Privacy Policy

Introduction

At Lingova, we are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and respect. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you visit our website or use our services.

By using our website and services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

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

Fill out contact forms on our website
Register for our courses or programs
Subscribe to our newsletter or communications
Communicate with us via email or phone
Participate in surveys or feedback requests

This information may include your name, email address, phone number, postal address, payment information, educational background, language proficiency level, and any other information you choose to provide.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing behavior, including:

IP address and general location information
Browser type and version
Device type and operating system
Pages visited and time spent on each page
Referring website or source
Date and time of your visit

This information is collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies. For more details, please see our Cookie Policy.

How We Use Your Information

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

Providing Our Services

To process your course registrations, manage your enrollment, deliver educational content, communicate about your progress, and provide customer support.

Communication

To respond to your inquiries, send you course updates, share educational resources, and provide information about our programs and services.

Improvement and Development

To analyze how our website is used, improve our services, develop new features, and enhance user experience.

Marketing and Promotion

To send you promotional materials, newsletters, and information about courses that may interest you, subject to your marketing preferences.

Legal Compliance

To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, and enforce our terms and conditions.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: When you have given us explicit permission to process your data for specific purposes
Contract Performance: When processing is necessary to fulfill our contractual obligations to you
Legitimate Interests: When we have a legitimate business interest that does not override your rights and freedoms
Legal Obligation: When we are required to process your data to comply with legal requirements

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with the following categories of recipients:

Service Providers

Third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website, conducting our business, or providing services to you, such as payment processors, email service providers, and analytics providers.

Educational Partners

Affiliated educational institutions or instructors involved in delivering our programs, where necessary for course administration.

Legal Requirements

Government authorities, law enforcement, or other parties when required by law or to protect our rights, property, or safety.

All third parties with whom we share your data are required to maintain the confidentiality and security of your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Data Security

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

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls and authentication procedures
Employee training on data protection and privacy
Incident response and breach notification procedures

While we strive to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you promptly of any breach that may affect your rights.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

Retention periods vary depending on the type of information and the purpose for which it is processed:

Course enrollment data: Retained for the duration of your enrollment plus three years for administrative purposes
Marketing communications: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
Website analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized after 26 months
Financial records: Retained for seven years to comply with tax and accounting requirements

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Right to Access

Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Right to Rectification

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

Right to Erasure

Request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.

Right to Restrict Processing

Request that we limit how we use your personal information.

Right to Data Portability

Receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used format.

Right to Object

Object to our processing of your personal information for certain purposes.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Withdraw your consent at any time where we rely on consent to process your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided at the end of this policy. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Your Rights and Opt-Out Instructions

You are not required to provide any personal information when using this website. If you prefer not to share your data, you may:

Avoid filling out contact forms, account registrations, or any data-submitting features
Disable cookies through your browser settings (see our Cookie Policy for more details)
Contact us directly to request the deletion of any previously shared personal data

We respect your privacy choices. If you would like us to delete your data, please reach out to us using the contact details provided below. We will process your request promptly.

International Data Transfers

Your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than Japan. When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.

These safeguards may include standard contractual clauses, adequacy decisions, or other legally approved mechanisms.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information from our servers.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not operated by us. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

We encourage you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit before providing any personal information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, provide additional notice such as through email or a website announcement.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.