Privacy Statement
Introduction
The MIT Museum is committed to supporting the privacy of attendees, learners, guests, and participants of MIT Future Fest 2026 (“Future Fest”). This Privacy Statement explains how we collect, use, store, and process personal information from individuals who engage with Future Fest activities.
What personal information we collect
Depending on your interactions with us, specific information request may vary for individuals. we may collect, use, store, and transfer different types of personal information, which we group as follows:
- Basic biographic and contact information: such as name, home and business addresses, phone number, email address, and social media handles
- Demographic information: such as age range, gender, income range, education level, and geographic location (where provided or permitted)
- Analytical information: aggregated or pseudonymized data related to website usage, event engagement, and email marketing interactions (e.g., opens, clicks, and other engagement metrics)
How we collect personal information about you
We collect personal information directly from participants through MIT Future Fest registration and participation activities, as well as through sponsors and third-party service providers (such as ticketing platforms) where applicable.
How we use your personal information
We use your personal information for purposes that support the operation and improvement of MIT Future Fest and the mission of the MIT Museum, including:
- Event administration and communications: such as registration management, confirmations, updates, and post-event surveys to gather feedback on MIT Future Fest 2026
- Event engagement and analytics: including analysis of attendance patterns, session participation, and overall event traffic to improve future programming
- Marketing and outreach: including email communications and, where permitted, audience segmentation for future MIT Museum or Future Fest-related engagement
- Lead management: processing information collected through badge scans, QR codes, app interactions, and similar event touchpoints to support follow-up communications
- Sponsor reporting and insights: providing aggregated or de-identified attendance and engagement data to event sponsors to evaluate sponsorship effectiveness
If you have concerns about any of these purposes, or how we communicate with you, please contact us at info@mitfuturefest.org. We will always respect a request by you to stop processing your personal information (subject to our legal obligations).
When we share your personal information
We may share your personal information as necessary to operate MIT Future Fest and support the purposes described in this Privacy Statement. This may include sharing with trusted service providers (such as registration and event management platforms), event sponsors, and other partners involved in event programming or administration.
Where required, we may also share information in aggregated or de-identified form for reporting, analytics, or sponsorship evaluation purposes.
How your information is stored and secured
MIT uses risk-assessed administrative, technical and physical security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure.
How long we keep your personal information
We retain personal information collected through Future Fest for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Statement, including event administration, reporting, and legal or compliance obligations.
Data may be retained for periods ranging from a few months to several years. In some cases, information may be retained in aggregated or de-identified form for longer-term analysis or reporting.
Data Access and Protection Rights
You have the right in certain circumstances to (1) access your personal information; (2) to correct or erase information; (3) restrict processing; and (4) object to communications, direct marketing, or profiling. To the extent applicable, the EEA’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides further information about your rights. You also have the right to lodge complaints with your national or regional data protection authority.
If you are inclined to exercise these rights, we request an opportunity to discuss with you any concerns you may have. To protect the personal information we hold, we may also request further information to verify your identity when exercising these rights. Upon a request to erase information, we will maintain a core set of personal data to ensure we do not contact you inadvertently in the future, as well as any information necessary for MIT archival purposes. We may also need to retain some financial information for legal purposes, including US IRS compliance. In the event of an actual or threatened legal claim, we may retain your information for purposes of establishing, defending against or exercising our rights with respect to such claim.
By providing information directly to MIT, you consent to the transfer of your personal information outside of the European Economic Area to the United States. You understand that the current laws and regulations of the United States may not provide the same level of protection as the data and privacy laws and regulations of the EEA.
You are under no statutory or contractual obligation to provide any personal data to us. The controller for your personal information is MIT.
If you are in the EEA or UK and wish to assert any of your applicable GDPR rights, please contact dataprotection@mit.edu. You may also contact MIT’s representatives listed below:
MIT Representative in the European Economic Area
J-PAL Europe
Email: jpaleurope@povertyactionlab.org
Address: 48 Boulevard Jourdan, 75014 Paris, France
MIT Representative in the United Kingdom
MIT Press UK
Address: 71 Queen Victoria Street, London, United Kingdom, EC4V 4BE
Additional Information
We may change this Privacy Statement from time to time. If we make any significant changes in the way we treat your personal information we will make this clear on our MIT websites or by contacting you directly.
This policy was last updated in APRIL 2026.
