This is the Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) of the Stanford Virtual Field Trip Project Website (“ the Website”). It describes how the Website (“the Website”, “We”, “Us” or “Our”) handles personal information that we may collect from the user (“User,” “You,” Your”) through Your use of the Website and its related applications, content, services and products. This Website is offered subject to Your acceptance without modification of all privacy policies contained herein, and all other operating rules, including Stanford’s Administrative Guide Section 1.6.1, policies (including, without limitation, the Terms and Conditions of Use) and procedures that may be published from time to time on this Website by Us.
We respect Your privacy and are committed to protecting Your information through compliance with this policy. Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, you may refrain from using this Website. If you have questions about this policy, please feel free to email us at virtualfieldtrips@stanford.edu.
Many projects and related materials displayed on this Website have been submitted by educators within the United States who are over the age of 18 via the Stanford VFT Dashboard (https://awesome.stanford.edu/fschoice/vftdashboard) and were approved by Stanford VFT Website administrators. Users of the Stanford VFT Dashboard are not permitted to distribute or publish Virtual Field Trip products created by students under the age of 18 on the Dashboard without prior explicit written consent from the students and their parent or legal guardian. Content will be featured on the website at least through 2030, unless otherwise requested to be removed.
- Non-personally identifiable information (Non-PII).
Non-personal information can be collected from your Use of our Website. This includes data collected automatically from Your browser or Your device when You use our Website, such as the frequency and duration of Your visits, operating system, hardware version, device settings, file and software names and types, battery and signal strength, device identifiers, and IP addresses, as well as information about Your navigation through the Website.
- Circumstances in which We can share Personally Identifiable Information (PII) beyond the Website.
The Stanford VFT Website may disclose potential and actual PII only when required to do so by law, or when We believe in good faith that disclosure is reasonably necessary to protect the rights of Users, third parties, or the public at large. Unless authorized by You through Your opt-in, or as provided herein, We will make Your PII available to non-affiliated third parties only in the following circumstances:
a. If We are compelled to do so by a governmental agency, court or other entity (for example, to respond to subpoenas, court orders or legal process);
b. If We believe Your actions violate a law, regulation, this Privacy Policy, the Agreement, or any applicable Website terms of use, or if You threaten the rights, property or safety of Us, Our Website, any other Users or third party; or
c. If, in Our sole discretion, We believe disclosure is necessary to investigate or resolve possible problems or inquiries, to protect Our assets, to defend Our interests or comply with Our legal and regulatory obligations.
- Children’s Privacy Notice (COPPA Disclosure)
This Website was designed for educational use by educators facilitating projects with students, including children under the age of 13. We take children’s privacy seriously and comply with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
We do not collect or store any personal information from children under the age of 13, including but not limited to school names, geographic locations, or grade levels from VFT projects, without verified written permission from the student and a parent or guardian.
If You are a parent, legal guardian, or teacher and believe Your child or student’s personal information is featured on the Website without appropriate consent, please contact Us right away at virtualfieldtrips@stanford.edu. We will work with You to immediately review or delete the information.
- Other use of Non-PII Aggregate Information.
We may use non-identifying and aggregate information to design and operate Our Website and provide services to You.
a. Log Files. We may gather certain information automatically and store it in log files. This information includes internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, internet service provider (ISP), referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and click-stream data. We may use this information, which does not identify individual Users, to analyze trends, to administer the Website, to track Users’ movements around the Website, and to gather demographic information about Our User base as a whole.
b. Cookies. This Website uses cookies. A cookie is a small text file or string of information that a Website stores on a User’s computer for record-keeping purposes and that the User’s browser provides to the Website each time the User returns. We may use cookies to help Us identify and track Users, their usage of the Website, and their Website access preferences.
We may use both session ID cookies and persistent cookies. We may use session cookies to make it easier for You to navigate the Website. A session ID cookie expires when You close Your browser. A persistent cookie remains on Your hard drive for an extended period of time. You can remove persistent cookies by following directions provided in Your browser’s ‘Help’ file.
Users who do not wish to have cookies placed on their computers should set their browsers to refuse cookies before using the Website. If You reject cookies, then You may still use the Website, but Your ability to use some areas of the Website may be limited and certain features of the Website may not function properly without the aid of cookies.
- Third-Party Service Providers.
We use a variety of third-party service providers to host the products featured on this Website. These third parties are limited to: ThingLink, Google Earth, Pano2VR, and 360Schools. We also use Google Analytics for tracking and Vimeo for video embedding. If required under applicable law, We will engage third-party service providers under written agreements that limit the third-party service provider’s use of personal information in a manner consistent with this and Stanford’s privacy policies.
a. Links to Third-Party Websites & Services. The Website may contain links to and may be linked by other Websites operated by other entities or individuals not owned or controlled by Us. We disclaim any responsibility for any harm resulting from Users’ access to or use of these other Websites not owned or controlled by Us.
- Privacy Policy Changes.
We reserve the right to change our Privacy Policy at any time at our sole discretion. We will post an updated and revised version of this Privacy Policy on the Website when any material changes have been made. We encourage Users to review this Privacy Policy often, so You are aware of the most current terms and conditions that apply to You. Your continued use of the Website after any change(s) in this Privacy Policy will constitute Your acceptance of such change(s).
- Contact Us.
If any User of Our Website has any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: virtualfieldtrips@stanford.edu.