Privacy Policy

Aperture Academy ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you visit our website apertureacademy.com.au (the "Site") or use our services, including online photography courses. This policy applies to all users of our Site and services. By accessing or using our Site or services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Data Collection

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Site and services, including:

• Personal Information: This includes information that identifies you as an individual, such as your name, email address, postal address, phone number, payment information (credit card details), and any other information you voluntarily provide to us when you register for an account, purchase a course, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us.
• Non-Personal Information: This includes information that does not directly identify you, such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, and the dates/times of your visits. We may also collect aggregated, de-identified data that cannot be used to identify you personally.
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and other similar technologies to collect information about your browsing activities on our Site. Cookies are small data files stored on your device that help us improve your experience by remembering your preferences and tracking your usage patterns. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. More information is available in our Cookies Policy.

2. Data Usage

We use the information we collect for various purposes, including:

• Providing and Improving Services: To deliver our online photography courses, process your registrations and payments, personalize your learning experience, and improve the functionality and content of our Site and services.
• Communication: To communicate with you about your account, purchases, updates to our services, and promotional offers. We may contact you via email, phone, or postal mail.
• Marketing: To send you newsletters, marketing emails, and other promotional materials about our courses, events, and other offerings that may be of interest to you. You can opt-out of receiving marketing communications at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions included in our emails or by contacting us directly.
• Analytics: To analyze user behavior and trends, track the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns, and improve our Site and services. We may use third-party analytics tools to assist us with these activities.
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes. We may also use your information to enforce our Terms and Conditions and protect our rights and the rights of others.

3. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. These measures include:

• Encryption: We use encryption technology to protect your sensitive information during transmission and storage.
• Secure Servers: We store your personal information on secure servers that are protected by industry-standard security measures.
• Access Controls: We restrict access to your personal information to authorized personnel who need to know the information in order to perform their duties.
• Regular Security Audits: We conduct regular security audits to identify and address potential vulnerabilities in our systems.

Despite these measures, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal information. If you have reason to believe that your personal information has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

4. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on our Site. These technologies help us:

• Remember your preferences: Cookies allow us to remember your language preferences, login details, and other settings.
• Track your usage patterns: We use cookies to track the pages you visit, the links you click, and other actions you take on our Site. This information helps us understand how users interact with our Site and improve its functionality.
• Deliver targeted advertising: We may use cookies to display targeted advertisements based on your interests and browsing history.

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. However, please note that blocking or deleting cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our Site. For more information about our use of cookies, please see our Cookies Policy.

5. Third-Party Links

Our Site may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites or services you visit.

6. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will post any changes to this Privacy Policy on our Site and update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of our Site or services after the posting of changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

7. Contact Information

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

Aperture Academy
12/45 Flinders Lane
Melbourne, VIC 3000
Australia
Email: privacy@apertureacademy.com.au
Phone: +61 987934985

This Privacy Policy is effective as of October 26, 2023.

Data Protection Officer: Eleanor Vance, Data Protection Officer, Aperture Academy. Eleanor can be reached at dpo@apertureacademy.com.au or at the address listed above.

Your Rights: Under Australian privacy law, you have certain rights regarding your personal information. These include the right to access, correct, or delete your personal information. You also have the right to object to the processing of your personal information, and the right to data portability. To exercise these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer.

Complaints: If you believe that we have violated your privacy rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC). More information about how to lodge a complaint can be found on the OAIC website: https://www.oaic.gov.au. We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you approach the OAIC, so please contact our Data Protection Officer in the first instance.

Data Retention: We will retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. When we no longer need your personal information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

International Data Transfers: While Aperture Academy is based in Australia, we may use third-party service providers who are located in other countries. This may involve transferring your personal information to countries that may not have the same level of data protection as Australia. In such cases, we will take steps to ensure that your personal information is adequately protected, such as by using standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission.

Children's Privacy: Our Site and services are not directed to children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that 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 under the age of 16, we will take steps to delete the information as soon as possible.

Security Breach Notification: In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm to you, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as required by law.