Our Privacy Policy has been Updated
To continue using the site you need to read the revised version and agree to the policies
This policy explains what data we collect, how we use and protect your data, and your choices with regard to your data.
We’ve tried to keep it as simple and easy to understand as possible, but please do contact us if you’d like more information.
Our aims
Our mission at The CircusNetwork is to give anyone involved or interested in circus arts (or any related fields) a safe place to ask questions, share their experiences, and connect with other like-minded individuals. Keeping your data secure, protecting your privacy, and giving you control over your data are important aspects of that mission.
We recognise our duty of care with regards to your data and will endeavour to store your data securely and give you control over your own data. We don’t sell your email address to anyone else.
Posting on The CircusNetwork
It’s up to you whether you post on The CircusNetwork or just browse for information. If you do post we always store the contents of those posts.
Be aware that posts in the forum are public. The CircusNetwork forums are visible to search engines, we cannot control who sees these posts.
When you post in the forums, your name is displayed on screen with your post and users will be able to click on your name to see your profile. It’s up to you to review your profile privacy settings to make sure they are at a level you are comfortable with.
Please post responsibly, and if you’re considering saying something controversial then have a good think about whether you could say it in a better/nicer way before you submit your post. If you’d like one of your posts amended and you can’t edit or delete it then please contact us.
Your data - what we store and why
What
For all users we store IP address, cookies, your device’s unique ID, page browsing history, ads you’ve viewed and clicked, searches you’ve made on the site, approximate location, and any enquiries you’ve made.
For registered members we also store your name, password and email address; discussions you may have with site moderators or admins; and a summary of decisions we’ve taken about you if we’ve reviewed your use of The CircusNetwork for any reason.
We don’t require your name or address when you view our content, and you can use The CircusNetwork fully without providing your address or phone number.
Why
Using data analytics allows us to see which parts of the site are popular and well-used, and this information helps us to improve The CircusNetwork for everyone. Data you give us when filling in forms helps us show you more relevant things.
We store your email address to register you and contact you, and we store things such as IP address, cookies and device ID so that our systems recognise you if you return to The CircusNetwork.
We store things such as your device’s reading habits so that we may be able to show you things we think would be of interest to you.
We also use Google Analytics to report on total page views to help us understand usage trends. We do not pass your personal data to Google and your IP address is anonymised before we share this information with Google Analytics. Google uses cookies and can learn about your browsing on The CircusNetwork to inform Google ads and other Google services, as explained here: https://policies.google.com/privacy/partners.
We may also, with your permission, pass your device's reading habits to selected brands for them to show you things they think may be of interest to you.
We collect, store and process the above data subject to your permissions and choices. We believe we provide a useful service, and that processing your data in these ways benefits both The CircusNetwork and you as user.
Registered members:
We store the following information for all registered members:
- Username, password, email address – so that you can log in. If you choose to join The CircusNetwork we ask for your email address so that we can create an account for you and send you essential information as well as any services you’ve signed up for.
- Discussions that take place over email or via Private Messages between you and The CircusNetwork moderators – so that we have a record.
- A summary of any actions we may have taken with regard to your use of The CircusNetwork (usually in response to reported posts) – so that we have a record and can moderate fairly.
- Permissions to email you, to send you newsletters or communications that you have chosen to receive from The CircusNetwork.
- Private Messages that you choose to send other users.
- Data that you provide when using and interacting with the site.
Your permissions and choices
Your registration data
You can change the information that you provided when you registered, including your email address, on your General Settings page. You can access this by clicking on the “Settings” icon (the cog) and then selecting “General”.
We restrict to a minimum the number of people who have access to registration data, and we review this regularly.
If you sign in using Facebook or Google, you can stop access at any time via your Facebook or Google account settings. If you still wish to post on The CircusNetwork you’ll then need to register via our Sign Up page.
Your email preferences
You can change your email preferences by going to the Privacy page of your account. You can access this by clicking on the “Settings” icon (the cog) and then selecting “Privacy”.
Your posts
If you ever want a post edited or deleted that you don’t have permission to edit or delete yourself then contact us and let us know what you’d like done.
Your cookies
Most web browsers automatically accept cookies. A cookie is a small, temporary file which a web server sends to your web browser to be stored. Cookies allow The CircusNetwork to identify your web browser and device if we see it again.
Cookies do not contain your name or other personal details and there are benefits to you and us, including allowing you to log in and post more easily, helping us to show you more relevant content and ads, and allowing us to gather information about how many people visit The CircusNetwork, how often, and what they look at while on the site (this is a process called ‘analytics’).
Understanding what people look at the most on The CircusNetwork means we can create more of what users find useful and less of what they don’t. We might sometimes share anonymous information with advertisers to help them to show you more relevant ads.
There are 2 ways for you to manage your cookie preferences:
1.The first time you visit The CircusNetwork you should see a pop-up along the bottom of the screen. You can choose to accept all cookies, by clicking ‘I Agree’, or you can manage your individual preferences by clicking ‘show purposes’.
2.If you are a registered member of The CircusNetwork you can manage your cookie preferences by heading to our Privacy Centre.
Deleting your account
You can delete your account by clicking on the “Settings” icon (the cog) and selecting “General” and then “Delete Account”.
Once you’ve pressed “Delete Account” you’ll need to wait a few moments to receive your verification code via email. This is for our two-step authentication for account deletion.
Signing in with Facebook or Google
Now or in the future, you may be able to choose to log in to The CircusNetwork using Facebook or Google instead of having to create and remember another password.
When you do this, Facebook or Google will know you’ve logged in to The CircusNetwork. We do not know whether Facebook or Google use this data (for example to make ads more relevant).
By logging in via Facebook or Google you grant us access to your Facebook or Google registered email address. Their respective privacy policies are linked below.
By default, the Facebook login process says it requires access to your Public Profile, but we do not store or use that data. We do not use (and cannot obtain) your Friends list and we do not ask for or receive any data that Facebook holds on you.
You may stop access at any time via your Facebook or Google account settings. If you want to carry on being able to post on The CircusNetwork you will then need to register via our Sign Up page.
Advertising
We may, now or in the future, employ the services of third-party companies to help us deliver advertising. These companies will use cookies to select and deliver advertisements for you, and to measure the delivery and effectiveness of such advertisements. This will include using collected information about your interests in order to select ads for you, processing data about what advertisements were shown, how often they are shown, when and where they are shown, and whether you took any action related to the advertisement, including for example clicking an ad or making a purchase. Where is your data stored
We store your data on secure servers. Unless you have turned cookies off, some data technology companies (such as Google) will store your cookies; they do not have access to any personal information about you beyond your browsing habits.
For more information on cookies you can visit https://www.aboutcookies.org
How long we hold your data
Any personal data you give us, or that we collect when you use The CircusNetwork, will be retained by us for as long as it’s needed to perform its function. We regularly review the data we hold to ensure it is still necessary.
Registration data is held permanently unless you choose to delete it.
Private Messages are stored until you delete them. If you delete your account, your messages will also be deleted.
All the data we hold is stored securely and only accessible to authorised staff members.
Data requests
If you’d like you can ask us to provide details of the personal information we hold about you, under the 2018 EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). To request this information, please email us at hello@thecircusnetwork.com or write to The CircusNetwork, 5 Merrivale Gardens, Woking, Surrey GU21 3LX.
Complying with the law and best practice around data
As well as keeping up-to-date with laws about data, we aim to take sensible decisions based on common sense, taking account of users’ views and industry best practices.
Exceptional circumstances - safeguarding and official investigations
If there are safeguarding reasons, or if we are contacted by the police about a possible breach of the law, then we may share your personal information with public authorities without your permission. If we are compelled to do so by a court order, we will share your personal data to the extent specified in the order.
If our security is compromised
If our security is breached, our data is compromised or if we fail to comply with the law, we will tell affected users as soon as we become aware of the failure.
We will report any data breach to the Information Commissioner and, if appropriate, the police, in a timely fashion.
Used appropriately, we believe using data will improve the user experience on The CircusNetwork and supports our aim of creating a safe environment for those interested in circus arts to connect with each other and share information.
The Circus Network uses best practice, multi-tier web application security for our servers including Denial of Service protection and Web Application Firewall at the network edge.
Updates
Updates will be noted here as and when they are made.
