Privacy Policy

Last updated: 9 September 2025

This Privacy Policy explains how the Australian Fatherhood Research Consortium (hereinafter referred to as our, us, or we) collects, uses, stores and discloses your personal information. It also sets out how you can contact us to discuss any privacy related matter or lodge a complaint if you feel that we have not handled your personal information appropriately.  

What is personal information?

Personal information means information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), that is recorded in any form and whether true or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion but does not include information of a kind to which would be considered health information. Personal information and personal data are used interchangeably in this Privacy Policy.

What type of personal information do we collect about you?

We may collect, use, store and disclose different kinds of personal information about you including:

  • your first and last name;

  • your email address;

  • copies of your correspondence if you contact us;

  • feedback and survey responses; and

  • information if requested by Government or regulatory authorities to fulfil our legal and/or compliance obligations.

In addition to the personal information we collect about you, we also collect automated data by using cookies and analytics (or similar technologies).

Cookies

This website uses cookies and similar technologies, which are small files or pieces of text that download to a device when a visitor accesses a website or app. For information about viewing the cookies dropped on your device, visit The cookies Squarespace uses.

Analytics

This website collects personal data to power our site analytics, including:

  • information about your browser, network, and device; and

  • web pages you visited prior to coming to this website.

This information may also include details about your use of this website, including clicks, internal links, pages visited, scrolling, searches and timestamps.

Google Maps

This website may include embedded content such as Google Maps. This service may collect data about you, use cookies, and monitor your interaction with the embedded content. Google Maps, provided by Google LLC, may collect location and usage data in accordance with Google’s Privacy Policy.

Other

This website includes commenting functionality on some pages which enables you to post a comment. This website collects personal data when you post a comment, including your:

  • name (which will be displayed as part of your posted comment); and

  • email address (optional, to let you know if someone replies to your comment).

This website includes “likes” functionality on some blog posts which enables you to “like” a post. This website collects personal data when you like a post to try to prevent the same person from liking the same post during the same visit, including:

  • information about your browser, network and device; and

  • details about the web page or content you shared or proposed to share.

Why do we collect your personal information and what principals do we abide by when collecting your personal information?

The amount and type of information we gather about you depends on the nature of our interaction with you. However, it is our absolute priority that we only collect personal information about you insofar as it is necessary or appropriate to fulfil the purpose of your interaction with us, to carry out our functions and activities or to provide services to you.

In collecting your personal information, we adhere to the Information Privacy Principles which are set out in Schedule 1 of the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic). We collect all personal information lawfully, fairly and transparently.

Who do we share your personal information with?

Your personal information may be disclosed to:

  • third parties where you consent to the use or disclosure;

  • to our consultants and contractors; and

  • where required or authorised by law or regulation.

We engage consultants and contractors to provide us with services. Contracted service providers are bound by contract to use any personal information we share with them only for the purposes of providing us with the contracted service. Contracted service providers also have in place administrative and technical measures to keep personal information secure and must ensure they protect personal information from unauthorised access, use, disclosure, modification or deletion. We only disclose personal information to our consultants and contractors to the extent necessary to enable them to provide the contracted service.

How do we store and secure your personal information?

We have in place administrative and technical measures to keep personal information secure and we take all measures reasonably necessary to protect against the unauthorised access, use, disclosure, modification or deletion of personal information.

We aim to minimise the collection of identifiable personal data wherever possible. Where personal data is collected in a non-identifiable or de-identified form, we take all reasonable measures to ensure that it cannot reasonably be re-identified.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

To ensure our ongoing compliance with applicable laws, we periodically review our Privacy Policy and reserve the right acting reasonably to update this Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review our Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed as to how we collect, use, store and disclose your personal information. When updated, we will change the ‘Last updated’ date at the top of this Privacy Policy.

How can you contact us to discuss any privacy related concern or to make a complaint about our handling of your personal information?

We welcome any question, comment or remark regarding our Privacy Policy (including how you can seek access to any personal information we have collected and stored about you and how you can have your personal information corrected) or our handling of your personal information. Please contact us at ausfatherhoodresearch@gmail.com.

Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner

The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner (hereinafter referred to as the OVIC) is the independent State regulator for privacy and freedom of information in Victoria. If you have raised a complaint about our handling of your personal information with us and you believe we have not appropriately addressed your complaint within a reasonable period of time, you can escalate your complaint to OVIC. Further information can be found here.