Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 14, 2026

Introduction

University Courses Online ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of 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.

This policy applies to information collected through our website (universitycoursesonline.org) and complies with Canadian privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL).

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

  • Register for courses or create an account
  • Complete contact forms or inquiries
  • Subscribe to our newsletter or communications
  • Make purchases or payments
  • Communicate with us via email, phone, or chat
  • Participate in surveys or provide feedback

This information may include:

  • Name and contact information (email address, phone number, mailing address)
  • Account credentials (username, password)
  • Payment information (processed securely through third-party payment processors)
  • Educational background and professional information
  • Course progress and completion data
  • Communications and correspondence with us

Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing behavior, including:

  • IP address and geographic location
  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Pages visited and time spent on pages
  • Referring website or source
  • Device identifiers

We collect this information using cookies and similar tracking technologies. See our Cookie Policy for more details.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information for the following purposes:

Service Delivery

  • Process course enrollments and provide access to educational content
  • Manage your account and provide customer support
  • Process payments and maintain transaction records
  • Track course progress and issue certificates
  • Respond to inquiries and provide requested information

Communication

  • Send course-related updates and important notices
  • Provide customer support and respond to requests
  • Send marketing communications (only with your consent)
  • Notify you of new courses or updates to existing courses

Improvement and Analytics

  • Analyze website usage to improve user experience
  • Understand student learning patterns and course effectiveness
  • Conduct research to enhance our educational offerings
  • Develop new courses and features

Legal and Security

  • Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
  • Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
  • Enforce our terms and conditions
  • Resolve disputes and protect our legal rights

How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

Service Providers

We work with third-party service providers who help us operate our business and deliver services. These providers have access to your information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated to protect your information. Examples include:

  • Payment processors (for secure payment handling)
  • Email service providers (for communications)
  • Hosting and cloud storage providers
  • Analytics services (Google Analytics, etc.)
  • Customer support platforms

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to:

  • Comply with legal obligations
  • Protect our rights and property
  • Prevent fraud or abuse
  • Protect the safety of users or the public

Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same privacy protections outlined in this policy.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specific retention periods include:

  • Account information: Retained while your account is active and for 7 years after account closure for legal and record-keeping purposes
  • Course progress data: Retained indefinitely to maintain academic records and issue certificates
  • Payment records: Retained for 7 years as required by tax and financial regulations
  • Marketing communications: Retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion
  • Support communications: Retained for 3 years for quality assurance and training

Your Privacy Rights

Under Canadian privacy laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Correction

You have the right to access your personal information and request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete data. Contact us at [email protected] to request access to your information.

Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions (e.g., records we're required to maintain for tax or legal purposes). Note that deleting your account will result in loss of access to course materials.

Withdraw Consent

Where we process your information based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. This includes:

  • Unsubscribing from marketing emails (using the unsubscribe link in emails)
  • Disabling cookies through your browser settings
  • Requesting cessation of specific data processing activities

Portability

You may request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used format. We will provide this information within a reasonable timeframe.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or alteration. These measures include:

  • Encryption of data in transit (SSL/TLS)
  • Secure password storage (hashing and salting)
  • Regular security assessments and updates
  • Access controls and authentication requirements
  • Employee training on data protection
  • Secure data backup procedures

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to maintaining industry-standard protections.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you are under 18, please do not provide any information through our website. If we become aware that we have collected information from a minor without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

International Data Transfers

Your information is primarily stored and processed in Canada. If we transfer data outside of Canada, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with Canadian privacy laws.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

Advertising Compliance

This privacy policy supports our compliance with advertising platform policies, including:

  • Google Ads: We comply with Google's user data policies and do not engage in prohibited data collection or usage practices
  • Quora Ads: We adhere to Quora's privacy and data protection requirements
  • CASL: We obtain explicit consent before sending commercial electronic messages and provide clear unsubscribe mechanisms

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of significant changes by:

  • Posting a notice on our website
  • Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
  • Sending an email notification for material changes (to registered users)

We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your information.

Contact Us

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

University Courses Online
86 Fountain St
Waterloo, ON N2L 3N1
Canada

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +1 250-927-5175

We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days.

This privacy policy is designed to be transparent and comply with Canadian privacy laws including PIPEDA and CASL. It supports our advertising compliance requirements for Google Ads and Quora Ads platforms.