Caltech Privacy Notice

Effective date: March 24, 2025

This Privacy Notice ("Notice") governs how California Institute of Technology ("Caltech," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, processes, discloses and retains information we collect about you through our websites and mobile applications (collectively, "sites") or in connection with events, conferences, and related activities sponsored by, or attended at, Caltech (collectively, "Events"). Certain Caltech websites may have their own privacy notices, and visitors to such sites should review the applicable privacy notice. JPL's Privacy Policy may be found here.

Please read this Notice carefully to understand our information practices with respect to our sites and Events. If you do not agree to the terms and conditions set forth in this Notice, you should not use Caltech sites or provide us with information in connection with Events. Your use of the sites will be deemed as your consent to and acceptance of the terms and conditions of this Notice.

Caltech will take reasonable steps to ensure that your privacy is protected consistent with applicable federal and state laws. This Notice aligns with Caltech's respect for privacy as well as its educational mission. Caltech will not sell any personal information to third parties for their use in direct marketing, advertising, or promotion of their products or services.

1. Information We Collect

We may collect information in a variety of ways, including when you provide information directly to us, through automated means on our sites, and from other sources. We may combine all of the information we collect from or about you from these various sources for the purposes set forth in this Privacy Notice.

1.1 Information you provide to us

We may collect any information that you provide directly to us, such as through the sites, forms, or in connection with Events sponsored by, hosted at, or offered in connection with Caltech. Such information may include:

· Full name;

· Mailing address;

· Email address;

· Phone number;

· Payment information, such as credit and debit cards, Venmo, PayPal, etc. (collected by our third-party payment processor on our behalf when you make a purchase from Caltech's store, donate to Caltech, purchase a ticket to a Caltech event, or otherwise use your payment information when you interact with us);

· Employment information (e.g., employer name, your title, work contact information);

· Content you post or submit (e.g., text, images, photographs, videos, or any other kind of content) on our sites or elsewhere (such as on social media) in connection with Events;

· Survey responses; and

· Any other information you choose to include when you contact us.

1.2 Information We Collect Through Automated Means

Web server logs may collect and store certain system-related information automatically. This information can be used to help us make our sites more useful for you. With this data, we learn about the number of visitors to our sites and the types of technology our visitors use. The information collected may be used in aggregate to inform decisions about website content and structure. It may also be used for troubleshooting purposes, or to detect and investigate abuse or other violations of Institute policies.

Log files. As you browse our sites, we may automatically record information in log files. These log files may include information such as your web or content requests, IP address, browser type and settings, referring/exit pages and URLs, number of clicks, date and time stamp information, language preferences, data from cookies and similar technologies, and other such information.

Services metadata. We may collect metadata that provides high-level information about how you interact with the sites, such as the URLs of the pages you access, frequency and duration of use, and other information.

Information Collected for Tracking and Customization (Cookies). Caltech websites may use cookies to better serve visitors. A cookie is a piece of data that is either maintained only for the duration of a particular session visit (session cookie) or is stored on the user's computer to support future visits (persistent cookie). Caltech sites may use both types of cookies. Cookies enable site operators to (i) recognize your computer and login session; (ii) store your preferences and settings; (iii) understand which pages of the websites you have visited; (iv) enhance your user experience by delivering and measuring the effectiveness of content and advertising tailored to your interests; (v) perform analytics; and (vi) assist with security and administrative functions. As you navigate the sites, we and our third-party providers may use a variety of technologies, including cookies and similar technology, to assist in collecting information about how you access and use the sites. Such information may include your operating system, your IP address, browser type and language, referring pages and URLs, keywords, date and time, what sections of our sites you visit or use, device identifiers such as MAC address and UUID, carrier and country location, hardware and processor information, network type, and similar data (collectively, the "usage information").

The trusted third parties with whom we directly work to collect and analyze usage information include Google Analytics: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Please click on the link to learn more about their privacy practices and your choices with respect to managing these cookies.

We and our third-party partners may also use pixel tags (also called web beacons or clear gifs), and/or other technologies to collect such usage information. Pixel tags enable us, and these third parties, to recognize a browser's cookie when a browser visits the site on which the pixel tag is located in order to learn which advertisement brings a user to a given site.

Please note that you can change your browser settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated, or to block cookies altogether. Please consult the "Help" section of your browser for more information (e.g., Internet Explorer; Google Chrome; Mozilla Firefox; or Apple Safari). Please note that if you disable cookies on your browser, some features on the sites may not work properly or may otherwise be unavailable.

1.3 Information Collected from Other Sources

We may also collect information from third-party sources, such as our affiliates and publicly available information on social media platforms and research repositories.

2. How We Use the Information We Collect

We may use information we collect from and about you for the following purposes:

· To maintain, provide, operate, support, and improve the sites and Events and any other offerings we may provide;

· To identify you by your device(s) and to match your device(s) with other browsers or devices you use for the purpose of providing relevant and easier access to content and other operational purposes;

· To provide technical support and assistance;

· To communicate with you and similar audiences about Caltech, including about our Events, research, charitable opportunities, and other information that we think may be of interest to you. This may include working with our partners to serve you and similar audiences relevant advertisements across other websites;

· To respond to your inquiries;

· To enhance your experience on the sites or in connection with Events;

· To secure the sites and detect fraud and illegal activity, including cyberattacks or attempts to commit identity theft;

· To engage in internal analytics, marketing research, auditing, and reporting;

· To connect with vendors and service providers for our business operations;

· To comply with the law or legal orders and protect the safety, rights, property, or security of the sites, Events and the Institute;

· To enforce the legal terms that govern your use of the sites or participation in Events; and

· Other legitimate business purposes.

We (or our third-party partners on our behalf) may aggregate and/or anonymize information we collect. We may use aggregate or anonymized information, including without limitation for research and analytics, and may also share such data with any third parties, including partners, services providers, and others.

3. How We Share Information

We may share the information described in Section 1 as follows:

· Service Providers. We may share or provide access to your information with service providers that use such information to perform services on our behalf, such as supporting the operation of our site, donor outreach, analytics, research, data storage, security, and others.

· Affiliates. We may share information with our affiliated entities.

· Third-party partners. We may share information with third parties that support our promotional efforts, such as advertisers, ad networks, and marketing services.

· Consent. We may disclose your information to third parties when you provide us your consent to do so.

· Third Party Entities for Legal Purposes. We may disclose your information (i) in connection with a legal proceeding or investigation; (ii) to comply with relevant laws, Institute policies, and terms of this Privacy Notice; or (iii) to protect or defend the Institute's interests.

4. International Users

Caltech is located in the United States and operates the sites from the United States. If you are located outside of the United States, please be aware that any information you provide to us and/or that we collect from you, including personal data, will be transferred from your country of origin to the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your jurisdiction. We may also transfer information that we collect about you to third parties across borders and from your country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world. If you reside within the European Economic Area (consisting of the European Union, Iceland, Lichtenstein, and Norway) or the United Kingdom, please click here for additional information regarding rights and protections that may apply to you under the General Data Protection Regulation.

5. Security

We use a variety of technical and organizational measures to protect your information against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access. However, no method of transmission over the Internet, and no means of electronic or physical storage, is absolutely secure, and so we cannot ensure or warrant the security of that information.  Unauthorized attempts to upload or change information on Caltech websites are strictly prohibited and may be punishable by law, including under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996.

6. Children's Information

Caltech websites are not directed to children under 13 years of age, do not sell products or services intended for purchase by children, and do not knowingly collect or store any personal information, even in aggregate, about children under the age of 13.

7. Links to Third Party Sites

The sites may contain links or provide access to third-party websites or services. We have no control over such third parties, including their privacy practices, and we are not responsible for their information collection, use, sharing, or other practices. You should check the applicable third-party privacy policy and terms of use when visiting any such service.

Reference on a Caltech site to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, or recommendation by Caltech and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

8. Email Preferences

You may manage your preferences with respect to non-transactional emails sent by Caltech by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any such email you receive from us. Please note that even if you opt out of receiving such messages, we may still send you messages in connection with important updates to the site or Events, such as updates to this Privacy Policy, our Terms of Service in connection with any Event you have registered for, or separate email campaigns for which you have not unsubscribed.

As explained in Section 1.2 above, we may use automated technologies like cookies that enable us and our third-party partners to deliver and measure advertisements that are tailored to your interests, also known as "interest-based advertising." If you are interested in more information about interest-based advertising, or how to opt out of interest-based advertising with participating companies, you may visit the Network Advertising Initiative's Consumer Opt-Out link, the Digital Advertising Alliance's Consumer Opt-Out link, or Your Online Choices. Please note that these are third-party tools, and we are not responsible for the effectiveness of these opt-out mechanisms. After you opt out, you will still see advertisements, but they may not be as relevant to you. 

9. Changes to this Privacy Notice

This notice was last updated on the Effective Date posted at the top of this page. We may change this Notice from time to time and will post any changes on this page as soon as they go into effect, and/or provide additional notice as required by applicable law. By accessing the sites or participating in Events after we make any such changes, you are deemed to have accepted such changes. Please refer back to this Privacy Notice on a regular basis.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this policy, please contact us via email at www@caltech.edu.