1. Introduction

Qace Academy (“Qace,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of our learners, instructors, partners, and website visitors. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, with whom we share it, and how we safeguard your data. By accessing or using our website (https://qaceacademy.com), platforms, services, courses, and related content (collectively, the “Services”), you consent to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with these practices, please do not use our Services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect two types of information from you:

1. Personal Information (“PII”): Information that can identify you personally or be reasonably linked to you. Examples include:

   • Name, email address, phone number, mailing address

   • Date of birth, gender (if provided when registering)

   • Payment details (e.g., credit card number, billing address)—handled securely by our payment processors

   • Account login credentials (username, password)

2. Non‐Personal Information (“Non‐PII”): Information that cannot directly identify you. Examples include:

   • Browser type, operating system, device model

   • IP address (in anonymized or aggregated form)

   • Geolocation data (country or region level only)

   • Referring URLs, pages visited, button clicks, time spent on pages

   • Cookies, pixel tags, and similar tracking technologies

3. How We Collect Information

1. Directly from You

   • When you create an account or register for a course, we collect the PII you enter on our registration form.

   • When you fill out surveys, contact support, or submit assignments, you may provide additional demographic or educational information.

   • If you subscribe to our newsletter or marketing emails, you share your email and preferences.

2. Automatically via Technology

   • We use cookies (Section 6) and web beacons to track site usage, measure performance, and improve user experience.

   • Third‐party analytics providers (such as Google Analytics) collect Non‐PII about your interactions with our Services.

3. From Third Parties

   • Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal, etc.) share transaction confirmation details (masked payment token, amount, date) so we can verify your purchase.

   • If you link a social media account (e.g., LinkedIn, Facebook) to log in, we receive your profile name, email, and profile picture.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use PII and Non‐PII to deliver and enhance our Services, including:

1. Service Delivery & Account Management

   • Authenticate your identity and allow secure login.

   • Process course enrollments, issue certificates, and send transactional emails (e.g., course access details, receipts).

   • Provide technical support and respond to your inquiries.

2. Personalization & User Experience

   • Customize course recommendations based on your learning history or stated interests.

   • Remember your language preference, interface settings, or quiz progress.

3. Communication & Marketing

   • Send newsletters, promotional offers, event announcements, and updates if you opt in.

   • We may segment email lists (e.g., current students, alumni, prospective learners) to tailor relevant messages.

4. Analytics & Performance Improvement

   • Aggregate Non‐PII (clicks, page views, completion rates) to analyze user behavior and identify platform improvements.

   • Monitor and optimize website speed, uptime, and feature usage.

5. Legal & Compliance Purposes

   • Verify and comply with applicable education regulations, tax laws, and anti-fraud measures.

   • Respond to lawful requests by government authorities (e.g., subpoenas, court orders).

5. How We Share Your Information

We respect your privacy. We share PII only in the following limited circumstances:

1. With Service Providers & Partners

   • Payment Processors (e.g., Stripe, PayPal): To facilitate tuition payments and refunds.

   • Email & Marketing Providers (e.g., Mailchimp, SendGrid): To send newsletters or course updates if you opt in.

   • Learning Management System Providers: Hosting and delivering course videos and materials.

   • Analytics Providers (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel): For aggregated, anonymized data analysis.

2. For Legal, Safety & Compliance

   • To comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax filings, education audits).

   • To investigate or prevent suspected fraud, intellectual property infringement, or other violations of Qace’s policies.

   • To protect the rights, property, or safety of Qace, our users, or the public.

3. With Your Consent

   • We may share your PII with third parties if you explicitly consent (e.g., to participate in a joint promotion).

   • You may revoke consent at any time by contacting privacy@qaceacademy.com, though it may not affect information already shared.

4. Business Transfers

   • In the event Qace merges, is acquired, or sells substantially all assets, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you before such a change of ownership.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

1. What Are Cookies?

   • Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website. They help remember your preferences and track usage patterns.

2. How We Use Cookies

   • Essential Cookies: Required for login sessions, secure transactions, and core functionality.

   • Performance & Analytics Cookies: Gather anonymized data on page visits, user behavior, and feature usage (e.g., Google Analytics, Mixpanel).

   • Functional Cookies: Remember your language preference, playback position in videos, or theme choices.

   • Advertising/Tracking Cookies: Qace does not serve third‐party ads, but our social media widgets (e.g., embedded YouTube videos, Facebook “Like” buttons) may drop cookies under those companies’ privacy policies.

3. Cookie Consent & Management

   • Upon first visit, you will see a cookie banner allowing you to accept essential cookies only or all cookies.

   • You can manage or disable cookies via your browser settings (e.g., Chrome: Settings → Privacy → Cookies and site data). Note that disabling certain cookies may impair the functionality of our Services.

7. Data Retention & Security

1. Data Retention

   • We retain your PII (name, contact, enrollment history) for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide Services.

   • If you request account deletion, we will remove PII from active systems within 30 days, except for any information we must keep to comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records) or for legitimate business interests (e.g., fraud prevention).

   • Non‐PII (aggregated analytics, anonymized logs) may be retained indefinitely for product improvement.

2. Data Security

   • We use industry-standard security measures, including SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit and secure firewalls for data at rest.

   • Access to PII is restricted to authorized employees, contractors, and service providers who need it to perform their duties.

   • We conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify and mitigate security risks.

   • Despite these safeguards, no system is 100% secure. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users and relevant authorities within 72 hours of confirmation, in accordance with applicable law.

8. Third-Party Links & Embedded Content

• Our Services may contain links to third‐party websites (e.g., external resources, partner sites) and embedded content (e.g., YouTube, Vimeo, GitHub).

• We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third parties.

• We encourage you to review their privacy policies when you visit external sites or use third-party tools.

9. Children’s Privacy

• Our Services are designed for users aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

• If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided PII to us, please contact privacy@qaceacademy.com. We will promptly delete such information upon verification.

10. Your Rights & Choices

If you are a resident of certain jurisdictions (e.g., the European Economic Area, UK, or Nigeria), you have specific legal rights regarding your PII:

1. Access & Portability:

   • You can request a copy of the PII we hold about you in a commonly used, machine-readable format (e.g., CSV, JSON).

2. Correction/Update:

   • If your PII is inaccurate or incomplete, you can request corrections.

3. Deletion (“Right to be Forgotten”):

   • You can ask us to delete your PII from our active systems, subject to legal exceptions (e.g., tax records, dispute resolution).

   • To request deletion, contact privacy@qaceacademy.com.

4. Restrict or Object to Processing:

   • You may ask us to restrict processing your PII for certain purposes or object if we are processing it based on “legitimate interests.”

   • We will respond within 30 days, unless an extension is required.

5. Withdraw Consent:

   • If you provided consent for marketing communications, you can withdraw at any time by clicking “Unsubscribe” in an email or contacting privacy@qaceacademy.com.

6. Complaint to Data Protection Authority:

   • If you believe we have violated applicable privacy laws, you may file a complaint with your local data protection authority.

11. International Transfers

• Qace Academy is headquartered in Nigeria but utilizes cloud service providers (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) with servers located in multiple countries.

• By using our Services, you agree that your PII may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in countries outside your home jurisdiction.

• We implement Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) and other lawful transfer mechanisms to ensure appropriate safeguards for cross-border data transfers.

12. Updates to This Privacy Policy

• We will occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements.

• When we do, we will revise the “Effective Date” at the top and post the updated policy on https://qaceacademy.com/privacy.

• For material changes impacting your rights (e.g., new data sharing practices), we will notify you by email or a prominent notice on our platform at least 30 days before the change goes into effect.

• Your continued use of the Services after the updated “Effective Date” constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

• Email: privacy@qaceacademy.com

• Address: Qace Academy, 22 Ogudu Road, Lagos, Nigeria