Privacy Policy

Privacy Notice 

Last Updated: November 21, 2023

The American Pet Products Association (“APPA”, “us”, “we”, “our”) appreciates the trust and respects the privacy of everyone who uses our websites, https://www.americanpetproducts.org/, thepetsummit.com and https://globalpetexpo.org (each a “Website” and, collectively, the “Websites”), or our Global Pet Expo mobile application, our email distribution list, and the social media channels that we maintain (“Digital Assets”). This Privacy Statement explains how APPA collects, uses, stores and protects the information that we collect from users of our Websites and Digital Assets and describes your rights and choices regarding the information that we collect. A copy of this privacy policy is also provided at https://www.americanpetproducts.org/privacy-policy, https://globalpetexpo.org/footer/privacy-policy and thepetsummit.com/privacy.

1.      Information that We Collect From and About You

Our primary goals in collecting information are to provide and improve the Websites and Digital Assets, to administer your use of the Websites and Digital Assets, to enable you to enjoy and easily navigate the Websites and Digital Assets, and to respond to your inquiries submitted via the Websites and Digital Assets.

For purposes of this Privacy Statement, Personal Information (“PI”) means any information that is linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or identifiable individual. Personal Information does not include information that has been aggregated, de-identified, or otherwise anonymized sufficiently that the individual is no longer identified or identifiable using reasonable efforts, resources, and technology. Please note that this does not apply to information that APPA collects and uses for employment-related purposes, whether through our Websites or through Websites operated on our behalf by a third-party service provider.

The information that we collect may include:

Information about you. Including:

• Name;
• Postal address;
• Telephone Number
• Fax number;
• Email address; and
• Any other Personal Information that you choose to share with us voluntarily when you communicate with us through an online form, by sending us an email, by requesting additional information, by registering for one of our events, by purchasing goods or services from us, or by otherwise contacting us.

Account information. Including

• Payment information (this information is collected through our third-party payment process and we do not retain such information after the transaction).
• Purchase history;
• User IDs and passwords; and
• Communication history.

Device information. Including:

• IP Address;
• Browser Information;
• Type of device used to access the Websites and Digital Assets;
• The operating system name and version of the device used to access the Services;
• Identifiers of devices used to access the Websites;
• Locations of devices used to access the Websites;
• Device manufacturer; and
  • Website(s) version accessed on your device.

Demographic information. Please note that we do not consider this information to be PI given that it will be deidentified and anonymized such that it cannot be linked to you as an individual. This information includes your:

• Zip code or postal code;
• Age;
• Preferences;
• Gender;
• Race or ethnicity;
• Occupation;
• Career history; and
• Interests and favorites.

Information collected through cookies, logs, analytics, and other technologies. Including:

• Logs 

Our Websites automatically creates logs regarding user sessions that contain information about the features that you use, the actions that you take, and the information that you access. However, once your session ends, APPA only retains the information in a statistical and aggregated format (non-personal information) that we use for research purposes, for assessing the effectiveness of our Websites, and to improve user experience. 

• Cookies 

Cookies are small pieces of information transferred to your computer's hard drive through your web browser to enable our systems to recognize your preferences and settings. Cookies collect information such as the type of search engine used, the sections of the Website(s) visited, and other Website usage information. Most browsers automatically accept cookies, and you may manually disable them. Third-party cookies and/or web beacons are cookies or web beacons provided by our technology and/or advertising partners.  Any third-party cookie or web beacon that we authorize for use on our Websites only collects information for the same stated purposes as if we were directly collecting the information.  For a third-party cookie or web beacon, the third-party will have access to the collected information in order to provide us with information or services to enhance the performance and functionality of our Websites.

For more information on disabling cookies, go to the "help" menu on your browser or to www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ or www.youronlinechoices.com. Our Websites may still be viewed if you choose to disable cookies, but your use and enjoyment of our Websites may be adversely affected. 

We use session cookies for Website(s) use and function, and those cookies expire at the end of the session. We use persistent cookies only to identify existing APPA Members (“Members”) when they visit the Website and these cookies expire after 14 days. We may retain information from the session and persistent cookies in a statistical and aggregated format (non-personal information) for research purposes, assessing the effectiveness of our Websites, and improving user experience. 

• Analytics 

Our Websites use Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). Google uses cookies to help us analyze how visitors use our Websites. The information generated by the cookie about your use of our Websites is generally transmitted to and stored on a Google server in the U.S. We have activated IP anonymization so that Google will truncate/anonymize the last eight-bit segment of your IP address beforehand within Member States of the European Union or other parties to the Agreement on the European Economic Area. Only in exceptional cases will the full IP address be transmitted to a Google server in the U.S. and truncated there. Google will use this information for evaluating your use of our Websites, compiling reports on Websites activity, and providing us with other analytic services relating to our Websites and Internet use. Google will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. 

You may manage and opt out of Google’s use of cookies by visiting Google’s Ads settings and selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, please note that if you do so, you may not be able to use the full functionality of our Websites. Alternatively, you can prevent Google’s collection and use of data by downloading and installing the browser plugin available at: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en  and/or opt out by visiting www.networkadvertising.org/choices/ or www.youronlinechoices.com. For further information on Google’s terms of use and data protection/privacy, please see https://www.google.com/policies/privacy/, http://www.google.com/analytics/terms/us.html, and http://www.google.com/analytics/learn/index.html. 

We collect and retain information from Google Analytics in a statistical and aggregated format (non-personal information) for research purposes, assessing the effectiveness of our Websites, and improving user experience.

• Email Tracking Technology 

Separate from the Websites and Digital Assets, we produce newsletters and other communications and use a web-based email service to distribute that information to Members and non-Members who sign up to receive APPA information, either through our Websites or Digital Assets, or through event registration. The email service uses tracking technology to provide us with information about when our emails are delivered and opened, as well as actions that the recipients take, including clicking on links included in the email and forwarding the email to others. We receive that information for individual recipients and also in an aggregated format that is no longer Personal Information.  Recipients of our emails can opt-out or unsubscribe from them at any time, by using the unsubscribe link in each email we send or by contacting as shown below.

Information that we collect from other sources 

• In certain instances, APPA also receives event and membership lists from partner organizations with whom we have a business relationship. To the extent that individuals on those lists are not already Members or APPA event attendees, we use that information to identify individuals who might be interested in becoming Members.

Sensitive information

• Unless legally required, we ask that you not send or disclose to APPA Sensitive Personal Information (i.e., information related to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, health, genetics, biometrics, or sex life or sexual orientation).

2.      Why We Collect Information From and About You 

APPA does not collect, use, share, or disclose your Personal Information for anything other than the following lawful purposes:

To establish and maintain contractual relationships with our Members and non-Members. Including:

• To establish relationships with new Members;
• To fulfill our obligations to current Members and non-Member event attendees;
• To contact Members regarding account-related issues and business communications, including technical notices, updates, security alerts, and administrative messages; and
• To enable Members to access and use our Services 

To comply with our legal obligations. Including: 

• To demonstrate compliance with applicable privacy and data security law;
• To conduct proxy solicitations
• To comply with incident monitoring, reporting, assessment, and notification requirements; and
• To comply with other applicable criminal and civil law and regulatory requirements under federal, state, and international law.

To provide the websites and digital assets and information that you request and consent to receive. Including: 

• To provide customer service and support;
• To communicate with you, including responding to your comments, questions, and requests;
• To provide direct marketing and email and to distribute other information about APPA and carefully selected APPA partners unless you have opted out of such communications.
• To administer, operate, maintain, and secure our Websites;
• To monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities in connection with our Websites and to conduct our business activities;
• To investigate and prevent fraudulent transactions, unauthorized access to our Websites, and other illegal activities;
• To verify compliance with our internal policies and procedures;
• For accounting, recordkeeping, backup, and administrative purposes;
• To customize and improve the content of our communications and Websites and Digital Assets;
• To provide information and education;
• To provide, operate, maintain, improve, personalize, and promote our business activities; and
• To develop new products, services, features, and functionality.

3.      APPA’s Information Sharing and Disclosure 

Except to the extent necessary to fulfill our business obligations, to accomplish one of the lawful purposes described in this Privacy Statement, or in response to your express instructions, we do not sell, transfer, or otherwise disclose Personal Information that we collect from or about you.

We share your personal information, including the categories of information outlined above (i.e., information described in the sections above labeled “Information about you”, “Account information”, “Device information”, “Information collected through cookies, logs, analytics, and other technologies”, and “Information that we collect from other sources”) with third parties necessary to complete any transaction that you have requested or authorized. In addition, we share Personal Information among APPA affiliates and with vendors or agents working on our behalf for the purposes described in this statement. Such disclosures may include:

Information shared in order to provide our services or support transactions

We may share your Personal Information in connection with providing the Websites or Digital Assets to you including to provide customer service and support, and provide technical support. 

Information shared with our service providers

We may share your information with our service providers, such as infrastructure, web and event analytics, housing, registration, and other entities acting on our behalf to improve or facilitate our events, Websites and Digital Assets, and other offerings.  We may also share your information with our service providers to conduct proxy solicitations.  Generally, these service providers are contractually prohibited from processing your PI for any purposes beyond those set forth in this privacy statement.

Information disclosed with your consent

We may share your Personal Information with third parties when we have your prior consent to do so.

Information shared with our partners for their business purposes

In limited instances, we may share your PI with our partners for their own business purposes. For example, when you provide your PI to us through scanners at the Global Pet Expo, we may share this information with the vendor providing the scanning services for its own marketing purposes. This also may include sharing limited contact information with contributors to our events such as event speakers.

Information disclosed to others in accordance with your preferences

Your Personal Information may be disclosed to third parties depending on how you use the Websites and Digital Assets. For example, when you use our Websites or Digital Assets, certain features allow you to make some of your usage and content accessible to the public, directly or through social media platforms. We urge you to consider the sensitivity of any information prior to sharing it publicly or with other users.

Information disclosed for our protection and the protection of others

We may disclose your Personal Information to legal or regulatory authorities if legally required by such authorities, if we deem disclosures to such authorities appropriate. We may also disclose your Personal Information to a third party if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request (including subpoenas);
• To enforce our agreements, policies and terms of service;
• To protect the security or integrity of APPA products and services;
• To respond to an incident involving personal data for which APPA has direct or indirect responsibility;
• To protect our property rights as well as the rights and safety of APPA, our Members, or the public;
• To stop, respond to, or prevent any activity that we consider illegal, unethical, or legally actionable; and
• To investigate and defend ourselves against any third-party claims or allegations. 

Personal Information disclosed in connection with business transactions

We may share or transfer your information (including your Personal Information) to a third party in connection with any reorganization, merger, sale of company assets, joint venture, transfer, financing, or other disposition of  all or a portion of our business, assets, or stock to another company, including in connection with bankruptcy or similar proceedings.

4.      Your Control Over Information that We Collect from and About You  

Your privacy is important to us and to demonstrate our commitment, we do our best to honor requests to access, correct, update, or delete your PI. However, please note that depending our business purposes, we may not be able to honor such requests in all circumstances.

5.      Security 

APPA uses reasonable organizational, technical, and administrative measures to provide a level of security appropriate to the risk associated with the Personal Information that we collect. Unfortunately, no data transmission over the Internet and no data storage system is 100% secure and we therefore cannot guarantee the absolute security of your Personal Information.

6.      Cross Border Transfers 

APPA is a U.S. non-profit organization dedicated to promoting responsible pet care and advancing the pet products industry. Members both in the U.S. and internationally, are pet product manufacturers, their representatives, importers and livestock suppliers.  Members include both large corporations and growing business enterprises across the globe. As a result, your Personal Information may be stored and processed in any country where we have facilities or where we have engaged a service provider, and by using the Websites and Digital Assets, you consent to the transfer of information to countries outside of your country of residence, including to the United States, which may have different data protection rules than in your country. Such transfers are governed by internal Controller to Controller contracts, and through Data Transfer agreements with nonaffiliated third parties.

7.      Links to Other Sites 

This Websites contains links to third-party websites that are provided for your convenience. APPA does not endorse and is not responsible for the privacy practices or the content of third-party websites. We recommend that you review the privacy policies and terms of use that govern third-party websites when you visit them.

8.      Data Retention 

APPA retains information only as long as necessary to accomplish the business purpose for which it was collected and to comply with its legal and contractual obligations, plus 1 year for our business purposes, and then securely disposes of that information or converts it into non-personal information by aggregating it, de-identifying it, or otherwise anonymizing it so that it does not directly or indirectly identify you and cannot, with reasonable efforts, resources, and technologies, be used to re-identify you.

9.      Children's Privacy 

Our Website, and the services we provide to our Members, are not directed to or intended for individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 16. If we become aware that a child under the age of 16 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete that information.

10.  California Privacy Rights  

California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits Websites users who are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of Personal Information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

11.  Changes to this Privacy Statement

APPA may change and update this Privacy Statement from time to time, including materially changing the collection, use, or sharing of Personal Information as described herein. When we do, we will also revise the “last updated” date, below.  Any change or update to our Privacy Statement will posted on our Websites under "Privacy Statement.”

12.  Questions, Complaints, and Additional Information

If you have questions, complaints, or concerns about this Privacy Statement, your Personal Information, or our use and disclosure practices, or you wish to exercise your options as described in this Privacy Statement, please contact us at jfidenzio@americanpetproducts.org or by mail to

APPA Headquarters
Attn: Julia Fidenzio
225 High Ridge Road
Suite W200
Stamford, CT 06905  

13.  Colorado Notice Pursuant to the Colorado Privacy Act

Under Colorado law, Members who are Colorado residents have specific rights regarding their Personal Information. These rights are subject to certain exceptions described below. When required, we will respond to most requests within 45 days unless it is reasonably necessary to extend the response time. For purposes of this notice

a)      Your Rights

Right to ACCESS: You have the right to confirm whether we are processing your Personal Information and to access that data.  

Right to correction: You have the right to correct inaccuracies in the Personal Information we hold about you.  

Right to deletion: You have the right to request that we delete the Personal information that we hold about you.

Right to data portability: You have the right to request that we provide you with your Personal Information in a portable, and to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format that allows you to transmit your Personal Information to another entity. You may make up to two such requests per year. 

Right to opt out of sales of your Personal Information: You have a right to opt-out of the sale of your Personal Information for purposes of:

• Targeted Advertising;
• The Sale of Personal Data; or
• Profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

b)      How to Exercise these Rights

You may make such requests yourself or you may designate an authorized agent to make such opt out requests on your behalf.

We do not currently collect Sensitive Information but in the event that we do so in the future, we will obtain your explicit consent prior to any processing activities.

You may submit a consumer request to us to exercise your rights by clicking here.

14.  European Notice Pursuant to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

This privacy notice describes the Information we collect or process about European residents in connection with our Services, how we use, share, and protect that Customer Information, and what your rights are concerning Personal Data that we collect or process.

For the purposes of this privacy notice, “Personal Data” has the same meaning as under the GDPR Art. 4(1) as any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.

If you wish to be informed about what Personal Data we hold about you and if you want it to be removed from our systems, please contact us.

c)      Your Rights

In certain circumstances, you have the following data protection rights:

• The right to access, update or delete the information we have on you. Whenever made possible, you can access, update or request deletion of your Personal Data directly within your account settings section. If you are unable to perform these actions yourself, please contact us to assist you.
• The right of rectification. You have the right to have your Personal Data rectified if that information is inaccurate or incomplete.
• The right to object. You have the right to object to our processing of your Personal Data.
• The right of restriction. You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your Personal Data.
• The right to data portability. You have the right to be provided with a copy of the information we have on you in a structured, machine-readable and commonly used format.
• The right to withdraw consent. You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time where Paradigm Connect, Inc. DBA Paradigm relied on your consent to process your Personal Data.
• The right to complain to a data protection authority. You have the right to complain to a Data Protection Authority about our collection and use of your Customer Information. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the European Economic Area (EEA).

d)      Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

When processing the Personal Data of individuals residing in the European Economic Area (EEA), the legal basis we rely on for collecting and using the Personal Data described in this Privacy Policy depends on the Personal Data we collect and the specific context in which we collect it.

We may process your Personal Data because:

• We need to perform a contract with you;
• You have given us permission to do so;
• The processing is in our legitimate interests and it is not overridden by your rights;
• To comply with the law.