Last Updated: 2/1/2024
Who we are
The Florida Marine Intelligence Unit is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. Our website, www.fmiu.net, is owned and operated by the Florida Marine Intelligence Unit.
At Florida Marine Intelligence Unit, we understand the importance of safeguarding your privacy online. This privacy policy outlines how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you visit our website or use our services.
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact us at info@fmiu.net.
Information We Collect
When you visit our website, www.fmiu.net, or use our services, we may collect certain types of information from you, including:
- Personal Information: This may include your name, email address, postal address, phone number, and other similar identifiers that you provide voluntarily when filling out forms, registering for an account, or contacting us.
- Usage Data: We may automatically collect certain information about your device and how you interact with our website, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages visited, and the date and time of your visit. This information helps us analyze trends, administer the site, track users’ movements around the site, and gather demographic information.
- Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze usage patterns, and deliver personalized content and advertisements. Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website, and they help us recognize your browser and remember certain information about your preferences.
- Third-Party Information: We may receive information about you from third-party sources, such as social media platforms or advertising partners, in accordance with their privacy policies.
- Other Information: We may also collect other types of information that you provide voluntarily or that we obtain with your consent or as permitted by law.
We collect this information for various purposes, including to provide and improve our services, personalize your experience, communicate with you, analyze trends, and ensure the security of our website.
By using our website or services, you consent to the collection, processing, and use of your information as described in this privacy policy.
How We Collect Information
We collect information from you in several ways when you interact with our website, www.fmiu.net, or use our services:
- Directly from You: We may collect information directly from you when you voluntarily provide it to us, such as when you fill out forms, register for an account, make a purchase, subscribe to our newsletter, participate in surveys or contests, or contact us for support.
- Automatically: We may collect certain information automatically as you navigate our website or use our services. This information may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, page views, clickstream data, and other usage information. We may use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to collect this information. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us recognize your browser and remember certain preferences or actions.
- From Third Parties: We may receive information about you from third-party sources, such as social media platforms, advertising networks, analytics providers, and other service providers. This information may include demographic data, interests, and online activities, and it may be combined with information we collect directly from you.
- From Publicly Available Sources: We may collect information about you from publicly available sources, such as public databases, social media profiles, and other online sources.
- Through Your Interactions: We may collect information about your interactions with our website, such as the pages you visit, the links you click, the products or services you view, and the features you use. This information helps us analyze trends, track user behavior, improve our website and services, and personalize your experience.
By using our website or services, you consent to the collection, processing, and use of your information as described in this privacy policy.
Use of Information
We may use the information we collect from you for various purposes, including:
- Providing and Improving Our Services: We may use your information to provide, maintain, and improve our website, products, and services. This may include analyzing usage patterns, troubleshooting technical issues, developing new features, and enhancing the user experience.
- Communicating with You: We may use your contact information to communicate with you about your account, transactions, inquiries, and requests. This may include sending you administrative messages, service announcements, updates, and other information related to your use of our website or services.
- Personalizing Your Experience: We may use your information to personalize your experience on our website, such as by customizing content, recommendations, and advertisements based on your preferences, interests, and past interactions with our website.
- Marketing and Advertising: With your consent, we may use your information to send you promotional messages, offers, newsletters, and other marketing communications. We may also use cookies and similar tracking technologies to deliver targeted advertisements to you across various platforms and devices.
- Analytics and Research: We may use your information for analytics purposes, such as to analyze trends, track user behavior, measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns, and conduct market research. This helps us understand how our website and services are used and identify areas for improvement.
- Compliance and Protection: We may use your information to comply with legal obligations, enforce our terms and policies, protect our rights and property, prevent fraud and abuse, and ensure the security of our website and users.
- Other Purposes: We may use your information for other purposes disclosed at the time of collection or with your consent, or as otherwise permitted or required by law.
We will only use your information for the purposes described in this privacy policy or as otherwise disclosed to you at the time of collection. If you have any questions or concerns about how we use your information, please contact us using the information provided below.
Sharing of Information
We may share the information we collect from you in the following ways:
- With Service Providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers, contractors, and agents who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, data analysis, payment processing, customer support, and marketing. These service providers are authorized to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us and are contractually obligated to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information.
- With Affiliates and Partners: We may share your information with our affiliates, subsidiaries, and business partners for marketing and advertising purposes or to offer you products, services, or promotions that may be of interest to you. These affiliates and partners are required to adhere to the same privacy standards and practices outlined in this privacy policy.
- With Third-Party Vendors and Advertisers: We may share non-personal information, such as aggregated or de-identified data, with third-party vendors, advertisers, and advertising networks for marketing, advertising, or analytics purposes. These third parties may use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your interactions with our website and other websites to deliver targeted advertisements to you.
- In Connection with Business Transactions: In the event of a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or other business transaction, we may disclose your information to prospective buyers or sellers or their advisors as part of the due diligence process. If our company or substantially all of its assets are acquired by a third party, your information may be transferred as part of the transaction.
- For Legal and Compliance Purposes: We may disclose your information to comply with legal obligations, enforce our terms and policies, respond to legal requests, investigate and prevent fraud or illegal activities, protect our rights and property, or as otherwise required or permitted by law.
- With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties for other purposes with your consent or at your direction.
We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes without your explicit consent. If you have any questions or concerns about how we share your information, please contact us at info@fmiu.net.
Data Security
We take the security of your information seriously and have implemented technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, please note that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information.
We employ industry-standard security measures to safeguard your information, including:
- Encryption: We use encryption techniques, such as Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology, to encrypt data transmitted between your browser and our website to prevent unauthorized interception of your information.
- Access Controls: We restrict access to your information to authorized personnel who need to know the information to perform their job responsibilities. Access to your information is granted on a need-to-know basis and is protected by user authentication mechanisms, such as passwords and access controls.
- Firewalls and Intrusion Detection Systems: We use firewalls and intrusion detection systems to monitor and control network traffic to and from our servers and to detect and prevent unauthorized access or attacks.
- Regular Security Audits and Monitoring: We conduct regular security audits and monitoring of our systems, networks, and infrastructure to identify and address potential vulnerabilities, threats, and security incidents.
- Employee Training and Awareness: We provide training and awareness programs to our employees to educate them about data security best practices, policies, and procedures and to help them recognize and respond to security threats and incidents.
Despite our efforts to protect your information, it is important to remember that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee the security of your information and cannot be held responsible for unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of your information.
If you have any questions or concerns about the security of your information, please contact us at info@fmiu.net.
Data Retention
We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.
- Account Information: If you create an account on our website, we will retain your account information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. If you wish to delete your account or request that we delete your account information, please contact us using the information provided below. Please note that we may retain certain information even after your account is closed if required by law or for legitimate business purposes, such as to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or prevent fraud.
- Transactional Data: We may retain transactional data, such as records of purchases, payments, and other financial transactions, for as long as necessary to complete the transaction, fulfill our contractual obligations, and comply with legal requirements.
- Communications: We may retain records of communications with you, such as emails, messages, and customer support inquiries, for as long as necessary to respond to your inquiries, provide you with customer support, and improve our services.
- Usage Data: We may retain usage data, such as website analytics, logs, and other tracking information, for as long as necessary to analyze trends, track user behavior, improve our website and services, and comply with legal requirements.
- Marketing Data: If you have consented to receive marketing communications from us, we may retain your contact information for as long as you continue to consent to receive such communications or until you opt out of receiving them.
- Aggregated and De-Identified Data: We may retain aggregated or de-identified data that does not identify you personally for as long as necessary for statistical analysis, research, and other business purposes.
If you have any questions or concerns about our data retention practices, or if you would like to request deletion of your personal information, please contact us at info@fmiu.net.
User Rights
As a user of our website, you have certain rights regarding your personal information. These rights may vary depending on your jurisdiction and applicable laws. We are committed to respecting and facilitating the exercise of your rights, which may include:
- Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. This includes the right to obtain confirmation of whether we are processing your personal data, and if so, to receive a copy of the information.
- Right to Rectification: You have the right to request the correction of any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we hold about you. You may also update or modify your information directly through your account settings, if applicable.
- Right to Erasure: In certain circumstances, you have the right to request the deletion or removal of your personal information from our systems. This includes situations where the information is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or if you withdraw your consent for processing.
- Right to Restriction of Processing: You have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal information in certain situations. This may include situations where you contest the accuracy of the information, or where the processing is unlawful and you oppose the erasure of the information.
- Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that information to another data controller, where technically feasible.
- Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information for reasons related to your particular situation. We will cease processing your information unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing that override your interests, rights, and freedoms.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: If we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. This will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
To exercise your rights or for more information about your rights under applicable data protection laws, please contact us at info@fmiu.net. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable laws and within a reasonable timeframe.
Please note that we may need to verify your identity before processing your request, and we may deny requests where permitted or required by law.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze usage patterns, and deliver personalized content and advertisements. By using our website, you consent to the use of cookies and tracking technologies as described in this policy.
- What are Cookies: Cookies are small text files that are stored on your device when you visit a website. They contain information about your browsing behavior, preferences, and settings, which can be retrieved and updated by the website each time you visit.
- Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential Cookies: These cookies are necessary for the operation of our website and enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. You cannot opt-out of these cookies as they are essential for the functioning of the website.
- Performance Cookies: These cookies allow us to collect information about how you interact with our website, such as which pages you visit and if you encounter any errors. This helps us improve the performance and usability of our website.
- Functionality Cookies: These cookies enable the website to remember choices you make and provide enhanced features and personalization. For example, they may remember your login credentials or language preferences.
- Targeting/Advertising Cookies: These cookies are used to deliver advertisements that are relevant to your interests based on your browsing behavior and preferences. They may also be used to limit the number of times you see an advertisement and measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns.
- Other Tracking Technologies: In addition to cookies, we may also use other tracking technologies, such as web beacons, pixel tags, and similar technologies, to collect information about your interactions with our website and third-party websites or advertisements.
- Managing Cookies: You can control and manage cookies and tracking technologies through your browser settings. Most web browsers allow you to block or delete cookies, as well as to opt-out of tracking technologies. However, please note that blocking or deleting cookies may affect the functionality of our website and your ability to access certain features.
- Third-Party Cookies: Some cookies and tracking technologies on our website may be placed by third-party service providers, advertisers, or partners. These third parties may use cookies to collect information about your online activities across different websites and services for advertising and analytics purposes.
- Updates to Cookie Policy: We may update this cookie policy from time to time to reflect changes in our use of cookies and tracking technologies or to comply with legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes to this policy by posting the revised policy on our website.
Third-Party Links
Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not owned or operated by us. These third-party links are provided for your convenience and informational purposes only. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites.
- Third-Party Websites: Clicking on a third-party link will redirect you to a website or service that is not controlled or operated by us. We encourage you to review the privacy policies and terms of service of these third-party sites before providing any personal information or engaging with them.
- Third-Party Services and Applications: Our website may integrate with third-party services or applications, such as social media platforms, payment processors, and analytics providers. These third-party services may collect information about your interactions with our website and may set cookies or tracking technologies on your device. Your interactions with these third-party services are governed by their respective privacy policies and terms of service.
- Advertising and Affiliate Links: Our website may display advertisements or sponsored content provided by third-party advertisers or affiliates. These advertisements may contain links to third-party websites or services. We do not endorse or control the content or practices of these third-party advertisers, and we are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of their websites.
- Third-Party Privacy Policies: We encourage you to review the privacy policies of third-party websites, services, and applications that you access through our website. These third parties may have their own privacy policies that govern how they collect, use, and disclose your personal information. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third parties.
Please note that this privacy policy applies only to our website and does not govern the collection, use, or disclosure of information by third-party websites, services, or applications that you access through links on our website. If you have any questions or concerns about the privacy practices of third-party sites, please contact them directly.
Children’s Privacy
Our website is not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, please do not use our website or provide any personal information to us.
- COPPA Compliance: In compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under the age of 13 without parental consent, we will promptly delete that information from our records.
- Parental Consent: If you believe that we may have collected personal information from a child under the age of 13 without parental consent, please contact us immediately so that we can take appropriate action to delete the information and obtain parental consent if necessary.
- Parental Controls: We encourage parents and guardians to supervise their children’s online activities and to use parental control tools and settings to limit their children’s access to online content and services.
- Educational Content: If our website offers educational content or services targeted towards children, we will take additional measures to ensure compliance with applicable privacy laws and to provide appropriate privacy protections for children.
- Changes to Children’s Privacy Policy: We may update this children’s privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or to comply with legal requirements. We will notify parents and guardians of material changes to this policy by posting a notice on our website or by other means as required by law.
If you have any questions or concerns about our children’s privacy practices, please contact us at info@fmiu.net.
Updates to Privacy Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or industry standards. We encourage you to review this policy periodically for any updates or changes.
- Notification of Changes: If we make material changes to this privacy policy, we will notify you by posting a notice on our website or by other means as required by law. We may also send you an email notification or provide other forms of notice prior to the effective date of the changes.
- Effective Date: The “Last Updated” date at the top of this privacy policy indicates the date of the most recent revisions. Your continued use of our website after the effective date of any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
- Review of Changes: We encourage you to review any changes to this privacy policy carefully and to contact us if you have any questions or concerns about the changes. Your continued use of our website following the posting of any changes to this policy will signify your acceptance of those changes.
- Opt-Out of Changes: If you do not agree with any changes to this privacy policy, you may choose to discontinue using our website and to request the deletion of any personal information we have collected from you. Please contact us at info@fmiu.net if you wish to exercise this option.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and will not make material changes to this policy that substantially alter our privacy practices without providing notice and obtaining your consent, where required by law.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at info@fmiu.net or through information provided on our “Contact Us” page.
We are committed to addressing your inquiries and resolving any issues related to your privacy and the protection of your personal information. Our privacy team will respond to your inquiries in a timely manner and provide assistance as needed.
