Welcome to LightForth

Privacy Statement

Thank you for choosing Lightforth

Welcome to LightForth

Privacy Statement

Thank you for choosing Lightforth

Since its most recent revision on March 14, 2024.

We appreciate your enrollment on LightForth. LightForth ("we", "us", "LightForth") values your privacy and wishes to inform you of the manner in which we gather, utilise, and distribute information regarding you. This Privacy Policy defines your rights with respect to your personal data and addresses our data collection practices.


This Privacy Statement governs your use of LightForth websites, mobile applications, APIs, and related services (the "Services"), unless we reference an alternative policy or state otherwise. Additionally, prospective clients of our business and enterprise products are included.


By utilising the Services, you indicate your acceptance of the Privacy Statement. If you do not concur with this Privacy Statement or any other agreement that governs your use of the Services, you are not permitted to use the Services.

Commissary of Contents

  1. The Data Obtained

  2. How We Acquire Information About You

  3. How We Employ Your Data

  4. With whom we disclose your data

  5. Guaranteed Security

  6. The Rights of You

  7. Region-Specific Regulations

  8. Updates and Contact Details

Commissary of Contents

1. The Data Obtained

Specific data is gathered directly from users, including self-entered information, data regarding content consumption, and data originating from third-party platforms with which users interact with LightForth. Additionally, we routinely gather certain data, such as device information and the sections of our services that you access or dedicate time to utilising. The following processing operations may be performed on any of the data contained in this section: collection, recording, structuring, storage, modification, retrieval, encryption, pseudonymization, erasure, combination, and transmission.

1.1 Information You Supply to Us
 

Contingent upon your usage of the Services, we might amass various types of data from or about you. Examples are provided below to assist you in comprehending the data that we gather. We collect any information you provide directly when you establish an account and use the Services, including when utilising a third-party platform. This includes the following:


Description of Personal Data Category Legal Justification for Processing


Account Data You must construct a user account in order to access certain features (such as content). In doing so, we are obligated to gather and retain your email address, password, and account settings. We collect and store your name, email address, password, and account parameters in order to generate an instructor account. You may be required to provide additional information as you utilise specific features of the website, such as your occupation, government ID details, verification photo, date of birth, race/ethnicity, skill interests, and phone number. After the construction of your account, we allocate you a distinct identifier.


Execution of the contract


Legitimate interests (communication, identity verification, service provisioning, and fraud prevention and security) Additionally, you have the option to include profile data such as a photo, headline, biography, language, website link, social media profiles, and country. The Profile Data of the user will be accessible to the public.


Execution of the contract


Legitimate interests (enhanced platform functionality, communication of information regarding content sources) The Shared Content Sections of the Services enable users to engage in discussions with fellow users and distribute publicly accessible materials, such as uploaded courses and other educational materials, reviews of content, inquiries or responses to inquiries, messages to instructors or students, or the publication of uploaded photographs or other works. The public access to such shared content is contingent upon the platform or location where it is published.


Execution of the contract


Interests that are legitimate (service provisioning, platform functionality enhancement) Learning Data We collect specific data when you access content, including the courses, labs, quizzes, and quizzes you have begun and completed; purchases and credits for content and subscriptions; completion certificates; interactions with instructors, teaching assistants, and fellow students; essays, response to questions, and other materials submitted to fulfil course and content-related prerequisites.


Execution of the contract


Interests that are legitimate (service provisioning, platform functionality enhancement) Student Payment Information We collect the following information regarding your purchases (including your name, billing address, and ZIP code) in order to fulfil your order and may, at your option, retain it for future processing. You are required to provide our payment service providers with specific payment and invoicing information, such as your name, credit card details, billing address, and ZIP code. Payment service providers may also provide us with limited information, such as the last four digits of your new card, in order to facilitate your payments. LightForth does not collect or store sensitive cardholder information, including complete credit card numbers or card authentication data, for security purposes.


Execution of the contract


Legal responsibilities


Legitimate interests (compliance, payment facilitation, and security and fraud prevention)


Instructor Payment Information To receive payments as an instructor, you may link your PayPal, Payoneer, or other payment account to the Services. We collect and utilise specific information when you link a payment account, such as the email address, account ID, physical address, or any other data required for the transfer of funds to your account. We may, on occasion, require ACH or wire information in order to process payments to your account. To ensure adherence to relevant legislation, we collaborate with reputable third parties that gather tax information in accordance with legal obligations. This tax information may consist of biographical data, tax identification numbers, residency information, and any other personally identifiable information required for tax purposes. LightForth does not collect or retain sensitive bank account information for security purposes. Regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your payment, billing, and taxation information, your payment account provider's privacy statement and other terms govern.


Execution of the contract


Legal responsibilities


Legitimate interests (compliance, payment facilitation, fraud prevention and security, and service provisioning)

Account Information Regarding Other Services Certain information from your social media and other online accounts that are linked to your LightForth account may be obtained by us. We may request permission to access specific information regarding the other account if you access LightForth through a third-party platform or service, such as Facebook. For instance, your name, profile photo, account ID number, login email address, physical location of your access devices, gender, birthday, and list of friends or contacts may be collected, contingent upon the platform or service.


The APIs of those platforms and services provide us with access to information. The information that we obtain is contingent upon the data provided by either you (through your privacy preferences) or the platform or service in question.


Clicking on any third-party links or utilising our services via a third-party platform or service will additionally subject the collection, use, and disclosure of your data to the privacy policies and other contractual provisions of that third party.

Legitimate interests (identity verification, enhancement of the user experience)


Sweepstakes, Promotions, and Surveys Through the Services or a third-party platform, we may extend an invitation to you to complete a survey or participate in a promotion (such as a challenge, contest, or sweepstakes). We will collect and retain the information you provide in connection with your participation, including but not limited to your name, email address, postal address, date of birth, and phone number. This Privacy Statement governs the use of the data, unless explicit provisions are made otherwise in the promotion's official regulations or another privacy statement. In order to administer the promotion or survey, including notifying recipients and distributing rewards, the collected information will be utilised. We may request your consent to publish a portion of your information publicly (e.g., on a winner's page) in order for you to be eligible for a reward. In cases where we administer a survey or promotion through a third-party platform, the privacy policies of that third party will be applicable.


Execution of the contract


Legitimate interests (administerion of promotions, distribution of prizes, compliance)


Communications and Support We collect and store your contact information, messages, and other data about you, including your name, email address, location, LightForth user ID, refund transaction IDs, and any other data you provide or that we collect automatically (which we describe below), if you contact us for support or to report a problem or concern (regardless of whether you have created an account). With the intention of addressing your inquiry or concern and conducting research, we utilise this information in adherence to this Privacy Statement


Legitimate concerns (technical and customer support)


We retain the aforementioned information in our database and link it to your account


1.2 Information Obtained via Automated Methods


During your usage of the Services, including content perusing, we automatically gather specific data. This includes the following:


Description of Personal Data Category Legal Justification for Processing

System Data IP address, device type, operating system type and version, unique device identifiers, browser, browser language, domain and other systems data, platform types, and system data are examples of technical information that pertain to your computer or device.


Execution of the contract


Legitimate interests (communication, product enhancement, service provisioning, customer and technical support, fraud prevention and security)


Usage Data The number of times you spend on pages or the Service, the content you access, the number of pages you visit, the features you utilise, the search queries you conduct, the click data you provide, the date and time of your visits, the referrer, and any other information pertaining to your use of the Services.


Legitimate interests (provision of services, enhancement of user experience, and development of products)


Accurate Geographic Data An approximation of your geographical location, comprising country, city, and geographic coordinates, is computed using your IP address.


Legitimate interests (enhancement of the user experience, security and fraud prevention, compliance)


The aforementioned information is gathered via monitoring technologies and server log files, as elaborated in the "Cookies and Data Collection Tools" segment that follows. We retain it in our database and link it to your account


1.3 Information Provided By Third Parties


In the case of corporate prospects or LightForth Business enterprises, we reserve the right to gather specific business contact information from third-party commercial sources, in addition to the information provided by them.


2. How We Acquire Information About You


To collect the aforementioned information, we employ monitoring technologies such as cookies and web beacons. A selection of these applications provide users with the option to decline data collection.


2.1 Tools for Collecting Data and Cookies


We employ cookies, which are browser-stored tiny text files, to gather, retain, and distribute information pertaining to your activities across various websites, including LightForth. Users enable us to retain information regarding their visits to LightForth, such as their preferred language, which ultimately contributes to platform usability. Visit the website https://cookiepedia.co.uk/all-about-cookies for further information. Clear pixels may also be employed in electronic mail to monitor deliverability and open rates.


When you access and use the Services, LightForth and service providers acting on our behalf (such as Google Analytics and third-party advertisers) utilise automated data collection tools (collectively "Data Collection Tools"), including server log files, cookie labels, scripts, customised links, device or browser fingerprints, and web beacons. When you use the Services, these Data Collection Tools automatically monitor and collect certain System Data and Usage Data (as detailed in Section 1). There are instances in which we link information collected via these data collection tools with additional information gathered in accordance with this privacy statement.


2.1 Tools for Collecting Data and Cookies


We employ cookies, which are browser-stored tiny text files, to gather, retain, and distribute information pertaining to your activities across various websites, including LightForth. Users enable us to retain information regarding their visits to LightForth, such as their preferred language, which ultimately contributes to platform usability. Visit the website https://cookiepedia.co.uk/all-about-cookies for further information. Clear pixels may also be employed in electronic mail to monitor deliverability and open rates.


When you access and use the Services, LightForth and service providers acting on our behalf (such as Google Analytics and third-party advertisers) utilise automated data collection tools (collectively "Data Collection Tools"), including server log files, cookie labels, scripts, customised links, device or browser fingerprints, and web beacons. When you use the Services, these Data Collection Tools automatically monitor and collect certain System Data and Usage Data (as detailed in Section 1). There are instances in which we link information collected via these data collection tools with additional information gathered in accordance with this privacy statement.


2.2 The Utilisation of Data Collection Tools


The following categories of data collection tools are utilised by LightForth for the aforementioned purposes:

Essential: These data collection tools facilitate site access, ensure site security by preventing fraudulent logins and enabling fundamental functionality (such as logging in or accessing content), and detect and prevent unauthorised use or abuse of your account. These are necessary for the correct operation of the Services; therefore, disabling them will result in the inaccessibility or malfunction of certain sections of the website.


Functionality: The aforementioned data collection tools retain information regarding the user's browser and preferences, facilitate supplementary site features, personalise content for enhanced relevance, and retain settings that influence the visual representation and operation of the services (such as the user's preferred language or video playback volume level).


Data Collection Tools: By furnishing usage and performance data, visit counts, traffic sources, or the location from which an application was downloaded, these tools aid in measuring and enhancing the services. By utilising these tools, we can determine which email messages are perused and which features or content users prefer across various versions of LightForth.


Advertising: These data collection tools are employed to provide pertinent advertisements (on the site and/or other sites) by utilising information that the ad service providers have about you through their monitoring data and things that we know about you, such as your Usage and System Data (described in Section 1). Advertisements may be generated in response to your recent or historical activity across various platforms and websites. We may provide these service providers with a hashed, anonymized version of your email address (in a format that is not readable by humans) and any content that you publicly share on the Services in order to facilitate the delivery of targeted advertising.


Social media: The data collection tools facilitate social media features, such as the ability to share content with networks and peers. For the purpose of targeted advertising, these cookies may trace a user or device across other websites and construct a profile of the user's interests.


One has the ability to configure their web browser to provide notifications regarding cookie placement attempts, restrict the categories of cookies that are permitted, or decline cookies entirely. Doing so may result in the inability to utilise certain or all features of the Services, potentially leading to a modified or less functional experience. Regarding administering data collection tools, please consult Section 6.1 (Your Preferences Regarding the Utilisation of Your Data) that follows.


3. How We Employ Your Data


We utilise your data for the following purposes: to deliver our services, communicate with you, resolve issues, ensure security against fraudulent activities and abuse, enhance and update our offerings, analyse user behaviour, provide personalised advertising, and as mandated by law or essential for maintaining our integrity and safety. Your information is retained for the duration required to fulfil the objectives for which it was initially collected.


We employ the information gathered from your use of the Services to:


The provision and management of the services shall encompass various functions such as enabling user engagement with educational materials, generating completion certificates, showcasing personalised content, and facilitating user-to-user communication (Account Data; Shared Content; Learning Data; System Data; Usage Data; Approximate Geographic Data);


Student Payment Data; Instructor Payment Data; Process payments to instructors and other third parties


Handle inquiries and purchases pertaining to educational features, products, information, learning, and payment (Account Data; Learning Data; Student Payment Data; System Data; Communications and Support);


Account Data; Shared Content; Learning Data; Sweepstakes, Promotions, and Surveys; System Data; Communications and Support; Interact with You Regarding Your Account


In response to your concerns and inquiries;


Disseminating administrative messages and information, encompassing correspondence from teaching assistants, instructors, and students; informing you of modifications to our service; and revising our agreements;

Disseminating pertinent course and feature updates, rewards programmes, novel services, promotional materials, newsletters, and instructor-generated content (which you may withdraw from at any time) via electronic mail or text message;


Managing push notifications that deliver updates and other pertinent messages to your wireless device (via the "options" or "settings" page of the mobile application);


Customise your experience by administering your account and account preferences (Account Data; Learning Data; Instructor Payment Data; System Data; Usage Data; Cookie Data);


Assist in the efficient operation of the Services by resolving and troubleshooting issues, ensuring their security, and preventing fraudulent activities and misuse (Account Data; Instructor Payment Data; Student Payment Data; Communications and Support; System Data; Approximate Geographic Location);


Confirm the instructors' identities (Account Information; Instructor Payment Information);


Solicit user feedback regarding account information, communications, and support;


Utilisation Data; Cookie Data; Account Data; Learning Data; Sweepstakes, Promotions, and Surveys Data; Market Products, Services, and Surveys Data;


Prospective consumers are pitched subscription plans using account data, learning data, and cookie data

Gain further insights about an individual by establishing connections between their data and supplementary data provided by third-party data providers, or by employing analytics service providers to analyse the data (Account Data; Usage Data; Cookie Data; Data About Their Accounts on Other Services);


User identification across devices (using account data, system data, and cookie data);


Device-specific advertising customisation (cookie data);


Develop and enhance novel products, services, and functionalities (across all data categories);


Account Data; Learning Data; Student Payment Data; Communications and Support; System Data; Usage Data; Approximate Geographic Data; Cookie Data; analyse trends and traffic; monitor purchases and usage data.

Promote the Services through third-party applications and websites (Account Data; Cookie Data);


When mandated or authorised by law (for all categories of data); or


As we deem it necessary, in our exclusive judgement, to safeguard the well-being or integrity of our users, employees, third parties, the general public, or our services (including all data categories).


4. With whom we disclose your data


Instructors, other students, service-providing companies, LightForth affiliates, our business partners, analytics and data enrichment providers, your social media providers, companies assisting us in conducting promotions and surveys, and advertising agencies that assist us in promoting our services are granted access to certain personally identifiable information. Additionally, in the event of a corporate reorganisation, legal compliance, or security concerns, we may disclose your information. Finally, we may share data in alternative formats with your consent or if it has been de-identified or aggregated.


The following are instances in which we may disclose your information to a third party, unless otherwise specified in this privacy statement:


We may disclose the personal information we have about you (excluding your email address) to your instructors or teaching assistants in regards to educational materials you request information about or access. This is done in an effort to assist them in enhancing the material for the benefit of other students. The information that LightForth may collect may consist of the following: country, browser language, operating system, device settings, the source that directed you to the platform, and specific actions performed on LightForth, such as course enrollment and review. Your email address will not be disclosed to instructors or teaching assistants. (Account Data; Usage Data; System Data; Geographic Data Approximations)


In the presence of fellow students and instructors, your shared content and profile data might be accessible to the public, contingent upon the configurations you make. Providing a query to an instructor or teaching assistant may result in the public disclosure of your information, which may include your name. (Profile Data; Account Information; Shared Content)


Involvement of Service Providers, Contractors, and Agents: We disclose your data to external organisations that execute various functions on our behalf, such as data analysis, marketing and advertising services (including retargeted advertising), email and hosting solutions, and customer support and assistance. These service providers may have access to your personal information and are obligated to utilise it exclusively in accordance with our instructions, in order to deliver the service that we have requested. (All categories of data)


In collaboration with LightForth affiliates, we reserve the right to disclose your information among our corporate family of entities that are held in common ownership or control in order to facilitate or provide assistance in the provision of our services. (All categories of data)


Through business partnerships, we are able to distribute our services and generate traffic for LightForth through other websites and platforms. We may, contingent upon your location, disclose your data to these reputable associates. (Account Data; System Data; Learning Data; Communications and Support)


In the case where an individual enrols in a course to satisfy a continuing professional education obligation, we reserve the right to disclose that information in accordance with the request of the credit-granting organisation. (Data on Accounts; Data on Learning)


In Utilising Analytics and Data Enrichment Services: We disclose specific contact information or de-identified data in conjunction with thirdparty analytics tools such as Google Analytics and data enrichment services like ZoomInfo. In the case of de-identified data, elements such as your name and email address have been substituted with a token ID. This functionality enables these service providers to offer analytics services or compare your data with information from publicly accessible databases, which may include social and contact details from external sources. This is done in an effort to facilitate more effective and tailored communication with you. (Cookie Data; Account Data; System Data; Usage Data)


In order to operate social media features, such as the Facebook Like icon, the third-party social media provider may be granted access to your IP address, the page you are currently viewing on the Services, and the ability to establish a cookie for the purpose of enabling the feature. Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policy of the third-party company. (Cookie Data; Usage Data; System Data)


In Order to Conduct Promotions and Surveys: We reserve the right to disclose your information to the extent required by law (e.g., to assemble a list of winners or fulfil regulatory filing obligations), to administer, market, or sponsor promotions and surveys in which you elect to participate, or in accordance with the terms and conditions of the promotion or survey. (Account Information; Promotions, Sweepstakes, and Surveys)


In the event that we opt to implement an advertising-supported revenue model in the future, specific System Data and Usage Data may be utilised and shared with third-party advertisers and networks in order to provide them with broad demographic and preference data pertaining to our users. Additionally, we reserve the right to permit advertisers to gather System Data via Data Collection Tools (as elaborated in Section 2.1). We intend to utilise this information to deliver targeted advertisements, personalise the user experience via behavioural advertising, and conduct web analytics. Additionally, advertisers may pass along the information they gather regarding you. For more information or to decline behavioural advertising from participating ad networks, please refer to Section 6.1 (Your Choices Regarding the Use of Your Data) that follows. Note that you will continue to receive generic advertisements even if you opt out. (System Information)


We may disclose your data (all data categories) to third parties for security and legal compliance purposes if we have a reasonable belief (at our sole discretion) that the disclosure is necessary for:


When requested in the course of a legal, judicial, or administrative proceeding, order, or inquiry;


Extentivably required in accordance with a valid warrant, subpoena, or other legally-sound request;


Adequate for the purpose of enforcing our privacy policy, terms of service, and additional legal contracts;


Obligatory for identifying, averting, or resolving instances of fraud, misuse, abuse, potential breaches of law (or regulation), security or technical concerns;


As deemed reasonably necessary, at our discretion, to safeguard LightForth, our users, employees, members of the public, or our services from imminent injury to their rights, property, or safety;


Data regarding you may also be disclosed to our auditors and legal counsel for the purpose of evaluating our disclosure responsibilities and entitlements as outlined in this Privacy Statement. Permitted or mandated by law.

In the event of a change in control, LightForth may engage in a business transaction involving the sale of all or a portion of its assets, a merger, acquisition, corporate divestiture, or dissolution (including bankruptcy). In such a case, we reserve the right to share, disclose, or transfer all of your data to the successor organisation. This may occur during the transition itself or in anticipation of it, including during due diligence. (All categories of data)


Following Aggregation/De-identification: Aggregated or de-identified data may be disclosed or utilised for any purpose


We may, with your permission, disclose information to third parties in a manner that is not covered by this privacy statement. (All categories of data)


5. Guaranteed Security


Security measures are implemented in accordance with the nature and level of sensitivity of the data being stored. Unauthorised access is a possibility with any internet-enabled system; therefore, it is critical that you safeguard your password and notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.


Your personal information that we collect and store is safeguarded against unauthorised access, modification, disclosure, or destruction by LightForth through the use of appropriate security measures. These metrics differ according to the nature and level of sensitivity of the data. We are unable to guarantee, however, that third parties will not gain unauthorised access to communications between you and LightForth, the Services, or any information you provide to us in connection with the data we collect through the Services, as no system can be 100 percent secure. As a critical component of our security system, safeguarding your password is of the utmost importance. It is not advisable to disclose your password to any external entity. In the event that you suspect that your account or password has been compromised, you are urged to change it without delay and communicate any concerns to our Support Team.


6. The Rights of You


One's rights with regard to the utilisation of their data are as follows: the capacity to decline promotional emails, cookies, and the acquisition of their data by specific third parties. You have the ability to modify or delete your account through our services. Additionally, you may reach out to us to exercise your individual rights with regard to your personal data. Parents whose minor children's personal information may have been inadvertently gathered by our organisation should reach out to us for assistance in expunging said data.


6.1 Options Regarding the Utilisation of Your Data


Failure to provide specific data to us may result in the inability to utilise particular functionalities of the Services.

You may modify the email preferences associated with your account or utilise the unsubscribe link contained within the promotional communication to discontinue receiving further communications from us. We will send you transactional and relationship-related messages pertaining to the Services, such as administrative confirmations, order confirmations, essential updates regarding the Services, and notices regarding our policies, irrespective of your email preference settings.


You may disable specific data collection tools if you are a resident of the European Economic Area by selecting the "Cookie settings" link located at the bottom of each page.


Controlling cookies and other forms of local data storage may be possible via the browser or device you employ. Visit the following link for more information on managing cookies: https://cookiepedia.co.uk/how-to-manage-cookies. You may also have the ability to regulate whether location or other data is collected and shared via your wireless device.

For details and the ability to manage cookies utilised for personalised advertising by participating organisations, please refer to the consumer opt-out pages of the Network Advertising Initiative and Digital Advertising Alliance.


Alternatively, European Economic Area residents can visit the Your Online Choices website. Consider paying a visit to the Digital Advertising Consortium if you are in Japan. Visit the Google Ads Settings page in order to modify Google Display Network ads or withdraw from Google's display advertising. To discontinue receiving targeted advertisements from Taboola, please refer to the Opt-out Link provided in their Cookie Policy. To disable the utilisation of your data for analytics or enrichment purposes by Google Analytics, Mixpanel, ZoomInfo, or Clearbit, consult the following resources: the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, the Mixpanel Opt-Out Cookie, ZoomInfo's policy, and the Clearbit data claiming mechanism.


Operating systems such as Microsoft Windows, Apple iOS, and Android provide distinct guidelines for managing in-app personalised advertisements. Regarding additional operating systems and devices, you should review the privacy settings for that platform.


Email us at privacy@LightForth.org with any inquiries regarding your data, our utilisation of it, or your rights.


6.2 Permission to Access, Modify, and Remove Your Personal Information


By following these steps, you can access and modify your personal information that LightForth collects and maintains:

In order to modify data that you have explicitly supplied, please access your account and perform an account update.

To bring your account to an end:


Visit your profile settings page if you are a student and proceed with the instructions provided here.


It is recommended that instructors adhere to the procedures outlined in this document.


Should you encounter any complications while attempting to terminate your account, kindly reach out to our Support Team.


It should be noted that certain or all of your data may remain accessible to others even after your account is terminated. This includes data that has been (a) duplicated, stored, or distributed by other users (including comments on content); (b) shared or distributed by you or others (including in your shared content); or (c) uploaded to a third-party platform. We retain your data for as long as we have a legitimate reason to do so (and in accordance with applicable law), including to assist with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements, even after your account has been terminated. Such information may be retained and disclosed in accordance with this Privacy Statement following the termination of your account.


To submit a request for access, correction, or deletion of your personal information, kindly utilise the online form provided on this page. Additionally, you may submit these requests through the following postal addresses: LightForth, Attn: Privacy/Legal Team, Dallas, USA; or by emailing privacy@LightForth.org. A response may take up to thirty days to arrive. Before carrying out your request, we may require that it be sent from the email address associated with your account for your protection. Additionally, we may require identification verification prior to executing your request. Kindly be informed that specific data is retained by us when there is a legitimate reason to do so, such as fulfilling transaction requirements or maintaining mandatory records.


6.3 Our Policy Regarding Minors


We recognise the importance of parental and guardian involvement in their children's online activities and interests and urge them to protect their privacy. Individuals who are below the legal age for consent to use online services in their jurisdiction (e.g., 13 in the United States or 16 in Ireland) but older than 18 years old are not permitted to create an account but may have a parent or guardian do so on their behalf in order to gain access to appropriate content. Users of online services who are below the minimum age required to provide assent are not permitted to access the services. We will delete any personal information gathered from a minor under the specified age limit as soon as we become aware of its collection. Parents of children under the aforementioned age ranges who suspect that LightForth may have acquired their child's personal information may submit a request for its removal to privacy@LightForth.org.


7. Region-Specific Regulations


You have certain rights with regard to accessing and erasing your data, as well as discovering with whom we share it, if you are a resident of California. Residents of Australia are entitled to file a formal complaint with the relevant government agency. It is important for non-European Economic Area users to be aware that we transfer data to countries including the United States and other non-EU regions.


7.1 Individuals in California


Residents of California who utilise the site are protected by specific provisions of the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"). These privileges are extended to eligible California users and include the following:


"Right to Know" — You have the right to request access to a copy of your personal information and to inquire further about the categories and specific items of personal information that we have collected about you.


Individuals possess the "Right to Correction" and may request that any inaccuracies in their personal information be rectified.


"Right to Deletion" — Personal information that we have collected about you may be requested to be deleted.


"Right to Non-Discrimination" — LightForth will regard you similarly to all other users if you exercise any of your rights under the CCPA. In other words, exercising your rights under the CCPA does not result in any penalties.


"Right to Opt-Out": You may choose not to have your personal information sold or shared.


"Sale" and "sharing" are defined in detail by the CCPA. Although LightForth does not sell personal information, including that of its users, in the conventional sense, we do utilise cookies that enable certain third parties access non-personally identifiable data for the purpose of cross-context advertising. To prevent such a "sale" and "sharing," navigate to the bottom of this page and select the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link.


Please email privacy@LightForth.org or write to us at LightForth, Attn: Privacy/Legal Team, Dallas, USA to exercise any of these rights under the CCPA. You may appoint an authorised agent to submit these requests on your behalf per the CCPA. Before fulfilling your request, we may require that it be sent from the email address associated with your account for your protection, and we may also need to verify the identity of you and/or your agent.


Furthermore, for further details regarding the personal information that we gather and the methods by which it is obtained, please refer to the aforementioned sections titled "What Data We Get" and "How We Get Data About You."

Please refer to the aforementioned sections titled "What We Use Your Data For" and "With Whom We Share Your Data" for information regarding the categories of service providers who are granted access to your personal information and the business and commercial purposes for which it is collected.


Additionally, as a resident of California, you have the right to request specific information regarding the personal data we disclose to third parties for the direct marketing purposes of those third parties. Send an email to privacy@LightForth.org with the subject line "California Shine the Light" and your mailing address, state of residence, and email address in order to submit your request.


At this time, we do not acknowledge or provide a response to browser-initiated Do Not Track signals, as there is no universally recognised standard for such signals.


Users 7.2 in Nevada


LightForth does not sell the personal information or data of its customers. You may nonetheless exercise your right to request that we refrain from selling your covered personal information in Nevada by contacting us at LightForth, Attn: Privacy/Legal Team, Dallas, USA via email at privacy@LightForth.org or by mail at LightForth LLC.


7.3 Australian Users


You may file a complaint with the office of the Australian Information Commissioner ("OAIC") if you are a resident of Australia. To get in touch with OAIC, please visit the organization's website at www.oaic.gov.au, send an email to inquiries@oaic.gov.au, call 1300 363 992, or send a letter to GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001. Concerning a violation of the Australian Privacy Principles, please file a complaint with our privacy team at privacy@LightForth.org. We guarantee to respond to your inquiry within thirty days.


7.4 Users residing in the United Kingdom ("UK") and the European Economic Area ("EEA")


Individuals residing in the European Union or the United Kingdom are entitled to request access to their personal data in a portable format, as well as to request the rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, or objection to processing of said data. The information contained in Section 6.2 may be utilised to fulfil your request. Furthermore, individuals residing in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland are entitled to file a formal complaint with their supervisory authority.


In addition, our LightForth group companies and our service providers may process personal data outside the EEA, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom for the purposes outlined in Section 4. This includes processing transactions, facilitating payments, and providing support services. To facilitate transfers of personal data from the EEA to third countries, we employ the Controller-to-Processor Standard Contractual Clauses, which were adopted by the European Commission. Additionally, to restrict and regulate the processing of your data by our service providers and LightForth group companies, we have entered into data processing agreements. Through the submission of your data or the use of our services, you grant LightForth and its processors permission to transfer, store, and process said data.


7.5 Framework for Data Privacy (for EU/EEA, Swiss, and UK data subjects)


LightForth LLC. adheres to EU-U.S. regulations. The EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (EU-DPF), which the United Kingdom has extended to the DPF. Additionally, the Swiss-U.S. The Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (DPF), as established by the U.S. Administration of Commerce. LightForth LLC. has obtained U.S. certification. Commerce Department that it complies with the EU-U.S. In accordance with the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles (EU-U.S. DPF Principles), the processing of personal data obtained from the European Union should be governed. DPF and from Gibraltar and the United Kingdom in accordance with the UK Extension to the EU-U.S. LightForth LLC. has obtained certification from the U.S. Department of Commerce, stating that it conforms to the Swiss-American standard. In reliance on the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework Principles (Swiss-U.S. DPF Principles), the processing of personal data received from Switzerland. DPF. Should any inconsistency arise between the provisions outlined in this Privacy Policy and the EU-U.S. DPF Principles and/or the Swiss-U.S. The DPF Principles shall be the governing framework. Please visit https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/ to observe our certification and obtain additional information regarding the Data Privacy Framework (DPF) programme.


The jurisdiction of the Federal Trade Commission extends to LightForth LLC's adherence to the EU-U.S. The EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (EU-DPF) and the United Kingdom's Extension to the DPF! Additionally, the Swiss-U.S. The Swiss-American Data Privacy Framework (DPF)


We are dedicated to ensuring that all personal data received from the European Union, the United Kingdom and Gibraltar, and Switzerland is governed by the DPF Principles. Descriptions of the personal data collected can be found in Section 1 of this Privacy Statement. The rationale behind the collection and utilisation of personal data is explicated in detail in Section 3 of this Privacy Statement. The categories of third parties to whom personal information is disclosed are detailed in Section 4 of this Privacy Statement. We retain liability for any of your personal information that we disclose to third parties for external processing on our behalf in accordance with the Onward Transfer Principle. In addition, in order to comply with lawful requests from public authorities, such as those pertaining to national security or law enforcement, we might be obligated to disclose personal information. If its agent processes personal information in a manner that is inconsistent with the DPF Principles, LightForth LLC. shall remain liable under the DPF Principles, unless LightForth LLC. provides evidence that it is not liable for the event that caused the harm.


The provision of access instructions for personal data is a fundamental right of individuals, which is outlined in detail in Section 6.2 of this Privacy Policy. As detailed in Section 6.1, individuals may also restrict the use and disclosure of their personal information.


In adherence to the EU-U.S. The DPF is the British Extension to the EU-U.S. Additionally, the Swiss-U.S. In accordance with the DPF Principles, LightForth LLC. pledges to address any grievances pertaining to the collection and utilisation of your personal information. EU, Swiss, and UK citizens with inquiries or complaints concerning the manner in which we manage personal data obtained through the EU-U.S. The DPF is the British Extension to the EU-U.S. Additionally, the Swiss-U.S. Before proceeding, DPF should email privacy@LightForth.org.


In adherence to the EU-U.S. The DPF is the British Extension to the EU-U.S. Additionally, the Swiss-U.S. DPF, LightForth LLC. guarantees the referral of unresolved complaints regarding our management of personal data that have been received in violation of EU-U.S. law. The DPF is the British Extension to the EU-U.S. Additionally, the Swiss-U.S. DPF, to the American Arbitration Association/International Centre for Dispute Resolution (ICDR-AAA), a provider of alternative dispute resolution headquartered in the United States. Please make reference to the following page (https://go.adr.org/dpfeufiling.html) for further information or to lodge a complaint if we fail to provide you with a prompt response to your DPF Principles-related complaint or if we fail to adequately resolve your concern. The utilisation of ICDR-AAA's services is gratuitous. Certain conditions must be met before binding arbitration can be invoked in the case of DPF compliance complaints that cannot be resolved through any of the other DPF mechanisms described in greater detail at https://www.dataprivacyframework.gov/s/article/ANNEX-I-introduction-dpf.2 = tabset-35584


7.6 Users Located Beyond the U.S.


We are obligated to transmit and process your data in the United States in order to provide you with the Services. Your consent is granted for the transfer, storage, and processing of your data in and to the United States and other countries if you access the Services from outside the United States.


8. Updates and Contact Details


We will notify users of any material changes to this policy through in-product notice, email, or another legally mandated mechanism. Modifications take effect on the day they are published. Kindly reach out to us through postal mail or email if you have any inquiries, concerns, or disagreements.


8.1 Alterations Made to the Privacy Policy


This Privacy Statement is subject to updating at any time. We shall provide you with notification of any significant modifications through email, a notice displayed on the Services, or as mandated by relevant legislation. A summary of the significant modifications will also be provided. Unless otherwise specified, changes will take effect immediately upon being published.


Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of any change will constitute, to the extent permitted by applicable law, adoption of the revised Privacy Policy and agreement to be bound by its terms and conditions. All prior Privacy Policies are superseded by the revised Privacy Policy.


8.2 Clarification


The definitions of any capitalised terms not provided in this policy are found in the Terms of Use of LightForth. For your convenience, any version of this Privacy Statement in a language other than English is provided. You agree that in the event of a dispute involving a nonEnglish version, the English language version shall triumph.


8.3 Inquiries


Regarding our Privacy Policy, please do not hesitate to reach out to our privacy team (which includes our Data Protection Officer) at privacy@LightForth.org with any inquiries, concerns, or disputes. Additionally, postal correspondence may be directed to LightForth, Attn: Legal, Dallas, USA.