Global Policy on Use of Personal Data
Updated December 26, 2022
We collect, store, and use your personal data only for the purposes for which you submitted it, and we keep the data only as long as it is necessary for those purposes or for other legitimate purposes that may apply. In these situations, if you choose to withhold any personal data requested by us, it may not be possible for you to gain access to certain parts of the website or associated apps provided by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc. or for us to respond to your request.
The data provided in a request or application is accessible to processors involved in the accomplishment of the purpose of data processing and/or to technical support specialists performing tasks related to the operation and maintenance of the technical system. We do not give your personal data to anyone else unless (1) it is necessary to do so in order to provide the service requested by you and we have made a full disclosure to you, (2) we have a good-faith belief that disclosure of such information is reasonably necessary to satisfy any applicable laws or regulations, (3) it is in response to a request from law-enforcement authorities, or (4) it is needed to detect and prevent fraud for security or technical issues. By using this website and all associated apps, you consent to our disclosing your personal data to third parties for these purposes only. Any personal data you submit will not under any circumstances be sold, traded, or rented.
USE OF PERSONAL DATA ON THE WEBSITE
The majority of the content on this website is accessible without registering as a user or submitting any information to us. However, some functions are available only for registered users, for users who submit requests or applications, or for users whose personal data is transmitted via jw.org by a congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We process your personal data on the basis of your consent. In certain cases, if you withdraw your consent, we may have a legitimate legal basis for the continued processing of your data, provided that the respective legal requirements are met.
Personal data submitted by you on the website is used solely for the purposes stated to you at the time of submission. These purposes may include the following:
Accounts. The email address that you supply when creating an account on this website may be used to contact you regarding your account. For example, if you forget your username or password and request assistance with logging in, assistance will be provided by means of a message sent to the email address entered in your user profile.
Applications. If you qualify according to the beliefs and policies of Jehovah’s Witnesses, you may use this website to create your user account and submit an application, or your congregation may use this website to submit your application on your behalf. Each application identifies the purpose of its use, such as applying for expanded religious service or requesting or offering accommodations related to conventions, assemblies, or other events. Your personal data that is included on an application may include personal information that is submitted by you, by local elders, or by a local circuit overseer. The data provided will be used only for processing and considering your application and for related administrative purposes, including creating your profile as part of the application process. If it is necessary for the processing of your application, your data on an application may also be shared with other branches, the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, or other similar cooperating organizations used by Jehovah’s Witnesses in various countries. In all cases, applications are evaluated on a case-by-case basis and are not subject to automated decision-making.
Donations. If you make a monetary donation online, we collect your name and contact information. To accept donations via credit card, we use accredited online payment-processing services with world-class security and data-privacy policies. We may receive financial information, such as a credit card number or financial account numbers necessary to process your donation, and send the needed information to those processing services. We process your donation securely using measures that comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”). The donation recipient retains donation records for as long as necessary according to the donation recipient’s legitimate interests or according to any applicable legal requirements. This includes records of the date of the donation, amount donated, and method of donation. This will enable us to comply with accounting standards and respond to any questions from you that arise during that period. We will not contact you to request additional donations.
Requests for More Information or a Bible Study. You may also request more information or a free Bible study through our website. We will use the personal data you submit through your request only in relation to your specific request. Your data may be shared with other branches or cooperating organizations used by Jehovah’s Witnesses if necessary to satisfy your request.
Other Purposes. You may submit personal data (such as your name, postal address, and telephone number) for purposes other than creating an account, submitting an application, or making a donation. In each case, the purpose for which you are invited to give us information is made clear. We will not use your information for purposes that are not made clear when you provide your data.
USE OF PERSONAL DATA ON JW LIBRARY
We collect information on how you use JW Library so that we can improve the app and deliver a better experience. To do this, we use unique device identifiers that identify your computer or mobile device. The app also logs information such as your operating system and IP address.
The personal data collected from users is intended to provide the app services, to improve app services, and to maintain a secure environment. More specifically, the uses are as follows: access to and use of the app by the user, managing the operation and optimization of the app, preventing and detecting fraud and malicious software, and managing security incidents. Additionally, the app functions by downloading data from jw.org. This data includes catalogs of available content, as well as the content itself. The jw.org website has access to a user’s IP address when the app downloads data from the website, including streaming data such as when the user plays audio and video through the app.
TRANSFER OF DATA ABROAD
The religious organization operates globally through various local entities. Some of the servers that host the website and associated apps are located in the United States of America. We may transfer your data outside your country of domicile, potentially including countries whose laws provide different levels of data protection that are not always equivalent to the level of data protection in the country in which you currently reside. In the course of handling and transferring your personal data, we take measures designed to protect your data. We expect all organizations used by and supporting the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses to follow our data-protection policies and the effective laws and regulations on personal data.
By visiting this website and communicating electronically with us, you consent to these cross-border transfers. In many cases, we also use agreements for such transfers, such as standard contractual clauses.
YOUR RIGHTS
Whenever we process personal data, we take reasonable steps to ensure that your personal data is kept accurate and up-to-date for the purposes for which it was collected. Depending on the country you live in and the applicable local data-protection laws, you may have the following rights regarding the personal data you have submitted to us:
You can request information about the collection and use of your personal information according to applicable local laws.
You can request to access, block, or erase your personal information, or to correct it if it is incomplete or inaccurate.
Where you have legitimate grounds for doing so, you can object to the processing of your personal information and request that we not process your data further.
If the country in which you reside has applicable data protection laws and you wish to access, correct, or delete your personal data, you may find the contact information on the Data Protection Contacts page.
Upon receipt of your written request, after you provide sufficient evidence of your identity and enough information to permit us to identify your personal data, the applicable data controller will fairly consider granting the request by balancing the interests of the individual in gaining access to data or correcting or deleting data against the legitimate interests of the organization, including whether granting the request would endanger the organization’s right to religious freedom and practice. We will also notify any third-party recipients of the necessary changes.
Please note that your data may not be erased if processing is required by law or if the data may be kept on other legal bases. For example, the religious organization has an interest in permanently maintaining data regarding an individual’s status as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Deleting such information would unduly infringe on the organization’s religious beliefs and practices. Requests to delete personal data are subject to any applicable legal reporting or document retention requirements imposed on us. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority about the processing of the data you have provided through this website.
