SeekTrial Privacy Policy

1. SCOPE OF THIS PRIVACY POLICY

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected through SeekTrial.com; SeekTrial accounts and user profiles; clinical-trial searches and matching functionality; forms, questionnaires, and other information you voluntarily submit; communications between you and SeekTrial; requested email, text, or other alerts; applications or other digital interfaces; customer support interactions; information submitted when you ask to be considered for a clinical trial; and other services that link directly to this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy does not govern the privacy practices of clinical-trial sponsors, hospitals, research institutions, physicians, investigators, clinical research organizations, or other third parties that may receive information you choose to submit to them. Those organizations may have their own privacy policies and legal obligations.

2. IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT HEALTH DATA

To provide our service, SeekTrial may process information that reveals or could reasonably be used to infer information about your health, including medical conditions or diagnoses, symptoms, treatments, medications, prior procedures, laboratory or diagnostic information, medical and family medical history, treatment preferences, clinical-trial eligibility information, age or date of birth, geographic location, health-related interests, participation in clinical research, and other information you voluntarily provide that may relate to your health.

SeekTrial does not sell your health information or use your health information for targeted advertising.

SeekTrial will not disclose your health information to a clinical-trial sponsor, investigator, research institution, or other third party for consideration for a clinical trial unless you request or authorize that submission, except where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.

SeekTrial processing of health-related information is intended to be limited to what is reasonably necessary to provide the Services, maintain and improve the Services, protect users and SeekTrial, comply with law, and perform other purposes disclosed in this Privacy Policy. The FTC's Health Breach Notification Rule can apply to health applications and similar technologies that are not covered by HIPAA. SeekTrial therefore treats consumer health information as highly sensitive and maintains practices designed to address applicable federal and state health-privacy requirements.

3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

We collect and process information in several ways. When you use SeekTrial, you may voluntarily provide identifying information including your name, email address, telephone number, mailing address, city, state, ZIP code or other location information, date of birth or age, account credentials, username, and other information needed to identify or communicate with you.

Depending on the functionality you use, you may also provide health and clinical information such as a diagnosis or suspected diagnosis, medical conditions, symptoms, medications, treatments, procedures, disease stage, medical history, laboratory or testing information, treatment history, clinical characteristics, eligibility information, clinical-trial preferences, information relating to your interest in a clinical trial, and other health-related information you voluntarily submit.

We may collect communications information you provide when you contact support, communicate with SeekTrial, respond to surveys, submit feedback, request assistance, correspond with a clinical-trial team through SeekTrial, or otherwise communicate with us.

4. INFORMATION WE COLLECT AUTOMATICALLY

When you access or use the Services, we may automatically collect technical and usage information, including IP address, browser type, operating system, device type and identifiers, approximate geographic location derived from IP address, pages viewed, searches performed, features used, dates and times of activity, referring and exit pages, clicks and navigation information, error logs, session information, and other information concerning how you interact with the Services.

We may use cookies, pixels, SDKs, log files, local storage, and similar technologies to operate, secure, analyze, and improve the Services. Where required by applicable law, we will provide appropriate notice and obtain consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

5. INFORMATION FROM THIRD PARTIES

We may receive information from third parties when necessary to provide the Services or when you direct us to obtain or receive information. Examples may include identity or authentication providers, analytics and security providers, service providers, clinical-trial databases, clinical-trial sponsors or research organizations, referral or communication services, publicly available sources, information you authorize another service to provide to SeekTrial, and other sources permitted by applicable law.

We do not intentionally obtain medical records from healthcare providers without appropriate authorization or legal authority.

6. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION

6.1 Providing the SeekTrial Service

We may use information to operate SeekTrial; create and maintain your account; process searches; identify potentially relevant clinical trials; calculate or display trial compatibility or matching information; personalize search results; provide requested trial information; facilitate requested communications; submit information to a clinical-trial team at your direction; send requested notifications and alerts; maintain your preferences; and provide customer support.

6.2 Improving Search and Matching

We may use information to improve the functionality, accuracy, reliability, and performance of SeekTrial, including improving algorithms and search capabilities. Where feasible and appropriate, we may use aggregated, statistical, de-identified, or anonymized information for these purposes. We will not use identifiable health information to develop advertising profiles.

6.3 Communications

We may use your contact information to provide service-related communications, send security notices, respond to inquiries, provide requested clinical-trial alerts, notify you about new trial opportunities where requested, and provide other communications necessary to operate the Services. You may opt out of promotional communications at any time. You may not opt out of certain transactional or legally required communications.

6.4 Security and Fraud Prevention

We may use information to detect and prevent fraud; protect accounts; investigate security incidents; prevent unauthorized access; protect users and SeekTrial; enforce our Terms of Use; and comply with applicable law.

6.5 Legal and Regulatory Compliance

We may process and disclose information when reasonably necessary to comply with applicable laws or regulations, respond to valid legal process or governmental requests, protect rights, safety, and property, investigate suspected fraud or abuse, enforce agreements, or establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

7. CLINICAL-TRIAL MATCHING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

SeekTrial may use automated technologies, algorithms, artificial intelligence, machine learning, or other computational methods to search, organize, rank, compare, summarize, or identify potentially relevant clinical trials. SeekTrial matching results are intended to help you identify potential opportunities for further consideration.

A match, compatibility percentage, ranking, or recommendation is not a medical diagnosis or medical advice; is not a guarantee that you qualify for or will be accepted into a clinical trial; does not replace evaluation by a qualified healthcare professional or clinical-trial team; and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical advice. Final eligibility is determined by the applicable clinical-trial sponsor, investigator, healthcare provider, or research institution. Where applicable law provides rights concerning profiling or automated decision-making, SeekTrial will provide those rights as required by law.

8. WHEN WE SHARE INFORMATION

SeekTrial does not sell personal information or health information.

8.1 At Your Direction

If you choose to express interest in a clinical trial or submit your information to a clinical-trial team, we may transmit information you authorize us to provide. If you use a feature allowing SeekTrial to draft and send an inquiry to a clinical-trial team, the information necessary to process that request may be provided to the applicable sponsor, investigator, research institution, or representative. You are copied on the communication and have an opportunity to review that information.

8.2 Service Providers

We may disclose information to vendors and service providers that perform services on our behalf, such as cloud hosting, database management, cybersecurity, authentication, communications, email delivery, customer support, analytics, infrastructure, data processing, fraud prevention, and technical support. These providers are contractually required to process information only for authorized purposes and to maintain appropriate confidentiality and security safeguards.

8.3 Legal Requirements and Safety

We may disclose information when required or permitted by law, including in response to subpoenas, court orders, warrants, governmental investigations, regulatory requirements, or other lawful requests, and when reasonably necessary to protect the safety of a person or SeekTrial; investigate fraud, abuse, or security incidents; enforce our agreements; or protect legal rights.

8.4 Corporate Transactions

If SeekTrial is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, sale of assets, or similar transaction, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. Any successor entity will remain subject to applicable legal obligations concerning personal information.

9. NO SALE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

SeekTrial does not sell personal information or consumer health data. We do not sell medical information, diagnoses, medications, treatment information, clinical-trial searches, clinical-trial interests, contact information, or other personal information for monetary consideration. We do not permit third parties to use identifiable health information obtained through SeekTrial for their own unrelated marketing purposes. If SeekTrial changes this practice in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide any notices, choices, or consents required by applicable law.

10. TARGETED ADVERTISING AND CROSS-CONTEXT BEHAVIORAL ADVERTISING

SeekTrial does not use your health information to provide targeted advertising. If SeekTrial uses advertising, analytics, or similar technologies that constitute “sale” or “sharing” under an applicable state privacy law, we will provide the applicable disclosures and opt-out mechanisms required by that law. California residents may have the right to opt out of certain sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising and may use a recognized universal opt-out mechanism such as Global Privacy Control where applicable.

11. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

SeekTrial may use strictly necessary cookies, functional cookies, analytics technologies, security technologies, preference technologies, and other similar technologies to maintain sessions, authenticate users, remember preferences, understand how users interact with the Services, improve performance, detect fraud and security threats, and measure Service effectiveness. Where required, we will obtain consent before placing or using non-essential cookies. You may control certain cookies through browser settings or SeekTrial applicable privacy controls. Disabling certain technologies may affect Services functionality.

12. DATA RETENTION

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the Services, maintain your account, provide requested clinical-trial alerts, fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, maintain business and transaction records, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, detect and prevent fraud, maintain security, comply with legal obligations, or protect legal rights. Retention periods may vary depending on the type and sensitivity of information. When information is no longer reasonably necessary, we will delete, securely destroy, or de-identify it in accordance with our retention practices and applicable law.

13. DE-IDENTIFIED AND AGGREGATED INFORMATION

We may create aggregated, statistical, anonymized, or de-identified information from personal information for improving SeekTrial, analyzing clinical-trial search trends, measuring Service performance, conducting business analytics, research and development, improving search and matching technologies, and other lawful purposes. We will take reasonable measures required by applicable law to maintain information in de-identified form and will not attempt to re-identify it except where permitted or required by law.

14. DATA SECURITY

SeekTrial maintains reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, acquisition, alteration, disclosure, destruction, or loss. Measures may include access and authentication controls, encryption in transit, appropriate protections for stored information, monitoring, logging, vulnerability management, employee access restrictions, security and incident-response procedures, and vendor security requirements. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. If a security incident requires notification under applicable law, we will provide notice as required.

15. HEALTH DATA SECURITY AND FTC HEALTH BREACH NOTIFICATION

SeekTrial recognizes that unauthorized access to or disclosure of health information can cause significant harm. Where applicable, SeekTrial will comply with the FTC's Health Breach Notification Rule, including applicable requirements concerning notification to affected individuals, the Federal Trade Commission, and, where required, the media. The current rule generally requires consumer notification without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 calendar days after discovery of a qualifying breach. SeekTrial will also comply with applicable state data-breach notification laws.

16. HIPAA

SeekTrial is not a “covered entity” or “business associate” under HIPAA merely because it processes health-related information. Whether HIPAA applies depends on the specific services, relationships, data flows, and contractual arrangements involved. If SeekTrial operates in a role subject to HIPAA, it will comply with the applicable HIPAA requirements. Where HIPAA does not apply, other federal and state privacy laws may nevertheless protect health information.

17. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on where you reside and the applicable law, you may have rights to know, access, obtain a copy of, correct, delete, or port personal information; opt out of sale, sharing, profiling, or certain automated decision-making; limit certain uses or disclosures of sensitive personal information; withdraw consent; appeal a denial of a privacy request; obtain information about sharing and retention; and be free from discrimination for exercising applicable privacy rights. Not every right applies in every state or to every category of information. SeekTrial will not discriminate against you for exercising rights granted by applicable law.

18. CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS

If you are a California resident, the CCPA, as amended by the CPRA, may provide additional rights depending on whether it applies to SeekTrial and the information involved. These rights may include the right to know, delete, correct, opt out of sale or sharing, limit certain uses and disclosures of sensitive personal information, nondiscrimination, and rights concerning certain automated decision-making technologies. California classifies health information as sensitive personal information. Where required, SeekTrial will provide a Notice at Collection and honor Global Privacy Control and other qualifying opt-out preference signals.

19. WASHINGTON CONSUMER HEALTH DATA

Washington's My Health My Data Act provides additional protections for consumer health data. To the extent SeekTrial is subject to Washington law, SeekTrial will maintain and publish a consumer health data privacy policy describing applicable categories of health data collected, purposes of collection and use, sources, sharing categories, third parties, and applicable consumer rights. Washington law also restricts certain collection and sharing of consumer health data and requires affirmative consent for certain activities.

20. OTHER STATE PRIVACY LAWS

SeekTrial intends for this Privacy Policy to address applicable requirements under comprehensive state privacy laws and consumer-health-data laws, as applicable to SeekTrial activities and the individual user's location. State laws differ in scope, thresholds, exemptions, definitions, rights, consent requirements, appeal procedures, and effective dates. SeekTrial will provide the rights and disclosures required by the law applicable to the user and the processing activity. For example, Virginia's Consumer Data Protection Act requires covered controllers to provide a reasonably accessible, clear, and meaningful privacy notice and requires consent before processing sensitive data.

21. CONSUMER HEALTH DATA CONSENT

Where applicable law requires affirmative consent before collecting, using, or sharing consumer health data, SeekTrial will obtain the required consent before performing the applicable activity. Consent may be obtained through account registration, an electronic consent mechanism, a specific authorization, a clinical-trial submission confirmation, a privacy preference mechanism, or another legally compliant method. You may withdraw consent where permitted by law. Withdrawal will not affect processing that occurred before withdrawal.

22. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

SeekTrial is intended for individuals legally capable of using the Services. Unless expressly stated otherwise, SeekTrial does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without legally required parental consent. If we knowingly offer Services to children under 13, we will comply with COPPA and applicable state children's privacy laws. Contact us if you believe a child has provided information without appropriate authorization; we will investigate and, where legally required, delete it.

23. MINORS BETWEEN 13 AND 17

Where applicable law grants additional privacy protections to minors, SeekTrial will comply. We will not knowingly sell or share personal information of minors in circumstances prohibited by applicable law. Certain state laws may impose additional requirements concerning targeted advertising, profiling, sale or sharing, or sensitive information involving minors.

24. EMAIL AND TEXT COMMUNICATIONS

If you provide an email address or telephone number, SeekTrial may use it to provide account communications, security notices, requested clinical-trial alerts, responses to inquiries, service updates, and other communications you have requested. Where required, SeekTrial will obtain appropriate consent before sending marketing text messages or other regulated communications. You may opt out of promotional emails using the unsubscribe mechanism and generally opt out of text messages by following instructions in the message. Transactional or legally required communications may continue.

25. YOUR CHOICES REGARDING CLINICAL-TRIAL COMMUNICATIONS

SeekTrial is designed to keep users in control of their clinical-trial search. When you choose to contact a clinical-trial team, SeekTrial may facilitate that communication at your direction. Where functionality permits, you may review the information before it is sent. SeekTrial does not make decisions on behalf of clinical-trial sponsors regarding whether a user is accepted into a study.

26. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS

SeekTrial is based in the United States and may process information in the United States and other jurisdictions where SeekTrial or its service providers operate. If you access SeekTrial from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States. Where applicable law requires specific safeguards for international transfers, SeekTrial will implement legally recognized transfer mechanisms.

27. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES AND SERVICES

SeekTrial may contain links to third-party websites, clinical-trial registries, research organizations, healthcare providers, or other services. SeekTrial is not responsible for the privacy practices, security, content, or policies of third parties. Review each third-party privacy policy before providing information. Once you voluntarily provide information directly to a clinical-trial sponsor, investigator, research institution, or other third party, that organization's privacy policy may govern subsequent processing.

28. DO NOT TRACK

Some browsers provide a “Do Not Track” signal. Because there is not a universally accepted technical standard governing all such signals, SeekTrial may not respond to every browser-based signal. Where applicable law requires recognition of a qualifying opt-out preference signal, SeekTrial will honor it as required.

29. DATA PROCESSORS AND SERVICE PROVIDERS

SeekTrial may use third-party service providers to process information on our behalf for hosting, cloud infrastructure, database services, cybersecurity, authentication, communications, email delivery, analytics, customer support, technical operations, fraud detection, monitoring, and other legitimate business functions. We will use reasonable contractual and technical measures designed to restrict providers from using personal information for unauthorized purposes.

30. CORPORATE CHANGES

If SeekTrial undergoes a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, bankruptcy, sale, or other corporate transaction, personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. SeekTrial will require the successor or acquiring entity to honor applicable privacy obligations concerning information transferred as part of the transaction.

31. YOUR PRIVACY REQUESTS

To exercise an applicable privacy right, contact SeekTrial:

Privacy Request Email: Privacy<at>SeekTrial<dot>com
Mailing Address: 5900 Balcones Drive, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78731, USA

We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. We will request only information reasonably necessary for verification and use it solely for processing the request, except where otherwise permitted or required by law.

32. APPEALS

If applicable law provides a right to appeal a SeekTrial decision concerning a privacy request, you may submit an appeal using the same contact information. Your appeal should identify the original request, the decision being appealed, why it should be reconsidered, and any relevant additional information. SeekTrial will review the appeal in accordance with applicable law and, where required, provide information about contacting the applicable state attorney general or other regulatory authority if denied.

33. AUTHORIZED AGENTS

Where permitted by applicable law, you may designate an authorized agent to submit a privacy request on your behalf. SeekTrial may require proof that you authorized the agent, verification of your identity, and other information reasonably necessary to process the request.

34. VERIFICATION AND SECURITY OF PRIVACY REQUESTS

Because clinical-trial information may reveal highly sensitive health information, SeekTrial may take additional precautions to verify requests involving health information. We will not disclose sensitive personal information merely because someone submits a request claiming to be you. Verification procedures will be proportionate to the sensitivity of the requested information and consistent with applicable law.

35. NON-DISCRIMINATION

SeekTrial will not discriminate against you for exercising privacy rights granted by applicable law. Unless permitted by law, we will not deny access to the Services, charge a different price, provide a different level of service, or otherwise penalize you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

36. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the “Last Updated” date. If material changes require additional notice or consent, we will provide appropriate notice and, where required, obtain consent. Continued use following an update does not constitute consent where applicable law requires affirmative consent.

37. CONTACT SEEKTRIAL

SeekTrial.com
5900 Balcones Drive, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78731, USA
Privacy or Privacy Requests: Privacy<at>SeekTrial<dot>com

38. IMPORTANT DISCLAIMERS

SeekTrial is a technology platform designed to help users identify potential clinical-trial opportunities. SeekTrial is not a healthcare provider, does not provide medical diagnosis or treatment, and does not determine whether you are medically eligible for a clinical trial. Clinical-trial information may change, and information presented through the Services may originate from third-party sources.

A SeekTrial match or compatibility percentage is not a guarantee of eligibility, acceptance, treatment, or availability. Users should consult qualified healthcare professionals and the applicable clinical-trial team when evaluating whether participation in a clinical trial is appropriate.

39. PRIVACY PRINCIPLES

Transparency.

We explain what information we collect and why. We seek to empower patients with better search tools to discover clinical trials without taking back-end payments if you choose to join one.

Data Minimization.

We seek to collect only information reasonably necessary to provide the Services.

User Control.

We seek to keep users in control of when their information is shared and with which clinical-trial teams.

Security.

We implement reasonable safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we process.

No Sale of Health Data.

We do not sell consumer health information.

No Health-Based Targeted Advertising.

We do not use identifiable health information to target advertising or promotion.

Purpose Limitation.

We seek to use information for the purposes disclosed in this Privacy Policy or otherwise permitted by law.

Accountability.

We seek to comply with applicable federal and state privacy, security, and breach-notification requirements.