Last updated: 7th May 2026

This Privacy Statement explains how The New Zealand General Service Board Of Alcoholics Anonymous Incorporated, acting through the New Zealand General Service Office collects, uses, stores and discloses personal information through https://aa.org.nz and related online services.

We recognise that privacy and anonymity are especially important in the A.A. context. We therefore aim to collect only the personal information reasonably necessary for the purposes described below and to handle it in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.

1. What personal information we may collect

Depending on how you use the Website, we may collect:

• your name or service name;
• delivery address, billing address and contact details;
• order, invoice and payment-related information;
• information you provide through contact forms, email enquiries, registration forms or service forms;
• mailing-list subscription details and communication preferences;
• member-area registration details, if a member-only area is provided;
• technical information such as IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, referring pages and cookie data;
• any other information you choose to send us.

We do not require personally identifiable information for ordinary browsing of public Website content, but some functions will not work unless you provide the information requested.

Because of the A.A. context, please do not send more personal information than is reasonably necessary. In particular, avoid including unnecessary health information, full personal biographies, or personal information identifying other A.A. members.

2. How we collect personal information

We collect personal information:

• directly from you when you place an order, complete a form, subscribe to a mailing list, contact us, register for a member area, or otherwise interact with us;
• automatically through cookies, website logs and similar technologies;
• from payment, delivery, hosting, security, analytics, email or other service providers who help us operate the Website;
• from other persons where you have authorised that or where permitted by law.

3. Collection of personal information from other sources

We usually collect personal information directly from you where it is reasonable and practicable to do so. We may collect personal information about you from someone else where authorised by you, where permitted by the Privacy Act 2020, or where another lawful basis applies.

Indirect sources may include:

• Order and delivery information provided by a purchaser, for example where someone buys literature for you as a gift or asks us to deliver an order to you.
• Information provided by an AA Group with which you are affiliated;
• Payment and transaction information provided by our payment provider, such as confirmation that a payment has been made, transaction identifiers, billing details, and fraud or security checks.
• Delivery information provided by courier, postal, or fulfilment providers, such as delivery status, delivery instructions, address corrections, or delivery issues.
• Website, security, and analytics information provided by service providers that help us operate, protect, and improve the website.
• Publicly available information, where relevant to responding to a query, managing rights in submitted content, dealing with misuse of the website, or protecting our legal interests.

Where IPP3A applies to personal information collected from someone other than you, we will take reasonable steps to notify you of the collection and the matters required by the Privacy Act 2020, unless an exception applies.

By agreeing to this privacy policy, you authorise that we may indirectly collect your Personal Information in accordance with Information Privacy Principle 2(2) (IPP2(2)) and IPP3A of the Privacy Act 2020.

4. Why we collect personal information

We collect and use personal information to:

• provide the Website and its features;
• process and fulfil literature orders;
• arrange delivery and manage returns or complaints;
• communicate with you about orders, enquiries, service matters or Website administration;
• manage access to member-only areas or service resources;
• send updates or other information where you have asked to receive them or where otherwise permitted by law;
• improve Website performance, functionality and security;
• maintain internal records and meet legal, accounting and audit obligations;
• protect A.A. users, our systems, and our legal rights and interests;
• do anything else authorised by you or required or permitted by law.

5. Collection notices

 Where we collect personal information directly from you, we aim to take reasonable steps to let you know:

• why we are collecting it;
• who will receive it;
• whether providing it is voluntary or required;
• what may happen if you do not provide it.

Specific collection notices may appear on forms, checkout pages, mailing-list sign-up pages and member-registration pages.

6. Who we may share personal information with

We may disclose personal information to:

• our staff, office-holders, trusted servants, contractors and volunteers who need it for legitimate A.A. service or administrative purposes;
• payment processors, banks and fraud-prevention providers;
• couriers, delivery providers and fulfilment services;
• website hosts, developers, IT support, cloud-storage, security, analytics and email/mailing-list providers;
• professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers and lawyers;
• regulators, courts, law-enforcement agencies or other persons where required or permitted by law;
• any other person authorised by you.

We do not sell personal information.

If we use third-party providers to process personal information on our behalf, they may store or process information in New Zealand or overseas. Where personal information is disclosed overseas, we will take reasonable steps to ensure the disclosure is permitted under the Privacy Act 2020.

7. Cookies and analytics

The Website may use cookies and similar technologies for purposes such as:

• enabling core Website and shopping-cart functions;
• remembering preferences;
• measuring Website traffic and usage;
• improving security and performance.

You can usually disable cookies through your browser settings, but some parts of the Website may not function properly if you do so.

Unless we clearly tell you otherwise, we do not use personal information collected through the Website for targeted advertising. If that changes, we will update this Privacy Statement and, where required, seek consent.

8. Mailing lists and electronic messages

If you subscribe to a mailing list or ask to receive updates, we may send you electronic messages about A.A. news, service information, Website updates or literature offerings relevant to the list you joined.

Where required by law, we will send such messages only with your consent or other lawful basis, and each commercial electronic message will include a functional unsubscribe option.

You may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us.

9. Member areas, directories and user-submitted content

If the Website provides member-only or registered-user functions, personal information you choose to enter into shared fields may be visible to other authorised users of those areas.

For that reason:

• only enter personal information that is reasonably necessary;
• do not post information identifying another person as an A.A. member;
• use first names, service names or limited contact details where suitable;
• avoid posting private meeting access details or sensitive personal information unless clearly required for a legitimate service purpose.

Even in member-only areas, no internet-based system can guarantee absolute confidentiality or security.

10. Security

We use reasonable safeguards to protect personal information against loss, unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure. These may include access controls, secure hosting arrangements, software updates, backups and provider security measures.

However, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Retention

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including to meet legal, accounting, audit, dispute-resolution and operational requirements.

Different categories of information may be kept for different periods. For example, order and accounting records may be retained for longer than routine enquiry emails.

When personal information is no longer reasonably required, we will delete it or de-identify it where practicable.

12. Access and correction

You may ask for access to the personal information we hold about you and request correction if you think it is wrong.

Requests can be made by contacting us at:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: 04 472 4250
Address: Unit 2, 30 Downer Street, Lower Hutt 5010, New Zealand

If we do not agree to a requested correction, you may ask us to attach a statement of correction to the relevant information.

13. Privacy officer and complaints

Our Privacy Officer is: [insert name or role/title]
Contact: [email protected]

If you have a privacy concern or complaint, please contact us first so we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner.

14. Privacy breaches

If we become aware of a privacy breach that has caused, or is likely to cause, serious harm, we will comply with our notification obligations under the Privacy Act 2020.

15. Changes to this Privacy Statement

We may update this Privacy Statement from time to time. The current version published on the Website will apply from the date of publication.