Privacy Policy

Global Business Compliance Foundation (“GBCF,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects the privacy of individuals who visit our website, contact us, submit information or reports, make donations or payments, or otherwise interact with our organization.

This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we may process, how we use and disclose that information, and the rights and choices that may be available to individuals under applicable law.

Information You Provide to Us

We may collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

• Your name, email address, organization, and other contact information;

• Information submitted through contact forms, report forms, inquiry forms, or similar communications;

• Documents, links, screenshots, product information, marketplace listings, supporting evidence, or other materials that you provide to us;

• Information relating to donations, payments, or transactions, where applicable; and

• Communications you send to us by email or through other authorized communication channels.

Please avoid submitting sensitive personal information, confidential information, privileged materials, or information that you are not legally authorized to disclose unless it is reasonably necessary for the purpose of your communication.

Publicly Available and Third-Party Information

As part of our compliance monitoring, research, and public-interest activities, GBCF may review and process information available from public or commercial sources.

Such information may include product listings, marketplace information, company websites, regulatory records, public databases, business contact information, publicly available communications, and other information lawfully available to us.

Where such information includes personal information, we process it only for legitimate organizational, research, compliance, legal, or public-interest purposes and subject to applicable law.

Website Technology and Analytics

GBCF does not currently use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or third-party behavioral analytics technologies to track individual visitors across websites or services.

We do not intentionally collect or store visitor IP addresses, device identifiers, or similar technical information for advertising or behavioral tracking purposes.

Our website hosting and technology providers may process limited technical information as necessary to deliver, secure, maintain, or operate the website. Such processing is governed by the applicable provider’s systems, contractual obligations, and privacy practices.

Our website platform may also provide privacy-preserving, aggregated, or anonymized website statistics that are not intended to identify individual visitors.

If we materially change our use of cookies or tracking technologies in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and, where required by applicable law, implement appropriate notice or consent mechanisms.

How We Use Information

We may use information for purposes including:

• Responding to inquiries, reports, requests, or communications;

• Reviewing and assessing mandatory product compliance matters and other regulatory compliance concerns;

• Conducting research, monitoring, verification, documentation, and public-interest compliance activities;

• Evaluating submitted information and supporting materials;

• Communicating with relevant organizations or parties where appropriate;

• Preparing internal records, compliance reviews, reports, notices, referrals, or other organizational actions;

• Processing donations, payments, or requested services;

• Maintaining organizational, financial, legal, and administrative records;

• Protecting the security and integrity of our website, systems, organization, and activities;

• Establishing, exercising, or defending legal rights; and

• Complying with applicable laws, legal processes, and regulatory requirements.

GBCF does not use submitted information to provide individualized legal advice.

Reports and Submitted Materials

If you submit a report, complaint, evidence, product information, marketplace link, document, or related material, GBCF may review, organize, verify, retain, and use the material in connection with our compliance and public-interest activities.

Depending on the circumstances, information may be communicated to relevant businesses, online platforms, governmental or regulatory authorities, professional advisers, service providers, or other appropriate parties.

We seek to limit disclosure of the identity of individual submitters where reasonably appropriate.

However, anonymity or confidentiality cannot be guaranteed where disclosure is required by law, legal process, regulatory request, legitimate investigative needs, or circumstances in which disclosure is reasonably necessary to address the matter submitted.

You should only submit information that you are legally permitted to provide.

Donations and Payments

If you make a donation or payment through our website or a linked payment service, the transaction may be processed by a third-party payment processor.

GBCF does not directly store complete payment card numbers or full payment credentials on its own website systems.

Payment processors may independently collect and process information necessary to complete transactions, prevent fraud, comply with financial regulations, and provide their services. Their processing is governed by their own privacy policies and legal obligations.

We may receive limited transaction information, such as your name, contact information, transaction amount, payment status, date, and transaction reference information.

Disclosure of Information

We do not sell personal information.

We do not disclose personal information for third-party targeted advertising.

We may disclose information when reasonably necessary to:

• Website, hosting, email, payment, form, infrastructure, security, or other service providers acting on our behalf;

• Online platforms, companies, governmental or regulatory authorities, or other relevant organizations in connection with a compliance matter;

• Attorneys, accountants, consultants, or other professional advisers;

• Financial institutions and payment processors involved in transactions;

• Law enforcement agencies, courts, regulators, or other governmental authorities where required or permitted by law;

• Parties involved in protecting GBCF, its rights, its systems, or the integrity of its activities; or

• Other parties where you request or authorize the disclosure.

Where reasonably practicable, information may be aggregated, redacted, de-identified, or otherwise limited before disclosure.

No Sale, Targeted Advertising, or Significant Automated Profiling

GBCF does not:

• Sell personal information for monetary consideration;

• Use personal information for third-party targeted advertising; or

• Use solely automated profiling to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects concerning individuals.

If these practices materially change, this Privacy Policy will be updated and any rights or opt-out mechanisms required by applicable law will be provided.

Legal Bases for Processing

Where laws such as the European Union General Data Protection Regulation or United Kingdom data protection law apply, GBCF processes personal information only where an appropriate legal basis is available.

Depending on the circumstances, these bases may include:

• Your consent;

• Taking steps at your request or performing a transaction or service you requested;

• Compliance with legal obligations;

• Our legitimate interests in operating and securing our organization, responding to communications, maintaining records, conducting compliance and public-interest activities, and protecting legal rights; or

• Other lawful bases permitted under applicable law.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent where applicable. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing that occurred before withdrawal.

Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to protect information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, misuse, or loss.

However, no website, email system, network, or electronic storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

For this reason, you should not transmit highly sensitive, privileged, confidential, or legally restricted information unless transmission is necessary and appropriately authorized.

Data Retention

We retain information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected or processed.

Retention periods may vary depending on:

• The nature and purpose of the information;

• Whether the information relates to an ongoing compliance matter, report, or investigation;

• Legal, accounting, tax, regulatory, or recordkeeping requirements;

• Security and fraud-prevention needs;

• Applicable limitation periods;

• The need to establish, exercise, or defend legal rights; and

• Legitimate organizational and public-interest recordkeeping needs.

Information that is no longer reasonably required will be deleted, anonymized, or otherwise disposed of when appropriate, subject to applicable legal and operational requirements.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you reside and which laws apply, you may have rights concerning your personal information, including the right to:

• Request access to personal information we maintain about you;

• Request correction of inaccurate personal information;

• Request deletion of certain personal information;

• Request restriction of or object to certain processing;

• Obtain a portable copy of certain information;

• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;

• Obtain information regarding certain categories of recipients;

• Appeal a decision concerning a privacy rights request, where applicable; and

• Submit a complaint to an applicable privacy or data protection authority.

These rights are subject to applicable legal exceptions and limitations.

To exercise an applicable privacy right, contact us at contact@gbcf.ngo.

We may take reasonable steps to verify your identity and authority before responding to a request.

International Data Processing

GBCF is based in the United States.

Information submitted to us may be processed or stored in the United States or other jurisdictions in which our service providers operate.

Privacy and data protection laws in those jurisdictions may differ from the laws in your country.

Where applicable law requires specific safeguards for international transfers of personal information, we will use appropriate lawful mechanisms or other legally permitted arrangements.

Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, online marketplaces, payment services, external resources, or other services that GBCF does not control.

We are not responsible for the privacy, accessibility, security, content, or data practices of independent third-party services.

We encourage users to review the applicable policies of third-party services before providing information to them.

Children’s Privacy

Our website and services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly solicit personal information from children where parental or guardian consent would be required under applicable law.

If you believe that a child has provided personal information to GBCF in circumstances prohibited by applicable law, please contact us so that we can review the matter and take appropriate action.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our website, organizational practices, services, technology, or applicable legal requirements.

The current version will be posted on this page together with the applicable “Last Updated” date.

Material changes to our information practices will be addressed in accordance with applicable law.

Contact Us

For privacy questions, requests, or concerns, please contact:

Global Business Compliance Foundation
Email: contact@gbcf.ngo
Website: www.gbcf.ngo