How we use your personal information
This purpose of this privacy notice is to explain how Surrogacy Australia collects, manages, uses and looks after any personal information supplied to us or data created by us about you (which we will collectively refer to as “data”). This includes any data that you provided directly to us, that you have requested from third parties or data that we have created about you as part of our application process or to meet your on-going membership requirements.
Our Privacy Promise
At Surrogacy Australia we will:
- Keep your data safe and secure
- Not share or sell to third parties any data that could identify you
- Enable you to change or remove your data at any time
Why do we collect and use your data?
For Support Service Applicants
To support your application, your on-going membership of Surrogacy Australia, creating de-identified profiles and to assist us in arranging your mentorship session. Relevant data about you is only shared with trusted individuals within the organisation under confidentiality agreements or, where appropriate, with your surrogate or intended parent(s) when forming a team.
Surrogacy Australia will not otherwise disclose any personal information unless we seek your consent or where such disclosure is legally authorised or required, such as in the investigation of a criminal offence, or in compliance with a search warrant, court order or subpoena.
Why
It is in our legitimate interest:
- to confirm with you that you satisfy the legal criteria for the approval of a parental order, the mechanism for transferring legal parenthood from a surrogate to intended parent(s).
- to help you to understand Surrogacy Australia’s approach and membership expectations and abide by these.
- to support you and other members on your surrogacy journey(s)
- to support you and other members when volunteering for Surrogacy Australia
Types of data
| Contact | Your name, address, email and telephone numbers |
| Social Demographic | Age, Employment status and household income if provided |
| Surrogacy Australia Specific Data | Membership status and associated details, surrogacy journey status and associated details, volunteer status and associated details |
| Special Category Data | Health, gender, sexual orientation, criminal convictions/Child protection agencies |
| Financial | Membership fee payments, surrogacy expenses, reimbursements for duties completed on behalf of Surrogacy Australia, volunteer bank account details. |
| Images | Images if provided by you or used with your consent. |
How do we collect and create your data?
Usually your data is collected from you directly or from a third party you have requested data from. Normally your data is provided in the documents, communications and images listed below. Additionally, we may create data about you in the commentary listed below.
| Documents | Personal identity documents, medical documents, legal documents, IP profile, team agreement forms, joint back accounts |
| Communications | Letters, voicemails, emails, texts and other forms of electronic correspondence |
| Commentary | Advisory session notes, membership application decisions, membership support notes, exit interview reports, team mediation notes and notes of any other meetings or discussions that Surrogacy Australia acts in an official capacity. |
| Profile | Your profile |
Marketing
Surrogacy Australia may use your contact information to communicate with you about a range of topics, such as:
- Your communication and marketing preferences
- Surrogacy Australia news, events, fundraising and general member requests
- General surrogacy community news and events
You have the right to opt-out of any communications we send to you.
Surrogacy Australia is the sole owner of any information collected. Any data that could identify you will not, under any circumstances, be shared or sold to third parties, including Families Through Surrogacy without your express permission. Surrogacy Australia collects information from members and visitors at several different points on this website.
As a public company, Surrogacy Australia is required by the Corporations Act 2001 to maintain a register that includes the name and address of every member of the company. Members of the company ARE NOT the same as Surrogacy Australia Support Service members. Surrogacy Australia must provide access to or a copy of the company members’ register to any person who makes such a request.
Your right not to provide the data requested by Surrogacy Australia
You have the right not to provide the data that we request. This may, however, delay or prevent you from:
- proceeding with your application to join Surrogacy Australia Support Service; or
- continuing your membership of Surrogacy Australia Support Service
How long do we keep your data?
Non-Member
As a non-member we will retain your data for five years. If you apply to become a member of Surrogacy Australia and this application is unsuccessful or withdrawn by you then the associated data will be retained for three years.
Members
As a member we will retain your data as long as you remain a financial member. If you become a non-member after being a member then all your data will be removed after five years.
How to get a copy of your data
You can request a copy of the data we hold about you by completing the following Subject Access Request Form:
***link to google form – TBC
All paper copies are destroyed and kept on file within our secure document share.
Letting us know if your data is incorrect
You have the right to ask us to rectify any errors in your data. If you feel that any of your data is incorrect, do let us know so we can look into it.
What if you want us to stop using your data?
You have the right to object to our use of your data or to ask us to delete or stop using it.
We may sometimes be able to restrict the use of your data as an alternative to deleting it. This means that it can only be used for certain things, such as legal claims or to exercise legal rights. In this situation, we would not use or share your information in other ways while it is restricted.
You can ask us to restrict the use of your data if it is not accurate.
- It has been used unlawfully but you don’t want us to delete it.
- It not relevant any more, but you want us to keep it for use in legal claims.
- You have already asked us to stop using your data but you are waiting for us to tell you if we are allowed to keep on using it.
Please contact us if you want to object to how we use your data, or ask us to delete it or restrict how we use it.
Changes to this Policy
This policy was last updated in December 2018. Over time we may make changes to this policy and you will always be able to see in this section when it was last updated. If we make significant changes then we will publicise these to our members and may communicate with you directly regarding them.
How to manage cookies
Our cookies do not store financial information, or information which is capable of directly identifying you (such as your name or address). Cookies simply allow our website to retrieve this information in order to personalise and improve your experience of our website.
Cookies
A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s hard drive containing information about the user. Usage of a cookie is in no way linked to any personal information while on this website. Surrogacy Australia’s website only uses session cookies, which means that once the member or visitor closes their browser, the cookie simply terminates. If a member or visitor rejects a cookie, they may still use this website. However, the use may be limited in some areas of the site. Cookies can also enable us to anonymously track the interests of our members and visitors to enhance the usefulness of this website.
Log files
When you visit this website, our Internet Service Provider makes a record of your visit and logs the following information for statistical purposes:
- Your server (IP) address;
- Your top level domain name (for example: .com, .gov, .au etc.);
- The pages you access and any documents downloaded;
- The previous site you have visited; and
- The type of browser you are using.
We may use this information to analyse trends, administer the site, track members or visitors’ movements and gather broad demographic information for aggregate use. IP addresses are not linked to any personal information.
