Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1st March, 2025.

Welcome to DASCIN.org. Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website (https://www.dascin.org).

We provide this Privacy Policy as part of our commitment to transparency and to help you understand how we process your data.

By accessing and using our services, you acknowledge that you understand and accept the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of our services immediately.

1. Scope and Applicability

1.1 This Privacy Policy applies to all users who visit our website or engage with our services.

1.2 Our privacy practices comply with the applicable laws of the jurisdictions in which we operate, including the Netherlands, Germany, United States, UAE, Malaysia, and Singapore.

1.3 Additional region-specific terms may apply based on your location and legal requirements.

1.4 Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for their privacy practices and encourage you to review their policies before providing personal data.

2. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data

DASCIN.org processes personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable data protection laws. We ensure that personal data is processed lawfully, fairly, and transparently based on the following legal grounds:

(a) Contractual necessity – Processing is essential for fulfilling contractual obligations. This includes user registration, account management, certification verification, exam registration, and providing requested services. Without this data, we may not be able to deliver our services.

(b) Legitimate interests – We process data to support website security, fraud prevention, service improvements, user engagement analytics, and internal research. We ensure that such processing does not override users’ rights and freedoms.

(c) Consent – In cases where explicit consent is required, such as for marketing communications, promotional emails, newsletters, or targeted advertisements, we obtain user consent before processing. Users can withdraw consent at any time by updating their preferences or contacting us.

(d) Legal obligation – We process personal data to comply with legal, tax, audit, financial reporting, and regulatory requirements, as mandated by applicable laws in jurisdictions where we operate.

If you have any concerns about how your personal data is processed, you may exercise your rights under Clause 4: Data Subject Rights.

3. Updates and Modifications to the Privacy Policy

3.1 We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our business, data practices, or legal requirements.

3.2 If significant changes occur, we will notify you via this website or email.

3.3 Your continued use of our services after any updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. The “Effective Date” at the top of this document indicates the latest version

4. Data Subject Rights

4.1 Individuals have the right to opt out of marketing communications at any time. Users may manage cookie preferences through their browser settings, though disabling cookies may affect website functionality.

4.2 Individuals may object to data processing, particularly for direct marketing, and request to restrict processing under specific circumstances. If processing is based on consent, users have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@dascin.org.

5. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the relevant data protection authorities within 72 hours and, if required, inform affected individuals as soon as possible.

6. Types of Personal Data Collected and Usage

6.1 We collect personally identifiable information that you provide, such as your name, email address, contact details, and payment information when you register, leave comments, or purchase services/products. Media uploads may contain embedded metadata, such as GPS location data. If you create an account, we collect your account credentials to manage access.

6.2 We automatically collect non-personal data, including your IP address, browser type, device details, operating system, and usage analytics through cookies and tracking technologies to monitor website activity. This helps improve site functionality, user experience, and provide business insights.

6.3 When you register as a user or member, we gather personal details such as your name, email address, business/home address, and other necessary information for communication, personalized services, and legal compliance. We may request additional data, such as phone number, date of birth, educational background, work experience, and interests related to our services.

6.4 For events (in-person or virtual), we collect your registration details, including name, email, role, and business information, to provide event-related services, such as session tailoring and certificate printing. If you are a speaker, we may also collect feedback, photographs, and recordings as permitted by law.

6.5 Some publications and materials require account registration. When you register, we collect personal data, including your name, email, address, and professional details, to grant access and communicate with you regarding relevant content.

6.6 When you register for an exam, we collect personal data such as name, contact information, business address, and educational background to process your registration and provide necessary services.

6.7 If you hold certification, we may share your certification status with third parties only if you’ve given prior consent or if necessary to share it with specific third parties.

6.8 Communications with us, such as via email, phone, or mail, may involve the collection of personal data provided during those interactions for purposes like responding to inquiries or maintaining records for customer support.

6.9 We collect device and usage data automatically when you interact with our website, including information about your device, browser, operating system, and location (if accessed via mobile). You can manage location settings on your device to control this data collection.

6.10 We may receive personal data about you from third parties, such as employers registering you for training, certification, or membership, or from social media platforms where you interact with our services, subject to your privacy settings.

6.11 If you post personal data in public areas of our website, it may be accessible by others. We may share your public profile information with third-party vendors if you use professional networking features.

6.12 All payment transactions are processed by third-party payment providers that comply with PCI/DSS standards. These providers only share your payment details with us if you provide them explicitly for specific services.

7. Cross-Border Data Transfers & Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)

We transfer personal data internationally, including to countries outside the EU/EEA. When transferring data to countries without an EU adequacy decision, we use Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission or other lawful transfer mechanisms to ensure your data remains protected.

8. Purpose of Data Collection

8.1 We process collected data to improve website performance, user experience, and security. This includes analyzing traffic trends, responding to inquiries and support requests, enforcing policies against spam and fraud, complying with legal obligations, and personalizing content, services, and marketing communications.

8.2 We may share personal data with service providers, such as suppliers, subcontractors, and third parties, for services like advertising, hosting, data analytics, email delivery, auditing, and event coordination. These providers receive only the necessary data to perform their functions and are prohibited from using it for their own purposes.

8.3 Occasionally, we may collaborate with business partners on joint promotions or sales. If you participate in these offers, we may share relevant data with them as permitted by law. For events, personal data may be included in rosters and shared with sponsors or exhibitors, subject to applicable law. We ensure our partners use proper safeguards to protect your data, but they are responsible for managing how they use and disclose your information.

9. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

We may use automated decision-making systems for fraud detection, certification verification, or personalized content recommendations. If you wish to contest an automated decision that significantly affects you, you may request human intervention by contacting info@dascin.org. 

10. Disclosure of Personal Data

10.1 We do not sell or rent personal data. However, we may share data with service providers who assist with website hosting and maintenance, analytics and performance tracking, spam detection and security monitoring, payment processing, and marketing and advertising.

10.2 We may also disclose personal data to comply with legal obligations, regulations, or court orders, to protect the rights, property, or safety of DASCIN.org, its users, and the public, or in connection with a business transaction such as a merger or acquisition.

10.3 We share personal data with APMG International for the purposes of exam registration, Accredited Training Organization (ATO) registration, and the Ambassador Programme. This includes necessary information such as name, email, and course participation details to facilitate certification processes and program eligibility.

11. Data Protection and Security Measures

We implement reasonable security measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no online platform is entirely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute data protection. To protect your account and personal data, we recommend using a strong and unique password, enabling two-factor authentication (if applicable), and avoiding sharing sensitive information over unsecured channels.

12.Retention of Personal Data

We retain collected data based on the following criteria: Comments and associated metadata are stored indefinitely for moderation and continuity. Registered user data remains accessible in account settings and can be modified or deleted by users. Legally required or security-related data is retained as necessary for compliance and protection. Payment and transaction records are retained as required by financial regulations and fraud prevention policies.

13. Children’s Privacy Protection

13.1 DASCIN.org is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we discover that a child has provided personal data, we will take immediate steps to delete it.

13.2 Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided personal data should contact us at info@dascin.org.

14. Third-Party Content and Embedded Media

14.1 Our website may feature content from external sources, such as embedded videos, articles, or images. These third-party services may collect data, use cookies, and track user interactions based on their own privacy policies.

15. Contact Information and Inquiries

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Email: info@dascin.org