Did you know Spotlight PA is a nonprofit? Learn more about our nonpartisan journalism »
Skip to main content

For a limited time, all gifts in support of Spotlight PA's nonprofit, nonpartisan journalism will be DOUBLED.

Main content

Privacy Policy

Spotlight PA Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 27, 2023

Your privacy is important to us at Spotlight PA and its affiliates and subsidiaries (collectively “Spotlight PA,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), and we are committed to safeguarding, preserving, and respecting your privacy rights. This online privacy statement (the “Statement” or “Policy”) describes how we collect, use, disclose, and secure the personal information we gather about you through our website, https://www.spotlightpa.org/ (the “Site”), our applications and when you interact with us as a customer or otherwise (collectively, the “Services”).

For purposes of this Statement, personal information means data that classifies as personal information, personal data, personally identifiable information, or similar terms under applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations. It does not include data excluded or exempted from those laws and regulations, including aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified data. Nothing in this Statement will constitute an admission or evidence that any particular data privacy or information security law or regulation applies to Spotlight PA generally or in any specific context.

You should read this Statement carefully so that you understand our privacy practices. We recommend printing and retaining a copy for your future reference. By accessing, browsing, downloading, or otherwise using the Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed with this Statement. If you do not agree to this Statement, you may not use the Services.

This Statement applies regardless of how the Services are accessed and will cover any technologies or devices by which we make the Services available to you.

We may provide you with additional privacy notices where we believe it is appropriate to do so. It is important that you read this Statement together with any other privacy notice or terms we may provide on specific occasions, so that you are fully aware of how and why we are using your data.

Your use of our Services, and any dispute over privacy, is subject to this Policy and our Terms of Use incorporated by reference into this Policy.

If you have any questions or concerns about our personal information policies or practices, you can contact us in the methods described in the “Contact Us” section below.

2. What Types of Information Do We Collect?

We collect information you voluntarily provide directly to us, information that we collect automatically when you interact with the Services, and information collected from third parties. The categories of personal information that we collect and the purposes for which we collect that information are described below.

Categories of Personal Information We Collect

The following list describes the categories of personal information we collect.

  • Analytics Information. We collect certain analytics information automatically as you navigate our Services. This includes cookies, tracking pixels, tags or similar tools. For more information, please view the “How Do We Use “Cookies” and Other Tracking Technologies? section below.
  • Contact Information includes name, zip code, address, email address, and phone number. We collect this information when you provide it directly to us such as signing up for newsletters, donating to us, or otherwise filling out a form.
  • Device Information includes hardware model, screen size, language and other settings, memory capacity, plug-ins, internet service provider, internet domain, TCP configuration parameters, operating system, application version number, browser, names, versions and package IDs of software on your device, and IP addresses. We collect this information automatically as you navigate our Services.
  • Email Interaction Information includes IP address, location information, unique device identifier or characteristics, internet service provider, mobile carrier, mobile phone number, browser, and operating system, and cookies. We collect this information when you interact with our marketing emails such as by clicking on links in those emails. If you email us, we will collect your email address and any information contained in the email.
  • Geolocation Information includes information about your actual location, which may be determined from GPS and other sensors that may reveal information on or nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points, and cell towers. We collect this information automatically as you navigate our Services.
  • Interests and Preferences includes information you provide to us about why you are contributing to Spotlight PA. We collect this information when you provide it directly to us.
  • Payment Information includes name, address, phone number, debit or credit card information, and payment history. We use third parties to process your payments when you contribute to us, and we may store that information.
  • Responses to Surveys and Questionnaires includes any information you provide to us when you fill out voluntary news surveys such as an email address if you chose to provide it. We collect this information when you provide it directly to us, including when you respond to our surveys on third party websites.
  • Social Media Information includes information that you post by sharing on a blog or another social media platform. We collect this information when you provide it directly to us. Please note that your comments will be visible to the public, so you should never share personal information that you would like to keep private.

Other Ways We May Collect, Use, or Share the Information

We may also reserve the right to collect, use, or share personal information for the following purposes:

  • For legal purposes. We reserve the right to cooperate with local, provincial, state, federal, and international officials in any investigation requiring either personal information or reports about lawful of unlawful user activity on this Site. We also reserve the right to share your personal information to establish, exercise, or defend our legal and property rights, including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention. We may also share your personal information with any person who we reasonably believe may apply to a court or other competent authority for disclosure of that personal information where, in our reasonable opinion, such court or authority would be reasonably likely to order disclosure of that personal information.

    If we are ordered by a legal process or government to provide data about one or more individual users, we will notify those users of our compliance with that order, to the extent permitted by law.

  • Business transactions or mergers. We reserve the right to share your personal information to third parties as part of any potential business or asset sale, merger, acquisition, investment, round of funding, or similar type of transaction. Additionally, if we are entering into a corporate transaction with a third party, we may receive personal information in connection with the diligence. If we close a transaction, the third party may transfer personal information, which we would use as described in this Policy.

  • Bankruptcy or insolvency. In the event of bankruptcy, insolvency, or dissolution proceedings, we may share your personal information with third parties as part of the sale or reorganization process.

  • Information from our affiliates and partners. We may collect information from our partners and affiliates, subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other companies under common control. We may combine that information with other information we collect about you, but we will always use the information as described in this Policy. We may also share information with affiliates, subsidiaries, joint ventures, or other companies under common control.

3. How Do We Use “Cookies” and Other Tracking Technologies?

We may send one or more cookies to your computer or other device.  We may also use other similar technologies such as tracking pixels, tags, or similar tools when you visit our Services.  These technologies can collect data regarding your operating system, browser type, device type, screen resolution, IP address, and other technical information, as well as navigation events and session information as you interact with our Services.  This information allows us to understand how you use the Services.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small files created by websites, including our Services, that reside on your computer’s hard drive and that store information about your use of a particular website.  When you access our Services, we use cookies and other tracking technologies to:

  • Estimate our audience size and usage patterns;

  • Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Services according to your individual needs;

  • Contact you to provide you with information or services that you request from us;

  • Advertise new content, events, and services that relate to your interests;

  • Provide you with more personalized content that is most relevant to your interest areas; and

  • Recognize when you return to our Services.

We set some cookies ourselves and others are set by third parties.  You can manage your cookies preference as described in the “Managing Your Cookies” section below.

What Types of Cookies Do We Use and Why?

The following chart lists the different types of cookies that we and our service providers use on the Services, examples of who serves those cookies and links to the privacy notices and opt-out information of those cookie servers.

Types of Cookies

Purpose

Who Serves (for example)

Essential

These cookies are required for the operation of the Services and enable you to move around the Services and use its features.  Disabling these cookies can negatively impact the performance of Services.

Functionality

These cookies are used to recognize you when you return to the Services.  This enables us to personalize content for you and remember your preferences. These cookies also enable your interactions with the Services such as emailing us.

Analytics, Performance, and Research

These cookies, beacons, and pixels allow us to analyze activities on the Services.  They can be used to improve the functioning of the Services.  For example, these cookies recognize and count the number of visitors and see how they move around the Services.  Analytics cookies also help us measure the performance of our advertising campaigns to help us improve them and to optimize the content on the Services for those who engage with our advertising.

Advertising

These cookies and pixels are used to deliver relevant ads, track ad campaign performance, or track email marketing.

We do not use Facebook Pixel or disclose information to any third party that identifies a specific person as having viewed specific video materials.

How Long Do Cookies Stay on My Device?

Some cookies operate from the time you visit the Services until the end of that particular browsing session.  These cookies, which are called “session cookies,” expire and are automatically deleted when you close your Internet browser.

Some cookies will stay on your device between browsing sessions and will not expire or automatically delete when you close your Internet browser.  These cookies are called “persistent cookies” and the length of time they will remain on your device will vary from cookie to cookie. Persistent cookies are used for a number of purposes, such as storing your preferences so that they are available for your next visit and to keep a more accurate account of how often you visit the Services, how your use of the Services may change over time, and the effectiveness of advertising efforts.

Managing Your Cookies

It may be possible to block cookies by changing your Internet browser settings to refuse all or some cookies. If you choose to block all cookies (including essential cookies), you may not be able to access all or parts of the Services.

You can find out more about cookies and how to manage them by visiting www.AboutCookies.org.

Does the Site Respond to “Do Not Track” Signals?

There is currently no industry agreed-upon response to a Do Not Track signal.  At this time, our Site does not respond differently based on a user’s Do Not Track signal.

4. Advertising and Marketing Choice

We respect your rights in how your personal information is used and shared. If at any time you would like to unsubscribe from receiving future emails, you can email us at newsletters@spotlightpa.org or follow the instructions at the bottom of each email, and we will promptly remove you from marketing correspondence. Please note, however, that we may still need to contact you regarding other matters.

5. How Long Is Your Personal Information Kept

We will retain your personal information until the personal information is no longer necessary to accomplish the purpose for which it was provided. We may retain your personal information for longer periods for specific purposes to the extent that we are obliged to do so in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, to protect you, other people, and us from fraud, abuse, an unauthorized access, as necessary to protect our legal rights, or for certain business requirements.

We will delete your personal information when it is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, or upon your request, subject to exceptions as discussed in this Statement or under applicable law, contract, or regulation.

6. Our Commitment to Data Security

The security of your personal information is important to us. We take various reasonable organizational, administrative, and technical measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. If required by law to do so, we will notify you and/or the relevant supervisory authority in the event of a data breach.

However, we cannot and do not guarantee complete security, as it does not exist on the Internet.

Spotlight PA’s Services may contain links to third-party websites.  When we provide links, we do so only as a convenience and we are not responsible for any content of any third-party website or any links contained within. It is important to note that this Statement only applies to Spotlight PA’s Services.  We are not responsible and assume no responsibility for any personal information collected, stored, or used by any third party as a result of you visiting third-party websites.  We also advise that you carefully read the privacy notice of any third-party websites you choose to visit.

8. Children’s Privacy

Protecting the privacy of the very young is especially important.  Our Services are not intended for children under 13 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. In the event that we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 13 without verification or parental consent, we will immediately delete that information. If you believe that we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us using the information provided in the “Contact Us” section below.

9. Policy Changes

This Statement may change from time to time. If we need to change this Statement at some point in the future, we will post any changes on this page. If we make a significant or material change to this Statement we will notify you via email. You should check these terms when you use the Site. Your continued use of the Site constitutes acceptance of the most current version of this Statement.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us by email at webmaster@spotlightpa.org, via phone at 973-943-9130, or in writing at Spotlight PA, 228 Walnut St., #11728, Harrisburg, PA 17108-1728.