Privacy Policy - VATCareer

Purpose of Policy

This policy has been put in place to achieve the following aims:

To comply with the law, particularly the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
To comply with VATSIM's Data Protection and Handling Policy
To ensure good data protection practice
To protect members, staff, and other individuals
To protect the organization

Data and Information We Collect

VATCareer collects a range of personal data on members, both at the time of joining and while a member is connected to the VATSIM network for the purpose of ensuring the efficient functioning of the platform and providing gamified career progression features.

Personal Data Collected:

The member's full name
VATSIM CERT Identification Number (CID)
Their history of connections to the network, including their IP address and additional security information
The simulated Air Traffic Control and/or Pilot Rating they have obtained via training with the VATSIM network
Positions of responsibility held within the network, including level of access
Flight reports and event participation data
Experience points (XP) and virtual currency (VATCoins) earned
Badges and achievements earned through platform participation

Information Sharing

Information Shared with VATCareer Associated Facilities:

VATSIM CERT Identification Number (CID)
Your name
Your VATSIM achievements and ratings
VATCareer staff associations and staff email addresses

Information Shared Publicly:

VATSIM CERT Identification Number (CID)
Your name
VATCareer staff associations and staff email addresses
VATSIM achievements and ratings
Public profile information including XP, rank, and selected badges

🔍 Information Used for Service Protection:

The following information is collected and may be used to protect our services, up to and including cooperation with legal requests for information from Law Enforcement agencies:

All IP addresses used and associated with your account
Geolocation against aforementioned IP addresses
Activities performed with the VATCareer web services
Hours connected to the network and connected callsigns
Flight tracking data and report submissions

Third-Party Information Sharing

The information we collect may be shared, in limited capacities, with the following:

Virtual Air Traffic Simulation Network (www.vatsim.net)
Law Enforcement agencies
CloudFlare (for DDoS protection and CDN services)
Google Analytics (for website traffic analysis)

Cookie Usage

We use various technologies to collect and store information when you visit and use VATCareer services. This may include cookies or other similar technologies to identify your browser or device. We also use Google Analytics to help analyze the traffic to our websites.

🍪 How We Use Cookies:

Our cookies are mainly used as a means of tracking virtual users across the VATCareer domain
This allows us to know who is requesting and using our services
Provide authentication and authorization checks to restricted areas
Remember your preferences and login status

⚠️ Important Note:

You may choose to disable cookie usage via your browser, but know that doing so will prevent access and use across restricted areas of the website and severely degrade your experience.

Opt Out and Data Deletion

Given the nature of our services, it is not possible to opt out of data collection and use our services. However, if you desire to opt out and no longer desire to use our services, we will purge all information we have collected upon written request.

📝 Opt Out Procedure:

First Step: Deactivate and request VATSIM to purge your data. Please head to https://membership.vatsim.net/ to do so.
Second Step: VATSIM, after processing your opt out, will forward the request to VATCareer for processing.

Note: VATCareer cannot guarantee that information collected by parties outside of VATCareer will be purged in the process.

Staff & Volunteers

All staff are required to read, understand and accept any policies and procedures that relate to the personal data they may handle in the course of their work within VATCareer as detailed in this policy. VATCareer expects the highest standard of probity of all staff at all levels. No access to data is to take place unless there is a valid network related reason for such access.

Enforcement

VATCareer has a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate access to data stored within our systems. Any such access will result in the individual concerned being prohibited from having further server access. This may also preclude the member concerned from holding positions of responsibility within the network.

Underlying Principles

VATSIM and VATCareer assert that it has a legitimate interest in collecting and storing the personal data outlined above. The reasons for this claim are:

VATSIM and VATCareer is a voluntary community promoting flight simulations and virtual air traffic control, and all members seeking to join have an obvious interest in such activities.
The data collected is the minimum required to allow for the smooth and optimal running of the network, solely for the enjoyment of its members.
That the data is necessary to allow for the expected interactions between simulated pilots and air traffic controllers on the network to take place.
That the data is necessary to allow for VATSIM and VATCareer staff to properly manage the network, both in day to day operations, and in circumstances where a member(s) may act in a manner contrary to the VATSIM User Agreement, Code of Regulations and/or Code of Conduct.
That as all members have a shared interest in these aims that the collection of such data should be reasonably expected by all members.

Members Under 16 Years

VATSIM accepts membership from any individual over the age of 13 years. Members under the age of 16 years require the consent of a parent or guardian in order for their personal data to be stored. Members under the age of 16 will be asked to provide such written permission. Members found to have falsified such permission will have their account suspended until they can prove to the membership department they have attained the age of 16 years.

🚫 Age Restriction:

No person under the age of 13 years shall be permitted to join the network. Any member found to have joined under the age of 13 years shall have their membership suspended until they have attained the age of 13 years and provided parental or guardian consent or have attained the age of 16 years.

Procedure for Staff Signifying Acceptance of Policy

All staff given CERT access above baseline (CERT level 1 and above) and server access shall receive training on data access procedures via the documents outlined above. All such members are required to provide written acknowledgement they have received this training, that they understand the requirements of them, and their acknowledgement to be bound by them. Electronic mail is an acceptable (and the preferred) method for this acknowledgement.

Confirmation of this acknowledgement is to be recorded in the member's CERT record.

hCaptcha

We use the hCaptcha anti-bot service (hereinafter "hCaptcha") on our website. This service is provided by Intuition Machines, Inc., a Delaware US Corporation ("IMI"). hCaptcha is used to check whether the data entered on our website (such as on a login page or contact form) has been entered by a human or by an automated program.

To do this, hCaptcha analyzes the behavior of the website or mobile app visitor based on various characteristics. This analysis starts automatically as soon as the website or mobile app visitor enters a part of the website or app with hCaptcha enabled. For the analysis, hCaptcha evaluates various information (e.g. IP address, how long the visitor has been on the website or app, or mouse movements made by the user).

The data collected during the analysis will be forwarded to IMI. hCaptcha analysis in the "invisible mode" may take place completely in the background. Website or app visitors are not advised that such an analysis is taking place if the user is not shown a challenge. Data processing is based on Art. 6(1)(f) of the GDPR (DSGVO): the website or mobile app operator has a legitimate interest in protecting its site from abusive automated crawling and spam. IMI acts as a "data processor" acting on behalf of its customers as defined under the GDPR.

For more information about hCaptcha and IMI's privacy policy and terms of use, please visit the following links: https://www.hcaptcha.com/privacy and https://www.hcaptcha.com/terms.

🔒 Privacy Policy