Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Ignite Education (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We operate the website ignite.education (the “Website”), which provides product management courses and educational resources.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our Website and use our services. Please read this policy carefully. By accessing or using our Website, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy.

If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Website.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Create an account: Full name and email address
• Enroll in courses: Course selection and enrollment data
• Use our services: Course progress, completion status, and assessment scores
• Participate in community forums: Posts, comments, and other contributions to our community discussions
• Upgrade to ad-free access: Payment information (processed securely through our payment provider)
• Contact us: Any information you provide in correspondence with us

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you access our Website, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Analytics data: Information about how you use our Website, including pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation patterns
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Log data: IP address, access times, and referring URLs

2.3 Information We Do Not Collect

We do not use cookies or similar tracking technologies on our Website.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 To Provide Our Services

• Creating and managing your account
• Enrolling you in courses and tracking your progress
• Calculating and displaying your course scores
• Providing access to course materials and resources
• Facilitating your participation in community forums
• Processing payments for ad-free subscriptions

3.2 To Enhance Your Experience

• Personalizing your learning experience
• Sending custom job opportunity emails (for ad-free subscribers)
• Providing access to office hours (for ad-free subscribers)
• Improving our Website and course content based on usage patterns

3.3 To Communicate With You

• Sending important service announcements and updates
• Responding to your inquiries and support requests
• Sending course-related communications and notifications

3.4 For Legal and Security Purposes

• Complying with legal obligations
• Protecting our rights and the rights of our users
• Detecting and preventing fraud or security issues
• Enforcing our Terms of Service

4. Third-Party Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers to deliver our services. These providers have access to your personal information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated to protect your information. Our third-party providers include:

• Supabase: Database and authentication services (hosting your account data, course progress, and forum posts)
• Vercel: Frontend hosting services
• Render: Backend server hosting
• Anthropic Claude: AI-powered chat assistance services for educational support
• ElevenLabs: Voice-over content delivery
• Stripe: Payment processing for ad-free subscriptions (Stripe handles all payment information directly; we do not store your payment card details)

Each of these providers maintains their own privacy policies and security measures. We carefully select providers that meet high standards for data protection and security.

5. Data Sharing and Disclosure

5.1 We Do Not Sell Your Data

We will never sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

5.2 Limited Sharing

We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With service providers: As described in Section 4, to enable them to perform services on our behalf
• For legal compliance: When required by law, regulation, legal process, or government request
• To protect rights and safety: To protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users or the public
• With your consent: When you explicitly authorize us to share your information
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, sale, or acquisition of all or part of our business (your information would remain subject to this Privacy Policy)

5.3 Community Forum Posts

Please note that any information you post in our community forums may be visible to other users of the Website. We recommend not sharing sensitive personal information in public forum posts.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

• Account information: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterward to comply with legal obligations
• Course progress and scores: Retained to maintain your learning records and provide certificates of completion
• Forum posts: Retained to maintain the integrity and continuity of community discussions
• Analytics data: Typically retained for up to 24 months

You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time by contacting us (see Section 11).

7. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

As we are based in the United Kingdom and process data of UK residents, you have the following rights under UK data protection law:

7.1 Right of Access

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

7.2 Right to Rectification

You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

7.3 Right to Erasure

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information in certain circumstances, such as when the information is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

7.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

7.5 Right to Data Portability

You have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller.

7.6 Right to Object

You have the right to object to our processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.

7.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we rely on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

7.8 Right to Lodge a Complaint

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 11.

8. Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)

Under UK GDPR, we process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

• Contract performance: Processing necessary to provide our services and fulfill our contract with you
• Legitimate interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate interests in operating and improving our Website and services, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights
• Legal obligation: Processing necessary to comply with legal requirements
• Consent: Where you have given explicit consent for specific processing activities

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure data transmission using encryption protocols
• Access controls and authentication measures
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Secure data storage with our trusted service providers
• Employee training on data protection and privacy

However, please note that no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are under 18, please do not use our Website or provide any personal information to us.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 18, please contact us immediately.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than the United Kingdom, including countries where our service providers are located (such as the United States). These countries may have data protection laws that differ from UK laws.

When we transfer your personal information internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by the UK authorities
• Ensuring service providers are certified under recognized data protection frameworks
• Other legally approved mechanisms for international transfers

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated Privacy Policy on this page
• Updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy
• Sending you an email notification (for significant changes)

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Website after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Us

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

14. Additional Information for Specific Users

14.1 Ad-Free Subscribers

If you subscribe to our ad-free tier, we process your payment information through Stripe. We do not store your credit card or payment details on our servers. Additional features available to ad-free subscribers include:

• Access to office hours
• Custom job opportunity emails based on your learning progress and interests
• Ad-free browsing experience

14.2 Community Forum Participants

When you participate in our community forums:

• Your posts and comments are visible to other registered users
• Your username or display name will be associated with your posts
• We moderate forums to maintain community standards
• We reserve the right to remove content that violates our community guidelines

15. Your Responsibilities

To help us protect your personal information:

• Keep your account credentials confidential
• Use a strong, unique password
• Log out of your account when using shared devices
• Notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account
• Be mindful of what personal information you share in community forums