Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI) ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the GenSELECT Portal.

We adhere to the Australian Privacy Principles contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that identifies you personally ("Personal Information") as well as technical data necessary for the operation of our service.

• Personal Information: When you register, we collect your First Name, Last Name, and Email Address. You may optionally provide your Phone Number and Company Name. We do not collect your physical postal address.
• Operational Data: We collect audit logs and monitoring data, which may include your IP address, browser type, and access times. This is used strictly to maintain site operations and security.
• Genomic Data: We process and store genotype (SNP) data and resulting Genomic Breeding Values (GBVs) associated with your account.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following specific purposes:

• To facilitate your access to the Portal and manage your account.
• To link your orders with laboratory results (SNP data).
• To generate and display Genomic Breeding Values (GBVs).
• To send you email notifications regarding the progress and status of your orders.
• To maintain the security and operational integrity of the Service.

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. However, we may share your information with specific third parties strictly to facilitate the Service:

• Laboratories: Approved labs may have access to order lists, including your name and email address, to facilitate sample processing and result matching.
• Breed Societies: Relevant breed societies (e.g., Herefords Australia) and BREEDPLAN staff may access your data to facilitate the results generation process.
• Genetic Evaluation Partners: The Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU) at the University of New England (UNE) accesses non-personally identifiable genotype (SNP) and GBV result data to support the genetic evaluation systems.
• Service Providers: We use trusted third-party providers to host our infrastructure (Microsoft Azure) and deliver emails (SendGrid). These providers process data on our behalf and are bound by confidentiality obligations.

5. Data Storage and Retention

Storage Location: Your data is stored securely in data centres located in Australia (Azure Australia East).

Retention: Due to the nature of genetic records and their long-term value for breeding history, we retain your personal and genomic data indefinitely unless you explicitly request deletion, subject to any legal requirements.

6. Cookies and Analytics

We use cookies to maintain your active session and ensure the site functions correctly.

We may also use analytics services (such as Google Analytics or Datadog) to understand how users interact with our Portal. These services collect anonymous usage data to help us improve the user experience. You can usually control cookie settings through your browser preferences.

7. Access and Correction

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections if it is inaccurate. Most of your information can be viewed and updated directly within your Portal account settings. For other requests, please contact us using the details below.