Privacy Policy

At Cert Demand ("we," "us," or "our"), operated by New Day Ideas, LLC, we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website at certdemand.com or interact with our services.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide to Us

When you use our contact form, subscribe to our newsletter, create an account, or otherwise interact with our website, we may collect:

• Personal identifiers: Your name and email address
• Communications: The content of your messages when you contact us
• Preferences: Information about your interests related to certifications
• Account credentials: Information needed to authenticate your account

1.2 Information from Third-Party Authentication Services

When you choose to sign in using a third-party service (such as LinkedIn, Google, or other OAuth providers), we may collect certain profile information from that service. See Section 3 for details on social login.

1.3 Information We Collect Automatically

As you navigate through and interact with our website, we may automatically collect:

• Usage data: Pages visited, time spent, click patterns
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, device type
• Network information: IP address, approximate location (country/region)
• Cookies and similar technologies: As described in Section 8

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Account authentication: To verify your identity and provide secure access to your account
• Service delivery: To provide certification trend data and personalized recommendations
• Communications: To respond to inquiries and send newsletters you've subscribed to
• Improvement: To analyze usage patterns and improve our services
• Security: To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

2.1 Legal Basis for Processing (EEA/UK Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or United Kingdom, our legal basis for processing your personal information includes:

• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., newsletter subscriptions)
• Contract: Where processing is necessary to provide services you've requested
• Legitimate interests: For analytics, security, and service improvement, balanced against your privacy rights
• Legal obligation: Where we must comply with applicable laws

3. Social Login and Third-Party Authentication

We offer the option to sign in or create an account using third-party authentication services. When you use these services, you are authorizing us to access certain information from your third-party account.

3.1 LinkedIn

When you sign in with LinkedIn, we may access:

• Your name (first and last name)
• Your email address
• Your profile picture
• Your LinkedIn profile URL

We use this information solely to create and authenticate your Cert Demand account. We do not post to your LinkedIn profile, access your connections, or collect any information beyond what is listed above.

3.2 Other OAuth Providers

We may offer additional sign-in options (such as Google or Apple) in the future. For each provider, we will only request the minimum information necessary for authentication, typically:

• Name
• Email address
• Profile picture (optional)

3.3 Managing Connected Accounts

You can disconnect any linked social account at any time through your account settings. Disconnecting will:

• Revoke our access to that third-party service
• Remove the association between your Cert Demand account and the third-party account
• Not delete your Cert Demand account (you can set up an alternative login method before disconnecting)

You may also revoke access directly through the third-party service's settings (e.g., LinkedIn's "Permitted Services" settings).

4. Disclosure of Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: Third parties who perform functions on our behalf (e.g., email delivery via Mailchimp, hosting via Netlify)
• Analytics providers: To help us understand website usage (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or government request
• Protection of rights: To protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

• Account data: Retained while your account is active and for up to 30 days after account deletion to allow for recovery
• Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe
• Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 2 years
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely
• Legal records: Retained as required by applicable law

After the retention period, your data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• HTTPS encryption for all data transmission
• Secure authentication protocols (OAuth 2.0) for social login
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data
• Regular security assessments and monitoring

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data
• Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format
• Restriction: Request that we limit processing of your data
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw previously given consent at any time

7.1 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights:

1. Account settings: Many options are available directly in your account settings
2. Email request: Send a request to privacy@certdemand.com
3. Unsubscribe: Click the unsubscribe link in any marketing email

We will respond to your request within 30 days (or sooner if required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

7.2 Account Deletion

To permanently delete your account and associated data:

1. Log in to your account
2. Navigate to Account Settings
3. Select "Delete Account"
4. Confirm your decision

Alternatively, email privacy@certdemand.com with the subject line "Account Deletion Request." We will process your request within 30 days and send confirmation when complete.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance functionality and analyze traffic.

8.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: Required for site functionality and authentication
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site
• Advertising cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements

8.2 Managing Cookies

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect site functionality.

9. Advertising and Third-Party Cookies

We use Google AdSense to serve advertisements on our website. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on our site. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our sites and/or other sites on the Internet.

Personalized Advertising:

• Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to your website or other websites.
• Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads to your users based on their visit to your sites and/or other sites on the Internet.
• Users may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Ads Settings. (Alternatively, you can opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.)

10. International Data Transfers

Cert Demand is operated from the United States. If you are accessing our services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our servers are located.

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or other regions with data protection laws, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Transfers to countries with adequacy decisions
• Other lawful transfer mechanisms as applicable

By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other countries that may have different data protection rules than your country.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@certdemand.com.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 16, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make material changes:

• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• For significant changes, we will notify you via email (if you have an account) or through a prominent notice on our website
• We will provide at least 30 days' notice before material changes take effect

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know: What personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Right to delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to opt-out: Opt out of the sale of personal information (note: we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@certdemand.com or use the methods described in Section 7.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

For EEA/UK residents, if you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.