wish to have the cookie created or by disabling the cookie function in their browser. A member must have cookies enabled to access the password protected sections of the SFL Web sites.
Changes to this privacy policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed about our practices. Your continued use of the SFL Web site constitutes your agreement to this Privacy Policy and any updates.