TCTMD Privacy Policy

Effective Date:  March 2025

Your privacy is of great importance to the Cardiovascular Research Foundation®, 1700 Broadway, 9th Floor, New York, New York 10019 United States of America (“CRF®”) and CRF® is committed to being responsible custodians of the information you provide and the information CRF® collects in the course of operating its business.

CRF® takes your personal privacy seriously.  This privacy statement (this “Statement”) describes how CRF®, as a data controller, may collect, use and share information, particularly in association with the operation of CRF®’s websites and mobile apps (collectively, the “CRF Website(s)”), when you register and attend any of CRF®’s live, in-person or virtual conferences or events, or engage CRF® to provide services (collectively, “CRF Services”).  This Statement applies to all personal data collected by CRF® from individuals in the United States, European Union or from countries that have similar data protection laws.

Because CRF® wants to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy, CRF® share its information practices with you, including:

  • What personal data is collected in connection with the CRF Website(s) and CRF Services.
  • The organizations collecting the personal data.
  • How the collected personal data is used.
  • With whom the personal data may be shared.
  • What rights and choices are available to users of the CRF Website(s) and CRF Services.
  • The security procedures in place to protect the loss, misuse or alteration of information that is under CRF®’s control.

What Personal Data is Collected

CRF® collects your personal data when you provide it, for instance by registering for and attendin by entering into a business relationship or contract with CRF® for CRF Services.  “Personal data” is any information that can be used to identify you or that CRF® can link to you, such as your photo, name, title, address, e-mail address, or IP address.  CRF® may  automatically collect certain information when you use, access or interact with CRF® via the CRF Website(s), for instance through browser settings or cookies.  CRF® may also collect information from other sources, such as social media platforms that may share information about how you interact with CRF®’s social media content, or if you interact with CRF® via its social media accounts.

All personal data you provide to CRF® or that CRF® (automatically) collects is provided voluntarily.  However, without providing certain data, such as your e-mail address or other contact information, CRF® may not be able to respond to your requests or deliver the CRF Services to you.

The CRF Website(s) and CRF Services are generally not directed to children under 16.  CRF® does not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16 without parental consent.  If you become aware that CRF® has collected personal data from a child under the age of 16 without parental consent, please let CRF® know so that it can take appropriate action.

If you attend certain of CRF®’s live, in-person conferences or events, CRF® may attach a wearable beacon to the conference badge issued to you.  As you enter and exit various public areas at these events, your registration information will be captured by electronic readers.  The information obtained through this process will be used to measure event attendance and to analyze aggregated event data for CRF®’s internal business purposes.  CRF® may also use this information to send promotional and informational communications that CRF® believes may be of interest to you, both during and after the event.  You have the option of requesting that the beacon not be attached to your badge either via e-mail or at the time you pick up your badge at the event.  Please check the terms and conditions of the applicable event when registering for additional information about the use/opt-out of the beacons.  If you do not request to have the beacon removed at or during the event, you will later have the option not to receive promotional e-mails from CRF® by using the “unsubscribe” link included in each promotional e-mail.

How CRF® Uses the Information It Collects

CRF® will process  personal data in the United States and only process personal data where CRF® has a legal basis to do so.  For example, CRF® may use the information it collects:

  • To enter into a contract with you, or to take steps, at your request, prior to entering into a contract (such as account registration for which CRF® requires your name, e-mail address, city, state, country, zip/postal code, and clinical/non-clinical classification);
     
  • To respond to your inquiries, to provide you with the CRF Services that you request, to communicate and engage with third-parties to provide the CRF Website(s) and CRF Services to you, to maintain business administration records and prevent fraud, which is in CRF®’s legitimate interest;
     
  • For other communications with you.  For example, CRF® sends each new member a welcome e-mail to verify username and password.  Thereafter, members who elect to join one or more of CRF®’s electronic communication distribution lists will occasionally receive communications about features, products, services or updates from CRF® or in relation to the CRF Website(s).  It is in CRF®’s legitimate interest to send these communications.  Members who elect to join one or more of CRF®’s electronic communication distribution lists and consent to receiving third-party communications may also occasionally receive communications about features, products, services or updates sponsored by third-parties that may be of interest to users of CRF Website(s);
     
  • To keep records and administration on how the CRF Services are provided, claims and complaints are handled, including the documents underlying such services, claims and complaints, which is in CRF®’s legitimate interest;
     
  • To understand how people use the CRF Websites and CRF Services and to operate, maintain and improve the CRF Website(s) and CRF Services, which is in CRF®’s legitimate interest;
     
  • To comply with legal obligations applicable to CRF®, such as responding to legal process or requests for information issued by government authorities or other third-parties.

How CRF® May Share the Information It Collects

CRF® and its affiliated entities share information with each other and/or with third-party service providers/subprocessors, including but not limited to, consultants, attorneys and other professionals (collectively, “3rd Party Service Providers”) for CRF®’s general business purposes, such as internal administration and providing you or your organization with the CRF Services.  CRF® also works with 3rd Party Service Providers to provide a more customized experience for you when you visit the CRF Website(s).  To do so, CRF® may disclose personal data to these 3rd Party Service Providers, though CRF® does not permit such third-party service providers to re-sell or use your personal data for their own purposes.  These 3rd Party Service Providers may collect and profile your information in order to monitor and analyze the CRF Website(s)’ traffic for the purposes of business intelligence, provide personalized suggestions and content recommendations, including advertisements, and/or monitor the CRF Website(s) for purposes of developing service improvements.

CRF® and its affiliated entities may share information with other third-parties (including law enforcement agencies and potential transaction partners, sponsors, supporters, exhibitors and investors) where CRF® and its affiliated entities have a legal basis to do so.

During your attendance at an in-person conference or event organized by CRF®, your conference badge containing personal data or information that reasonably identifies you (e.g., name, photo, city, state, country, and clinical/non-clinical classification, etc.) will be:

  • visible to people present at the conference or event (e.g., other attendees, staff, vendors, workers, etc.) as conference badges must be worn at all times during the conference for security, identification and networking  purposes;
  • scanned for administrative and legal compliance purposes.  At both in-person and virtual conferences or events organized by CRF®, CRF® will provide third-parties (i.e., sponsors, supporters, and industry) with your personal data or information for administrative, logistical, and legal reporting purposes, as applicable, and where CRF® has a legal basis to do so,  such third-parties’ independent use in compliance with their privacy statements.
  • scanned at exhibition booths if you choose to allow the scanning of your badge during your visit to the exhibition booth. By allowing the scan of your badge at the exhibition booth you are opting in to receiving communications from that exhibitor, which are subject to such exhibitor’s privacy policies.  To stop receiving such exhibitor communications, you must opt-out directly with the exhibitor directly and not through CRF®. This Statement does not address the privacy, security, or other practices of the exhibitor and CRF® does not endorse, screen or approve, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices or content of such exhibitor communications and polices.  Scanning of your badge at an exhibition booth is strictly voluntary.

During your attendance at a virtual event organized by CRF®, if you submit comments, questions, feedback or other information during any of the sessions, you understand that your first and last name will be tied to your submission, both of which will be shared publicly with other participants in that session.  You further understand that these sessions (and the information you submit during a session) may be recorded and made available publicly on any of the CRF Website(s).

In addition, during your attendance at an in-person conference or event organized by CRF®, you may be photographed or videotaped by CRF® or CRF®’s designated vendor(s) capturing the event. Some of these photographs or videos may be displayed by CRF® in publications or materials connected with the conference or other CRF® conferences. You hereby grant CRF® an irrevocable, worldwide, sublicensable, royalty-free, fully paid-up license to reproduce, copy, display, perform, share, create derivative works, or otherwise use any photos, videos, or audio recordings taken of you (whether individually or as part of a group) by CRF® or CRF®’s designated vendor(s) during the conference or any other conference-related activity or event for (a) promotional/marketing use (e.g., brochures, association publications, and web-based media such as blogs, websites, e-newsletters, etc.) and (b) such uses as are reasonable and customary for conferences. You hereby agree to unconditionally release and hold harmless CRF® and CRF®’s associated/affiliated entities, agents or assigns, from all claims, demands, causes of action, and liability related to said the use of such materials.

If CRF® transfers your personal data to a recipient outside of the European Union, CRF® will only do so in compliance with the European Union General Data Protection Regulation.  If you have questions about the international transfers of your personal data or the appropriate safeguards CRF® has in place or wish to obtain a copy of such safeguards, please contact CRF® via officeoflegalaffairs@CRF.org.

Third-Party Services and Content

CRF® engages third-parties that support the operation of the CRF® Websites, such as analytics providers.  For instance, CRF® uses Google Analytics, and Feathr.co to analyze the audience of the CRF Websites and improve CRF®’s content.  These third-parties may use various technologies to track your online activities over time and across different websites and online platforms.  By visiting CRF Website(s), these  third-parties may place cookies on your browsers for the purpose of targeting and online behavioral advertising and used by such third parties to target advertising on other sites or applications based on your online activity.  For further information on the privacy policies concerning these third-party services, please visit their respective websites:

The CRF Website(s) may also include integrated content or links to content provided by third-parties (such as social media platforms).  This Statement does not address the privacy, security or other practices of the third-parties that provide such content.  CRF® does not endorse, screen or approve, and are not responsible for, the privacy practices or content of such other websites.  Visiting these other websites is at your own risk.  CRF® recommends that you review the privacy policies applicable to third-party websites prior to visiting those websites.

Protection and Storage of the Information CRF® Collects

CRF® deploys administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to safeguard the information that it collects.  However, no safeguards or systems can be 100% secure.  This means that CRF® cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal data.  Moreover, CRF® is not responsible for the security of information you transmit to CRF® over networks that CRF® does not control, including the internet and wireless networks, or that you submit to third-parties through their websites, services or otherwise.

CRF® retains the information it collects in an identifiable form as reasonably necessary and only for as long as required to fulfill the purposes for which CRF® collected the information and to comply with CRF®’s legal obligations. In connection with CRF®’s conferences, registration information is retained for three years by our 3rd Party Service Provider however, the photos submitted for use in the conference badges are deleted after one year’s time.

Your Choices and Rights

CRF® encourages you to contact CRF® to update or correct your information if it changes or if you believe that any information that CRF® collected about you is inaccurate.  If provided for under applicable law, you can also ask CRF® to see what personal data CRF® has about you, to rectify or erase your personal data or to port your personal data.  You may also tell CRF® if you object to or want to restrict CRF®’s use of your personal data.  If you would like to discuss or exercise such rights, please notify officeoflegalaffairs@crf.org.  You can also use this address to lodge a complaint.  Depending on your location, if you are not satisfied about the manner in which CRF® handles your complaint, you may also lodge a complaint with the competent data protection authority.

If CRF® process your personal data on the basis of your consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting CRF® at officeoflegalaffairs@crf.org.  Depending on your location, where CRF® processes your personal data on the basis of CRF®’s or a third-party’s legitimate interest, you may object to such processing at any time by contacting CRF® at  officeoflegalaffairs@crf.org.

Changes to This Statement

CRF® may update this Statement at any time.  The effective date of the current Statement is noted at the beginning of this Statement.  CRF® encourages you to periodically review this page.  If CRF® make changes, CRF® will inform you by revising the effective date and, in some cases (for example, if CRF® intends to use your information in a way that materially differs from what is described in this Statement), CRF® may provide you with an additional notice (such as adding a statement to CRF Website(s) homepages or sending you a notification).  Your continued use of the CRF Website(s) and/or CRF Services following the posting of any changes to this Statement means you consent to such changes.

Use of Cookies

CRF® collects certain information by automated means when you visit the CRF Website(s) through the use of cookies.  A cookie is a small file of letters and numbers that CRF® stores on your browser or the hard drive of your computer.  Cookies contain information that is transferred to your computer’s hard drive.  Cookies are used to speed up your access to the CRF Website(s) and the information you wish to see, as well as for website analytics, marketing efforts and for functionality.

Cookies are also used to distinguish you from other users of the CRF Website(s).  This helps CRF® to provide you with a good experience when you browse the CRF Website(s) and allows CRF® to improve them.  The CRF Website(s) may also use web beacons along with cookies (either directly or through CRF®’s third-party service providers such as  Feathr) to understand your browsing and buying activities and to determine if you have visited a particular site, which aids CRF® in providing you with more relevant advertising and allows CRF® to measure the success of online advertising campaigns.  Web beacons allow CRF® to obtain information such as the IP address of the computer that downloaded the page on which the beacon appears, the URL of the page on which the beacon appears, the time the page containing the beacon was viewed, the type of browser used to view the page, and the information in cookies set by the third-party.  CRF® also collects IP addresses, either directly or through CRF®’s third-party service providers such as  Feathr.  An IP address is a unique identifier that certain electronic devices used to identify and communicate with each other on the internet.  When you visit the CRF Website(s), CRF® may view and/or store the IP address of the device you use to connect to the internet.  For a third-party cookie or web beacon, the third-party will have access to the collected information in order to provide CRF® with information or services to enhance the performance or functionality of the CRF Website(s).  CRF® uses this information to determine the general physical location of the device and understand from what regions of the world visitors to the CRF Website(s)come from.  CRF® uses the information collected from these technologies to compile reports, help CRF® improve the CRF Website(s)such as by providing you with more relevant advertising, and allows CRF® to measure the success of online advertising campaigns.

The Types of Cookies CRF® Uses

CRF® uses the following types of cookies on the CRF Website(s):

Controlling Cookies

You may control cookie settings in your web browser by refusing to allow the setting of all or some cookies.  For detailed guidance on how to control or disable cookies, CRF® recommends you visit  https://www.aboutcookies.org/how-to-control-cookies/.  If you view a CRF Website(s) without changing your cookie settings, you are indicating your consent to receive all cookies from the CRF Website(s).  However, if you change your cookie settings to block cookies, some features and functionality of the CRF Website(s) may not operate as expected.