Information Handling Policy

Information Handling Policy – New Zealand Stoic Society

Introduction
This document describes how the New Zealand Stoic Society collects, uses, discloses, and stores personal information. It is intended to provide transparency to our members, volunteers, and the public about how we handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020 (NZ).

This policy is not intended as a substitute for legal advice. For advice on privacy matters, individuals may seek assistance from a Community Law Centre, Citizens Advice Bureau, or a lawyer. Full information about privacy rights is available from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at www.privacy.org.nz.

 

What is Personal Information?

“Personal information” means information about an identifiable individual, as defined under the Privacy Act 2020.

 

Privacy Framework – Objectives

The New Zealand Stoic Society is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals’ personal information. Our objectives are to:

  • Maintain a positive “privacy culture” among New Zealand Stoic Society organisers and volunteers.
  • Build trust and confidence by collecting personal information only for clear and lawful purposes.
  • Adopt secure data handling processes and avoid data breaches.
  • Meet access and correction requests within the timeframes prescribed by law.
  • Ensure accuracy of personal information wherever reasonably possible.
  • Use and disclose information only in ways permitted by law.

What Personal Information We Collect

The personal information collected by the New Zealand Stoic Society will depend on the purpose. Typical examples include:

  • Name and contact details (such as email address and phone number).
  • Information provided when applying for free membership or registering for events.
  • Voluntary demographic information (such as preferred pronouns, gender, or ethnicity) to support inclusivity and reporting in anonymised form.
  • Any information provided in correspondence with New Zealand Stoic Society.

Providing demographic information is voluntary and will never affect your membership or access to Society activities.

 

How We Collect Personal Information

We may collect personal information:

  • Directly from you (e.g., when you complete our membership form, register for events, or communicate with us).
  • Indirectly from publicly available sources, or with your consent from third parties (e.g., if you ask us to connect you with a local group).
  • Automatically when you use our website (such as IP address, browser type, or technical data), though this information is not usually personally identifying.

Purposes for Collection

We collect personal information for the following purposes:

  • Administering New Zealand Stoic Society membership and providing services to members.
  • Communicating with members about events, activities, and updates.
  • Researching and reporting on Stoicism-related engagement and community participation.
  • Ensuring the inclusivity and diversity of our programmes (using anonymised, aggregate data).
  • Complying with any legal obligations under New Zealand law.

Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

We will generally only use or disclose personal information for the purpose it was collected. We may disclose personal information if:

  • You authorise us to do so;
  • It is required or permitted by law; or
  • It is necessary to third parties who provide services on our behalf (e.g., event management), in which case safeguards will be in place to prevent misuse.

We do not sell or trade members’ personal information.

 

Storage and Security

We take reasonable steps to ensure personal information is protected against loss, unauthorised access, use, or disclosure. This includes:

  • Secure storage of data (primarily electronic records).
  • Restricted access for authorised volunteers only.
  • Use of reputable third-party service providers for email and website hosting.

We only keep personal information for as long as necessary for lawful purposes. When no longer required, information will be securely deleted or destroyed.

 

Access and Correction

Under the Privacy Act 2020, you have the right to:

  • Request access to personal information held about you; and
  • Request correction of your personal information if you believe it is inaccurate.

Requests may be made by contacting the New Zealand Stoic Society Privacy Officer (see contact details below).

 

Privacy Breaches

Despite best efforts, a privacy breach may occur. If this happens, New Zealand Stoic Society will:

  • Act quickly to contain the breach.
  • Assess whether the breach is notifiable under the Privacy Act.
  • Notify affected individuals and/or the Privacy Commissioner if required.
  • Take steps to reduce the risk of future breaches.

Updates to this Policy

This policy may be updated from time to time. Any updates will be published on the New Zealand Stoic Society website, with the “last updated” date shown. All changes apply to information already collected.

 

Contact

If you have any questions about this policy, wish to access or correct your information, or need to report a privacy concern, please contact:

 

Privacy Officer – New Zealand Stoic Society
Email: privacy@stoicsociety.nz

Postal Address: Suite 3G, 3 Milford Road, Milford, Auckland 0620

Last updated: October 2025

 

Appendix – Summary of the Privacy Principles (Privacy Act 2020)

  1. Purpose of collection must be lawful and necessary.
  2. Information should be collected directly from the person concerned unless an exception applies.
  3. Individuals must be informed about the collection of their personal information.
  4. Collection must be fair and lawful.
  5. Information must be kept secure.
  6. Individuals have a right to access their personal information.
  7. Individuals may request correction of personal information.
  8. Information must be accurate and up to date before use.
  9. Information must not be kept longer than necessary.
  10. Information collected for one purpose should not be used for another without consent or legal authority.
  11. Disclosure is limited unless an exception applies.
  12. Personal information disclosed overseas must be adequately protected.
  13. Unique identifiers (such as membership numbers) should only be assigned when necessary.

Download a PDF version of the Information Handling Policy of the New Zealand Stoic Society