Data Privacy FAQ | Girl Scouts

What Personal Data does Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) collect? toggle arrow

First Name
Last Name
Maiden Name (if applicable)
Postal Addresses
Email Addresses
Phone Numbers (including mobile)
Date of Birth (only collected to determine adult or child status to provide appropriate program access)
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GSUSA also collects users’ account passwords, which are secured by best-practice hashing algorithms as outlined in NIST Special Publication 800-132 and 800-63B. Learn more about the data GSUSA collects and how it is used. Local Girl Scout councils may collect additional Personal Data. Please refer to their online privacy policies for more information.

What Personal Data may I ask Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to correct? toggle arrow

You may submit a request to correct the following Personal Data in Girl Scouts systems:

First Name
Last Name
Maiden Name (if applicable)
Postal Addresses
Email Addresses
Phone Numbers (including mobile)
Date of Birth

If you have a Girl Scouts account, you can log into myGS to view and update the following information for all adults and girls in your household:

Name
Postal Address
Phone Number(s)
Email Address
School Attending (girls only)
Ethnicity
Race
University (adults only)
Employer (adults only)
Preferred Language
Spoken Language
Communication Opt-ins (SMS, Email, Phone, and Photo Opt-ins)
Marketing Preferences (via the link)

If you need to update any other information, including Event registration, Membership, Gender, Grade, Birth Date, Volunteer Role, Primary Caregiver, or Troop, please contact your local Girl Scout council for assistance (see Council Finder). Customers who create an account through Go Gold, Digital Cookie, gsLearn, or the Girl Scout Shop can log in and update their account information.

What Personal Data may I ask Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to delete? toggle arrow

You may submit a request to delete the following Personal Data in Girl Scouts systems:

First Name
Last Name
Maiden Name (if applicable)
Postal Addresses
Email Addresses
Phone Numbers (including mobile)

GSUSA displays the Girl Scouts of the USA Cookie Preferences pop-up to website visitors in U.S. states or countries with data privacy regulations in effect for nonprofit organizations so they may opt out of targeting and advertising cookies and tracking and performance cookies.

Customers who have inadvertently created a duplicate account in any Girl Scouts system may complete the Customer Support form for assistance with deleting the duplicate account. Duplicate accounts are not considered a data privacy issue.

Will I lose my Girl Scouts membership and participation history if I request to delete my Personal Data? toggle arrow

Yes. When you request to delete your Personal Data, it will be deleted from all Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and GSUSA third-party systems. It will be lost forever, and GSUSA cannot restore it.

The deletion of Personal Data will result in the relinquishment of your, your minor child’s, or another member of your household’s:

Girl Scouts membership (including Lifetime membership);
Ability to participate in Girl Scouts or Girl Scouts-sponsored activities or events;
Ability to volunteer, and all volunteer rights and responsibilities; and/or
Access to Girl Scouts and Girl Scouts 3rd-party systems.

If you are a Primary Caregiver and your Personal Data is deleted from Girl Scouts systems, no minor child in your household can participate in any Girl Scouts or Girl Scouts-sponsored activities or events unless a new Primary Caregiver is assigned.

If you, your minor child, or another member of your household chooses to become a member, volunteer, or participate in Girl Scouts or Girl Scouts-sponsored activities or events in the future, Personal Data will be collected again, and all previous requests for removal become null and void.

What Personal Data may I request to receive a copy of from Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA)? toggle arrow

You may submit a request to obtain a digital copy of the following Personal Data we store in Girl Scouts systems:

First Name
Last Name
Maiden Name (if applicable)
Postal Addresses
Email Addresses
Phone Numbers (including mobile)
Date of Birth

If we store any of the above Personal Data in Girl Scouts systems, it will be included in the digital file. The digital file will include all current and historic data for the person in whose name the request is submitted. GSUSA makes no assumptions about our customers or the relationships between them. Therefore, we will not share the Personal Data of anyone other than the person indicated in the request.

What is “Targeted Advertising” and how does Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) opt me out of it? toggle arrow

“Targeted Advertising” is a form of online advertising that is directed towards an audience with selected traits, based on the product the advertiser is promoting. GSUSA only engages in targeted advertising with our customers who are over the age of 18. When a customer opts out of targeted advertising, GSUSA blocks the customer’s email address from being used for targeted advertising. Customers may still see Girl Scouts advertisements that are delivered randomly to all users of the social media platforms.

Submit a request to opt out of targeted advertising. Please note that only the email submitted with your request will be opted out of targeted advertising. If you change your email address, you will once again be subject to targeted advertising and will need to opt out again.

What is “Sale or Sharing” of my Personal Data and how can I opt out? toggle arrow

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) never sells customers' Personal Data. GSUSA shares Personal Data with Girl Scout councils to enable members to participate in local Girl Scout programs, promotions and services. GSUSA and councils can use your Personal Data for their own purposes and will treat it in accordance with their own privacy policies. If you visit a GSUSA website and ask to be connected to a local Girl Scout troop or other local Girl Scout activities, you are asking us to share your Personal Data with the relevant Girl Scout council.

Although this may qualify as "sale" under certain state and international data privacy laws that have very broad definitions of "sale," opting members out of such sharing prevents GSUSA from providing the programming, goods, and services expected by our members as part of the Girl Scouts experience.

GSUSA's third-party vendors and local Girl Scout councils are not permitted to sell, share, or use customers' Personal Data for any purpose other than delivering Girl Scouts programs and services.

GSUSA cannot provide Girl Scout programs and services without sharing customers' Personal Data with our third-party vendors; therefore, to opt out of Personal Data sharing, customers must request account deletion. Read important information about account deletion.

Why does Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) ask for my Personal Data to submit a request with this form? toggle arrow

GSUSA requires your Personal Data to identify your local Girl Scout council and locate your records in all GSUSA and council systems. The Personal Data you provide will not be used for any other purpose.

Does Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) store my credit card number? toggle arrow

GSUSA's third-party payment processors may offer the option to store a credit card number. Girl Scouts of the USA does not receive or store credit card numbers. Customers who choose to store a credit card number with a third-party payment processor must contact the payment processor directly for assistance.

How do I unsubscribe from Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) marketing emails? toggle arrow

All GSUSA and local Girl Scout council marketing emails provide a link in the footer to unsubscribe, as required by law. To unsubscribe, click the unsubscribe link in the footer of the marketing email. Please note that GSUSA and councils may also email customers regarding their membership, participation, orders, or other transactions, which are considered “transactional or relationship” messages and do not include an unsubscribe option.

If you experience issues or require assistance with unsubscribing from GSUSA or council marketing emails, submit the Customer Support form. Please note that GSUSA cannot assist customers with unsubscribing from marketing emails from other scouting organizations.

What is the difference between Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and my local Girl Scout council and does that affect my data privacy request? toggle arrow

Girl Scouts of the USA operates on a federated model. Under this model, each of our 111 Girl Scout councils is their own independent non-profit organization. This ensures that each of our councils can operate and optimize their regulations based on the needs and knowledge of the local market.

If you submit a data privacy request, the request is processed and completed in all GSUSA systems and shared with your local Girl Scout council to complete in their systems. Councils will process your data privacy requests in accordance with the laws applicable to their jurisdiction.

Do Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) and local Girl Scout councils collect and process the same Personal Data? toggle arrow

GSUSA and local Girl Scout councils may separately collect and process some of the same Personal Data, such as customers’ names, contact information, and other demographic information. However, Girl Scout councils may collect additional data, as per their council business practices, to deliver programs and services. For example, a Girl Scout council may collect Girl Scout campers’ health information, as required by law. Or a council may collect passport information for international Girl Scout travel programs. Girl Scout councils have their own data privacy policies, separate from GSUSA’s online Data Privacy Notice, that apply to their customers when they participate in their Girl Scout council programs and services.

Frequently Asked Questions