Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account or enroll in a course, we collect:

• Full name and email address (required)
• Phone number (optional)
• LinkedIn profile URL, GitHub profile URL (optional)
• Timezone and preferred language
• Profile photo (if uploaded)

1.2 Payment and Billing Information

When you make a purchase, payment is processed through Helcim, a PCI DSS-certified payment processor. Your credit or debit card information is entered directly into Helcim's secure iframe embedded on our checkout page. Your full card number, CVV, and expiration date are never transmitted to, processed by, or stored on our servers. We receive and store only:

• Card last four digits and card brand (e.g., Visa, Mastercard)
• Billing name and address
• Transaction ID, approval code, and payment amount

1.3 Educational Records

When you use our learning platform, we collect:

• Course enrollment history and progress
• Code submissions (source code you write and submit for problems)
• Assignment submissions and grades
• Mock interview participation, scores, and feedback
• Lesson completion status and activity timestamps

1.4 Contact and Support Data

When you contact us or subscribe to our newsletter, we collect:

• Name, email address, and message content (contact form submissions)
• Email address, first name, and subscription preferences (newsletter)
• Support ticket history and correspondence

1.5 Automatically Collected Data

We automatically collect certain information when you visit our website:

• IP address and approximate geographic region
• Browser type, operating system, and device information
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referring URLs
• Cookie consent preferences

Detailed analytics data (page views, session duration, events) is collected via Google Analytics only if you consent to analytics cookies through our cookie banner.

2. How We Use Your Information

• Course Delivery: To provide access to course materials, live Zoom classes, code execution, grading, and progress tracking
• Account Management: To create and maintain your account, authenticate your identity, and manage your enrollments
• Payment Processing: To process purchases, issue invoices, handle refunds, and maintain financial records required by law
• Communication: To send enrollment confirmations, course updates, mock interview reminders, support ticket responses, and important announcements
• Analytics: To improve our courses, website, and user experience using aggregated and anonymized usage data (only with your consent)
• Security: To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access to accounts and systems
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects.

3. Data Sharing and Third-Party Services

We share your information only with the following categories of service providers, solely for the purposes described below. We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

• Helcim (payment processing): Receives billing and card information entered directly into their secure iframe. Helcim is PCI DSS Level 1 certified.
• Amazon Web Services (AWS): AWS SES for transactional email delivery; AWS S3 for secure storage of course materials and uploaded files
• Zoom: For live classroom sessions and mock interviews. Your name and email may be shared with Zoom to join meetings.
• YouTube: Recorded course lectures are hosted on YouTube private channels. YouTube may collect data according to its own privacy policy when you view embedded videos.
• Google Analytics: For website analytics (only with your consent). Data is anonymized and we do not enable Google Ads features.
• Discord: If you join our Discord community, your Discord username and messages within the server are subject to Discord's privacy policy.

Each third-party provider processes your data under their own privacy policy and terms of service. We encourage you to review their policies.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies on our website. When you first visit, a cookie consent banner allows you to choose which categories of cookies to accept:

• Necessary Cookies (always active): Required for authentication, security, and basic website functionality. These cannot be disabled.
• Analytics Cookies (opt-in): Google Analytics cookies that help us understand how visitors use our website. Disabled by default until you consent.
• Marketing Cookies (opt-in): Used for measuring the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. Disabled by default until you consent.
• Functional Cookies (opt-in): Enable personalization features such as saved preferences. Disabled by default until you consent.

You can change your cookie preferences at any time through the cookie settings link in our website footer. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings.

5. Data Retention

We retain your data for the following periods:

• Student Educational Records: 7 years after your last course completion or account activity, to support transcript requests and comply with tax and accounting obligations
• Payment and Financial Records: 7 years, as required by IRS regulations and Texas state tax law
• Account Information: Retained while your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will delete or anonymize your data within 30 days, except for records we are legally required to retain
• Contact Form Submissions: 2 years after the ticket is resolved
• Newsletter Subscription Data: Until you unsubscribe, at which point we retain only your email address and unsubscribe timestamp to honor your opt-out preference
• Audit Logs: 7 years for compliance and security purposes

6. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to our legal retention obligations described in Section 5
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format (CSV or JSON)
• Opt-Out of Marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in every email or by contacting us
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for analytics and marketing cookies at any time through our cookie banner

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at contact@algoengineer.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7. Notice to California Residents (CCPA)

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

• Right to Know: You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you
• Right to Delete: You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal exceptions
• Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights

We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at contact@algoengineer.com.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are between 13 and 17 years old, you may use our services only with the consent and supervision of a parent or legal guardian. Users must be at least 18 years old to make purchases.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information promptly. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us at contact@algoengineer.com.

9. Security Measures

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

• Encryption: AES-256 encryption for data at rest; TLS 1.3 for all data in transit
• Payment Security: PCI DSS compliance through Helcim's certified iframe-based payment processing; no card data ever touches our servers
• Access Controls: Role-based access controls with the principle of least privilege; multi-factor authentication required for all staff accounts
• Secure Infrastructure: Hosted on AWS with encrypted database backups, network isolation, and automated security patching
• Monitoring: Continuous security monitoring, audit logging, and automated alerting for suspicious activity

No method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that compromises your personal information, we will notify affected individuals and the Texas Attorney General as required by the Texas Identity Theft Enforcement and Protection Act (Texas Business & Commerce Code Chapter 521). Notification will be provided without unreasonable delay, and no later than 60 days after discovery of the breach.

Notification will include a description of the breach, the types of information involved, steps we are taking to address the breach, and steps you can take to protect yourself.

11. International Users

Our services are primarily offered to users in the United States. If you access our services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. By using our services, you consent to this transfer.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you by email to the address associated with your account and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of our services after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Information

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or concerns, contact us:

• Email: contact@algoengineer.com
• Mail: AlgoEngineer, 2510 Kates Pl, Prosper, TX 75078