Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

The Graduates Chamber ("we," "us," "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use our website www.thegraduateschamber.site or participate in our events and services.

Contact us:
Email: hi@thegraduateschamber.site
Website: www.thegraduateschamber.site
Hosted by: Systeme.io

2. Who We Are

The Graduates Chamber is a collective of eight independent healing practitioners offering spiritual wellness experiences. We are based in Funchal, Madeira, Portugal.

Data Controller: The Graduates Chamber is the data controller responsible for your personal information.

3. What Data We Collect

We collect and process the following types of personal data:

3.1 Contact & Registration Information

  • Full name

  • Email address

  • Optional: Phone number, location, message or inquiry content

  • Event preferences or intentions you choose to share

3.2 Event Participation Data

  • Attendance records (whether you joined live or accessed replay)

  • Camera/audio preferences during sessions

  • Any content you share in chat or verbally (if recorded)

  • Feedback or testimonials you provide

3.3 Payment & Donation Information

  • Donation amount and date

  • Donor name and email (provided by PayPal)

  • We do NOT receive or store your full payment card details—these are processed securely by PayPal

3.4 Technical & Usage Data

  • IP address

  • Browser type and version

  • Device information (type, operating system)

  • Pages visited and time spent on site

  • Referral source (how you found us)

  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 11)

3.5 Communications

  • Emails you send us

  • Messages via contact forms

  • Feedback or support requests

4. How We Collect Your Data

We collect data when you:

  • Register for an event or session

  • Make a voluntary donation

  • Subscribe to our email list

  • Contact us via email or contact form

  • Attend a live session or access a replay

  • Browse our website (automatically via cookies)

  • Provide feedback or testimonials

5. Why We Use Your Data (Legal Bases)

Under GDPR and similar privacy laws, we must have a legal basis to process your data. We rely on:

5.1 Consent

  • Sending marketing or non-essential event emails

  • Storing optional messages or personal sharing

  • Using non-essential cookies for analytics

5.2 Contract Performance

  • Delivering your event registration

  • Sending confirmation, reminders, and Zoom links

  • Providing replay access and integration materials

  • Processing your donation

5.3 Legitimate Interests

  • Maintaining site security and preventing fraud

  • Improving our services and user experience

  • Analyzing aggregated usage data

  • Managing our business operations

5.4 Legal Obligations

  • Retaining donation records for accounting and tax purposes

  • Responding to lawful requests from authorities

6. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data to:

  • Register you for events and send confirmations

  • Deliver event access (Zoom links, replay access, guides)

  • Process voluntary donations via PayPal

  • Send event reminders and post-session resources

  • Respond to your inquiries and support requests

  • Improve our website and services

  • Maintain site security and prevent abuse

  • Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records)

  • Send occasional updates about future offerings (you can opt out)

We will never:

  • Sell your personal data to third parties

  • Send you spam or unsolicited marketing

  • Share your data without lawful basis or your consent

7. Sharing & Third-Party Processors

We use trusted third-party service providers to operate our services. These processors handle data on our behalf under strict privacy and security agreements:

7.1 Website & Email Management

  • Systeme.io - Website hosting, landing pages, email automation, forms

7.2 Event Delivery

  • Zoom - Live video sessions (subject to Zoom's privacy policy)

7.3 Payment Processing

  • PayPal and Ko-fi - Donation processing (subject to their privacy policies)

7.4 File Storage & Replay Hosting

  • Google Drive or YouTube (private/unlisted) - Session recordings and materials

  • Cloud storage providers - Integration guides and resources

7.5 Email Delivery

  • Systeme.io or transactional email providers - Sending confirmations and communications

7.6 Analytics (if applicable)

  • Google Analytics or similar (anonymized/aggregated data only)

These providers may process your data in accordance with their own privacy policies. We do not control their practices but select providers with strong privacy commitments.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

8. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (e.g., Zoom, Google, PayPal) may process data outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or your country of residence.

When data is transferred internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission

  • Adequacy decisions recognizing equivalent data protection standards

  • Privacy Shield frameworks (where applicable)

By using our services, you acknowledge and consent to these transfers.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy:

9.1 Event Registration Data

  • Retained for up to 24 months after the event date

  • Allows us to send follow-up resources and inform you of future offerings

  • You may request earlier deletion at any time

9.2 Contact Form Messages

  • Retained for 12 months unless an ongoing conversation requires longer retention

9.3 Donation Records

  • Retained for 7-10 years as required by Portuguese accounting and tax laws

9.4 Email Marketing List

  • Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion

9.5 Technical/Log Data

  • Typically retained for 6-12 months for security and analytics purposes

9.6 Session Recordings

  • Retained for 24 months or until you request removal (if identifiable)

After retention periods expire, we securely delete or anonymize your data.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Under GDPR, UK GDPR, and similar privacy laws, you have the following rights:

10.1 Right to Access Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

10.2 Right to Rectification Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

10.3 Right to Erasure ("Right to Be Forgotten") Request deletion of your personal data in certain circumstances.

10.4 Right to Restriction Limit how we process your data in certain situations.

10.5 Right to Object Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for marketing purposes.

10.6 Right to Data Portability Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

10.7 Right to Withdraw Consent Withdraw consent at any time (does not affect lawfulness of prior processing).

10.8 Right to Lodge a Complaint File a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

To exercise your rights, contact us at: hi@thegraduateschamber.site

We will respond to requests within 30 days (or as required by law).

11. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to improve functionality and user experience.

11.1 What Are Cookies? Small text files stored on your device that help us recognize you and remember preferences.

11.2 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Required)

  • Necessary for the website to function properly

  • Cannot be disabled

  • Examples: Session management, security features

Analytics Cookies (Optional)

  • Help us understand how visitors use our site

  • Provide aggregated, anonymized statistics

  • Example: Google Analytics (if used)

Preference Cookies (Optional)

  • Remember your choices and settings

  • Improve your experience on return visits

11.3 Managing Cookies You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.

For detailed cookie information, see our full Cookie Policy.

12. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at hi@thegraduateschamber.site, and we will delete it promptly.

If a minor participates under parental supervision, the parent/guardian assumes full responsibility for their participation and data.

13. Data Security

We take data security seriously and implement reasonable physical, technical, and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration.

Security measures include:

  • Encrypted data transmission (SSL/TLS)

  • Secure password protection

  • Access controls and authentication

  • Regular security assessments

  • Secure third-party processors with privacy commitments

However: No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials (if any) confidential.

14. Links to Third-Party Websites

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, services, or resources (e.g., PayPal, Zoom, social media).

We are not responsible for:

  • The privacy practices of third-party sites

  • Content or policies of external websites

  • Your interactions with third-party services

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

15. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service offerings.

When we update this policy:

  • The "Last updated" date at the bottom will change

  • Material changes will be posted prominently on this page

  • We may notify you via email if changes significantly affect your rights

Your continued use of our services after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

16. Your Consent

By using our website, registering for events, or providing your personal information, you consent to the collection, use, and processing of your data as described in this Privacy Policy.

You may withdraw consent at any time by contacting us, though this will not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before withdrawal.

17. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Email: hi@thegraduateschamber.site
Website: www.thegraduateschamber.site
Response time: We aim to respond within 5-7 business days

For data protection complaints in the EU/UK:
You may also contact your local data protection authority (Supervisory Authority).

Last updated: December 10, 2025

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