Information We Collect

When you sign up for our courses or reach out to us, we gather certain information. Some of it you provide directly, and some gets collected as you use our platform. Here's what that looks like in practice.

Personal Details You Share

When you register for programs or contact us, you'll share basic information like your name, email address, and phone number. If you're enrolling in paid courses, we'll need payment details too – though those are handled securely through third-party processors. We also collect educational background information to help match you with appropriate learning paths.

Technical Data We Gather

Our systems automatically collect certain technical information when you visit our website. This includes your IP address, browser type, device information, and how you interact with our pages. We use this data to improve the learning experience and fix technical issues quickly.

How We Use Your Data

Your information serves specific purposes related to education and service delivery. We don't sell your data or use it for purposes unrelated to your learning experience.

• Processing course enrollments and managing your account access
• Delivering course materials and tracking your learning progress
• Sending program updates, schedule changes, and important announcements
• Responding to your questions and providing technical support
• Improving our curriculum based on aggregated learning patterns
• Meeting legal requirements under Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act
• Preventing fraud and maintaining platform security

Data Sharing and Third Parties

We work with carefully selected service providers to deliver our educational programs. These partners only access the information they need to perform specific services, and they're contractually obligated to protect your data.

Service Providers We Work With

Our learning platform relies on cloud hosting services to store course materials and user data. Payment processors handle transactions securely – we never store complete credit card information on our servers. Email service providers help us send course updates and communications. Video conferencing tools enable live instruction sessions.

When We're Required to Share Information

Sometimes we have to disclose information to comply with legal obligations. This happens if we receive a valid court order, need to enforce our terms of service, or must protect someone's safety. We'll notify you about such requests unless prohibited by law.

If SparkDrive merges with another organization or undergoes restructuring, your data may transfer to the new entity. You'd be notified in advance about any such changes and how they affect your information.

Your Rights Under Taiwan Law

Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act gives you significant control over your information. These aren't just theoretical rights – we've built systems to help you exercise them practically.

Access and Correction

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you. If something's inaccurate or outdated, you have the right to correct it. Most account information can be updated directly through your student dashboard. For other data, contact our privacy team at contact@sparkdrive.life.

Data Deletion and Restriction

You can ask us to delete your personal information, though we might need to retain certain records for legal compliance or legitimate business purposes. For example, we keep financial records for tax purposes and course completion certificates for verification requests. You can also request that we stop processing your data in specific ways while keeping it on file.

Data Portability

You can request your data in a structured, commonly used format. This makes it easier to transfer your information to another service provider if you choose. We'll provide your data in CSV or JSON format, depending on what makes sense for the information type.

Data Security Measures

Protecting your information is something we think about constantly. Our security approach combines technical safeguards with organizational policies to keep your data safe from unauthorized access.

Technical Protections

All data transmitted between your device and our servers uses TLS encryption. Our databases are encrypted at rest, and we maintain regular backups stored in geographically separate locations. Access to our systems requires multi-factor authentication, and we log all access attempts for security monitoring.

We conduct regular security audits and penetration testing to identify potential vulnerabilities. Our infrastructure follows industry-standard practices for network security, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and regular security patches.

Organizational Security

Only employees who need access to your data to perform their jobs can view it. Our team members receive regular privacy and security training. We maintain strict policies about handling personal information and have procedures for responding to potential data breaches.

If a security incident occurs that affects your data, we'll notify you within 72 hours as required by Taiwan regulations. The notification will include details about what happened, what information was affected, and what steps we're taking to address the situation.

Data Retention Periods

We don't keep your information longer than necessary. Different types of data have different retention schedules based on legal requirements and practical needs.

Active Student Data

While you're enrolled in courses, we maintain complete records of your account information, progress, and communications. This lets us provide ongoing support and track your learning journey effectively.

After Course Completion

We keep core account information and course completion records for seven years after you finish a program. This allows us to verify certificates and provide references if needed. Learning materials you created, like project submissions, are retained for three years unless you request earlier deletion.

Financial records related to tuition payments must be retained for ten years under Taiwan tax law. Marketing communication preferences are kept until you unsubscribe or request deletion. Technical logs are typically retained for 90 days unless needed for security investigations.

Account Deletion

When you request account deletion, we remove personal identifiers within 30 days. Some anonymized data might remain in our systems for statistical analysis, but it can't be traced back to you personally.

Cookies and Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to function properly and improve your experience. You have control over most of these through your browser settings.

Essential Cookies

Some cookies are necessary for our platform to work. These handle things like keeping you logged in, remembering your preferences, and maintaining security. You can't disable these through our cookie settings because they're critical for basic functionality, but you can block them through your browser – though parts of the site won't work if you do.

Analytics and Performance

We use analytics tools to understand how people use our platform. This helps us identify confusing navigation, slow-loading pages, and features that aren't working well. The data is aggregated and doesn't identify you personally. You can opt out of analytics tracking through our cookie preferences.

Managing Your Preferences

When you first visit our site, you'll see a cookie banner letting you choose which types of cookies to accept. You can change these preferences anytime through the cookie settings link in our footer. Most browsers also let you block or delete cookies directly – check your browser's help section for instructions.

International Data Transfers

While we're based in Taiwan and primarily serve students here, some of our service providers operate servers in other countries. When your data crosses borders, we ensure it receives adequate protection.

Our primary data storage is located in Taiwan and complies with local regulations. However, services like video conferencing or certain cloud tools might process data on international servers. We only work with providers who maintain strong data protection standards and sign agreements committing them to protect your information according to Taiwan's requirements.

If you're accessing our services from outside Taiwan, be aware that your data will be transferred to and processed in Taiwan under our local privacy laws.

Children's Privacy

Our programs are designed for adults and learners aged 16 and older. We don't knowingly collect information from children under 16 without parental consent. If you're a parent and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

For students aged 16-18, we may require parental consent for certain activities, particularly those involving payment or data sharing with third parties. We take extra care with this age group's information and limit data collection to what's essential for course delivery.

Changes to This Policy

We update this privacy policy occasionally to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we'll notify you by email and display a prominent notice on our website for at least 30 days.

Minor updates like clarifications or contact information changes might not trigger notifications, but we'll always update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We recommend checking back periodically if you're concerned about how we handle your information.

If you continue using our services after policy changes take effect, we'll consider that as acceptance of the updated terms. If you disagree with changes, you can close your account, though we'll still retain certain information as described in our retention policy.