TAP Network Privacy Policy

TAP Network Privacy Policy

The TAP Network embeds its founding principles of transparency, accountability and participation in all of its work, which includes how we collect, manage and use data provided by its members and partners. The TAP Network values the privacy of our members and partners, and have created this Privacy Policy to explain why and how we collect and use various information that you provide, and protect your privacy in TAP’s work.

Transparency

The TAP Network only collects data and information from its members and partners that have been voluntarily submitted to us. This may include collecting information about the identity and location of your organization, about the work and expertise of your organization, as well as the identity and email addresses of individual experts from your organization that engage in TAP’s work. All of this information is collected directly from members and partners on an opt-in and voluntary basis, and we will never collect or use data that has not been submitted directly to us. Only information about the identity of your organization and the country in which it is headquartered will ever be shared publicly and with other TAP Partners or Members. Personal information from individuals engaged with the TAP Network will never be shared publicly, or with any other parties without the permission of the relevant person. At no point will we ever provide any personal information about individuals on any of our platforms, nor will we ever sell your data or share it with any other parties without your permission.

Accountability

As all of the information we collect from Partners and Members is done so on an opt-in and voluntary basis, any organization can opt-out of engaging with the TAP Network and restrict the use of any information collected by TAP. Partnership and Membership within the TAP Network is not legally binding, and thus no direct relationship between the TAP Network or any of its partners should be inferred. This allows for any party to withdraw its Partnership or Membership, and restrict the use of its information by the TAP Network, at any time. Any individuals can also unsubscribe from any TAP Network communications platforms (listservs, newsletters, etc.) at any point. 
Any concerns regarding accountability related to this privacy policy can be directed to the TAP Network Coordinator ([email protected]) for immediate consideration by the TAP Network Steering Committee.

Participation and purpose of data collection

As the TAP Network is a membership-based coalition, TAP’s work is underpinned by recognition that we maximize reach and influence when many individual stakeholders come together and speak with a unified voice. As such, all of the information that TAP collects from its Partners and Members is done with the intention of enhancing the engagement and participation across the civil society spectrum. At no point will TAP solicit any information from you that is not intended to improve and enhance the overall experience and participation rates in TAP’s work, nor will it share any individual’s personal information without your permission.

Privacy and collection of data from TAP Partners and Members

As participation – as well as Partnership and Membership – in TAP’s work is on a strictly voluntary basis, this important information regarding your organization’s work is important for us to collect and understand to ensure that we’re maximizing our engagement and impact amongst our Partners and Members. To highlight TAP’s wide reach as well as the great work of our Partner and Member organizations, we do showcase the breadth of TAP’s reach by listing TAP Partner and Members on our website by the organization’s name and countries they are headquartered in. At no point will we ever provide any personal information about individuals on any of our platforms, nor will we ever sell your data or share it with any other parties without your permission. TAP Partners all opt-in to sharing additional information regarding their organizations work and commitments to SDG16 and accountability for the 2030 Agenda, and thus will have this work showcased publicly on the TAP Network website.

Privacy and collection of data from TAP Partners and Members

TAP Network Members have access to broad mailing lists of organizations that are Partners and Members of the TAP Network. These listservs are currently managed within google groups. All personal information from individuals is private on this google groups platform, and will not be shared with any other parties without your permission. TAP Network opt-in to joining these mailing lists by becoming Partners and Members, and can unsubscribe from these lists at any time by clicking on the corresponding links at the bottom of TAP listserv emails.
To maximize the utility and efficiency of the TAP Network mailing lists, TAP Network Members are expected to strictly adhere to the TAP Network Google Group/Mailing List code of conduct, which you can find outlined below:
TAP Network Google Group/Mailing List Code of Conduct:
Every effort should be made to ensure that exchanges via the listserv remain focused on the core purpose of coordination of the work of the network, and unrelated email traffic is kept to a minimum.
We therefore ask that you:
1. Please keep the post relevant to the purpose of this listserv – Transparency, Accountability and Participation and governance in a 2030 Agenda context;
2. Please be respectful of individuals and organizations on the listserv, and do not make personal attacks of any nature on individuals or their organizations;
3. Please do not engage in comments, postings or statements that are not directly relevant to core goals of the Network;
4. Please follow-up bilaterally with colleagues if relevant, and please avoid replying all;
5. Please do not use this list to promote your organization’s online publications or blogs; there is a space on the TAP website for members to share these documents and links via the resources page and the blog. If interested in sharing this information, please contact the TAP Network Coordinator.
6. Please respect the confidentiality of communications that go to this list—i.e. please do not forward or at least forward with vigilance;
7. Please avoid broader discussions or debate via the listserv: these should be pursued bilaterally between members, on TAP Network conference calls or via the TAP Network blog. If interested in pursuing discussion space for various issues, please contact the TAP Network Coordinators.
8. Contacts should not be shared with any other third party beyond the purposes of communicating within the network, without the prior consent of the individuals concerned.
The TAP Network Steering Committee may, at its discretion, give a formal notification of breach of code of conduct to a TAP member. In exceptional circumstances, the Steering Committee may choose to suspend a member’s rights to email the listserv. This would be at the Steering Committee’s discretion and would be based on severity and/or frequency of breaches of code of conduct. Members who feel that the code of conduct has been breached by another member should contact a member of the Steering Committee or the TAP Coordinator, who will promptly bring the issue to the attention of the Steering Committee.
For your reference, you can find the privacy policy for google groups (and google more broadly) on their website here.

Use of the TAP Network website

TAP’s website collects an IP address from users of the site. An IP address is a unique string of numbers separated by periods that identifies each computer using the Internet Protocol to communicate over a network. These IP addresses are not linked to individuals or provide any additional information that can be used by the TAP Network or any other parties. We may utilize IP address information to track and analyze geographic reach of TAP’s work, as well as for diagnosis of any technical issues to TAP’s website or servers. At no point will we ever sell your data or share it with any other parties, and have privacy and security protocols in place to protect your identity and data collected passively by TAP’s website.

Security of data beyond the TAP Network's control

While the TAP Network takes pro-active measures to protect your data and privacy, please remember that no method of transmission over the internet is ever 100% secure, with many variables to consider. Despite our own measures and approaches, we thus cannot provide a guarantee of its security. In the case that data is breached beyond the TAP Network’s control, TAP should not be held responsible. Any and all cases resulting in a data breach should be immediately communicated to the parties involved.