Varizutonsu Drawing Academy Varizutonsu
  • Home
  • Courses
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Privacy Policy

How we collect, use, and protect your personal information at Varizutonsu Drawing Academy

← Back to Home
Effective Date: 1 December 2024

Table of Contents

  • Information We Collect
  • How We Use Your Information
  • Information Sharing and Disclosure
  • Data Security
  • Your Rights and Choices
  • Cookies and Tracking Technologies
  • Third-Party Services
  • Data Retention
  • Children's Privacy
  • Updates to This Policy
  • Contact Information

At Varizutonsu Drawing Academy, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website, enrol in our courses, or interact with our services.

This policy complies with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for our European users.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide to us, including:

  • Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, postal address
  • Account Information: Username, password, profile preferences
  • Educational Information: Course preferences, skill level, learning goals
  • Payment Information: Credit card details, billing address (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
  • Communication Records: Messages sent through our contact forms, customer service interactions
  • Marketing Preferences: Newsletter subscriptions, communication preferences

1.2 Information Automatically Collected

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information:

  • Technical Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device information
  • Usage Information: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click-through rates, referral sources
  • Location Information: General location based on IP address (city/region level)
  • Cookies and Tracking Data: As described in our Cookie Policy

1.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from:

  • Social media platforms (if you connect your accounts)
  • Payment processors
  • Marketing partners (with appropriate consent)
  • Publicly available sources

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

2.1 Service Provision

  • Processing course enrolments and managing your account
  • Delivering educational content and course materials
  • Providing customer support and responding to inquiries
  • Processing payments and managing billing
  • Facilitating communication between students and instructors

2.2 Communication

  • Sending course updates and important announcements
  • Delivering newsletters and marketing communications (with consent)
  • Responding to your questions and support requests
  • Notifying you about changes to our services or policies

2.3 Improvement and Analytics

  • Analysing website and service usage to improve user experience
  • Conducting research to enhance our educational offerings
  • Developing new features and services
  • Personalising content and recommendations

2.4 Legal and Security

  • Complying with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
  • Protecting against fraud, abuse, and security threats
  • Enforcing our terms of service and policies
  • Defending our rights and interests in legal proceedings

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

3.1 Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business, including:

  • Payment processors (Stripe, PayPal)
  • Email service providers (Mailchimp, SendGrid)
  • Cloud hosting providers (AWS, Google Cloud)
  • Analytics providers (Google Analytics)
  • Customer support platforms

Important: All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and may only use it for the specific services they provide to us.

3.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information when required by law or to:

  • Comply with court orders, subpoenas, or government requests
  • Protect our rights, property, or safety
  • Protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or others
  • Investigate or prevent illegal activities or violations of our terms

3.3 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate privacy protections.

4. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information:

4.1 Technical Safeguards

  • SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
  • Secure data storage with encryption at rest
  • Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
  • Access controls and authentication mechanisms
  • Secure backup and disaster recovery procedures

4.2 Organisational Safeguards

  • Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
  • Employee training on privacy and security practices
  • Regular review and updating of security policies
  • Incident response procedures for data breaches

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to protecting your information using industry-standard practices.

5. Your Rights and Choices

Under Australian privacy law and GDPR (where applicable), you have the following rights:

5.1 Access and Correction

  • Right to access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
  • Right to correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
  • Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format

5.2 Control and Deletion

  • Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to certain exceptions)
  • Right to restriction: Request limitation on how we process your information
  • Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing purposes

5.3 Marketing Communications

  • Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any email
  • Update your communication preferences in your account settings
  • Contact us directly to opt out of specific communications

5.4 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in the Contact section. We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by applicable law (typically 30 days).

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our website. For detailed information about our use of cookies, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

6.1 Types of Cookies We Use

  • Essential cookies: Required for website functionality
  • Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our site
  • Marketing cookies: Used to deliver relevant advertisements and track campaign effectiveness

6.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings or our cookie management tool. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

7. Third-Party Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites and services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our website.

7.1 Social Media Integration

If you connect your social media accounts or use social sharing features, information may be shared with those platforms according to their privacy policies.

7.2 Payment Processors

Payment information is processed by third-party payment processors who maintain their own privacy policies and security standards.

8. Data Retention

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

8.1 Retention Periods

  • Account information: Until account deletion plus 7 years for legal compliance
  • Course records: 7 years after course completion for educational records
  • Payment information: 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
  • Marketing data: Until you unsubscribe or object to processing
  • Website analytics: 26 months (Google Analytics default)

8.2 Secure Deletion

When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it using industry-standard methods.

9. 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 we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

For users aged 13-18, we may require parental consent for certain activities and will handle their information with additional care and protection.

10. Updates to This Policy

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

  • Posting a notice on our website
  • Sending an email to registered users
  • Updating the "Effective Date" at the top of this policy

Continued use of our services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Information

Privacy Officer

Varizutonsu Drawing Academy
Level 3, 123 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Australia

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (03) 9123 4567
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM AEST

Complaints and Disputes

If you have concerns about our handling of your personal information, please contact us first. We are committed to resolving any privacy concerns promptly and fairly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with:

  • Australian users: Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)
    Website: www.oaic.gov.au
    Phone: 1300 363 992
  • European users: Your local Data Protection Authority
    Website: European Data Protection Board

Acknowledgment

By using our website and services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described herein.

Varizutonsu Drawing Academy

Nurturing artistic talent and inspiring creativity through comprehensive drawing education.

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Courses
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Cookie Policy

Contact Info

Level 3, 123 Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 3000

Phone: (03) 9123 4567

Email: [email protected]

© 2024 Varizutonsu Drawing Academy. All rights reserved.