AKLU Privacy Policy | AKLU Website

American Kettlebell Lifters Union (AKLU) Privacy Policy

Last Updated: July 28, 2025

This Privacy Policy describes how the American Kettlebell Lifters Union (AKLU), a non-profit athletics federation incorporated in the State of Illinois, collects, uses, and protects the personal information of its members and users of its services. We are committed to safeguarding your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal data.

1. Scope of This Policy

This policy applies to all personal information collected by AKLU when you become a member, register for events, use our website, communicate with us, or otherwise interact with AKLU.

2. Information We Collect

We collect various types of personal information to provide our services, manage memberships, sell our products, and facilitate athletic competitions. This information may be collected directly from you or through your interactions with our services and partners.

2.1. Information You Provide Directly to Us:

Identification & Contact Information: Names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers.
Membership & Activity Details: Ages (for competition categories), weight classes, assigned sex, apparel sizes, club affiliations, coaching affiliations.
Competition Records: Your historical performance and results in AKLU-sanctioned events.
Payment Information: If you make payments for membership fees, event registrations, service subscriptions,or merchandise, we collect payment details (e.g., credit card or bank draft information). Please note that payment processing is typically handled by secure third-party processors, and we do not store sensitive payment card details on our servers.
Emergency Contact Information: Details of a person to contact in case of an emergency during events.
Health Information (Limited): In specific cases where required for participation waivers or safety during events, we may collect limited health-related information (e.g., existing medical conditions). This is done only with your explicit consent and handled with utmost care.
Waiver and Release Forms: Information provided when signing participation waivers or liability releases.
Correspondence: Records of communications with AKLU, including inquiries, feedback, and support requests.

2.2. Information Collected Automatically:

AKLU operates websites, apps, and other online platforms. We may automatically collect certain information about your device and usage of these systems:

Usage Data: IP addresses, browser type, operating system, device identity, interface interactions, pages viewed, referring/exit pages, dates and times of access, and time spent on our website.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We may use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to enhance your experience, analyze website traffic, optimize your user experience, and understand user preferences. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.

2.3. Information from Other Sources:

We may receive information about you from affiliated clubs, coaches, or event organizers, especially in relation to event registrations or results.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

Membership Management: To process your membership applications and renewals, maintain accurate member records, and communicate with you about your membership status, benefits, and important AKLU updates.
Event & Competition Management: To register you for competitions and events, manage competition brackets, publish results and rankings, verify eligibility, and ensure safety during events. In the event you participate in a regulated competition, we may use your information to assure compliance with applicable doping and drug testing rules.
Communication & Engagement: To send you newsletters, announcements, event notifications, and other relevant information about AKLU activities and opportunities. You will have the option to opt-out of non-essential communications.
Operational & Administrative Purposes: For internal record-keeping, analyzing membership demographics and trends, improving our services and programs, and ensuring the safety and security of our events and participants.
Financial Transactions: To process payments for memberships, event registrations, the provision of services, and merchandise.
Legal & Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes (e.g., tax reporting for a non-profit), and to enforce our terms and conditions, rules, and policies.
Protection of Rights: To protect the rights, property, or safety of AKLU, its members, or others.

4. How We Share Your Information

We are committed to minimizing the sharing of your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties when you provide us with explicit consent to do so (e.g., featuring your competition photo or providing your information to sponsors to facilitate awards and recognition). Should you elect to tag or otherwise collaborate with AKLU in online media that tagging or collaboration is deemed to be your explicit consent to share that information or content publicly.
Service Providers: We engage trusted third-party service providers to perform functions on our behalf, such as payment processing, website hosting, email marketing, processing competition results, and IT support. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and are only authorized to use it for the specific purposes for which we disclose it.
Affiliated Clubs, Coaches, & Event Organizers: For the efficient management of events and club activities, we may share necessary information (e.g., participant lists, relevant contact details) with AKLU-affiliated clubs, coaches, and event organizers.
Publicly Available Information: Certain information related to competition results (e.g., names, competition categories, and performance data) may be made publicly available on the AKLU website, social media channels, or at events to promote the sport and recognize achievements. Competition photos and video streams are considered publicly available as AKLU does not limit viewership to our social media or streaming platforms.
Legal Requirements & Protection: We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, in response to a subpoena or court order, or if we believe such action is necessary to comply with legal obligations, protect our rights or property, or ensure the safety of our members or the public.
Business Transfers: In the unlikely event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale involving AKLU, your personal information may be transferred as part of the assets. We would notify you of any such transfer and ensure the new entity adheres to similar privacy practices.

5. Data Security

AKLU implements reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures include, but are not limited to, using secure servers, access controls, encryption for sensitive data in transit, and secure data storage practices.

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

6. Your Choices and Rights

You have certain rights regarding your personal information held by AKLU:

Access & Correction: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and request corrections to any inaccuracies. You can often update your basic information through your member profile or by contacting us directly.
Opt-Out of Communications: You can opt-out of receiving non-essential marketing or promotional communications from us by following the unsubscribe instructions included in those emails or by contacting us.
Deletion/Erasure: You may request the deletion of your personal information. Please note that we may need to retain certain information for legal obligations, record-keeping purposes (e.g., historical competition results), or to complete transactions initiated before your request.
Objection to Processing: You may object to the processing of your personal information for certain purposes.
Data Portability: Where applicable, you may request to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided below. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable law.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. For example, membership records will be retained for a certain period after your membership ceases, and competition results may be retained indefinitely for historical purposes and record-keeping.

8. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our website, apps, or communications may contain links to third-party websites that are not operated by AKLU. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of these third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

AKLU reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website, and/or by sending you an email notification. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised.

10. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

American Kettlebell Lifters Union (AKLU)

Attention: Secretary

Email: info@aklu.net