Privacy Policy
Learn more about your privacy on GLTR
We take your privacy seriously. We’ve put this brief but important privacy policy together to inform our visitors about how we understand privacy, what type of information this website collects, and ways for you to reach out with questions, comments, or concerns. And we are interested in your feedback if you have any to share with us.
What Information Does GLTR Collect?
As an online publication devoted to technology, law, and policy, Georgetown Law Technology Review (“GLTR”) takes your privacy seriously. Hosting content on our website that users can interact with is vital to an online-only publication, and we want to make sure our visitors understand how we view privacy, what information we may collect, and how you can learn more about limiting your sharing or about learning more about our policies.
The Privacy Policy is divided into subsections, each addressing a distinct aspect of your data and web privacy. Although the topics are tailored to help you answer specific questions you may have about your privacy, some of the topics may overlap. Finally, because web technologies rapidly evolve, this Policy may be amended or altered by us in order to more appropriately disclose to you our updated practices.
GLTR is an online-only publication. We use a computer server to power an Apache server, along with a custom-designed WordPress deployment. Because of the way Apache works, each time you visit GLTR on the web, a log of your visit is recorded in a server files called access.log. This information includes your IP address; the day, date, and time your browser visited GLTR; what information you requested from GLTR; the type of browser you were using, including the version of the browser, and may also include information about the type of computer (or mobile device) you used to access our website. While this access log is typical from web servers, it’s part of the information GLTR’s server software collects and we want you to know about it. GLTR will never use any of the information obtained in the access.log file except when we would be using that information to investigate or thwart a cybersecurity threat or breach.
Personally Identifiable Information (PII)
Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) is an important concept to understand when it comes to your privacy because different web services define PII in different ways. Generally, PII is any information that can be used to identify who you are. Because of the way the technology landscape has changed, an increasing reliance on mobile devices, and other integrated third party services (like social media services) that provide content on the web, pieces of information that we once considered harmless to privacy can today be used to identify you.
GLTR uses the Office of Management and Budget’s definition of PII, which can be found in OMB Revised Circular A-130 Appendix II. Here is the verbatim text of the definition of PII:
Personally identifiable information means information that can be used to distinguish or trace an individual’s identity, either alone or when combined with other information that is linked or linkable to a specific individual.
Circular A-130, OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET (Aug. 2016).
Cookies and Web Tracking
A cookie is a type of text script which is generally used by web services to record your preferences, and which can help identify your visit to a web service. There are two primary types of cookies. A single session cookie is only active for the time you are on a webpage. Once you close your browser, the cookie becomes inactive, and no longer tracks your movements on the web. A persistent cookie is a cookie that continues to operate even once you’ve left the website that gave you the cookie. These cookies are generally more privacy-invasive because they can continue monitoring a user’s activity even after that user has left the website. And because other web services use centralized ad networks, visiting a second or subsequent web service with active cookies can help these ad networks correlate where you’ve been on the web, where you may be likely to go next, or even be able to identify you.
At the moment, GLTR does not use any variant of cookies. While we could decide to employ cookies in the future, we would never use persistent cookies.
Should you decide to employ a privacy-protective plugin or other privacy-enhancing technique, there are a number of different tools available. One particularly user-friendly tool is Ghostery, is a cookie-monitoring plugin that integrates into your browser. The Ghostery plugin allows a user to identify whether or not a certain website is using a cookie, and the ability to disable the operation of that cookie. GLTR has no relationship or partnership with Ghostery but some of the editorial staff have used the plugin and like it. As always, you should never install any applications on your computer unless you have the permission to do so, and you know exactly what you are doing. GLTR encourages you to take control of your own privacy but we also encourage you to be prudent and informed before deciding to install software.
Other privacy-protective techniques you can employ include privacy-protective search engines, such as DuckDuckGo or ixquick, or a privacy-protective browser, such as Tenta, or a privacy-shielding network like Tor. We encourage our readers to take steps to protect their personal information from misuse in the online ecosystem.
If you ever discover a persistent cookie on GLTR please email: GLTR@georgetown.edu.
Social Media & Third Parties
GLTR will provide links to information on other sites¾ we do not control the privacy or tracking policies of those site, and thus are not responsible for their practices. We do not and will not sell or share your information with third parties, with the exception of the service providers who assist us in maintain and improving our site; when you have given your consent; or when required by law.
Security
We maintain reasonable technical safeguards to protect our information and yours, but we do not guarantee the complete security for that information.
Children’s Privacy
This site is not intended for use by children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child below that age, we will take steps to remove that information.
How to Ask us Questions About Your Privacy
Last Updated: Nov. 29, 2016 | 16:48 (EDT)
Should you wish to opt out of receiving any information from us, or you would like to update or delete your information, please contact us by email at GLTR@georgetown.edu.
Should you have questions about anything laid out in this Policy, please get in touch with us at GLTR@georgetown.edu.
The Georgetown Law Technology Review reserves the right to makes changes to this policy as it sees fit, without prior notice. Please check this page periodically to ensure that you are familiar and comfortable with our practices. We will also indicate the date of the revision under “Last Updated,” above.