Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Effective March 2023


Privacy Policy

Maryland Satsang Society, Inc., a Chartered Affiliate of ECKANKAR has a firm commitment to your privacy. You can visit our website https://eckankarmaryland.org/ without telling us who you are or sharing any personal information. The following questions and answers explain when and how personal information is collected and used.

What personal information does Maryland Satsang Society collect?

Maryland Satsang Society collects personally identifying information, such as your name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and/or credit-card information, if you choose to provide that information by

  • signing up to receive email or other mailings from Maryland Satsang Society (no credit-card information requested);

• requesting a free book (no credit-card information requested);

  • preregistering for a seminar or online event; making an online donation

We also receive your contact information from Eckankar’s parent church in Chanhassen, Minnesota, if you have requested information about local events from the parent church or if you are a member of Eckankar.

Does Maryland Satsang Society sell or rent my personal information?

Absolutely not.

Will I receive unsolicited email from Maryland Satsang Society?

We do not send unsolicited email.

You may unsubscribe from email from us or Eckankar at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link provided in the email.

How is my personal information protected?

Safeguarding the information you give us is a priority.

We take appropriate security measures to protect against loss, misuse, unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of your information.

How long is my personal information retained?

Maryland Satsang Society keeps your information as long as needed for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, to resolve questions, and as necessary to comply with legal obligations.

Does Maryland Satsang Society share my personal information with others?

Maryland Satsang Society does not share your personal information with others except in the following cases:

• Such information may be shared with authorized leaders of Eckankar to fulfill your requests, administer contact lists, and coordinate activities. All such recipients sign a data-privacy agreement and may only process your personal data for the purposes given in this Privacy Policy and according to local law.

• Personal information may be shared as needed with third-party companies for the sole purpose of providing services that help us fulfill your request (e.g., a credit-card processor or a company specializing in emailing services). They are contractually required to provide strict security to the handling of personal information.

What are the bases for collecting and using my personal information?

  • Your consent so that we can inform you about Eckankar news and events
  • As necessary to fulfill your requests and transactions
  • As a nonprofit religious organization and church, to administer membership records and matters
  • If required by law or pursuant to legal process or other legal obligation
  • When it is necessary to protect the vital interests of you or another person

How can I tell when my online transactions are secure?

Your browser will show you when you are making a secure transaction in two main ways. When you access a form, a secure connection is indicated when “https” appears in the address bar of your browser. Somewhere in your browser window, you may also see a locked-padlock icon. These indicators tell you that all information entered on that page will be encrypted when you submit the form (e.g., by clicking “Submit,” “Send,” or “Place Order”).

How is my credit-card information protected?

Maryland Satsang Society keeps your data secure with end-to-end encryption and tokenization.

Our credit-card processor, PayPal, is legally responsible for the security of cardholder data.

We receive no credit-card data for transactions made on our website. All payments are done through PayPal. For more information, see PayPal’s Privacy Policy.

Is there any automated data processing on Maryland Satsang Society’s website?

The only automated data processing is associated with PayPal transactions.

Cookies

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on your computer when you visit a website.

Maryland Satsang Society’s cookies identify your browser, which sends the cookie to our web server.

Cookies help us understand how you are using our website. This is purely statistical information and does not track your personal information or your web usage once you leave the Maryland Satsang Society site. This information helps us provide a better experience for all users of our website.

A cookie is not harmful to your computer in any way. It cannot be used to spread viruses, nor can it read your hard drive to obtain personal information about you. It is a text file that you can delete at any time. When you revisit our website, we do not access the cookie from the previous session.

You can navigate the site even if you disable cookies in your browser (most browsers allow cookies by default). However, in order to make a donation, you must have cookies enabled. If you prefer not to allow cookies, you can contact us to donate by mail.

Access logs

Like all web servers, our web server automatically creates access logs for every visit to our site. Access logs include the time of your visit, the type of browser you are using, the IP address for the computer you are visiting from, and the Web page you came from. We analyze these logs to help us improve the user experience. We also use Google Analytics for the same purpose.

The IP address is not associated with any personally identifying information unless (1) you have filled out any forms on the website and (2) it is necessary to research possible harmful or illegal conduct in connection with the use of our websites, or to comply with the law.

Does Maryland Satsang Society collect information from children?

No, we do not knowingly collect information from visitors age 17 and under. If you believe your child has provided Maryland Satsang Society with their personal information without your permission, please contact us so the information can be removed.

What are the bases for collecting and using my personal information?

  • Your consent so that we can inform you about Eckankar news and events
  • As necessary to fulfill your requests and transactions
  • As a nonprofit religious organization and church, to administer membership records and matters
  • If required by law or pursuant to legal process or other legal obligation

What are my rights regarding personal information I give to Maryland Satsang Society, Inc.

Maryland Satsang Society, Inc. provides you with reasonable access to the personal information you gave us as well as the ability to review, correct, and delete such personal information to the extent required by law.

Who do I contact with privacy questions or requests?

Maryland Satsang Society, Inc.   

Attn.: Privacy Inquiries
1738 Elton Road, Suite 104
Silver Spring, MD 20903
(301) 439-2120
[email protected]