Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following.

• Name, email address, telephone number and postal address
• Examination records: discipline, language, date sat, marks obtained, grade awarded
• Membership records: category, tier and date of joining
• Payment records
• The content of enquiries
• Use of this website: dates and times of access, pages viewed, technical environment

Card details and similar payment credentials are processed by our payment provider. We do not hold card numbers ourselves.

2. Purposes of Use

Information collected is used for the following purposes.

• Conducting examinations, marking, accreditation and the issue of certificates
• Administering membership and providing services to members
• Invoicing and receiving examination fees and membership fees
• Correspondence and notices from the association
• Replying to enquiries
• Improving this website and our services
• Statistical analysis, after processing into a form in which individuals cannot be identified

Where we wish to use information beyond these purposes, we will seek your consent afresh.

3. Disclosure to Third Parties

We do not disclose personal information to third parties without consent, save in the following circumstances.

• Where required by law
• Where necessary to protect life, person or property, and consent is difficult to obtain
• Where cooperation with a public authority discharging a statutory function is required

Listing in the members’ register, and the content of a member profile page, are published only with the member’s consent. The extent of what appears is the member’s to choose.

4. Processors

We engage external providers for parts of our work. We require of them a standard of protection equivalent to this policy, and we supervise them accordingly.

The principal categories are as follows.

• Payment processing
• Servers and cloud services
• Email delivery
• Customer relationship management systems

5. Transfer Outside Japan

Some of the services we use are provided by companies established outside Japan. Personal information may therefore be stored on servers outside Japan.

In such cases we transfer only what is necessary, and only after satisfying ourselves that appropriate safeguards are in place at the destination.

6. Retention

Personal information is retained only for as long as the purpose of its use requires.

Records of accreditation are an exception. Because we must be able to confirm the authenticity of an accreditation when asked, we retain such records for as long as the accreditation may be called into question.

Where a law requires retention, we retain for the period that law prescribes.

7. Your Rights

In respect of your own personal information held by us, you may request the following.

• Notification of the purpose of use
• Disclosure
• Correction, addition or deletion
• Suspension of use, or erasure
• Suspension of disclosure to third parties

Requests are made by email to the address given below. Once we have satisfied ourselves of your identity, we respond without undue delay and in accordance with the law.

Records of accreditation are again an exception. Because the integrity of the accreditation system depends upon them, we may be unable to accede to a request for erasure. Where that is so, we will explain our reasons.

8. Cookies and Analytics

This website uses cookies and analytics in order to understand how it is used and to improve it. The information so obtained does not directly identify any individual.

Cookies may be refused through your browser settings. Some parts of the site may then be unavailable to you.

9. Security

We take such measures as are necessary and appropriate to prevent the loss, destruction or unauthorised disclosure of personal information.

We supervise our staff and our processors to the extent necessary and appropriate.

10. Amendment

We may amend this policy as circumstances require. An amended policy takes effect upon publication on this website.

Where an amendment is material, we will give notice on this website beforehand.

11. Enquiries

Enquiries concerning the handling of personal information, and requests under clause 7, are received at the following.

International Protocol Accreditation Association
Administered by ICPA International Protocol Co., Ltd.
Marunouchi Trust Tower N 19F, 1-8-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-0005, Japan
office@ipa-a.com