Section 01
Introduction & Data Controller
ConferenceAlert Academic Association ("ConferenceAlert," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when you visit conferencealert.online or use our virtual scientific conference directory services.
Data Controller:
ConferenceAlert Academic Association
Level 4, Academic Plaza, HITEC City, Hyderabad — 500081, India
Email: support@conferencealert.online | Phone: +91 94408 26021
Section 02
Data We Collect
We collect only the minimum data necessary to provide our services:
- Identity Data: Full name, academic title, institutional affiliation — collected when you submit an enquiry, abstract, or registration.
- Contact Data: Email address and telephone number — collected only through direct voluntary opt-in actions by you.
- Usage Data: IP address, browser type, and page interaction logs — collected automatically via server logs to improve security and performance.
- Correspondence Data: Messages submitted via our contact or enquiry forms.
- Technical Data: Session cookies used to maintain your state during virtual conference room access.
We do not collect sensitive personal data such as financial details, national ID numbers, or health records.
Section 03
How We Use Your Data
- To respond to academic enquiries submitted via our contact forms.
- To process conference registrations and abstract submissions.
- To send transactional email notifications triggered by your specific actions — registration confirmation, abstract acknowledgement, peer-review outcomes, and event schedules.
- To publish accepted peer-reviewed abstracts and conference proceedings.
- To improve and secure our website infrastructure.
- To comply with applicable legal obligations.
We do not use your data for profiling, behavioral advertising, or any automated decision-making that produces legal effects.
Section 04
Email Communication & Anti-Spam Policy
ConferenceAlert operates a strict permission-based, transactional-only email model. All emails are triggered exclusively by specific user actions such as:
- Submitting an enquiry or contact form (a confirmation email is sent to the submitted address)
- Registering for a virtual conference (confirmation and event access details)
- Submitting a research abstract (submission acknowledgement and peer-review updates)
✓ We strictly prohibit: bulk marketing campaigns, unsolicited cold emails, purchased email lists, scraped or harvested email addresses, or any form of spam. All email addresses are collected only through explicit voluntary user actions on our platform.
Where we send non-critical academic update notifications, every such email includes a clear, one-click unsubscribe link processed immediately and permanently. Our practices comply with CAN-SPAM (USA), CASL (Canada), and EU ePrivacy Directive requirements.
Section 05
Email Deliverability & Bounce Handling (Amazon SES)
All transactional emails from ConferenceAlert are delivered via Amazon Simple Email Service (Amazon SES), using our fully verified domain (conferencealert.online) with proper SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication configured.
We operate an automated email compliance and suppression management system:
- Hard Bounces: Email addresses generating a hard bounce (invalid mailbox) are automatically and permanently added to our suppression list via Amazon SES SNS notification hooks. No further emails are ever sent to that address.
- Soft Bounces: Temporary delivery failures are tracked. Persistent soft bounces are escalated to suppression after a defined threshold.
- Spam Complaints: Any address that marks our email as spam is immediately and permanently suppressed. Complaint rates are monitored in real-time.
- Unsubscribes: One-click List-Unsubscribe headers are included in all applicable emails and processed instantly.
Target Metrics: Complaint rate < 0.08% | Hard bounce rate < 1.5% — fully aligned with AWS Trust & Safety policies.
Section 06
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For users in the European Economic Area, we process your personal data under the following lawful bases:
- Contractual Necessity: Processing required to fulfil a conference registration or abstract submission.
- Legitimate Interests: Sending transactional notifications, improving website security, preventing fraud.
- Consent: Where you have explicitly opted in to receive optional academic updates — withdrawable at any time.
- Legal Obligation: Where processing is required to comply with applicable laws.
Section 07
Third-Party Disclosures
ConferenceAlert does not sell, trade, rent, or lease your personal information to any third parties. We share information only with trusted service providers delivering our platform:
- Amazon Web Services (AWS): Cloud infrastructure and Amazon SES for transactional email — subject to AWS's Data Processing Agreement.
- Video Conferencing Providers: Virtual room platforms for hosting live sessions — only event-relevant access credentials are shared.
- Proceedings Publishers: For publishing accepted abstracts — only author name, affiliation, and abstract content are shared with explicit author consent.
Section 08
Data Retention
- Enquiry / Contact Data: Retained for 24 months from submission date, then securely deleted.
- Conference Registration Data: Retained for 36 months after the conference date, then deleted.
- Email Suppression Lists: Permanently maintained to ensure suppressed addresses are never re-contacted.
- Usage / Server Log Data: Automatically purged after 90 days.
- Published Abstracts: Retained indefinitely as part of the public scholarly record, consistent with open-access academic publishing standards.
Section 09
Cookie Policy
We use a minimal set of cookies necessary to operate the website:
- Session Cookies (Essential): Maintain your login state during virtual conference room sessions. Expire when you close your browser.
- Preference Cookies (Functional): Store your search and filter preferences during a single visit. No personal data transmitted externally.
We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party analytics that monitor behavior across external websites. You may disable cookies in your browser settings.
Section 10
Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of Access: Request a copy of data we hold about you.
- Right of Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention obligations).
- Right to Restrict Processing: Request limited use of your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Data Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including unsubscribing from communications.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, withdraw at any time without affecting prior processing.
To exercise these rights, email support@conferencealert.online. We respond within 30 days.
Section 11
Security
- HTTPS / TLS Encryption: All data between your browser and our servers is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher.
- Email Authentication: All emails sent using SPF, DKIM, and DMARC-authenticated domain credentials.
- Access Controls: Personal data accessible only to authorised staff on a strict need-to-know basis.
- Regular Security Reviews: Periodic security audits and vulnerability assessments.
Section 12
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date above. For material changes, registered users will be notified via a transactional email. Continued use of our platform after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Section 13
Contact & Data Protection
For privacy-related questions, data requests, or to exercise your rights, contact us:
If you are located in the EU/EEA and believe your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local Data Protection Authority (DPA).