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Caltech General Privacy Notice

Effective Date: October 15, 2026

Scope of This Notice

The California Institute of Technology ("Caltech," "we," or "us") operates a range of websites, applications, research platforms, digital services, and in-person programs and activities across many divisions, departments, laboratories, administrative units, and affiliated entities.

This General Privacy Notice (the "Notice") describes information practices that are common across many of Caltech's online and offline operations (collectively, our "Services"). It is intended to give individuals a general understanding of some of the types of information Caltech may collect, some of the purposes for which such information may be used, and some of the circumstances in which such information may be disclosed to others.

This Notice provides a general description of categories of information practices across Caltech's range of operations. Individual departments, divisions, labs, programs, websites, activities and other Services may collect additional categories of information, may use information for additional purposes, and may disclose information in ways or to recipients not specifically described in this Notice. The descriptions in this Notice are intended to describe categories of data practices rather than an exhaustive list of every operational detail.

Not every data practice described in this Notice occurs in every Service or in every situation within a specific Service. Specific Services may provide additional details or context-specific disclosures regarding their information practices. The descriptions in this Notice are intended to identify general types of practices that may occur across Caltech's range of operations, not to represent that Caltech's data practices are limited to those described or that any particular practice occurs universally across Caltech.

Relationship to Other Privacy Notices

Certain Caltech Services or certain data may be subject to different or supplemental privacy notices. Examples include, without limitation:

  • Student education records governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (see our Student Privacy page for more information);
  • Health-related information processed in certain contexts;
  • Research activities subject to human-subject protections or institutional review requirements; and
  • Services operated by or in conjunction with third parties.

Questions about a specific Service's data practices may be addressed by visiting that Service's website to review any applicable privacy notice or contact Caltech's privacy office at [email protected]. The Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) Privacy Policy may be found here.

If you do not agree with this Notice or with our Services' different or supplemental privacy notices, do not use our Services and do not give us your personal information.

This Notice contains the following sections:

1. Information We Collect
2. How We Use the Information We Collect
3. How We Disclose Information
4. International Users
5. Security
6. Children's Information
7. Links to Third Party Sites
8. Your Preferences
9. Changes to this Notice
10. Retention
11. Contact Us

1. Information We Collect

The information we collect about you depends on the Services you use, how you use them, and the information you provide to us. We collect information in three main ways: you provide information directly to us, through automated means on our sites, and from other sources. We may combine the information we collect from or about you from these various sources for the purposes set forth in this Notice.

1.1 Information you provide to us

We may collect any information that you provide directly to us, such as when you register to use the Services and create an account; use or access the Services; subscribe to a newsletter; place an order or make a purchase from us; interact with us through social media; post comments, photos, or videos to the Services; participate in surveys; or communicate and interact with us for support or other purposes. Such information may include:

  • Contact and account information, such as full name, mailing address, email address, phone number, identification number;
  • Commercial and financial information, such as donation or transaction information. Credit and debit cards, Venmo, PayPal, etc. may be collected by a third-party payment processor when you make a purchase from Caltech's store, donate to Caltech, purchase a ticket to a Caltech event, or otherwise use your payment information when you interact with us;
  • Professional or employment information, such as employer name, your title, work contact information;
  • Government-issued identifiers and related information, such as driver's license number or other identification numbers;
  • Educational and academic information;
  • Information related to campus access and security, such as visitor registration information, badge credentials, or similar identifiers;
  • Accessibility needs, or similar logistical information provided in connection with conferences, events, and other in-person activities;
  • Communications content, including correspondence, inquiries, feedback, or other communications you send to us;
  • Content you post or submit (such as text, images, photographs, videos, or any other kind of content) on our sites or elsewhere (e.g., on social media), such as in connection with events;
  • Demographic and biographical information;
  • Geolocation information, which may be general location derived from your IP address or more precise GPS location information;
  • Records of your interactions with Caltech systems and Services, including account activity, Wi-Fi usage, event participation, transactions, inquiries, or other interactions;
  • Survey responses; and
  • Any other information you choose to provide.

1.2 Information We Collect Through Automated Means

Web server logs may collect and store certain system-related information automatically. This information can be used to help us make our sites more useful for you. With this data, we learn about the number of visitors to our sites and the types of technology our visitors use. It may also be used for troubleshooting purposes, or to detect and investigate abuse or other violations of Caltech policies. The information collected may be used in aggregate to inform decisions about website content and structure.

Log files. As you browse our sites, we may automatically record information in log files. These log files may include information such as your web or content requests, IP address, browser type and settings, referring/exit pages and URLs, number of clicks, date and time stamp information, language preferences, data from cookies and similar technologies, and other such information.

Services metadata. We may collect metadata that provides high-level information about how you interact with the sites, such as the URLs of the pages you access, frequency and duration of use, and other information.

Information Collected Through Cookies and other Automated Website Technology. Caltech websites may use cookies. A cookie is a piece of data that is either maintained for the duration of a particular session visit (session cookie) or is stored on the user's computer to support future visits (persistent cookie). Caltech sites may use both types of cookies. Cookies enable site operators to (i) recognize your computer and login session; (ii) store your preferences and settings; (iii) understand which pages of the websites you have visited; (iv) enhance your user experience by delivering and measuring the effectiveness of content and advertising tailored to your interests; (v) perform analytics; and (vi) assist with security and administrative functions. As you navigate the sites, we and our third-party providers may use a variety of technologies, including cookies and similar technology, to assist in collecting information about how you access and use the sites. Such information may include your operating system, your IP address, browser type and language, referring pages and URLs, keywords, date and time, what sections of our sites you visit or use, how you interact with the sites, device identifiers such as MAC address and UUID, carrier and country location, hardware and processor information, network type, and similar data (collectively, the "Usage Information").

The trusted third parties with whom we directly work to collect and analyze Usage Information include Google Analytics: http://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Please click on the link to learn more about their privacy practices and your choices with respect to managing Google Analytics.

We and our third-party partners may also use pixel tags (also called web beacons or clear gifs), and/or other technologies to set or read cookies and to otherwise collect Usage Information.

Please note that you may be able to change your browser settings to notify you when a cookie is being set or updated, or to block some cookies. Consult the "Help" section of your browser for more information (e.g., Google Chrome; Mozilla Firefox; or Apple Safari).

1.3 Information Collected from Other Sources

We may also collect information from third-party sources, such as our affiliates, background check providers, analytics providers, and publicly available sources, such as social media platforms and research repositories. We may combine the information we collect from these sources with the other information we collect from and about you and use such combined information in accordance with this Notice.

2. How We Use the Information We Collect

We may use information we collect from and about you for purposes such as:

  • To maintain, provide, operate, support, and improve the Services and offerings;
  • To identify you by your device(s) and to match your device(s) with other browsers or devices you use for the purpose of providing relevant and easier access to content and other operational purposes;
  • To provide technical support and assistance;
  • To communicate with you and similar audiences about Caltech, including about our Services, offerings, research, charitable opportunities, and other information that we think may be of interest to you. This may include working with our partners to serve you and similar audiences relevant advertisements across other websites;
  • To respond to your inquiries;
  • To enhance your experience on the Services;
  • To conduct in person experiences, such as conferences, volunteer events, tours;
  • To process patent applications and manage financial remunerations;
  • To secure the sites and detect fraud and illegal activity, including cyberattacks or attempts to commit identity theft;
  • To engage in internal analytics, marketing research, auditing, and reporting;
  • To connect with vendors and service providers for our business operations;
  • To comply with the law or legal orders or protect the safety, rights, property, or security of the Services and Caltech;
  • To enforce the legal terms that govern your use of the Services; and
  • Other legitimate business purposes or with your consent.

We (or our third-party partners on our behalf) may de-identify information we collect so the information cannot reasonably identify you or your device, or we may collect information that is already in de-identified form. We may use de-identified information for any purpose, including without limitation for research and analytics, and may also share such de-identified information with third parties.

3. How We Disclose Information

We may disclose information we collect from and about you as follows:

  • Service Providers. We may share or provide access to your information with service providers that perform services for us or on our behalf, such as supporting the operation of our site, donor outreach, analytics, research, data storage, security, and others.
  • Affiliates. We may share information with our current or future affiliated entities.
  • Research Collaborators. We may share information with academic institutions, research partners, funding agencies, or other collaborators in connection with research, educational, or scholarly activities, subject to applicable law and contractual or ethical requirements.
  • Academic and Program Partners. We may share information with other educational institutions or program partners in connection with joint programs, exchanges, cross-registration, or collaborative academic activities. For example, in connection with jointly sponsored events or programs, we may share participant information with co-sponsoring organizations as described at the time of collection.
  • Third-party partners. We may share information with third parties that support our promotional efforts, such as advertisers, ad networks, and marketing services.
  • Consent. We may disclose your information to third parties when you provide us your consent to do so.
  • Health and Safety. We may disclose information in an effort to protect the health, safety, or welfare of the campus community or third parties, consistent with applicable law.
  • Third Party Entities for Legal Purposes. We may disclose your information as we deem necessary (i) in connection with a legal proceeding or investigation; (ii) to comply with relevant laws, Caltech policies, and terms of this Notice; (iii) to protect or defend the Caltech's interests; or (iv) to government agencies and regulators.
  • Organizational Transactions. We may disclose information in connection with an actual or potential merger, reorganization, restructuring, financing, or similar institutional transaction, consistent with applicable law.

4. International Users

Caltech is located in the United States and recipients of the data disclosures described in this Notice may be located in the United States or elsewhere in the world, including where privacy laws may not provide as much protection as the laws of the country or jurisdiction where you live. To the extent that your personal information is protected by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or another jurisdiction's privacy laws, we will take appropriate measures aligned with these laws.

If you are located in certain jurisdictions or countries outside the United States, including the EU and UK, you may have the following rights:

  • The right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal data;
  • The right to object to the processing of your personal data;
  • The right to rectification of any of your personal data that is inaccurate or incomplete;
  • The right to request the deletion of your personal data;
  • The right to restrict or limit the ways in which we process your personal data;
  • The right to transfer or obtain a copy of your personal data in an easily accessible format;
  • The right to withdraw consent (without impacting the lawfulness of pre-revocation processing);
  • The right to withhold consent to automated individual decision-making processes;
  • The right to complain to a supervisory authority.

Please note that the above rights are not absolute. Caltech may be entitled to reject requests where certain exceptions apply. To submit a request, please email [email protected].

The laws in some jurisdictions require companies to tell you about the legal grounds they rely on to use or disclose your personal data. For example, to the extent data protection laws of the UK and EU apply, our legal grounds for processing personal data are as follows:

  • Legitimate interests: In most cases, we handle personal data on the grounds that it furthers our own legitimate interests in activities, such as the following, in ways that are not overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the affected individuals:
    • Operating our Services;
    • Protecting our business, personnel and property;
    • Marketing;
    • Analyzing and improving our business; and/or
    • Managing legal issues
  • To honor our contractual commitments to the individual: Some of our processing of personal data is to meet our contractual obligations to individuals, or to take steps at the individuals' request in anticipation of entering into a contract with them (such as in connection with enrollment or an event).
  • Consent: Where required by law, and in some other cases, we handle personal data on the basis of consent. This may be implicit consent or explicit consent, depending on applicable law and other factors.
  • Legal compliance: We need to use and disclose personal data in certain ways to comply with our legal obligations.

5. Security

We use a variety of technical and organizational measures to help protect your information against accidental or unlawful destruction or accidental loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access. These safeguards vary depending upon a variety of factors including the sensitivity of the information we collect and use. However, no method of transmission over the Internet, and no means of electronic or physical storage, is absolutely secure, and so we cannot ensure or warrant the security of that information.

6. Children's Information

Caltech websites are not directed to children under 13 years of age, do not sell products or services intended for purchase by children, and do not knowingly collect or store any personal information, even in aggregate, from children under the age of 13. If you believe we have collected personal information online from a child under 13, please contact us so that we can delete it in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

7. Links to Third Party Sites

Caltech sites may contain links or provide access to third-party websites or services. We have no control over such third parties, including their privacy practices, and we are not responsible for their information collection, use, sharing, or other practices. You should check the applicable third-party privacy policy and terms of use when visiting any such service.

Reference on a Caltech site to any specific commercial products, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, or recommendation by Caltech and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.

8. Your Preferences

Email Preferences

You may manage your preferences with respect to non-transactional emails sent by Caltech by clicking the "unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any such email you receive from us. Please note that even if you opt out of receiving such messages, we may still send you messages in connection with important updates to the Services, such as updates to this Notice, our Terms of Service, or separate email campaigns for which you have not unsubscribed.

Opt-out Preferences

As explained in Section 1.2 above, we may use automated technologies like cookies and pixels that enable us and our third-party partners for various purposes, including to deliver and measure advertisements that are tailored to your interests, also known as "interest-based advertising."

If you are interested in more information about interest-based advertising, or how to opt out of interest-based advertising with participating companies, you may visit the Network Advertising Initiative's Consumer Opt-Out link, the Digital Advertising Alliance's Consumer Opt-Out link, or Your Online Choices. Please note that these are third-party tools, and we are not responsible for the effectiveness of these opt-out mechanisms. After you opt out, you will still see advertisements, but they may not be as relevant to you. We do not respond to browser-based do-not-track signals.

9. Changes to this Notice

This notice was last updated on the Effective Date posted at the top of this page. We may change this Notice from time to time and will post any changes on this page as soon as they go into effect, and/or provide additional notice as required by applicable law. By accessing the Services after we make any such changes, you are deemed to have accepted such changes. Please refer back to this Notice on a regular basis.

10. Retention

We will retain your information until after we determine that we no longer need it to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Notice, unless the law or Caltech policy requires us to keep it for a longer period of time. To provide security and business continuity for the activities described in this Notice, we make backups of certain data, which we may retain for longer than the original data.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Notice, please contact us via email at [email protected].