Privacy Statement
The Merglab is (a division of the CrossMerg Corporation) ("Merglab/CrossMerg") respects your privacy and wants to provide you with information about our privacy practices in this Privacy Statement ("Privacy Statement").
see also: Website Terms and Conditions of Use
This Privacy Statement applies to information collected on the website located at www.merglab (the "Website"), any mobile applications associated with the Website (the "Mobile Applications"), as well as any services and features available on or through the Website or the Mobile Applications, such as sub-sites, blogs, user communities, social networks, or other online or wireless offerings that post a link to this Privacy Statement, whether accessed via computer, mobile device, or other technology or any associated content, material, or functionality contained on the Website or the Mobile Applications (collectively, the "Services" and, together with the Website and the Mobile Applications, the "System"). Merglab/CrossMerg is referred to in this Privacy Statement as "we," "us," "our," or other similar pronouns.
This Privacy Statement includes, without limitation, the following information:
- What personally identifiable information of yours or third-party personal identification is collected from you through the website;
- How such information is used;
- With whom such information may be shared;
- What choices are available to you regarding collection, use, and distribution of your information;
- What security obligations are in place; and
- How you can correct any inaccuracies in your information.
This Privacy Statement is incorporated into and is a part of the Terms of Use Agreement (the "Terms of Use"). We encourage you to become familiar with the terms and conditions of both this Privacy Statement and the Terms of Use. By accessing and using the System, or any part thereof, you agree that you have read and understood this Privacy Statement, and that, in exchange for access to the System, you accept and consent to our privacy practices (and any uses and disclosures of information about or provided by you) that are described in this Privacy Statement.
We appreciate your questions and comments about this Privacy Statement, the System, and our privacy practices generally and welcome your e-mail messages to
If you feel that Merglab/CrossMerg is not abiding by this Privacy Statement, you should first contact the Merglab/CrossMerg Action Center at +1 (415) 818-2423.
Information Collection
As described in detail below, Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, may collect certain identifying information from or about you in connection with your use of, or your submissions to, the System ("User Information") as well as other non-personally identifiable information from or about you ("Non-User Information" and, together with the User Information, the "Collected Information") in a variety of ways. Collected Information includes, without limitation, a first and last name; a home, business, or other physical address; geographic location; a business or nonprofit entity name and address; a phone number; an e-mail address; date of birth; gender; race/ethnicity; employment status; employer name; employer information; Merglab/CrossMerg account number, username, and password; credit card number and other credit card information; education status and information; research area; areas of expertise; clinical service information; as well as additional personally identifiable information about you that we may collect from time to time. We use the Collected Information to provide the Services described below; to open, maintain, and close user accounts; for marketing purposes; for publication and distribution of information; to provide continuing education services; and to more efficiently and effectively respond to user queries.
Registration
To access areas of the System designated as "protected areas," you must register with Merglab/CrossMerg. If you wish to use the "protected areas" of the System, you will be required initially to enter certain Collected Information (e.g., current Merglab/CrossMerg account number, first name, last name, mailing address, e-mail address, username, and password) to gain access.
Online Orders
Merglab/CrossMerg requests information from its users to purchase products, renew dues, register for conferences, and make donations; such information includes contact information (such as name and shipping address) and financial information (such as credit card number, expiration date, etc.). This information is primarily used by Merglab/CrossMerg and third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg for billing and to fill customer orders, but may be used by Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, for other business purposes. For example, if there is a problem processing an order, this information may be used to contact the user.
Business Forms
Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, requests information from users via online forms for specific business purposes. For example, online forms will be used to obtain sign-ups for volunteer activities, rate programs, gather peer reviews, and contact specific departments. Information requested may include contact information (e.g., name, mailing address, phone number, account number). Business form information may be used by Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, for a variety of business purposes.
Information Use
In addition to the uses mentioned or described elsewhere in this Privacy Statement or in the Terms of Use, we, our affiliates, and designated third parties may use the Collected Information to analyze and improve the content, features, Services, Website, and Mobile Applications that we make available on the System, as well to conduct certain targeted marketing activities specific to users. We may send you information that you request from us, promotional materials regarding Merglab/CrossMerg's services, and any other communication for any other legitimate and lawful business purposes. Additionally, we may retain and use certain Collected Information to facilitate and otherwise address certain inquiries, requests, subscriptions, or business transactions and relationship with Merglab/CrossMerg, or any of our affiliates, or respond to your questions or requests for information about or from Merglab/CrossMerg or any of our affiliates or trusted business partners. If you contact us for support or assistance, we may use information about you or your system for purposes such as verifying whether your system meets the minimum requirements needed to use the System and our various Services. Additionally, we may transfer your Collected Information to our affiliates or trusted business partners for the purpose of advertising certain services provided by such affiliates or trusted business partners. We may also use Collected Information as necessary to ensure compliance with any Merglab/CrossMerg policies and any applicable laws. Merglab/CrossMerg may also exchange Collected Information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, credit risk reduction, and collection activities.
In addition to the uses mentioned or described elsewhere in this Privacy Statement or in the Terms of Use, we, our affiliates, and designated third parties may use the Collected Information to analyze and improve the content, features, Services, Website, and Mobile Applications that we make available on the System, as well to conduct certain targeted marketing activities specific to users. We may send you information that you request from us, promotional materials regarding Merglab/CrossMerg's services, and any other communication for any other legitimate and lawful business purposes. Additionally, we may retain and use certain Collected Information to facilitate and otherwise address certain inquiries, requests, subscriptions, or business transactions and relationship with Merglab/CrossMerg, or any of our affiliates, or respond to your questions or requests for information about or from Merglab/CrossMerg or any of our affiliates or trusted business partners. If you contact us for support or assistance, we may use information about you or your system for purposes such as verifying whether your system meets the minimum requirements needed to use the System and our various Services. Additionally, we may transfer your Collected Information to our affiliates or trusted business partners for the purpose of advertising certain services provided by such affiliates or trusted business partners. We may also use Collected Information as necessary to ensure compliance with any Merglab/CrossMerg policies and any applicable laws. Merglab/CrossMerg may also exchange Collected Information with other companies and organizations for fraud protection, credit risk reduction, and collection activities.
Merglab/CrossMerg may use various analytics tools and technologies regarding how users interact with the various portions of the System that require storage of web-session data. These tools and technologies are used to assist System users by using cookies and scripts (as described in the "Cookies" section below) to collect and store information—such as how users interact with the System, errors users encounter when using the System, device identifiers, how often users visit certain portions or components of the System, what pages they visit, and what other sites they used prior to using the System. Stored web-session data used by such analytics services or tools are used in accordance with this Privacy Statement.
Additionally, we may offer message boards, voice communication features, and other interactive or social-type features on the System. Please be aware that these areas may allow you to publicly post, and share with other users, certain messages, content, or other information. Although we may take certain precautions to protect those who use these areas of the System, we encourage you to be wary of giving out any User Information—or any personally identifiable information of others to which you may have access—in such public forums. The information you post or disclose can be collected and used by people you don't know to identify you or others. We cannot guarantee the privacy and safety of these areas and are therefore not responsible for any information you choose to post. Your use of these features is fully at your own risk.
Cookies
By placing a small file known as a "cookie" on your computer (or other device by which you may access the System), Merglab/CrossMerg's, and the designated third parties', servers may passively gather information about you, as a user of the System. The System currently employs two types of cookies. The standard cookie collects information about each user stored on the user's hard drive (the "Standard Cookie"). The second type of cookie, called a "Session Cookie," also collects information about each user. Session Cookies are used only while the user is actively connected to the System. Once the user closes the web browser (or is otherwise inactive for more than a certain period of time), these Session Cookies are destroyed. Merglab/CrossMerg uses both types of cookies on the System. In the future, we may add additional cookies for business purposes.
Merglab/CrossMerg uses Standard Cookies for several business purposes. Primarily, when users arrive at the System, a unique cookie is automatically stored on each user's computer (or other device) by his/her Internet browser, which allows analysis software to differentiate between new and returning users.
While a user is active on the System, Session Cookies are used for a variety of business purposes. For example, these cookies allow members to navigate freely through a website once they have logged into a website. Without these cookies, members would have to log in each time they request a "protected area" page. These cookies are also used while a member is joining, renewing, or altering account information. This allows the System to track the user's activity before any data are committed to a database. Session Cookies also allow us and our third-party providers to collect other technical and navigational information, such as browser type, time spent on the System (or certain portions thereof), and pages visited.
Most popular Internet browser applications will allow you to configure the browser so as not to accept cookies. However, setting your browser to reject cookies may, in certain instances, prevent you from taking full advantage of the System (or some portion thereof) and its capabilities or cause some features of the System to function improperly or more slowly.
Certain portions of the System use Google Analytics (including the Universal Analytics feature), a web analysis service provided by Google, in order to better understand your use of our Website (or other portions of the System) and how we can improve the Website and the System. Google Analytics collects information such as how often users visit a website, what pages they visit when they do so, and what other websites they used prior to coming to such website. Google Analytics collects only the IP address assigned to you on the date you visit the System, rather than your name or other identifying information. We do not combine the information collected through the use of Google Analytics with your personal information. Although Google Analytics plants a permanent cookie on your web browser to identify you as a unique user the next time you visit the System, the cookie cannot be used by anyone but Google. Google's ability to use and share information collected by Google Analytics about your visits to the System is restricted by the Google Analytics Terms of Use and the Google Privacy Statement. Google utilizes the data collected to track and examine the use of the System, to prepare reports on its activities, and to share such reports with other Google services. To more fully understand how Google may use the data it collects on the System, please review "How Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps" (located at http://www.google.com/policies/privacy/partners/ or any successor URL). If you would like additional information regarding the security and privacy practices of Google's Universal Analytics feature, please review the materials provided by Google.
Some areas of the System may contain electronic images known as "web beacons" (sometimes known as "clear gifs") that allow Merglab/CrossMerg, and its third-party providers, to count and track users who have visited certain portions of the System. Web beacons collect only limited information, including a cookie number, time and date of a page view, and a description of the page on which the Web beacon resides. Web beacons do not collect any of your personal information.
Remarketing
Our third-party service providers use pixels that cause cookies, or similar technology, to be stored on your browser when you visit the System. This is necessary for our third-party service providers to provide remarketing services. Remarketing allows Merglab/CrossMerg to display highly targeted ads to people who have visited the System.
As a user browses a website that has partnered with a specific remarketing advertising network, the advertising network provider stores a number in the user's browser (using a cookie) in order to remember the user's visits to the site. This number uniquely identifies a web browser on a specific computer, not a person. Merglab/CrossMerg can then target advertisements to specific users based on their behavior on the System.
In addition to adjusting the settings on your Internet browser as described above, you can opt out of Google's use of cookies by visiting Google's Ads Settings. Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies by visiting the Network Advertising Initiative opt-out page.
Log Files
Each view of a page on the System is logged. Information such as the user's Internet Protocol ("IP") address, browser type, time of day, and duration of activity on the website is recorded. This information may be used by Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, to analyze trends, administer the System, track users' movements, and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use or for other business purposes.
If illegal activity is detected on the System, Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, may—but have no obligation to—attempt to connect an IP address to User Information. Except as otherwise required by law or regulation, Merglab/CrossMerg has no obligation to monitor the System, or any portion thereof, for any illegal or improper activity.
Links
For your convenience, the System may contain links to other Internet sites not under Merglab/CrossMerg's control. Please be aware that Merglab/CrossMerg is not responsible for the privacy practices of such other websites. In addition, should you happen to initiate a transaction on a website that our System links to, even if you reached that site through the System, the information that you submit to complete that transaction becomes subject to the privacy practices of the operator of that linked website. You should read that website's privacy statement or privacy policy to understand how personal information that is collected about you is used and protected by such third party. We encourage our users to be aware of when they leave the System and to read the privacy statement of each website that collects personally identifiable information. This Privacy Statement applies solely to information collected on the System.
Surveys and Promotions
From time to time, Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, requests information from users via surveys. Information requested may include contact information (e.g., name, mailing address) and demographic information (e.g., zip code, age, employment status). Survey information may be used by Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, for a variety of business purposes. For example, surveys will be used for the purpose of improving services offered by Merglab/CrossMerg and to gather information about professional issues related to business, marketing, websites development, and CSS/HTML coding practice. Participation in Merglab/CrossMerg surveys is completely voluntary.
In addition, you may wish to participate in online contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions that we may offer from time to time. Participation in these contests, sweepstakes, and promotions is completely voluntary; you have a choice about whether to disclose information required to enter. Information requested may include personal contact information, such as your name, address, date of birth, phone number, mobile phone number, e-mail address, username, and/or similar information. In addition, as noted above, we may share this information with our third-party providers or other entities. Through these online promotions, you may choose to participate in activities such as sharing information found on the System with others and sending e-mail invitations. In connection with any online contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions that we may offer from time to time via the System, we use the information you provide to administer the polls, contests, sweepstakes, and other promotions. Subject to applicable contractual or legal restrictions, we also may use the information to communicate with you, or the other people you select, about our services, or our marketing partners may use such information to communicate with you about the online contests, sweepstakes, or other promotions or about their products and services.
Information Submission Choices
When submitting information, corresponding, making requests for information, and otherwise interacting with Merglab/CrossMerg and its representatives through or in connection with the System, you choose what information to supply or submit, whether you wish to receive further information, and how you may be contacted. Please take care to share only such information as is needed or that you believe is appropriate. Note, however, that if you don't provide certain requested information, we may be unable to provide certain Services to you, you may be unable to take full advantage of the System (or some portion thereof) and its capabilities, or some features of the System may function improperly. Any promotional e-mail we send to you will contain a link that will allow you to opt out of receiving any further correspondence. If you have created an online account, you may have the ability to change your correspondence preferences by logging into your account and selecting your preferences.
Sharing
In addition to the uses mentioned or described elsewhere in this Privacy Statement or in the Terms of Use, Merglab/CrossMerg may share Collected Information in a variety of ways:
- Merglab/CrossMerg may share your User Information with authorized service providers, affiliates, or partners to provide certain administrative, marketing, or technology services—such as survey administration, database management, transaction processing, event management, ad targeting, and bulk mailing, or any other Services. The authorized service providers, affiliates, and partners we work with are not allowed to use the information outside of the function of providing the Services designated by Merglab/CrossMerg.
- Merglab/CrossMerg may share your User Information with our authorized service providers, affiliates, or partners to the extent necessary for purposes of communicating with you or fulfilling your requests for any content, materials, and opportunities.
- Merglab/CrossMerg sells lists of names and mailing addresses to selected third parties. Merglab/CrossMerg does not sell lists of e-mail addresses or phone numbers to third parties. Merglab/CrossMerg may send e-mail messages on behalf of selected third parties (e.g., corporate partners and allied organizations).
- Merglab/CrossMerg and our authorized service providers, affiliates, or partners may also produce reports on the System's traffic or usage patterns and share these reports with us and others; Merglab/CrossMerg will share aggregate statistics and other non-personally identifiable information with the media, government agencies, advertisers, and other third parties. These aggregate statistics will not allow anyone to identify your name or other personally identifiable information. Merglab/CrossMerg also may release aggregated, anonymized Collected Information in connection with joint marketing efforts and strategic alliances.
- Merglab/CrossMerg may disclose your User Information in response to a subpoena or similar investigative demand, a court order, or a request for cooperation from a law enforcement agency or other government agency; to establish or exercise our legal rights; to defend against legal claims; or as otherwise required by law.
- Merglab/CrossMerg may disclose your User Information when we believe disclosure is necessary to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding illegal activity, suspected fraud, or other wrongdoing; to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of our company, our employees, our website users or others; or to enforce our website terms and conditions or other agreements or policies.
- If Merglab/CrossMerg changes its corporate or organizational structure, files for bankruptcy, liquidates its assets, merges/combines with another entity, or undergoes a corporate reorganization, your information is, and should be expected to be, one of the transferred assets; you consent to such transfer by using the website.
Security
When you submit information via the website, Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg, takes certain precautions to protect your user information both online and offline. Nevertheless, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee that information transmitted or supplied by users to the System will be totally secure. You agree to immediately notify us of any breach of the security of the System, this Privacy Statement, or the Terms of Use of which you become aware.
If you have any questions about the current state of security with respect to information collected at the Website or stored offline, you may send an e-mail to
Submissions to the System and Social Media Websites
Any information, communications, or material of any type or nature that you submit to the System—as well as to any of our pages contained on a social media platform or website—by e-mail, posting, messaging, uploading, downloading, or otherwise (each a "Submission") is done at your own risk and without any expectation of privacy. We cannot control the actions of other users of the System or a social media platform and are therefore not responsible for any Submissions contained on the System or any social media platform or website. Furthermore, by visiting any of our pages that are contained on any social media platform or website, you are representing and warranting to us that you have reviewed the applicable Privacy Statement and terms of use of such website or social media platform and that you will abide by all such provisions contained therein.
Children
The System (including the Website, Mobile Applications, and Services included therein) is intended for a general audience and is not intended for use or view by children under 13 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect information about children or sell products to children. Consistent with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, we will not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13. If you are under the age of 13, you must ask your parent or guardian to assist you in using the System. Furthermore, we may restrict entries to any contests, sweepstakes, or promotions to entrants who are at least 18 years of age.
Visiting the System from Outside the United States
If you are visiting the System, or any part thereof, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, or stored or processed in, the United States and other countries. Our primary web and database servers are located in the United States; however, some of our third-party providers that provide certain portions of the System or the Services may use servers located in other countries. The data protection and other laws of the United States and other countries might not be as comprehensive as those in your country, but please be assured that we take steps to protect your privacy. By using any portion of the System, you understand and consent to the transfer of your information to our facilities in the United States and those facilities of the third parties with whom we share it—as described in this Privacy Statement—that are located in the United States or other countries.
California Privacy Rights and Do Not Track Disclosures
Under California law, California residents have the right to request in writing from businesses with whom they have an established business relationship (a) a list of the categories of personally identifiable information—such as name, e-mail and mailing addresses, and the type of services provided to the customer—that a business has disclosed to third parties (including affiliates that are separate legal entities) during the immediately preceding calendar year for the third parties' direct marketing purposes and (b) the names and addresses of all such third parties. To request the above information, please e-mail Merglab/CrossMerg at webmaster@merglab with a reference to California Disclosure Information.
California law requires that Merglab/CrossMerg indicate whether it honors "Do Not Track" settings in your browser concerning targeted advertising. Do Not Track is a standard that is currently under development. As it is not yet finalized, Merglab/CrossMerg adheres to the standards set out in this Privacy Statement and does not monitor or follow any Do Not Track browser requests.
Correcting and Updating Personal Information
If a user's personally identifiable information changes or if a user no longer desires our services, we will endeavor to provide a way to correct or update personal data provided to us by that user. This can usually be done from our My Account page or by contacting our Action Center at 415-818-2423. Some information, such as a user's name change, must be changed by calling the Action Center at 415-818-2423.
Choice and Opt-out
Only those individuals who have created an account on the Website or a Mobile Application or have otherwise evinced an interest in or consent to receiving communications from Merglab/CrossMerg (including, for clarity, those individuals or organizations that have found Merglab/CrossMerg through Merglab/CrossMerg's marketing pages or micro-sites) will receive e-mail or other communications from Merglab/CrossMerg. We consider—and all Merglab/CrossMerg account holders or other users of the System hereby acknowledge and agree—that providing contact information (such as an e-mail address) as part of creating an Merglab/CrossMerg account (or otherwise through the System) constitutes an individual's consent to receive messages or other communications from Merglab/CrossMerg. However, if you no longer wish to receive our e-mail newsletters or promotional e-mails, you may opt out of receiving a specific communication from Merglab/CrossMerg by using the E-mail Preference Center in the My Account section of the website, or you may follow the unsubscribe instructions in any e-mail message you receive. Please allow a reasonable period of time for us to satisfy your request, as some promotions may already be in process. Please note that there are certain communications that will still be sent to users by Merglab/CrossMerg, or third parties designated by Merglab/CrossMerg. These communications include, without limitation, account updates, certification maintenance reminders, and invoice and membership renewal notices. Please note that even if you opt out as described above, Merglab/CrossMerg will retain your Collected Information for analytical purposes and other internal purposes, including an ability to reconnect you with such Collected Information if you later opt in to any of the data sharing, use, or communications set forth above.
Notification of Changes
If we decide to change our Privacy Statement, we will post changes to our Privacy Statement on Merglab/CrossMerg's homepage so that our users are always informed of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it. The most recent version of the Privacy Statement is reflected by the version date located at the bottom of this Privacy Statement. All such updates and amendments are effective immediately upon notice thereof, which we may give by any means, including, but not limited to, posting a revised version of this Privacy Statement or other notice on the Website and the Mobile Applications. You should view this Privacy Statement often to stay informed of changes that may affect you, as your continued use of the System signifies your continuing consent to be bound by this Privacy Statement. We expressly reserve the right to make any changes to this Privacy Statement at any time, without prior notice to you. The version of this Privacy Statement posted here on each respective date you visit the System shall be the Privacy Statement applicable to your access and use of the System on that date. Our electronically or otherwise properly stored copies of this Privacy Statement shall be deemed to be the true, complete, valid, authentic, and enforceable copies of the version of this Privacy Statement in force on each respective date you visit the System. This Privacy Statement is not intended to—and does not—create any contractual or other legal right in or on behalf of any party other than Merglab/CrossMerg.
Acknowledgment
BY ACCESSING OR USING THE SYSTEM, OR ANY PORTION THEREOF, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT (A) YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND, AND CONSENT TO THE PRIVACY STATEMENT AND TO THE USES AND DISCLOSURES OF COLLECTED INFORMATION ABOUT YOU THAT ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS PRIVACY STATEMENT AND (B) YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF USE REFERENCED ABOVE.
This Privacy Statement was last updated on January 15, 2024.
