Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Diploomate ("we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use our website and services (the "Service"). By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this policy. We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA).

Information We Collect

• Account information: When you register, we collect your email address and any name you provide. Your password is stored in hashed form and is never visible to us.
• Content you create: Diplomas, awards, medals, nominations, and templates you generate are stored so you can access, edit, and share them. This includes recipient names, award titles, citations, and any uploaded reference photos.
• Usage data: We collect anonymous analytics data such as pages visited, features used, and device type, to help us improve the Service.
• Device and connection information: We may collect IP address, browser type, operating system, and approximate location (derived from IP) for security, fraud prevention, and analytics purposes.
• Email subscriptions: If you join our email list, we store your email address and optional name to send you updates.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We and our third-party partners use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to operate the Service, analyze traffic, personalize content and ads, and provide certain features. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. You can configure your browser to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent; however, some parts of the Service may not function properly without them.

The types of cookies we use include:

• Essential cookies: Required for the Service to function (e.g., authentication, language preference, session management).
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with the Service so we can improve it.
• Advertising cookies: Used by Google AdSense and other partners to display relevant ads (see the section below).

Google AdSense and Third-Party Advertising

We use Google AdSense, a service provided by Google LLC, to display advertisements on this website. Google AdSense uses cookies (including the DoubleClick DART cookie) and device identifiers to serve ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads to our users based on their visit to our site and other sites on the Internet.

Specifically, Google may use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Store and access information on your device (such as cookie identifiers and device-specific information).
• Collect information about your interactions with ads and content, including impressions and clicks.
• Use device-specific information such as IP address, browser type, and approximate location to serve and measure ads.
• Personalize the ads you see based on your activity and interests.

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or My Ad Center. You can also opt out of third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting aboutads.info/choices or youronlinechoices.com (for EU/UK users). For more information about how Google uses data when you use our Service, see Google's Privacy Policy and the Google AdSense Privacy Policy requirements.

EU and UK Users — Cookie Consent

If you are located in the European Union, the European Economic Area, or the United Kingdom, we will ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device, as required by the ePrivacy Directive (Cookie Law) and the GDPR. You can withdraw your consent at any time by clearing your cookies or adjusting your browser settings. We use commercially reasonable efforts to ensure that an end user gives consent to the storing and accessing of cookies on their device where such consent is required by law.

How We Use Your Information

• To provide, operate, and maintain the Service.
• To create, store, and share the awards, diplomas, and medals you generate.
• To send emails you request (e.g., award copies to recipients, scheduled sends).
• To send you updates if you have joined our email list (you can unsubscribe at any time).
• To display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense.
• To analyze and improve the Service, including detecting and preventing fraud or abuse.
• To comply with legal obligations.

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share data only in the following circumstances:

• With service providers: We use third-party services such as Google (AdSense, Analytics), cloud hosting, and email delivery to operate the Service. These providers process data on our behalf under their own privacy policies.
• For legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights and safety.
• Aggregated or anonymized data: We may share non-identifiable statistics about usage for analytics or marketing purposes.

Data Retention

We retain your account and content for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. You can delete your account and all associated content at any time from your profile settings. Email subscription records are retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.

Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction or deletion of your personal data.
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your data.
• Withdraw consent for cookie placement at any time.
• Opt out of personalized advertising via the Google Ads Settings links above.
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through our contact page.

California Residents — CCPA and CPRA

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) give you additional rights. We do not sell your personal information, as "sell" is defined under California law. However, we do share information with advertising partners such as Google AdSense, which may constitute a "share" under CPRA. You have the right to opt out of this sharing.

Your CCPA rights include:

• The right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used.
• The right to request deletion of your personal information.
• The right to correct inaccurate personal information.
• The right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information.
• The right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your privacy rights.

To exercise your right to opt out of the sharing of your personal information for advertising purposes, you can:

• Decline non-essential cookies using the cookie consent banner at the bottom of the page.
• Opt out of personalized advertising via Google Ads Settings or My Ad Center.
• Enable the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal in your browser — we will treat a GPC signal as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.

To submit a CCPA request, please contact us. We will verify your identity before responding and will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Third-Party Links

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., Amazon for our Scrappress books, social media platforms). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data using industry-standard encryption and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us. We are committed to resolving your privacy concerns promptly.