Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Scholar Scanner ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our scholarship discovery platform at scholarscanner.com and nabin216.github.io/scholarship-portal (collectively, the "Service").

By accessing or using Scholar Scanner, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Name, email address, password, profile picture, and educational background
• Profile Data: Academic level, field of study, country, GPA, test scores, and other educational qualifications
• Application Data: Saved scholarships, application status, and preferences
• Communication Data: Messages sent through our AI assistant, support inquiries, and feedback

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, search queries, and interaction patterns
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Log Data: Access times, error logs, and performance metrics
• Cookies and Tracking: Authentication tokens, preferences, and analytics data

2.3 Third-Party Information

• Social Media: When you connect your Facebook account or interact with our Facebook page, we may receive basic profile information
• OAuth Providers: Profile information from Google or other authentication providers
• Public Sources: Scholarship information from universities, organizations, and publicly available databases

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and improve our scholarship discovery platform
• Personalization: To match you with relevant scholarships based on your profile
• Authentication: To verify your identity and secure your account
• Communication: To send you scholarship recommendations, notifications, and updates
• AI Features: To power our AI assistant and provide personalized guidance
• Social Media Integration: To display scholarship opportunities from our Facebook page and automate content distribution
• Analytics: To understand user behavior and improve our Service
• Support: To respond to your inquiries and provide customer service
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

4. Facebook Integration and Automation

Scholar Scanner uses Facebook's Graph API to enhance our Service. This integration allows us to:

• Collect and display scholarship posts from our official Scholar Scanner Facebook page
• Automate the distribution of scholarship opportunities across multiple platforms using n8n workflow automation
• Allow you to log in using your Facebook account (optional)
• Enable social sharing features for scholarship opportunities

Data We Collect from Facebook: When you connect your Facebook account, we may access your public profile (name, profile picture, email) and any permissions you explicitly grant. We do not post on your behalf without your explicit permission.

Automated Processing: We use n8n automation to fetch public posts from our Facebook page at regular intervals. This data is processed to display scholarship opportunities on our platform. No private user data is collected through this automation.

5. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: With third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf (hosting, analytics, email delivery, automation tools like n8n)
• Social Media Platforms: With Facebook and other social media platforms when you use social login or sharing features
• Scholarship Providers: When you apply for scholarships, we may share your profile with the respective institutions (only with your consent)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or government regulation
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize us to share your information

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encrypted data transmission using HTTPS/SSL
• Secure password hashing using industry-standard algorithms
• JWT (JSON Web Token) authentication for API access
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls and authentication mechanisms
• Secure cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, or equivalent)

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• Provide our Service to you
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
• Maintain backup and business continuity

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it by law.

8. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails and notifications
• Data Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Withdraw Consent: Revoke permissions for social media integrations
• Object to Processing: Object to certain uses of your data

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@scholarscanner.com

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Essential Cookies: Required for authentication and site functionality
• Analytics Cookies: To understand how users interact with our Service
• Preference Cookies: To remember your settings and preferences
• Social Media Cookies: To enable Facebook login and social sharing

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling cookies may limit certain features of our Service.

10. Third-Party Services

Our Service integrates with third-party services, including:

• Facebook/Meta: For social login, page integration, and Graph API access
• Google: For OAuth authentication and analytics
• n8n: For workflow automation and data synchronization
• AWS SES: For email delivery and notifications
• Cloud Hosting Providers: For infrastructure and data storage

These third parties have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review them. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Service is intended for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately, and we will delete such information.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws and implement appropriate safeguards, including standard contractual clauses.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending you an email notification (for significant changes)
• Displaying a prominent notice on our Service

Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

14. Contact Us

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

15. GDPR and CCPA Compliance

For EU Users (GDPR): If you are located in the European Economic Area, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

For California Users (CCPA): If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect and the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your information).

16. Meta Platform Compliance

Scholar Scanner uses Facebook's Platform APIs and complies with Meta's Platform Terms and Policies. Our use of Facebook data is limited to:

• Fetching public posts from our official Scholar Scanner Facebook page
• Providing social login functionality (with user consent)
• Enabling content sharing features

We do not use Facebook data for advertising purposes outside of the Meta platform, and we do not transfer Facebook data to data brokers or ad networks.