STSConnect – Privacy Policy
Dated: August 20, 2025
Purpose
icotec Medical, Inc. (“icotec” or “we”) is proud to be the sponsor of the Spine Therapy Society (“STS”), an educational group driven by healthcare professionals (“HCPs”) to bridge disciplines along the patient journey and advance therapy concepts. The STS offers a platform that is built on science and research, training and education, and provides opportunities to exchange insights with other healthcare professionals in-person and virtually.
In furtherance of the STS Mission, icotec is sponsoring a non-commercial website called STSConnect to provide free online access for STS HCP speakers and attendees in the United States to continue to engage in peer-to-peer educational, scientific, clinical, disease, and product-related discussions (the “Purpose”).
Acceptance of this Privacy Policy
Your access to and use of STSConnect (including all functionality and content) are subject to the following terms and conditions and constitutes acceptance of this privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) as well as STSConnect Terms of Use both of which may be updated periodically without notice.
This Privacy Policy governs the processing of personal information through STSConnect relating to an identified or natural person (“Personal Information”). Personal Information does not include other information that is deidentified or aggregate consumer information. You shall not share any Personal Information of others including any protected health information of patients, without having the legal right to do so.
This Privacy Policy describes: (i) the types of Personal Information we collect and process, (ii) our methods of collection, (iii) the purposes of collection, disclosure and processing of such Personal Information, (iv) to whom we disclose such Personal Information, (vi) the management of such Personal Information by you and (vii) all other information that may be relevant to you.
This Privacy Policy is directed to residents of the United States only. If you are a resident of California, Virginia, or Nevada, please refer to the STS State-Specific Privacy Notice the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference.
We do not intend to collect sensitive Personal Information (including but not limited to healthcare information). If you inadvertently entered sensitive Personal Information on our contact form, please contact us so we can delete such sensitive Personal Information (see Contact Information).
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully as it will help you make informed decisions about sharing your Personal Information with us.
- An Overview of Data Collection
Which Personal Information do we collect from you?
icotec collects the following categories of Personal Information for the Purpose or as otherwise clearly identified at point of collection:
- Contact details (for example, name, email address, telephone number);
- Content that you provide on or through STSConnect; and
- Your anonymized IP address (which may be deemed Personal Information is some states).
How do we collect your Personal Information?
i. Personal Information directly provided by you
We obtain or receive Personal Information directly from you:
- Your registration details, including Information to verify your identity and professional credentials in accordance with applicable laws;
- Content that you provide on or through STSConnect; and
- Your communications with us.
ii. Personal Information we receive indirectly (through automatic data collection tools)
We may use cookies and automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about you. For more information on cookies (see Cookies).
STSConnect utilizes several third-party plug-ins to provide enhanced functionality, performance, and user experience. These plug-ins may collect certain types of data either directly or indirectly when used on STCConnect. The collection, use, and sharing of this data are governed by the respective third-parties’ privacy policies. We encourage you to review these policies to understand how your data is being handled.
Below is a list of the plug-ins we currently use, along with the types of data they collect, how that data is used, and links to their privacy policies:
| Plug-in | Data Collected | Purpose | Data Sharing | Privacy Policy |
| Akismet Anti-Spam (v5.3.7) | user comments, contact form submissions | Spam detection and filtering | Shared with Automattic servers | Akismet Privacy Policy |
| AutomatorWP & AutomatorWP Pro (v5.2.0.1) | user interactions, activity logs | Workflow automation | May be shared with third parties depending on integrations | AutomatorWP Privacy Policy |
| BuddyPress & BuddyPress App (v2.8.30 / v2.3.50) | user profiles, messages, activity streams | Community building | Accessible to site admins; data shared internally | BuddyPress Privacy Policy |
| Duplicator (v1.5.12) | Site configuration, file structure | Site backup and restoration | Not shared externally unless configured | Duplicator Privacy Policy |
| Elementor & Elementor Pro (v3.28.3) | user interactions, usage statistics | Site design and optimization | Shared with Elementor servers | Elementor Privacy Policy |
| Essential Addons for Elementor (v6.1.9) | Widget interactions, usage data | Enhance widget functionality | Shared for analytics and support | Essential Addons Privacy Policy |
| FluentSMTP (v2.2.90) | Email logs, config settings | Manage site emails | Shared with configured SMTP provider | FluentSMTP Privacy Policy |
| GamiPress (v7.3.6) | user activity, achievements, points | Gamification features | Stored in local database | GamiPress Privacy Policy |
| Gravity Forms (v2.9.5) | Form submissions | Form processing and management | Shared with integrations if enabled | Gravity Forms Privacy Policy |
| Redis Object Cache (v2.5.4) | Cached site data | Performance optimization | Stored locally | Redis Privacy Policy |
| Restrict Content & Pro (v3.2.14 / v3.5.45) | Registration, subscriptions, access logs | Content restriction and management | May be shared with payment gateways | Restrict Content Pro Privacy Policy |
| Solid Security Basic (v9.3.7) | Security logs, configuration settings | website security | Stored locally unless configured otherwise | Solid Security Privacy Policy |
| SureFeedback Client Site (v1.2.6) | Site/server config, plugin/theme info | Plugin support and performance | Collected with user consenu | SureFeedback Privacy Policy |
| The Events Calendar (v6.11.0.1) | user data, system info, event data | Event management | May be shared with services like Google Maps, PayPal | The Events Calendar Privacy Policy |
| WordPress Importer (v0.8.4) | Site content data | Content import | Not shared externally | WordPress Privacy Policy |
| WP All Import Pro | Uploaded CSV/XML content | Bulk data import | Not shared externally | WP All Import Privacy Policy |
| WP Fusion (v3.45.5.1) | Profile data, CRM activity | Sync with CRM platforms | Shared with CRM tools as configured | WP Fusion Privacy Policy |
| WP OPcache (v4.2.3) | Cached site data | Performance optimization | Stored locally | Redis Privacy Policy |
| Yoast SEO (v24.8.1) | Site content, metadata, usage | SEO recommendations | Not shared unless provided | Yoast Privacy Policy |
Please note that the data collected by these plug-ins may be subject to change based on future updates or configuration settings. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of each third-party provider to stay informed.
For which purposes do we collect your Personal Information?
icotec may process information we collect from you on STSConnect (including Personal Information) for the following purposes:
- For administrative purposes for your registration on STSConnect;
- Quality and management purposes. To monitor, improve and analyze the quality and use of STSConnect, services, processes, and systems; to inform our management and perform internal reviews;
- Legislation and regulation. To identify and counter fraud, perform audits, ensure safety within icotec and comply with orders of a court, law enforcement, government authorities, applicable laws, rules, and regulations;
- In any other way we may describe when you provide the information; and
- For any other purpose with your consent.
To whom do we disclose your Personal Information?
Icotec may disclose your Personal Information that we collect, or you provide as described in this Privacy Policy:
- To icotec group companies and affiliates;
- To contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business;
- To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it;
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information; and
- With your consent.
We may also disclose your Personal Information, if we believe doing so is required or appropriate: (i) to comply with federal, state, or local laws, or comply with a court order or subpoena to provide information; (ii) to comply with a civil, criminal, or regulatory inquiry, investigation, subpoena, or summons by federal, state, or local authorities; (iii) to cooperate with law enforcement agencies concerning conduct or activity that the business, service provider, or third party reasonably and in good faith believes may violate federal, state, or local law; (iv) to cooperate with a government agency request for emergency access to a consumer’s Personal Information if a natural person is at risk or danger of death or serious physical injury, (v) to exercise or defend legal claims; (v) to respond to your requests; (vi) to protect yours, ours or others’ rights, property or safety; (vii) to enforce icotec policies or contracts; (viii) to collect amounts owed to icotec; (ix) to comply with records retention policies, if any; (x) when we believe access, preservation, or disclosure is necessary or appropriate to prevent physical harm or financial loss or in connection with an investigation or prosecution of suspected or actual illegal activity; or (xi) if we, in good faith, believe that access, preservation, or disclosure is otherwise necessary or advisable.
How do we protect your Personal Information?
We have implemented both technical and organizational measures designed to protect your Personal Information against accidental loss, theft and unauthorized access. Examples are firewalls and protocols for web security.
We strive to continually improve our security measures in case of technological advances and developments. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Information transmitted to STSConnect or to us via electronic communication. Any transmission of Personal Information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for any circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on STSConnect.
How long does icotec store/retain your Personal Information?
icotec will retain your Personal Information for as long as reasonably necessary and proportionate to the original purpose for collecting and processing it. We will delete or de-identify your Personal Information when your Personal Information is no longer necessary for such purpose. But we may also need to store your Personal Information to fulfill a legal obligation or to resolve disputes.
How long we keep Personal Information can vary widely depending on the context of the services we offer and our legal obligations in the jurisdiction where icotec is processing your Personal Information. The following criteria are often used to determine the retention period: the nature of the Personal Information, the context in which the Personal Information has been collected, the consequences for you and the existence of appropriate safeguards (such as pseudonymization).
What rights do you have regarding your data?
You have the right to (i) access the Personal Information we have collected from and about you, (ii) correct your Personal Information, (iii) limit of or reject of our data processing activities with respect to your Personal Information, and (iv) data portability (i.e., giving you access to your Personal Information in a portable manner).
State consumer privacy laws may provide their residents with additional rights regarding our use of their personal information. The exact scope of these rights may vary by state.
To learn more about California residents’ privacy rights, visit California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) | State of California – Department of Justice – Office of the Attorney General. California’s “Shine the Light” law (Civil Code Section § 1798.83) permits users of STSConnect that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of Personal Information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
We may deny your request if we have a legitimate reason to do so, including but not limited to the completion of the transactions for which we collected your Personal Information, security reasons and such other reasons as permissible under applicable state laws, rules and regulations.
To exercise your rights under this Privacy Policy or any State-Specific Privacy Notice, please contact us (see Contact Information).
Cookies
We may use cookies or use third-party cookies and other technologies (e.g., pixels, tags) (the “Cookies”) on STSConnect. Cookies are text or image data files that are placed or saved on the internet browser of the user’s computer system. They contain a string of characters that enables the browser or mobile device to be uniquely identified when the user visits STSConnect again.
The purpose of the use of Cookies is to simplify the use of STSConnect for STSConnect’s visitors. Some functionalities of STSConnect may not be available to visitors without the use of certain Cookies (e.g., technically essential Cookies). On the other hand, we use Cookies for the analysis of the behavior of STSConnect’s visitors on STSConnect to measure our reach in the market.
As mentioned above, we use technically essential Cookies which are necessary to run STSConnect. Hence, we are not able to deactivate these Cookies.
Third Party Cookies
STSConnect may include videos from Vimeo (Vimeo Inc.). When you view a page with a Vimeo video, data such as your IP address and technical usage information may be transmitted to Vimeo’s servers in the United States. Vimeo may also use cookies and similar technologies for tracking and analytics. See Vimeo’s Privacy Policy for details.
We may use Cloudflare (Cloudflare Inc.) to improve the security and performance of STCConnect. Cloudflare may collect limited data, such as your IP address and information about your browser, to deliver content and protect our site from malicious activity. See Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy for details.
Managing Your Use of Cookies
You can prevent cookies by selecting the appropriate settings in your browser. However, we wish to point out that doing so may mean you will not be able to enjoy the full functionality of STSConnect, particularly if certain technically essential Cookies are deactivated. You can also prevent the data generated by Cookies about your use of STSConnect (incl. your anonymized IP address) from being passed to Google, and the processing of these data by Google, by using a browser plug-in (e.g., https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en). Note, however, that icotec will not be responsible for your use of any tools or software (e.g., plug-ins) made available by third parties.
Contact Information
STSConnect is hosted by icotec Medical, Inc.
To ask questions about or comment on this Privacy Policy or if you need to access this Privacy Policy in an alternative format due to having a disability, please contact us at:
icotec Medical, Inc.
125 High Street, Suite 220
Boston, MA 02110, United States
Email: data.privacy@icotec-medical.com
Phone: (860) 404-6999 (toll-free)