> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.fielddoc.org/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.fielddoc.org/service-agreements/privacy-policy.md). # Privacy Policy ## FieldDoc Platform Privacy Policy The Commons, Inc. ("The Commons") operates the FieldDoc Platform, including FieldDoc Data Manager, Groundwork, and other FieldDoc applications, modules, tools, websites, interfaces, integrations, support services, professional services, and related services that we make available from time to time. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect personal information when individuals create accounts, use the FieldDoc Platform or any Application, participate in an Organization, access a workspace, share data with a Program, request support, use professional services, interact with integrations, or otherwise communicate with The Commons. This Privacy Policy applies to individual Users, Authorized Users, Organization Owners, Organization Members, Program Managers, Customers, and other individuals who interact with the FieldDoc Platform or The Commons. This Privacy Policy should be read together with the FieldDoc Platform [Terms of Service](/service-agreements/terms-of-service.md), [Master Service Agreement](/service-agreements/master-services-agreement.md), and any Order Form, Statement of Work, Subscription Documentation, Data Processing Addendum, Program requirements, or Application-Specific Terms. If a written agreement between The Commons and a Customer provides additional or different privacy, security, data processing, or retention terms, that written agreement will govern that Customer relationship to the extent of the conflict. ### 1. Definitions For purposes of this Privacy Policy: **"The Commons"** means The Commons, Inc., the nonprofit organization that owns, manages, maintains, supports, and operates the FieldDoc Platform. **"FieldDoc Platform"** means the FieldDoc technology platform operated by The Commons, including its applications, modules, tools, websites, interfaces, data systems, APIs, integrations, documentation, workflows, and related technology. **"Applications"** means the individual applications, modules, products, tools, or service offerings made available through or in connection with the FieldDoc Platform, including FieldDoc Data Manager, Groundwork, and any other FieldDoc applications, modules, or products that The Commons may make available from time to time. “**Services**” means the FieldDoc Platform, Applications, software, documentation, hosting, support, technical services, professional services, data services, integrations, APIs, and related services provided by The Commons or FieldDoc under these Terms, a Master Service Agreement, Subscription Documentation, or other applicable agreement. **"User"** means an individual person who creates or uses a FieldDoc account or otherwise accesses the FieldDoc Platform or any Application. **"Authorized User"** means a User who is authorized by an Organization or Customer to access or use the FieldDoc Platform, an Application, workspace, record, Program, or other Service under that Organization's account, subscription, permissions, or written agreement. **"Organization"** means a real-world entity whose Users access or use the FieldDoc Platform. **"Customer"** means an Organization, entity, or individual that enters into a Master Service Agreement, Order Form, Statement of Work, subscription, paid plan, program agreement, grant agreement, or other written arrangement with The Commons for access to the FieldDoc Platform, Applications, Services, support, or professional services. **"Customer Data"** means data, records, files, geospatial information, activity information, project information, metrics, reports, attachments, and other materials submitted to, uploaded to, imported into, or generated through the Services by or on behalf of a Customer, Organization, User, or Authorized User. **"Personal Information"** means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked to an identifiable individual. **"Subscription Documentation"** means any Order Form, online subscription selection, pricing page, invoice, Statement of Work, support plan, grant agreement, program agreement, data retention policy, product description, or other written documentation that describes subscription tier, fees, features, services, usage limits, support level, data retention period, Application access, or other commercial or service-specific terms. Capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy may have the meanings given to them in the FieldDoc Platform Terms of Service, applicable Master Service Agreement, or applicable Subscription Documentation. ### 2. Information We Collect We collect information in several ways, depending on how you interact with the FieldDoc Platform, The Commons, your Organization, and any applicable Programs or Services. #### 2.1 Information You Provide We may collect information that you or your Organization provide directly, including: * Name; * Work email address; * Organization name and affiliation; * Job title, role, or relationship to an Organization or Program; * Account credentials or authentication information; * Profile information; * Communication preferences; * Support requests, help desk communications, training communications, or other correspondence; * Billing, subscription, procurement, or administrative contact information; * Information submitted through forms, workflows, Applications, workspaces, Programs, Pacts, support channels, or professional services. #### 2.2 Account, Organization, and Platform Information We may collect information related to your account and your use of the FieldDoc Platform, including: * Account status; * Organization membership; * role and permission settings; * workspace access; * Application access; * Program participation; * support history; * subscription-related information; * feature usage; * login activity; * audit logs; * administrative records; * records of invitations, approvals, access changes, exports, submissions, or other platform activity. #### 2.3 Customer Data, Organization Data, and Project Data Users and Organizations may submit data, files, geospatial information, activity records, project records, metrics, reports, model inputs, model outputs, notes, attachments, images, exports, and other content through the FieldDoc Platform. Some Customer Data may include Personal Information or sensitive information if entered by Users, Organizations, Customers, Program Managers, or other authorized parties. The Commons processes Customer Data to provide, operate, secure, support, improve, and administer the FieldDoc Platform and related Services, and as otherwise described in the Terms of Service, applicable Subscription Documentation, or written agreements. #### 2.4 Automatically Collected Information When you access the FieldDoc Platform, we may automatically collect technical and usage information, including: * IP address; * device information; * browser type and version; * operating system; * pages, records, or features accessed; * dates and times of access; * referring pages; * session activity; * error logs; * diagnostic information; * cookie information; * similar technical, usage, performance, or security data. We use this information to provide the FieldDoc Platform, maintain security, troubleshoot issues, monitor performance, improve functionality, prevent misuse, support audit and administrative needs, and enforce our Terms of Service and applicable agreements. #### 2.5 Information from Organizations, Customers, Programs, and Third Parties We may receive information about Users from Organizations, Customers, Program Managers, collaborators, funders, technical assistance providers, service providers, or other third parties. For example, an Organization Owner may invite a User to join an Organization, a Program Manager may identify a reporting contact, or a Customer may provide contact information for subscription, support, onboarding, billing, or professional services purposes. If you provide Personal Information about another person or user to The Commons, you represent that you have the authority to do so and that the disclosure complies with applicable law, agreements, and Organization policies. ### 3. Information We Do Not Intentionally Collect The FieldDoc Platform is designed for conservation, restoration, nature-based work, environmental data stewardship, Program administration, reporting, and related activities. It is not intended to collect highly sensitive personal information unless The Commons expressly authorizes such collection for a specific purpose. Users should not enter, upload, or share the following information through the FieldDoc Platform unless expressly authorized and necessary for an approved FieldDoc purpose: * Social Security numbers, passport numbers, driver's license numbers, government identification numbers, or similar identifiers; * credit card numbers, financial account numbers, or payment card information, except through approved payment or invoicing systems; * protected health information; * biometric data; * precise personal location information unrelated to an authorized FieldDoc purpose; * information about children; * other sensitive personal information that is not necessary for use of the FieldDoc Platform. The Commons does not intentionally collect characteristics of protected classifications, such as race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or similar information, unless that information is voluntarily provided by a User or is included in Customer Data submitted by a User, Organization, Customer, or Program. The Commons does not intentionally require Users to provide private land ownership details, such as landowner names, addresses, tax parcel records, deeds, financial information, or other sensitive property records, unless expressly requested by a Program, workflow, Application, or written agreement. Users and Organizations are responsible for ensuring that they have authority to enter, manage, or share any landowner, property, cultural, ecological, species-related, or location-sensitive information. ### 4. How We Use Information We may use Personal Information, Customer Data, and related information to: * Provide, operate, maintain, secure, and improve the FieldDoc Platform, Applications, and Services; * Create and manage User accounts, Organization accounts, workspaces, roles, permissions, Programs, Pacts, subscriptions, and support relationships; * Verify User identity, Organization affiliation, authority, Program participation, account eligibility, and platform permissions; * Provide customer support, training, onboarding, troubleshooting, technical assistance, professional services, data services, and administrative support; * Enable collaboration, sharing, reporting, exports, dashboards, maps, models, analytics, integrations, Program workflows, and other platform features; * Communicate with Users, Organization Owners, Program Managers, Customers, and other contacts about accounts, security, support, subscriptions, Programs, platform updates, service notices, policy changes, and related matters; * Analyze usage, improve services, develop new features, conduct product planning, perform user research, and support mission-aligned reporting; * Create aggregated or de-identified information for platform analytics, Program summaries, impact summaries, dashboards, reporting, system improvement, research, fundraising, communications, or other mission-aligned purposes; * Protect the FieldDoc Platform, The Commons, Users, Organizations, Programs, Customers, and third parties from security risks, misuse, fraud, unauthorized access, unlawful activity, or violations of our Terms; * Comply with legal obligations, contractual obligations, grant or Program requirements, audit obligations, valid legal requests, dispute resolution, and enforcement of our agreements. The Commons does not sell Personal Information or User, Organization, or Customer content. If The Commons makes AI-assisted features available through the FieldDoc Platform or an Application, those features may be subject to additional notices, Application-Specific Terms, Subscription Documentation, or written agreements. The Commons will not use Customer Data to train public or third-party AI foundation models unless authorized by the applicable Customer, agreement, or law. ### 5. How We Share Information We may share Personal Information, Customer Data, and related information with the following categories of recipients. #### 5.1 The Commons Personnel and Authorized Support Providers We may share information with The Commons staff, contractors, advisors, and authorized service providers who need access to provide, secure, support, administer, or improve the FieldDoc Platform or related Services. #### 5.2 Organizations, Users, Program Managers, and Collaborators The FieldDoc Platform is a collaborative platform. Depending on platform permissions, workspace settings, Program participation, Pact relationships, Application functionality, and Customer instructions, information may be visible or available to: * the User who created it; * Organization Owners; * Organization Members; * Authorized Users; * invited collaborators; * Program Managers; * funders; * technical assistance providers; * Customers; * Users with appropriate permissions; * other parties authorized by Program requirements, platform features, or separate agreements. Users and Organizations are responsible for understanding how permissions, workspaces, Pacts, public pages, dashboards, exports, integrations, and other FieldDoc features may affect visibility and sharing. #### 5.3 Vendors and Service Providers We may share information with vendors and service providers that support hosting, cloud infrastructure, security, analytics, communications, email, customer support, ticketing, mapping, geospatial services, authentication, storage, processing, backups, professional services, and other operational needs. These vendors and service providers are authorized to use information only as necessary to provide services to The Commons or as otherwise permitted by applicable law or agreement. The Commons may update its vendors and service providers from time to time. #### 5.4 Third-Party Services, APIs, and Integrations The FieldDoc Platform may interoperate with third-party services, APIs, dashboards, integrations, mapping tools, model APIs, data import tools, export tools, or other external systems. Data transmitted to authorized third-party services may be processed, stored, analyzed, displayed, or returned according to the purpose of the integration and the terms, policies, and security practices of the receiving service. Users, Organizations, Customers, and Program Managers are responsible for understanding when their use of the FieldDoc Platform or an Application causes data to be shared with third-party systems. #### 5.5 Legal, Compliance, and Safety Purposes We may disclose information to courts, regulators, law enforcement, government authorities, public agencies, or other parties when required by law, legal process, public records obligation, subpoena, court order, governmental request, or to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights. We may also disclose information where reasonably necessary to investigate, prevent, or address security incidents, fraud, misuse, unlawful activity, violations of our Terms, threats to safety, or risks to the FieldDoc Platform, The Commons, Users, Organizations, Customers, Programs, or third parties. #### 5.6 Organizational or Platform Transitions We may disclose or transfer information in connection with a merger, restructuring, reorganization, transition, transfer, assignment, or other change involving the FieldDoc Platform, related assets, or The Commons's operations, subject to appropriate protections and applicable law. ### 6. Collaborative Features, Visibility, and Exports FieldDoc privacy settings and permissions control certain access within the platform, but they may not control information after it has been exported, downloaded, transmitted, shared through an integration, disclosed under a Program requirement, or otherwise transferred outside the FieldDoc Platform by an authorized User or recipient. No data entered into the FieldDoc Platform should be considered fully private or confidential from all other parties. Users and Organizations should not enter sensitive, confidential, restricted, proprietary, culturally sensitive, ecological, landowner-related, location-based, or legally protected data unless they have authority to do so and understand how the data may be viewed, shared, exported, analyzed, displayed, retained, or disclosed. Nothing in this Privacy Policy limits any confidentiality obligations The Commons has under a Master Service Agreement, Data Processing Addendum, Statement of Work, grant agreement, or other written agreement. ### 7. Aggregated and De-Identified Information The Commons may use aggregated or de-identified information derived from use of the FieldDoc Platform for product improvement, research, analytics, benchmarking, sector-level reporting, platform performance, public impact summaries, fundraising, communications, and other mission-aligned purposes. Aggregated or de-identified information should not reasonably identify a specific User, Organization, Customer, private record, or sensitive location unless authorized. The Commons will use reasonable measures designed to prevent de-identified information from being used to identify individuals where applicable law requires such measures. ### 8. Cookies and Similar Technologies We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the FieldDoc Platform, maintain sessions, remember preferences, support authentication, improve performance, understand feature usage, troubleshoot issues, and protect security. Some cookies are necessary for the FieldDoc Platform to function. If you disable cookies, some features may not work properly. We may also use analytics or support technologies to understand platform usage and improve Services. Where required by law, we will provide any required choices or consent mechanisms for non-essential cookies or similar technologies. The FieldDoc Platform does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals. Where required by applicable law, The Commons will honor legally required opt-out preference signals or other required mechanisms. ### 9. Communications The Commons may contact Users by email, through the FieldDoc Platform, or through other reasonable methods to provide: * account notices; * security notices; * support messages; * release notes; * service updates; * Program-related notices; * subscription or administrative notices; * policy updates; * training, onboarding, or professional services communications; * community updates or mission-related communications. Some communications are necessary for account, security, Program, legal, or platform administration and may not be optional. You may unsubscribe from optional marketing or community communications where an unsubscribe option is provided. Even if you unsubscribe from optional communications, we may still send transactional, security, account, support, Program, legal, or administrative communications that are necessary to operate the FieldDoc Platform or manage your account. ### 10. Data Retention We retain Personal Information, Customer Data, and related information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the FieldDoc Platform and Services, maintain accounts, support Organizations and Programs, comply with legal or contractual obligations, resolve disputes, maintain security, support audits, preserve backups, enforce agreements, and fulfill authorized Program, reporting, grant, or professional services obligations. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information, the applicable Application, subscription tier, Program participation, Organization status, Customer instructions, Subscription Documentation, legal requirements, backup procedures, or written agreement. Deleting an individual User account does not necessarily delete Organization records, Program records, Pacts, Activities, project data, files, reports, metrics, geospatial information, model outputs, audit logs, or other records created or managed by that User on behalf of an Organization or Customer. Those records may remain available to the Organization, Program, Customer, or other authorized parties as described in the Terms of Service, applicable Subscription Documentation, or written agreements. Upon request, The Commons will delete or deactivate an individual User account and associated Personal Information, subject to legal, compliance, security, backup, audit, Program, contractual, and operational retention obligations. Deleted information may continue to exist in backups, archives, logs, or disaster recovery systems for a limited period consistent with our backup, security, legal, and operational practices. Users, Organizations, Customers, and Program Managers are encouraged to use available export features to preserve critical data outside the FieldDoc Platform when appropriate. ### 11. Security The Commons uses reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect Personal Information and Customer Data against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure. These safeguards may include access controls, authentication controls, role-based permissions, secure hosting practices, encryption in transit, backup procedures, logging, monitoring, vulnerability management, administrative controls, and vendor security practices appropriate to the nature of the FieldDoc Platform and the information we process. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. The Commons cannot guarantee absolute security. Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their credentials, using appropriate account security practices, and promptly notifying The Commons of any known or suspected unauthorized access to their account, Organization, workspace, or data. If The Commons confirms a security incident involving Personal Information or Customer Data, The Commons will provide notice as required by applicable law and any applicable written agreement. ### 12. Your Choices and Privacy Rights Depending on where you live and how you interact with the FieldDoc Platform, you may have rights to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or information about certain Personal Information we maintain about you. You may also have rights to object to, restrict, or opt out of certain uses of Personal Information where applicable law provides those rights. To make a privacy request, contact us at ****. We may need to verify your identity and authority before responding. Your account's association with an Organization, Customer, Program, or written agreement may require additional coordinate with the relevant Organization Owner, Customer, or Program Manager as appropriate. Some requests may be limited by legal obligations, security requirements, backup procedures, Program or grant obligations, contractual obligations, audit requirements, or the rights and responsibilities of an Organization, Customer, or other authorized party. We will not discriminate against you for exercising privacy rights provided by applicable law. If you believe that information we maintain about you is inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading, you may contact us to request correction. We will take reasonable steps to correct information where required by applicable law and where correction is technically and operationally feasible. If you believe that we have violated applicable privacy law, you may contact us using the information below. We will review your complaint and respond within a reasonable timeframe. You may also have the right to contact a regulatory authority or data protection authority. ### 13. Children and Age Restrictions The FieldDoc Platform is not intended for individuals under 18 years old. Users must be at least 18 years old to create a FieldDoc account or use the FieldDoc Platform. If you learn that anyone under 18 has provided Personal Information to The Commons through the FieldDoc Platform without authorization, please contact us at ****, and we will take appropriate steps to address the information. ### 14. International Use and Data Transfers The Commons operates the FieldDoc Platform from the United States, and information submitted to the FieldDoc Platform may be processed and stored in the United States. If you access or use the FieldDoc Platform from outside the United States, you understand that your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States or other locations where The Commons or its service providers operate. Additional terms may apply under an applicable Data Processing Addendum, Subscription Documentation, or written agreement. ### 15. Third-Party Sites and Services The FieldDoc Platform may link to or interoperate with external sites, applications, APIs, integrations, dashboards, maps, data sources, or other services that are not operated by The Commons. The Commons is not responsible for the privacy, security, content, policies, or practices of third-party sites or services. Users, Organizations, Customers, and Program Managers should review the privacy policies and terms of those third-party services before using them or transmitting data to them. ### 16. Changes to This Privacy Policy The Commons may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, Services, Applications, technology, legal requirements, or operational needs. If we make material changes, we will provide reasonable notice, which may include posting the updated Privacy Policy on the FieldDoc website, providing notice through the FieldDoc Platform, sending notice to the email address associated with your account, or using another reasonable method. Unless otherwise stated, updates will become effective when posted or otherwise made available. Your continued use of the FieldDoc Platform, any Application, or any Services after the updated Privacy Policy becomes effective means that you acknowledge the updated Privacy Policy. If required by law, we will obtain consent or provide an opportunity to opt in or opt out of certain new uses of Personal Information. ### 17. Contact Us If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, The Commons's privacy practices, your account, your Organization, or your privacy rights, please contact us. **Email:** **Mailing address:** The Commons, Inc.\ 200 Massachusetts Ave NW\ Washington, DC 20001
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