1. Introduction
1.1 Welcome & Scope: Welcome to the EduPeaks Platform ("Platform", "we", "us", "our", "Services"). The Platform, website edupeaks.com, and associated Apps are operated by [Mention Legal Entity when established, currently "the EduPeaks project"]. We take the privacy of our users ("you", "user", "your") seriously and are committed to protecting it. This document ("Privacy Policy") explains in detail the types of personal information we collect from or about you when you visit our Platform or use our Services, how we use that information, with whom we share it, how we protect it, and what your rights are concerning it.
1.2 Consent: Your access to the Platform or use of any of our Services constitutes your agreement to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information according to the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service. If you do not agree with this Policy, please do not use our Services.
1.3 Effective Date & Updates: This Policy is effective as of [Insert Effective Date]. We may update this Policy from time to time, and the updated version will be posted on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date indicated below.
Last Updated: 1-10-2025
2. Information We Collect
We collect various types of information necessary to provide, improve, and secure our Services. This information can be categorized as follows:
2.1 Information You Provide Directly: This is information you voluntarily give us when you interact with the Platform. It includes:
Account Registration & Login Information: When you sign up, we request your full name, a valid email address, and a password (which we store securely hashed using techniques like Hashing and Salting, making it unreadable to us).
Profile Information: You may choose to add extra information to your profile to enhance your digital identity, such as a profile picture, a bio about your expertise, and links to your social media accounts. Providing this is optional.
Organization Account Information: If you represent an organization (business, training center, school), we will collect the organization's name and your contact information as an authorized representative. When you add instructors or students to your organization's account, you represent and warrant that you have obtained all necessary legal consents and permissions to share their data with us in accordance with this Policy and our Terms of Service.
User Content: We host and store the content you create and upload, such as course materials (videos, text, PDFs, presentations), interactive SCORM content, quiz questions, assignments you create, student assignment submissions (if they upload them), and your posts in discussion forums or support messages. You retain the original copyright ownership of this content.
Financial Transaction Information: When you purchase a paid subscription or when your students purchase your courses, payment information (like credit card details) is processed directly through secure, PCI DSS compliant third-party payment gateways (e.g., Stripe, PayPal, PayTabs). We do not collect or store your full credit card details on our systems. We may retain limited transaction information necessary for accounting, support, and verification purposes (like the last four digits of the card, expiration date, card type, transaction date, and amount).
Communication & Support Information: Any information you provide when contacting our support team via email, contact form, or WhatsApp, including the nature of your query and problem details.
Survey & Feedback Information: Your responses and suggestions when you voluntarily participate in surveys or feedback requests to help us improve our services.
2.2 Information We Collect Automatically: This is information gathered automatically when you visit or use the Platform. It includes:
Log Data: We automatically record certain information when you interact with our Services, such as your Internet Protocol (IP) address, the type and version of browser you use, your device's operating system, unique device identifiers, the specific pages you visit within our Platform, the time and date spent on those pages, links clicked, and any error messages that may occur. We use this data for diagnostic purposes, to analyze how the Service is used, to improve performance, and for security purposes.
Cookies and Similar Tracking Technologies: We use cookies (small text files stored on your device) and other similar tracking technologies (like pixels and tags) to collect information about your interaction with the Platform. These technologies help us to:
Operate Essential Functions: Like keeping you logged in and remembering your preferences.
Analyze Performance: Understand how visitors use the Platform and identify popular or underperforming areas.
Personalize Experience: Remember your preferred language or other settings.
Marketing & Advertising (with your consent): To display relevant ads to you on our Platform or other websites.
We will ask for your consent before using non-essential cookies, and you can always manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings or our on-site cookie consent management tool (if available).
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect, both provided directly by you and collected automatically, for a variety of legitimate business-related purposes, including but not limited to:
3.1 To Provide, Operate, and Maintain our Services: We use your account information, content, and usage data to enable your access to the Platform, allow you to create and manage your courses or access them as a student, use various features (like quizzes, forums, meetings), and ensure the Platform functions correctly and stably.
3.2 To Process Transactions and Facilitate Payments: We use your information (in conjunction with payment gateways) to process your paid subscriptions, facilitate your students' purchases of your courses, and manage the payout of your earnings as an instructor or organization.
3.3 To Improve and Develop our Services: We analyze usage data and feedback to understand how users interact with the Platform, identify popular features, detect issues or weaknesses, and develop new features and improvements that better meet your needs.
3.4 To Personalize Your Experience: We may use information about your interests (inferred from the courses you create or interact with) or your preferences (like language) to provide a more personalized experience, such as suggesting courses or content that might interest you.
3.5 To Communicate with You: We use your email address and phone number (if provided) to send necessary account-related notifications (registration confirmation, password recovery), important service or policy updates, and to respond to your inquiries and technical support requests.
3.6 For Marketing and Promotion : If you explicitly consent (e.g., by subscribing to our newsletter), we may use your email to send updates about new features, useful tips, blog articles, special offers, or other information we believe may be valuable to you. You can always easily opt-out of these marketing communications via the link at the bottom of each email.
3.7 For Security and Fraud Prevention: We use usage data and other information to monitor activities on the Platform, detect and prevent unauthorized access, fraud, or violations of our Terms of Service, and to protect the security and integrity of the Platform and our users.
3.8 For Legal Compliance: We may need to use or disclose your information to fulfill our obligations under applicable laws and regulations, or to respond to a court order or valid legal request from competent government authorities.
3.9 For Platform Promotion (Limited and Responsible): To raise awareness of the EduPeaks Platform and attract new users, we may use very limited samples of content you have created and made publicly available on the Platform (such as a public course thumbnail, course title, public description, or your organization's logo if your account is public). These samples will only be used in our marketing materials (e.g., website, social media pages, presentations). We assure you that we will not use your private course content, any sensitive content, or full videos without obtaining your explicit permission. Our use of these samples is governed by the license granted to us in our Terms of Service.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Our processing of your personal information is based on various legal grounds, depending on the specific purpose and type of data. These bases primarily include:
Performance of Contract: When processing is necessary to provide you with the requested Services and fulfill our obligations under our Terms of Service (e.g., creating your account, hosting your content, processing your payments).
Consent: When we have obtained your explicit and withdrawable consent to process your data for a specific purpose (e.g., sending direct marketing emails or using non-essential cookies).
Legitimate Interests: When we have a legitimate interest in processing your data (e.g., improving our Services, analyzing usage for statistical purposes, ensuring platform security, preventing fraud), provided that this interest does not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.
Legal Obligation: When processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation to which we are subject (e.g., responding to a court order).
5. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We respect your privacy and will never sell your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes. We may only share your personal information in the following limited circumstances and with trusted parties who are obligated to protect your data:
Third-Party Service Providers: We may employ third-party companies and individuals to facilitate our Service, provide the Service on our behalf, or assist us in analyzing how our Service is used (e.g., cloud hosting providers, payment processors, web analytics tools, email marketing platforms, customer support tools). These third parties will have access to your personal information only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are contractually obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose.
Organizations and Instructors (within Organization Accounts): If you are using the Platform as part of an account created by an organization (as an instructor or student added by the organization's admin), the administrators designated by that organization may have access to your account information and data related to your activity within the organization's courses and content. The organization's use of this information is subject to its own privacy policies.
Business Transfers: If EduPeaks is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will provide notice via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information.
Legal Requirements and Rights Protection: We may disclose your personal information if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to: (a) comply with a legal obligation, court order, or other legal process; (b) protect and defend the rights or property of EduPeaks; (c) prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Service; (d) protect the personal safety of users of the Service or the public; or (e) protect against legal liability.
With Your Explicit Consent: For any other situation not listed above, we will not share your personal information with third parties without first obtaining your prior explicit consent.
6. International Data Transfers
6.1 Processing Location: EduPeaks operates and utilizes service providers that may be located in various countries around the world. Therefore, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your original country of residence, including countries that may have data protection laws that differ from the laws of your country.
6.2 Transfer Safeguards: When we transfer your personal information internationally, especially outside regions requiring specific levels of protection (like the European Economic Area or the UK), we take appropriate steps and safeguards to ensure your information is protected in accordance with this policy and applicable legal requirements. This may include relying on adequacy decisions issued by relevant authorities, using approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), or obtaining your consent where required.
7. Data Security & User Responsibility
7.1 Our Security Commitment: We take the security of your personal information very seriously and have implemented a range of reasonable technical, organizational, and administrative measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or accidental or unlawful destruction. These measures include, but are not limited to, using SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission, implementing firewalls, securely storing hashed and salted passwords, and restricting data access on a need-to-know basis for authorized employees and contractors.
7.2 Security Limitations: Despite our efforts, please be aware that no electronic transmission or storage system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your information, and your use of the Platform is at your own risk regarding the inherent security risks of any online activity.
7.3 Your Responsibility: You play a crucial role in keeping your account secure. You are primarily and ultimately responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials (username and password) and for not sharing them with any third party. You should choose a strong, complex password and change it periodically. You must notify us immediately of any suspected unauthorized use of your account or any other breach of security. The Platform will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain the security of your account or your sharing of credentials.
7.4 Information Confirmation: To ensure the accuracy and security of your data, we may periodically ask you to review and confirm or update your basic account information.
8. Data Retention
8.1 Retention Period: We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, as outlined in this Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Generally, this means we will keep your account data as long as your account is active, to provide you with Services, resolve disputes, enforce our agreements, or comply with our legal obligations (such as financial or tax records).
8.2 After Account Termination: Upon closure or termination of your account, we will take steps to delete or irreversibly anonymize your personal information within a reasonable timeframe, unless retention is necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve outstanding disputes, or prevent fraud. We may retain non-personal, aggregated data for analytical purposes.
9. Your Rights
9.1 Our Commitment to Your Rights: We respect your rights regarding your personal information and strive to facilitate their exercise in accordance with the applicable laws of your jurisdiction.
9.2 Potential Rights: Depending on your location, your rights may include:
Right to Access: Requesting a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: Requesting correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): Requesting deletion of your personal information under certain circumstances (subject to legal and contractual exceptions).
Right to Restrict Processing: Requesting limitation on how we use your information under certain conditions.
Right to Data Portability: Requesting a copy of your data in a machine-readable format to transfer to another service (where technically and legally applicable).
Right to Object: Objecting to our processing of your information based on our legitimate interests.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdrawing your consent at any time for processing based on consent (like email marketing).
9.3 How to Exercise Rights: You can typically access and update much of your account information directly through your profile settings and dashboard. For other requests regarding your rights or if you need assistance, please contact us via the dedicated privacy email listed below. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
9.4 Limitations on Rights: Please be aware that the exercise of these rights is not absolute and may be subject to legal or contractual limitations. In particular, as detailed in our Terms of Service, your material and deliberate violation of the Terms of Service may result in the restriction of some of these rights concerning your breaching account, its content, and its funds.
10. Content Management, Account Suspension, and Dispute Resolution
The platform strives to provide quality and high-quality content to users and to maintain a safe and respectful environment. Therefore, the platform reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to review and delete any content it deems to violate its Terms of Service or applicable laws, or to contain inappropriate or offensive material (such as nudity, drugs, dangerous weapons, hate speech, harassment, or any content that encourages misuse of the platform or harms others).
The platform also has the right, at its sole discretion, to ban or suspend the accounts of users who repeatedly or seriously violate its rules or policies, in some cases without prior notice to the user.
In cases of serious violations, and after at least one warning has been issued to the user (if possible and practical), if the user persists in their violations, the platform reserves the right to seize the remaining financial balances in their account as partial compensation for the damages or costs resulting from the violation. The violating user has no right to claim these balances later.
We confirm that the content created by the user is the copyrighted property of its owner, and the platform does not have the right to use this content in its entirety for purposes other than operating and promoting the platform (as described in Section 3) except with the express permission of its owner.
11. Third-Party Links
Our Service may contain links to other websites or services that are not under our control. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We strongly advise you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
12. Changes to This Policy
We reserve the right to modify or update this Privacy Policy at any time at our sole discretion. We will post any changes on this page and update the "Last Updated" date at the top. Changes form an integral part of this policy and become effective immediately upon posting.
It is your responsibility to review this Policy periodically to stay informed of any updates. We may attempt to notify you of material changes via email or through a notice on the Platform, but your continued use of our Services after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. Failure to read updates does not exempt you from being bound by them.
13. Contact Information
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please do not hesitate to contact us via our dedicated privacy email: [email protected].
For other general inquiries or technical support requests, please use [email protected] or visit our contact page.
