Privacy Policy

Last Updated: Jan 28, 2024

Welcome to DearProf! This Privacy Policy is designed to help you understand how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information. By using DearProf and its services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

If you have any questions about DearProf’s collection and use of your Personal Information, please contact us using the contact details provided below.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

We may collect the following information that you provide directly to us:

• Account Information: When you register for an account, we may collect your name, email address, password, and other relevant details.
• Profile Information: Users have the option to provide additional information such as profile picture, academic institution, and areas of interest.
• Communication Data: This includes any communication you have with other users or DearProf support.

1.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you use DearProf, certain information may be automatically collected, including:

• Log Data: This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, the pages you view, access times, and the referring web page.
• Device Information: Information about the device you use to access DearProf, including device type, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Analytics: We may use third-party analytics tools to collect information about how you use and interact with our services.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We may use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience. Please refer to our "Cookies, Scripts and Related Technologies" section for more information.

1.3 Third-party Sources

We may combine Personal Information we receive from you with personal information we obtain from other sources, such as:

• Public sources, such as government agencies, public records, social media platforms, and other publicly available sources.
• Data providers, such as information services and data licensors that provide other information, such as your business contact information.

2. How We Use Your Information

We may use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

• Provide and Maintain Services: To provide, maintain, and improve our services, including personalized features and content.
• Communication: To communicate with you about your account, updates, security alerts, and promotional materials.
• Research and Analytics: To conduct research, analysis, and development to improve and enhance our services.
• Aggregate data: We may aggregate and anonymize information collected through our services to analyze trends, monitor the usage of our services, and gather demographic information for research and analytical purposes. Aggregated data is stripped of any personally identifiable information and cannot be used to identify you.
• Processing application: If you submit an application through our platform, we will use the information provided to evaluate and process your application. This may include reviewing your qualifications, contacting you for additional information, and facilitating the application process.
• Marketing and advertising: We may use your information to provide you with marketing and promotional materials, including newsletters, special offers, and other information about our services. You may opt out of receiving these communications at any time by following the instructions provided in the communication.

3. Sharing of Your Information

At DearProf, safeguarding your Personal Information is our priority. We do not engage in the sale or unauthorized disclosure of any Personal Information we collect about you, except as explicitly outlined in this Privacy Policy or as communicated to you at the time of collection. Below, we elaborate on instances where we may share your Personal Information:

• Partners and Trusted Service Providers: We may collaborate with partners and third-party service providers. These entities are only granted permission to use or disclose information as required to perform services on behalf of DearProf. They are contractually obligated to uphold the privacy and security of any Personal Information they process on our behalf.
• Third-Party Advertising Companies: For the purposes of marketing and advertising, we may share relevant information with third-party advertising companies.
• Legal Obligations and Protection: In specific situations, we may disclose your Personal Information to competent law enforcement bodies, regulatory authorities, government agencies, courts, or other third parties. This may be necessary (i) as dictated by applicable law or regulation, (ii) to assert, establish, or defend our legal rights, (iii) to protect your vital interests or those of others, or (iv) for the compliance and protection objectives outlined above.
• Professional Advisors: In the course of receiving professional services, such as legal, auditing, banking, or insurance services, we may need to share your Personal Information with trusted advisors like lawyers, auditors, bankers, and insurers.
• Business Transitions: In the event of a merger, acquisition, debt financing, sale of assets, or a similar transaction, or if we undergo insolvency, bankruptcy, or receivership proceedings, your information may be transferred to one or more third parties as part of our business assets. These third parties will be informed that they must utilize your Personal Information solely for the purposes detailed in this Privacy Policy.
• Consent-based Disclosures: We may share your Personal Information with any other party only with your explicit consent.

4. Cookies, Scripts and Related Technologies

4.1 Cookies

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your device by a website when you visit it. We use cookies to:

• Enhance your browsing experience.
• Analyze your usage patterns.
• Customize content and advertisements.

You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. However, if you disable or refuse cookies, some parts of our website may become inaccessible or not function properly.

4.2 Scripts and Related Technologies

In addition to cookies, we may use other technologies such as web beacons and scripts. These technologies serve similar purposes to cookies and help us analyze trends, track users' movements, and gather demographic information.

5. Collection of Data by Advertisers

We may partner with third-party advertisers and ad networks who may collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites when you use our services. This information may be used to provide advertisements tailored to your interests.

6. Your Choices

You have the right to:

• Access, correct, or delete your personal information.
• Opt-out of receiving promotional communications.
• Disable or manage cookies through your browser settings.

7. International Data Transfers at DearProf

DearProf may transfer and process your Personal Information in countries that differ from your country of residence. These countries may have data protection regulations that vary from those in your own country, and in some instances, they may not offer the same level of protection.

In particular, our central operations are based in the United States, and our network of third-party service providers and partners operate on a global scale. This means that when we gather your Personal Information, it may be processed in any of these countries. Rest assured, we take measures to ensure your data is handled with care and in compliance with applicable privacy standards.

8. Security

At DearProf, safeguarding your Personal Information is of paramount importance to us. We've implemented a range of technical and organizational measures to ensure that your Personal Information is handled securely and in strict adherence to this Privacy Policy. These measures are meticulously designed to align with the level of security required to mitigate any potential risks associated with processing your Personal Information.

9. Retention of Your Personal Information at DearProf

At DearProf, we retain the Personal Information we collect from you as long as there is a continuing legitimate business need to do so. This may include providing you with a service you've requested or adhering to relevant legal, tax, or accounting requirements.

In instances where there is no ongoing legitimate business need to process your Personal Information, we will take one of the following actions:

• If possible, we will either delete or anonymize the information.
• In cases where deletion or anonymization is not immediately feasible, for instance, if your Personal Information is stored in backup archives, we will securely store it and isolate it from any further processing until such time as deletion becomes possible.

Rest assured, we are committed to managing your Personal Information in a manner that aligns with both your expectations and applicable privacy standards.

10. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by the "Last Updated" date.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at [privacy@dearprof.com].