Privacy Statement

Johns Hopkins University & Medicine: Privacy Statement for Websites and Mobile Applications

Last updated: January 28, 2019

Thank you for visiting Johns Hopkins. We are committed to protecting the privacy of all visitors to our websites and mobile applications. We wrote this privacy statement to help you understand what information we collect, how we use it, what choices you have, and other important information regarding the use of information collected through our websites and online services. Johns Hopkins University and Johns Hopkins Medicine are referred to in this privacy statement, collectively, as “Johns Hopkins,” “we,” “us,” or “our.”

If you have any questions or comments about this privacy statement or the ways in which Johns Hopkins uses the information we collect online, please do not hesitate to contact us using the contact information provided at the bottom of this statement.

Scope & Application

This privacy statement applies to information collected through any websites, mobile applications, and/or online or mobile-enabled technology, and/or digital tools that display or link to this privacy statement (collectively, our “Online Platforms”). This privacy statement also applies to information shared with us by our approved partners and other third-party sources.

This privacy statement does not apply to (i) information collected from you either offline or through websites and other online services that do not display or link to this privacy statement, including third-party websites to which our online services may link, or (ii) information that would be considered “Protected Health Information” under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA). Johns Hopkins’ use and disclosure of Protected Health Information is set forth in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Notice of Privacy Practices.

Collection and Use of Information

When you view and/or interact with our Online Platforms, we may collect and combine information about you, how you engage with our Online Platforms, and the devices you use to view and/or interact with our Online Platforms for the legitimate purposes described below. This includes information you provide to us in connection with your use of the Online Platforms and information collected automatically when you view and/or interact with our Online Platforms.

Some of the information we collect may be personally identifiable information, which includes, but is not limited to, information like your name, email address, postal address, or phone number. We do not collect information that would personally identify you unless you choose to provide it or as otherwise provided in this privacy statement. You can access and browse our Online Platforms at any time without providing any personally identifying information. For information on student privacy rights and our compliance to the Federal Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA), please refer to the University Policy on Family Educational Rights and Privacy.

Information You Provide to Us

We collect information you provide directly to us, such as when you create or modify your account or user preferences, sign up for a newsletter, contact us, respond to a survey, or otherwise communicate with us. This information may include your name, email address, phone number, postal address, insurance information, personal health information (however this does not rise to the level of “Protected Health Information” protected by HIPAA), survey responses, user content stored or entered into the forms found in our Online Platforms, and other information you choose to provide through use of our Online Platforms.

The information you provide to us will be used to (i) set up your account (if applicable); (ii) if you elect to receive information from Johns Hopkins, provide you with such information; (iii) improve the Online Platforms; (iv) respond to your inquiries; (v) facilitate your job or student application; and/or (vi) fulfill any other purpose for which you provided it.

We will not use the information you provide for any purposes other than as described in this privacy statement or explained to you at the point at which the information was collected.

Information Collected Automatically

We may automatically collect additional information about your visit to our Online Platforms, including pages you visit, your geographic location based solely on your Internet Protocol (IP) address, promotions with which you interacted, and other behaviors. This information is collected for the purpose of improving your overall visit to our Online Platforms by providing interest-based content. For example, we may collect information about your geographic location and a specific interest, based on topics you have browsed on our Online Platforms, so that we can highlight a program or resource close to your location. The data may also be used to provide interest-based content for communications for which you have opted in.

We may also gather certain information automatically, including but not limited to, IP addresses, browser type, Internet Service Provider (ISP), operating system, date/time stamp, mobile location and device type, and/or clickstream data. This information may be collected via cookies, web beacons, and/or similar technologies that help us serve you better, for example, by making your interactions with our Online Platforms faster or more personalized. The information we collect automatically through these technologies may be linked to other information we collect about you.

When interacting with our services within social media, we may obtain information stored within social media or authorized by you to be collected by us within such social media. This information may include your contact information, email address, friend information, friends and pages with whom you have an association, and other information stored within social media.

Information Collected by Third-Party Tools

We may also use certain third-party products or services (“Third-Party Tools”), such as Google Analytics, a web analysis service provided by Google, in order to better understand the use of our Online Platforms. These Third-Party Tools may collect information such as how often users visit our Online Platforms, what pages they visit, and the websites which referred you to our Online Platforms. Further, the Third-Party Tools may use the data collected to track and examine the use of the Online Platforms, to prepare reports on its activities, and to share them with other related services. The Third Party Tools, to the extent they serve advertising, may also use the data collected on the Online Platforms to contextualize and personalize ads on their own advertising networks. Each Third-Party Tool’s ability to use and share information it collects about your visits to the Online Platforms is restricted by its own privacy policies and terms of use. Additional information about the Third-Party Tools we use can be provided by contacting us as set forth below.

Your Control Over Information

You have a variety of tools to manage cookies and similar technologies that collect information related to your use of the Online Platforms, including:

  • Web browser controls to block and delete cookies, or adjust your tracking preferences; and
  • Visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance’s opt-out page here to opt out from receiving third-party advertiser cookies.

For cookies and similar technologies used on our mobile applications for applicable targeted advertising activities, follow the steps provided by your mobile device platform provider (Apple, Android, or others) to opt out of having your information collected and used by us and our digital marketing partners.

Please note: Disabling, removing, or blocking cookies may turn off some of the features of our Online Platforms that make your experience more efficient, and some Online Platforms may not function properly as a result. Further, if you opt out of having your information collected and used by us and our digital marketing partners for interest-based advertising purposes, you will continue to receive ads, but such ads will not be tailored to your specific interests based on web viewing data collected from your device over time and across unaffiliated websites.

Sharing of Information

We may share the information described above as set forth in this privacy statement or as otherwise described at the time such information is collected from you. We will not sell, rent, or swap this information, nor will we authorize any of our service providers or business partners to use this information for their own commercial purposes without your permission.

Information Shared by Us

  • Affiliates. We may share information with a parent, subsidiary, or affiliate entity within the Johns Hopkins family. Any organization to which we provide such information is required to keep it confidential and to use such information only in accordance with this privacy statement.
  • Service Providers. In the course of doing business, we employ other companies and individuals to perform a variety of functions on our behalf. For example, we may provide information as necessary to companies that host our Online Platforms or send communications on our behalf. These service providers may have access to information about you if it is needed to perform their functions for us, but they are not authorized by us to use or disclose such information except as necessary to perform services on our behalf or to comply with legal requirements, and they are required to maintain the information in confidence.
  • Legally Required. We reserve the right to disclose information if required to do so by law or by a regulatory authority, including those that regulate higher education. We may also disclose information as part of an investigation or enforcement action relating to improper or illegal conduct in connection with our Online Platforms or other products, including, without limitation, any situations that may potentially involve threats to the safety or privacy of any person or misuse of our Online Platforms.
  • Aggregated and Non-Identified Data. We may maintain and use aggregate data or other non-identified information (i.e., data that does not identify a specific individual), such as usage statistics, device data, online traffic patterns, and user feedback. In addition to using this information for the purposes discussed in this privacy statement, we may disclose such aggregated or non-identified data to third parties without restriction.
  • Business Partners. Johns Hopkins may securely share your information with our business partners, such as local advertisers who pay for banner ads on Johns Hopkins Online Platforms and vendors who coordinate the collection of donations to the university. These business partners may use the information received by them to contact you to offer you certain opportunities, products, services, or promotions. Once your information has been shared with a business partner, it is no longer subject to the control of Johns Hopkins or subject to this privacy statement, however Johns Hopkins requires its business partners to maintain appropriate data security.

Security

The security of your information is important to us. We take precautions to protect your information by implementing safeguards to protect the information we collect. But you should keep in mind that no website or Internet transmission is ever completely secure or error-free. PLEASE NOTE: The safety and security of your information also depends on you. We urge you to take steps to keep your private information secure, such as choosing strong passwords and never sharing your password with anyone else. If you create or receive a password in connection with Online Platform access, please notify us promptly if you believe your password security has been breached, and remember to log off of the Online Platform before you leave your computer or mobile device.

The Online Platforms may offer opportunities to communicate through email. Because normal email is not encrypted, the possibility exists that unauthorized individuals may intercept email messages. Johns Hopkins, its parents, and affiliates are not responsible for the privacy and security of email messages except those stored in our system.

Third-Party Links

Occasionally, at our discretion, we may include or offer third-party products or services on or linked to our Online Platforms. These third-party websites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked websites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our website and welcome any feedback about these websites. We also encourage the following disclaimer when links are provided: “You are being redirected to a website outside of Johns Hopkins. Johns Hopkins is not responsible for any aspect of the external website.”

COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act)

We do not knowingly collect or use any personally identifiable information from children (defined by COPPA as minors younger than 13) on our Online Platforms. We do not knowingly allow children to communicate with us or use any of our Online Platforms. If you are a parent and become aware that your child has provided us with information, please contact us using one of the methods specified herein, and we will work with you to address this issue.

California and Delaware “Do Not Track” Disclosures

California and Delaware law require us to indicate whether we honor “Do Not Track” settings in your Web browser concerning targeted advertising. At this time, there is no worldwide uniform or consistent industry standard or definition for responding to, processing, or communicating “Do Not Track” signals. Thus, like many other websites and online services, we do not currently respond to any “Do Not Track” browser requests.

California Privacy Rights

Under California law, California residents have the right to request in writing from businesses with whom they have an established business relationship: (a) a list of the categories of personally identifiable information—such as name, email, and mailing address, and the type of services provided to the customer—that a business has disclosed to third parties (including affiliates that are separate legal entities) during the immediately preceding calendar year for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes; and (b) the name and address of all such third parties. To request the above information, please email us at: [email protected] with a reference to California Disclosure Information. Please note that we are only required to respond to each customer once per calendar year.

Visiting Johns Hopkins Online Platforms from Outside The United States

Johns Hopkins is located in the United States. The services described within the Online Platforms are directed only at customers in the United States. If you are visiting the Online Platforms, or any part thereof, from outside of the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, or processed in the United States and maintained on computers or servers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where the privacy laws may not be as protective as those in your jurisdiction.  If you are located in the European Economic Area, you may have additional rights, including the right to access, correct, erase, restrict processing of, and object to processing and profiling of your information, and to complain to a supervisory authority within your jurisdiction. By using any portion of our Online Platforms, you understand and consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and those third parties with whom we share it as described in this privacy statement.

Acceptance of These Terms

This privacy statement is incorporated into and subject to the Terms of Use that display or link to this privacy statement. Each time that you view and/or interact with our Online Platforms, you signify that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by the Terms of Use, which incorporate this privacy statement. If you do not agree to the terms of this privacy statement or the use of your information as set forth in this privacy statement, please do not use our Online Platforms. Your continued use of our Online Platforms subsequent to changes in this privacy statement will signify your acceptance of the changes.

Updates

We reserve the right to modify this privacy statement at any time. All updates will be posted on this page, so please review it periodically.

Reservation of Rights

By viewing and/or interacting with our Online Platforms, you consent, and we reserve the right, to have the data we collect from you be used as described in this privacy statement.  Additionally, you consent, and we reserve the right, to have the data we collect from you be used in ways that are consistent with the then-current disclosed privacy statement regardless of when your data was collected (e.g., we can use your data in ways that are consistent with the current disclosed practices, but which may not be entirely consistent with the previously disclosed practices when your information was originally collected).

If you feel that we are not abiding by this privacy statement or if you have any questions, you should contact us immediately via email at [email protected].

Last updated:  January 28, 2019