Privacy Policy | Philly Culture

1. Introduction

Philly Culture ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

Create an account (name, email, password)
Make a purchase (billing and shipping address, payment information)
Enroll in courses (educational background, preferences)
Contact us (name, email, message content)
Subscribe to newsletters (email address)
Participate in surveys or promotions

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you access our Service, we automatically collect:

Device information (IP address, browser type, operating system)
Usage data (pages visited, time spent, clickstream data)
Location data (general geographic location based on IP address)
Cookies and similar tracking technologies

2.3 Third-Party Information

We may receive information from third parties:

Payment processors (Stripe) for transaction verification
Analytics providers for usage statistics
Social media platforms if you link your accounts

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Process and fulfill your orders
Provide access to purchased courses and content
Send order confirmations and shipping updates
Respond to customer service requests
Send marketing communications (with your consent)
Improve our website and services
Detect and prevent fraud
Comply with legal obligations
Analyze usage patterns and trends

4. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

If you are from the European Economic Area (EEA), our legal basis for processing your information includes:

Contract Performance: Processing necessary to fulfill our contract with you
Consent: You have given explicit permission for specific processing
Legitimate Interests: Processing necessary for our legitimate business interests
Legal Compliance: Processing required to comply with legal obligations

5. How We Share Your Information

We may share your information with:

Service Providers:

Payment processors (Stripe)
Email service providers (Resend)
Hosting and cloud storage (Firebase)
Analytics providers
Shipping carriers

Legal Requirements:

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and safety.

Business Transfers:

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Maintain your session and keep you logged in
Remember your preferences
Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
Provide personalized content and recommendations

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our Service.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information, including:

Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
Secure authentication with Firebase
Regular security assessments
Limited access to personal information
Secure payment processing through PCI-compliant providers

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

8. Data Retention

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

Provide you with our services
Comply with legal obligations (e.g., tax records for 7 years)
Resolve disputes and enforce agreements
Maintain account records while your account is active

You may request deletion of your account and personal data at any time, subject to legal retention requirements.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

Access: Request a copy of your personal information
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate information
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service
Objection: Object to processing of your information
Restriction: Request restriction of processing
Withdraw Consent: Withdraw previously given consent
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications

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

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
Right to delete personal information
Right to opt-out of sale of personal information (we do not sell your information)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your rights

11. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 13. 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.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using our Service, you consent to such transfers.

13. Changes to This Privacy 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. Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

For questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices:

Philly Culture Academy
Email: privacy@phillyculture.com
Website: www.phillyculture.com/contact

For EU/EEA residents, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.