Privacy Statement

Effective Date: March 28, 2019

Thank you for agreeing to participate in a study developed by researchers in the Yale School of Public Health to examine young men’s social environment and their health (the “Study”). By downloading this app (the “Study App”), you acknowledge that you have chosen to enroll in the Study and have carefully read and signed the “Consent for Participation in a Research Project” form. This Privacy Statement describes our collection, use and disclosure of information about you when you use the Study App and the steps we take to protect such data. Your use of the Study App and your participation in the Study are entirely voluntary.

By using the Study App, you acknowledge your consent to the practices and procedures described in this Privacy Statement.

Information We Collect

As described in the “Consent for Participation in a Research Project” form, the Study App will collect information on the mobile applications you use and GPS data from your mobile phone. This information will be used to create a map based on your GPS locations and will serve as the basis for interview questions regarding locations you visit, the people you spend time with, and your daily activities such as substance use, sexual activities, and interactions with others.. The Study App will prompt you to answer survey questions based on your responses to the interview questions.

All data collected about you through your use of the Study App will be anonymized.

In addition, we automatically collect standard server log information, such as internet protocol address and details of how you used the Study App (e.g. history of page requests such as uploading data or signing in and date/time of request).

Data collected via the Study App will be stored on a secure Yale University server.

How We Use and Disclose Information

Your anonymized data will be used and tracked in the Study to examine how your friends and the places you hang out influence your behaviors and your health. Researchers in the Study will NOT use your data for any other purposes. We will combine your Study data with those of other Study participants. The combined Study data will be transferred to the Study’s Principal Investigator for analysis. The Principal Investigator responsible for the Study is Dr. Trace Kershaw, Ph.D., Yale School of Public Health, 60 College St., New Haven, CT, 06510, telephone: 203-785-3441. Researchers from the Study team will analyze the data and may report findings through scientific publications.

We may use standard server log information that we collect automatically through the Study App to: operate, maintain, enhance and provide all features of the Study App; monitor aggregate usage metrics; provide information that you request; respond to comments and questions; and otherwise to provide support to users.

We will not access personal information on your mobile device. We do not use cookies, beacons or device fingerprinting.

 

We have obtained a Certificate of Confidentiality for this project from the Federal government.  A Certificate of Confidentiality protects your privacy by allowing staff to refuse to disclose your name or other identifying information to anyone outside this research project.  However, we cannot know for sure how much protection the Certificate provides because it has rarely been challenged in the courts. In the unlikely event of an audit by the funding agency, the National Institute of Child Health and Development (NICHD), staff may have to reveal your name, but only to the agency’s authorized representatives.  The Yale University Human Investigation Committee may also inspect study records.  However, if we learn about abuse of a child or elderly person or that you intend to harm yourself or someone else, or about certain communicable disease (see above) we will report that to the proper authorities.

Third-Party Sites

The Study App may contain links to websites of third parties whose information collection and handling practices may differ from ours. If you choose to access these other websites, you should consult the privacy policies and practices of such sites before accessing and using their sites or services, which we do not control. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of such websites.

Data Security

We have taken certain physical, administrative, and technical steps designed to safeguard and secure your information and to prevent unauthorized access, maintain accuracy, and ensure appropriate use of your information. Even though we endeavor to protect your information, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee that there will not be any circumvention of privacy settings or security measures or unauthorized access to your information submitted to the Study App.

Changes to Our Privacy Statement

We may change this Privacy Statement from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. In the event that any changes to this Privacy Statement materially alter your rights or obligations hereunder, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you of the change. For example, we may generate a pop-up or similar notification when you access the Study App for the first time after such material changes are made. Your continued use of the Study App after the revised Privacy Statement has become effective indicates that you have read, understood and agreed to the then-current version of this Privacy Statement.

Contact

If you have any questions, comments or requests regarding this Privacy Statement or our handling of your information, please contact study staff at 203-974-9977.