| Privacy Policy |
| Introduction This statement sets out our policies relating to the collection and use of your personal information. It applies to your conduct on the Synagen network of websites (the "Network"). These policies are in addition to Synagen's general Terms of Use governing the Network and should be read in conjunction with such Terms of Use.
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| ....................................................................................................................................... 1. Your personal information is important to us |
| Synagen recognises that your privacy is very important to you and that you have a right to control your personal information. We know that providing personal information is an act of trust and we take that seriously. Unless you give us explicit consent to act otherwise, the following policy will govern how Synagen handles your personal information and safeguards your privacy. Synagen is committed to protecting your personal information and giving you choice in who can use your personal information and how it can be used. We believe that our privacy policy not only complies with relevant laws but represents industry best practice. |
| ....................................................................................................................................... 2. Synagen Membership |
| Synagen has implemented a membership system, designed to offer users a more rewarding and personalised customer experience ("Membership"). To obtain the full benefits of Membership, users are required to register with Synagen and login as members each time they visit the Network. However, even if you don't sign up for Membership or log onto the Network as a member, you are still able to access many of the Network sites and much of the Synagen content. You can learn more about enhancing your online experience through Membership by clicking here. |
| ....................................................................................................................................... 3. Collecting personal information about you |
| There are two main ways we collect information about you:
If you do not log in as a Synagen member Whenever you visit our site, some information, such as your IP address may be recorded on our system. No personal details are recorded and no attempt is made to store cookies, popup adverts or any other information or program on your computer. Your IP address is recorded simply to track malicious users who attempt to damage our systems or extract information from our databases. The information we collect about you remains anonymous, and we do not link it to any other personal information. Therefore if you have not identified yourself on the site, such as by registering for Membership or logging on as a member, we will not link a record of your usage of our Network to you personally. If you log in as a Synagen member Once you have become a Synagen member, we collect personal information about you in order to provide you with the full benefits of Membership. When you first register for Membership, we collect information from you directly and also from time to time thereafter if you provide us additional information. Once you have logged on as a member, we keep a record of how you use the Network. This helps us to build a profile of what interests you, so that we can personalise your experience of the Network and publish you information which is directly relevant to your interests. Any further collection of your personal information than that explained above will only occur with consent from you. Synagen only collects information from your use of our Network. We do not collect information about you from other organizations or from websites outside the Network that you may visit. |
| ....................................................................................................................................... 4. Preserving your privacy |
| Surveys show that most internet users are concerned about their privacy, want to keep control of their personal information, and do not trust many of the web sites which they visit. In fact, research shows around a third of internet users give false information online rather than saying who they really are.
Synagen understands that even with our privacy policy, some people still will not feel comfortable disclosing their personal information in order to become a Synagen member. So if you don't feel comfortable with disclosing your real identity, but you still want to take advantage of Synagen Membership, then you can register for Membership using a pseudonym (or "nym") - a different name. This way, you choose your own nym, which might be "Joe Bloggs" or "Jane Doe" and that's what we will call you. However, any advertisers on the Network are never given information that identifies you as an individual (such as your name or your email address), unless you have given us your express consent to disclose such information. |
| ....................................................................................................................................... 5. Our use of cookies and applets |
| Cookies are pieces of information that a website transfers to your computer's hard disk for record-keeping purposes. Most Web browsers are set to accept cookies. However, if you do not wish to receive any cookies you may set your browser to refuse cookies (for more information on disabling cookies, click here. In some instances this may mean you will not be able to take full advantage of parts of the Network. For instance, you may not be able to login to Synagen.
The use of cookies can enhance your enjoyment of what is offered by Synagen, because they can help personalise your experience of our website. They can make it easier for you to shop online and can ensure that information provided to you is most relevant to your interests. Cookies can provide us with aggregated information on how people use our websites, and which advertisements are effective, which helps us to keep improving our Network. We also use cookies to operate the Membership system, as they help us to identify visitors to the site who have previously registered. Cookies in and of themselves do not personally identify users, although they do identify a user's browser. The cookies simply contain a unique identifier which help us to know what our customers find interesting and useful on our website, almost like a continuing questionnaire. |
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6. Using and disclosing your personal information |
Synagen will not use or disclose any information about you without your consent, or access your communications on our websites, unless:
Synagen and its affiliates recognise the trust you place in us when you give us personal information. In order to operate the website or deliver a service you have requested we may sometimes share your personal information with an affiliate or with a service partner. Synagen uses the service as an authentication system for Membership. This means that if you wish to become a Synagen member, you must obtain an Synagen Membership number. In order to complete your registration for Membership you must provide the following personal registration information to Synagen Systems : (a) your email address; (b), your password; (c) your secret question; (d) your country and (e) your state and (f) your postcode. Synagen is committed to sound privacy practices. We will not give any of your personal information to advertisers or any other organisation without your express consent. |
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7. "Spam" (promotional email) |
| We will not send you "spam" (advertising information) without first asking you whether you wish to have promotional
information sent to you. If you are receiving promotional information about Synagen or its affiliates and do not wish to
receive this information any longer, you may remove your name from our list either by visiting the website from which the
communication was sent and following the instructions on how to withdraw your information from that site (where that
facility is available), or emailing us on our privacy feedback form and
asking to be removed from our mailing list. Please allow seven days for this request to be processed.
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8. Storage and security of your personal information |
| Synagen will endeavour to take all reasonable steps to keep secure any information which we hold about you, and to
keep this information accurate and up to date. Your information is stored on secure servers that are protected in
controlled facilities. Where a service is provided from overseas, your personal information is kept in secure databases and
is protected by Synagen's security policies.
In addition, our employees and the contractors who provide services related to our information systems are obliged to respect the confidentiality of any personal information held by Synagen. However, Synagen will not be held responsible for events arising from unauthorised access to your personal information. You can also play an important role in keeping your personal information secure, by maintaining the confidentiality of any password and accounts used on the Synagen website. Please notify us immediately if there is any unauthorised use of your account by any other Internet user or any other breach of security. |
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9. You can access the information we keep about you |
| As indicated above in section 3, if you do not log on as a Synagen member, we do not collect information which identifies you personally. If, however, you log on as a Synagen Member, you are able to access, change and update your Membership profile at any time. If you wish to know what other information we hold about you whilst you have been logged onto the Network, please send an email to us via our privacy feedback form setting out your Membership ID, email address and the details of your request. We will endeavour to respond to your request within 30 days. |
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10. Synagen and links to other websites |
| Synagen provides links to websites outside of the Network, as well as to third party Network sites. These linked sites are not under the control of Synagen, and we cannot accept responsibility for the conduct of companies linked to our website. Before disclosing your personal information on any other website, we advise you to examine the terms and conditions of using their websites. |
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11. What to do if you have a problem or question |
| If Synagen becomes aware of any ongoing concerns or problems with sites on our Network, we will take these issues seriously and work to address these concerns. If you have any further queries relating to our privacy policy, or you have a problem or complaint, please contact us via our privacy feedback form. |
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12. Future changes |
| We are constantly adding new sites and features to our web site. Because of this, from time to time, our policies will be reviewed and may be revised. Synagen reserves the right to change its privacy policy at any time and notify you by posting an updated version of the policy on its website. |
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13. Specific conditions: Synagen sites |
| These principles apply generally to the Synagen web site. As mentioned above, different policies apply for other subsidiary sites and services. In addition, some Synagen-related sites are operated jointly with other reputable organisations. These sites may have special terms and conditions that differ from these and may affect the handling of your personal information. Please check these when using these sites. In a situation where these privacy principles and the specific terms and conditions of a Synagen website differ, the specific terms will prevail. |
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14. Further information on privacy |
| For more information about privacy issues and protecting your privacy, visit you own relevant government website. |