Privacy and confidentiality
Your information is yours. We never sell it, and we never share it.
Families trust us with their most difficult stories. Protecting that trust is not a policy for us. It is the foundation of everything we do.
Draft for legal review. This notice will be finalized by our legal counsel before UAD collects any reports, sign-ups or payments through this site. Last updated: [DATE].
Our promise to you
- We never sell your information. Not to anyone, not for any price, not ever.
- We never share your information. We do not rent, trade, lend or give it to advertisers, data brokers, political campaigns, parties, governments or any other organization.
- Every communication is encrypted with AES-256, the same standard used to protect classified government information.
- Sensitive communications are encrypted twice, with two separate layers of AES-256 and separate keys.
- You stay in control. You decide what to tell us, and you can ask us to delete it at any time.
How we protect your communications
- Encrypted in transit. Everything you send through this site, by email or through our forms travels over an encrypted connection (TLS), so no one in between can read it.
- Encrypted at rest with AES-256. Every message, form and record we keep is stored encrypted with AES-256.
- Double encryption for sensitive communications. Help requests, reports of discrimination or harassment, and anything about your safety, faith, family, immigration or legal situation get a second, independent layer of AES-256 encryption. The keys for that second layer are held only by our small help team.
- Need-to-know access. Only the people working on your request can open it. Every access is logged and reviewed.
- Strong account security. Everyone on our team uses two-factor authentication. Volunteers sign a written confidentiality agreement before they see any personal information.
- Kept only as long as needed. When we no longer need your information to help you or to meet a legal duty, we permanently delete it.
What we collect, and why
- When you ask for help: only what you choose to tell us and how you would like us to reach you. You can contact us without giving your full name.
- When you join, volunteer or sign up for news: your name, email and the details on the form, so we can welcome you and keep you informed.
- When you donate: your payment goes straight to our payment processor. We never see or store your full card or bank number. We receive only your name, email and gift amount, to send your receipt.
- When you visit: privacy-friendly visit counts that use no cookies, no tracking pixels and no advertising tools, and that cannot identify you.
We use your information only to respond to you, run our programs, process memberships and gifts, send news you asked for, and keep the records the law requires. Nothing else.
What “we never share” means
Your information stays with UAD. The only times anyone else is involved:
- When you ask us to. If you want us to connect you with an attorney, interpreter or partner organization, we share only what you approve, only with the person you approve.
- Services that work for us under contract. Our encrypted email, secure storage and payment processor handle data only on our instructions. They are contractually forbidden from using, selling or sharing it, and they cannot read double-encrypted communications.
- If the law forces us. If we ever receive a subpoena or court order, we will challenge it wherever the law allows, give up only the minimum required, and tell you first unless a court forbids it. Because sensitive communications are double encrypted, we keep as little readable information as possible.
Our 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) keep separate records. Your information is never passed between them without your permission.
Young people
We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. Participants under 18 join our programs only with permission from a parent or guardian, and their information gets the same protection as everyone else’s.
Your rights and choices
- See the information we hold about you.
- Correct anything that is wrong.
- Have your information permanently deleted.
- Unsubscribe from any message with one click.
Write to [EMAIL] or call [PHONE]. We will respond within [NUMBER] days, free of charge, in English or Turkish.
If something ever goes wrong
If we ever learn that your information was accessed without permission, we will tell you promptly, explain what happened and what we are doing about it, and notify the authorities as the law requires.
Changes to this notice
If we change this notice, we will post the new version here with a new date. We will never weaken these promises for information you have already given us.