Last Updated: 7 Feb 2008

This document provides answers to Frequently Asked Questions about EFA’s Privacy Policy and security of information entered in EFA’s online forms.

What information is contained in EFA’s web site logs about site visitors

When accessing any web site/page, your web browser will very likely automatically disclose some information to the web server that you may not realise it discloses. This information will normally include your IP/domain address, which may or may not be sufficient on its own to personally identify you. For example, if you access the Web through your ISP or employer’s proxy server, their proxy server’s IP address may be disclosed instead of your computer’s IP address, that is, an address also applicable to other people. (For more information, see The IP Address: Your Internet Identity by Russ Smith of Consumer.Net).

You can find out more about what your browser discloses about you by visiting, for example, the Privacy.net Analyzer which will analyse your current connection and display the resulting information in your web browser.

How secure is EFA’s online payment system?

EFA uses Paypal’s secure payment gateway for processing of your payment, either by credit card or Paypal account. If you pay by credit card using this method, your credit card details, email address and other contact details are therefore disclosed to PayPal Australia Pty Limited. Your credit card details are not disclosed to EFA. EFA is satisfied that Paypal’s Privacy Policy protects such details from disclosure to any other party. However, if you have any concerns about using Paypal’s payment gateway, you may wish to consider alternative methods of payment offered by EFA.

Information you enter on EFA’s New Membership form, Membership Renewal form or Donation form is encrypted using your browser’s SSL capability when you press the “Paypal Subscribe” button, before it is transferred to the Paypal’s secure web server. You are then offered the choice of using a Paypal account, if you have one, or entering your credit card details.

This method ensures that all transmission of data over the Internet is in a secure, encrypted form. EFA has looked at alternative approaches to this problem and considers this widely accepted method to be the best solution available to an organisation of our size. It enables us to minimise our administration costs and streamline membership administration so that we can better use our voluntary resources for advocacy work.

If you have any concerns about using EFA’s online payment form, you are of course welcome to join or renew your membership by snailmail, fax, or direct PGP encryted email.

What information is disclosed by using the online payment forms?

Apart from the personal information you directly provide, your web browser will very likely disclose some information to the web server, including your IP/domain address, that is automatically logged by the web server (see above) when you access the form. EFA’s online forms display your IP/domain address so that you know this information is being automatically received. If, even after reading EFA’s Privacy Policy, you have any concerns about making this information available to EFA in conjunction with information you provide in the form, you have the option of using an alternative means of payment.