Privacy Policy

This FIRST Robotics Canada Privacy Policy describes how  FIRST Robotics Canada (“firstroboticscanada.org,” “our,” “we,” “us,”) collects and processes personal data that users (“user,” “your,” or “you”) provide to us at any of our websites where this Policy is posted (the “Sites”).

Treatment of Data for Minor Youth

  • Youth under the age of 13 are not permitted to create accounts or provide personal data on our Sites.
  • If we learn that we have personal data obtained directly from a child under 13, we will delete that data as soon as possible.
  1. Agreement to the Policy

    By accessing or using any of our Sites, you agree to be bound by all of the Sites’ terms and conditions, including this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to any of the Sites’ terms and conditions or this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use any of our Sites to avoid inadvertent data collection.  In the event you believe data was collected without your consent, please see article 15 for instructions on how to contact us.

  2. What personal data does FIRST Robotics Canada Collect:
    In the instances and for the reasons outlined in section 4, FIRST Robotics Canada collects the following personal data categories: Name, email address, Internet Protocol (“IP”) address, phone number, mailing address gender and age  

  3. How does FIRST Robotics Canada collect the data:
    We collect data when you provide it to us directly or indirectly through a third party and by “cookies” (as described in section 8, below). You may provide certain data to us when you: (a) register for any FIRST Robotics Canada program or event; (b) apply for, or be nominated for, awards; (c) subscribe to our newsletter; (d) send e-mail messages; (e) submit forms; (f) transmit information by telephone or letter; (g) order products; (h) submit your credit card or other payment information; (i) access certain forms or request information on our Sites; (j) visit other points on the Sites that state that such information is being collected; (k) attend a FIRST Robotics Canada event or a FIRST Robotics Canada Program Delivery Partner activity; (l) apply for a grant through a third party vendor; (m) register for badging and housing for a FIRST Robotics Canada official event or through a third party vendor; (n) complete a FIRST Robotics Canada Consent and Release form; and/or (o) complete a survey or evaluation;

    When you engage in certain activities on any of our Sites, we may ask you to provide data by filling out and submitting an online form. Depending upon the activity, some of the data may be mandatory and some may be voluntary.  If you do not provide the mandatory data with respect to a particular activity, you may not be able to engage in that activity.

  4. How does FIRST Robotics Canada use the data:
    By entering personal data into FIRST Robotics Canada Sites or providing it to FIRST Robotics Canada (directly or indirectly through third parties), you agree to allow FIRST Robotics Canada o collect and use the data for the following purposes:

  1. To manage events: We use personal data to identify your region for participation, event registration,, and general event management.
  2. To process and administer awards:  FIRST Robotics Canada may use your personal data to process and manage awards associated with events.
  3. To communicate with you as a participant in  FIRST Robotics Canada programs: FIRST Robotics Canada uses personal data to communicate with you about FIRST Robotics Canada program information and related opportunities.
  4. To process transactions:  FIRST Robotics Canada uses personal data to engage in interactions with you, including communicating with you about your registration status, newsletter subscriptions, event information and registration fees.
  5. To provide support or other services: FIRST Robotics Canada uses personal data to provide you with support or other services that you have requested.  We may use your data to respond directly to your requests for information, including registering for newsletters, registering for training or webinars and other specific requests.
  6. To improve our programs, products and services: FIRST Robotics Canada uses data to evaluate and improve our products, understand who we are serving, assess impact, report aggregate/de-identified data, monitor growth, improve the delivery of FTCSIM.ORG, improve our marketing and promotional efforts, improve our product and service offerings, customize and improve our Sites’ content, layout, and services, diagnose problems with our servers, software, and administer our Sites. FIRST Robotics Canada sometimes uses third parties to help implement, manage and evaluate programs and efforts and may share personal data with those third parties only for the purposes outlined in this Policy.
  7. To improve quality and facilitate use of our Sites. FIRST Robotics Canada may use your personal data, including the information gathered as a result of site navigation and electronic protocols and cookies, to help create and personalize website content, improve website quality, track marketing campaign responsiveness, evaluate page response rates, conduct usability testing, and facilitate your use of our Sites (for example, to facilitate navigation and the login process, enhance security, and preserve information between sessions).
  1. How long does FIRST Robotics Canada retain data:
    FIRST Robotics Canada will retain your data for as long as needed or permitted to fulfill the purposes and uses described in this Policy. When we no longer need your data, and there is no need to keep it to comply with our legal obligations or protect our legal rights, we will either delete it from our systems or depersonalize it so we can’t identify you.
    If you wish to understand how to request your personal data be deleted, please refer to article 12 for more information.

  2. How does FIRST Robotics Canada share data:

    FIRST Robotics Canada does not rent or sell data to others. We may share personal data with third-party service providers and vendors to handle communications, implement, manage, evaluate FIRST Robotics Canada services, or complete transactions you request.  

  3. Except as otherwise provided in this Privacy Policy, FIRST Robotics Canada will keep your personal data private and will not share it with third parties unless such disclosure is necessary to (a) comply with the law or legal process served on us; (b) provide you the products, services and/or information that you may have requested; (c) protect our rights or property; (d) enforce our rights; (e) protect the interests of users of the Site or any other person; (f) operate or conduct maintenance and repair of our equipment; (g) detect, prevent and/or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, as authorized by law; and/or (h) otherwise comply with applicable laws.

  4.  How does FIRST Robotics Canada protect information:

    FIRST Robotics Canada uses technical and organizational measures to protect data including, but not limited to: conducting third-party security audits, firewalls, maintaining security patches on external systems, a log auditing system to identify breaches, and ensuring that all web connections are over HTTPS.  Access to personal data is available through your user identification and password selected by you. This password is encrypted. We recommend that you do not divulge your password to anyone and no one at FIRST Robotics Canada or who represents FIRST Robotics Canada will ever ask for your password. In addition, your personal data resides on a secure server to which only select FIRST Robotics Canada personnel have secure access.

  5. Cookies:

    When you use any of our Sites, we may store cookies on your computer to facilitate and customize the experience. A cookie is a small data text file that a website stores on your computer’s hard drive (if your Web browser permits) that can later be retrieved to identify you to us.

    Our cookies store randomly assigned user identification numbers and your log-in name to welcome you back to a Site. Our cookies: (a) make your use of our Sites easier; (b) make our Sites run more smoothly; (c) track authenticated users visiting our Sites, and (d) help us to maintain secure Sites.

    You may prevent cookies, but some parts of our Sites may not work correctly as a result. You can use your browser setting to delete our cookies from your system at any time. We may use a third party to display information on our Sites. As part of the third-party service, they may place a separate cookie on your computer.

  6. Privacy Policies of Third-Party Sites:
    We may maintain links to other websites on our Sites. Links to alliances and sponsoring organizations are examples of these links. This Privacy Policy only applies to communications@firstroboticscanada.org.  Other sites accessible through our Site have their own privacy policies and data collection use and disclosure practices.  Please consult each site’s privacy policy.

  7. How you can rectify incorrect information:
    You have the ability to access and edit the personal data you provide to us. Data may be changed by logging into your FIRST Robotics Canada user’s account or by requesting a change in writing.  Requests in writing should be sent to communications@firstroboticscanada.org

    Please include your name, address, e-mail address, and/or phone number when you contact us regarding an update or correction to data.  We reserve the right to confirm your identity before updating or correcting personal data.  We encourage you to promptly update your personal data if it ever changes.

  8. How you can object to certain uses of your data:

    From time to time, we may use your name or email to send you information regarding our programs, services and related opportunities, as outlined in section 4.

    If you do not wish to receive email from FIRST Robotics Canada, you may “opt-out” of receiving these communications by exercising your right to “opt-out” by using the unsubscribe feature in the email or sending us an e-mail at communications@firstroboticscanada.org
    You also have choices concerning cookies, as described in Section 8. By modifying your browser preferences, you generally have the choice to accept all cookies, to be notified when a cookie is set, or to reject all cookies. If you choose to reject all cookies, some parts of our Sites may not work correctly.

  9. How you can exercise your right to be forgotten:

    You may request that your personal data at FIRST Robotics Canada be deleted by emailing communications@firstroboticscanada.org  You will need to complete a request form and provide certain pieces of information so that we can confirm your identity at the time of your request.  We reserve the right to confirm your identity before taking any action to delete your data.  FIRST Robotics Canada will assess each request to be forgotten on a case-by-case basis to determine the extent to which data can be deleted.  FIRST Robotics Canada will comply with all requests to be forgotten except where FIRST Robotics Canada has a legal obligation to retain your data.

  10. Changes to this Privacy Policy:
    We reserve the right to change this Privacy Policy at any time.  Such changes, modifications, additions, or deletions shall be effective immediately upon notice thereof, which may be given by means including, but not limited to, posting the revised Privacy Policy at any of our Sites. You acknowledge and agree that it is your responsibility to review the Site you are using and this Policy periodically and to be aware of any modifications.  Your continued use of a Site after any such modifications will constitute your; (a) acknowledgment of any modified Policy; and (b) agreement to abide and be bound by any modified Policy. To the extent that any modifications to this Policy materially alters how FIRST Robotics Canada will use information collected under the prior version of the Policy, FIRST Robotics Canada will provide you notice by email using your email on file and, where required by law, will obtain your consent.

  11. How to contact us and how to lodge a complaint:
    FIRST Robotics Canada has a Data Governance Team who represents FIRST Robotics Canada and will lead investigative action, complaint handling and data breach notification. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, the practices of any of our Sites, or your dealings with any of our Sites, contact us via email communications@firstroboticscanada.org