BECOME A MEMBER

The Australian Powerlifting League (“APL”, “we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our members and all people who interact with us. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and disclose it, and your rights in relation to that information.

APL is bound by the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), including the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) and the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme. By providing APL with personal information, you consent to that information being collected, used, disclosed and stored in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not provide personal information to APL, it may affect our ability to provide you with services.

This policy applies to all personal information collected through our website (www.aplpowerlifting.com), membership registration, and competition participation. APL may vary this policy from time to time by posting an updated version on our website.

1. What Information We Collect

We collect personal information in a range of circumstances, including when you become a member, purchase goods or services, enter an APL-sanctioned competition, apply for employment, or otherwise interact with APL.

a)  Registration and Membership Information

• Full name
• Residential address
• Email address
• Phone number
• Date of birth
• Member ID
• Username and password

b)  Competition Information

• Competition entries and results
• Weight class and age category
• Attempts, totals, rankings and records

c)  Drug Testing Information

• Drug test results (for drug-tested events)
• Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) applications and outcomes
• Anti-doping violation records where applicable

d)  Payment Information

Payment card details are processed directly by Stripe (our payment provider). The APL does not store your card number, CVV or expiry date.

e)  Website and Statistical Data

When you visit our website, we may collect certain statistical and technical information, including:

• Browser type, device information and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on site and links clicked
• IP address and internet service provider domain name

This data is collected in aggregate form to improve our website and services and will not be used to identify you individually.

f)  Employment Candidates

For employment candidates, APL collects personal information including employment history and other information during the recruitment process, either directly from you or through recruiters.

2. Sensitive Information

2.1  Sensitive information is defined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) to include information or opinion about an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious or philosophical beliefs, membership of a trade union or professional body, criminal record, or health information.

2.2  APL will only use sensitive information:

• For the primary purpose for which it was obtained
• For a secondary purpose that is directly related to the primary purpose
• With your consent, or where required or authorised by law

2.3  Drug test results and anti-doping records are treated as sensitive health information and are handled with a higher standard of confidentiality. Access is restricted to authorised APL personnel only.

3. Why We Collect Your Information

We collect and use your personal information to:

• Process and manage your membership
• Administer APL-sanctioned competitions
• Maintain accurate competition results and records
• Conduct drug testing in accordance with the APL Drug Testing Policy
• Communicate with you about your membership, competitions, and APL news
• Advise you about products, services, events and promotions that may be of interest to you
• Conduct market research, data analysis and direct marketing activities
• Investigate complaints or alleged breaches of APL policies
• Manage recruitment and employment applications
• Facilitate the internal business operations of APL
• Comply with our legal obligations
• Improve our website and services

If APL does not collect, use or disclose your personal information, APL may not be able to undertake the activities listed above or otherwise provide products or services to you.

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1  The APL does not sell your personal information to third parties.

4.2  We may share your information in the following circumstances:

a)  Competition Results — Your name, age category, weight class, and competition results may be published publicly on the APL website and shared with OpenPowerlifting (openpowerlifting.org) in line with standard practice for sanctioned powerlifting events. By competing in an APL-sanctioned event you consent to this.

b)  Service Providers — We use trusted third-party providers to operate our website, manage membership and process payments, including our web hosting provider, MemberPress, Stripe, and Elementor. These providers access your information only as necessary to provide their services and are bound by confidentiality obligations.

c)  Drug Testing — Drug test results are held confidentially by the APL. Results may be shared with the relevant meet director and, in the case of a violation, may be disclosed as required under the APL Drug Testing Policy.

d)  Professional Advisers — We may share your information with auditors, lawyers and accountants for accounting, auditing and legal requirements.

e)  Government and Regulatory Bodies — We may disclose your information to government bodies, regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies as required by applicable laws and regulations.

f)  Debt Collection — In the event of unpaid amounts owing to APL, your information may be disclosed to a debt collection agency.

g)  Employment — For employment candidates, APL may disclose your personal information to referees, recruiters and employment screening providers for the purposes of considering your application.

h)  Legal Requirements — We may disclose your information where required to do so by law, court order, or government authority.

4.3  We may use your personal information to communicate with you by direct mail, email, SMS or MMS, including for direct marketing purposes. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by contacting us at [email protected].

5. Overseas Disclosure

5.1  Some of our service providers and their computer systems may be located outside Australia, including in the United States of America. Where personal information is disclosed to overseas recipients, we take steps to ensure those parties agree to protect the privacy and security of your information in accordance with Australian privacy legislation.

5.2  By providing your personal information to APL, you consent to its disclosure to overseas service providers and its use by those parties solely for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy. You acknowledge that, where such parties are located overseas, you may not have recourse against those parties under the Australian Privacy Act in relation to how they treat your personal information.

6. Cookies & Website Tracking

6.1  Our website uses cookies to provide you with a better and more effective browsing experience. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device by a web server. Cookies help us maintain the continuity of your browsing session, remember your preferences, track usage patterns and compile data to improve our content.

6.2  By using our website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with this policy. You may configure your browser to decline cookies, however doing so may affect the functionality of the website and your ability to access certain content.

7. How We Store & Protect Your Information

7.1  APL holds personal information in electronic form, including within our membership platform and website. We use a variety of security measures including secure databases and access controls to protect your information from misuse, loss, or unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

7.2  Personal information may in some circumstances be held on behalf of APL by service providers, including offsite electronic data storage providers, which may be located in Australia or other countries including the USA.

7.3  Despite our efforts, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed as completely secure. You provide your information at your own risk.

8. How Long We Keep Your Information

8.1  We retain your personal information for as long as your membership is active and for a reasonable period after it expires or is terminated, to allow us to administer any outstanding matters.

8.2  Competition results and records are maintained indefinitely as part of the historical record of the sport.

8.3  Drug test records are retained in accordance with the APL Drug Testing Policy.

8.4  Employment candidate information is retained for a reasonable period following the conclusion of the relevant recruitment process.

9. Public Information

9.1  Any information you post publicly on APL social media channels or other public forums becomes publicly accessible. While APL strives to protect your privacy, we cannot guarantee the security of information you choose to disclose in public areas of the APL Digital Platforms.

10. Access to and Correction of Your Information

10.1  You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected. To make a request, contact us at [email protected]. We will need to verify your identity before providing access or making corrections.

10.2  We will respond to your request within a reasonable period. If we are unable to provide access, we will notify you in writing of the reasons for refusal and any complaint mechanism available to you. Circumstances in which we may refuse access include where:

• Providing access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of other individuals
• Providing access would be unlawful or contrary to a court order
• The information would reveal our commercially sensitive decision-making processes

10.3  Where we incur a cost in providing you access to your personal information, we may charge you for those costs. We will notify you of any likely charge before providing access.

11. Your Rights

In addition to access and correction rights, you have the right to:

• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to our legal obligations and the retention of competition records)
• Withdraw consent to marketing communications at any time
• Lodge a complaint with us or with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you believe we have mishandled your information

12. Privacy Complaints

12.1  If you believe that APL has not handled your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) or the Australian Privacy Principles, you may lodge a complaint with us by contacting [email protected]. We ask that complaints be submitted in writing.

12.2  All privacy complaints will be:

• Treated seriously and handled with care
• Dealt with promptly
• Handled in a confidential manner
• Managed without affecting any existing relationship you have with APL

12.3  APL will investigate your complaint and inform you of the outcome following completion of the investigation. If you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au.

13. Changes to This Policy

13.1  We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time by posting an updated version on our website. Where changes are material, we will notify members by email. The current version will always be available at www.aplpowerlifting.com.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please contact us:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.aplpowerlifting.com