Security Related Questions

This page is meant to address questions we receive regarding the security of members personal data.

What We Require

As part of membership, we require the following:

  • A copy of legal identification of the member ++
  • Current address
  • A signed liability waiver
  • A signed agreement to follow the rules of the organization

++ ++ If the State ID is from another region of the country, the member will need to provide a local ID or proof of address. ChattLab accepts a Current Utility Bill (Address), Voter Registration Card, Current Vehicle Registration Card/Title. or a Current Paycheck Stub with Name/Address.

Why we require a State ID

As part of membership we give unsupervised access to our space, tools and other members' personal property. We want to know who you are, and if there are legal issues with a member in terms of assault, theft or other crimes against our tools, fellow member or the BDC property, we want to be able to identify that suspect to the authorities. Also, we are required by our landlords to be able to legally identify anyone that has access to our space. We are fortunate that we have had no situations that have required involving the authorities.

Is My Personal Information Safe?

We do our best to keep indentifying information secure and we do not share it with any other organization or authorities, unless there is a legal issue – which we have never had to do. Other than your ID and address, there isn't a big risk from an identify theft point of view because we don't have any credit card information or social security numbers.

Who Has Access to My Information

The member personal information is stored in a secured folder and only the leadership has access to that information. The leadership is elected by the members.

What If I Don't Want You To Have a Copy of my ID?

Requirements for membership are non-negotiable. If you prefer not to provide ID and a current address, we cannot consider you for membership. ChattLab is a diverse and inclusive member-based organization and we rely on the trust of our members to provide a safe space to work. We hope you understand.