🔒 Privacy Policy

Last Updated: January 7, 2025

GDPR & Irish Data Protection Acts 2018-2023 Compliant

1. Data Controller & Contact Information

Data Controller: CourseCompass
Data Protection Officer: info@coursecompass.ie
Website: www.coursecompass.ie

For all data protection enquiries, including exercising your rights under GDPR, please contact: info@coursecompass.ie

2. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

CourseCompass is committed to protecting the privacy of all users, especially minors. We fully respect your right to privacy and will not collect or use any personal information without clear permission or legitimate purpose.

We adhere to:

  • GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
  • Irish Data Protection Acts 2018 & 2023
  • EU AI Act 2024 transparency requirements
  • Department of Education Circular 0035/2017

Educational Scope Declaration: All assessments and AI analyses on CourseCompass are designed for educational guidance purposes only and are not intended to constitute psychological, clinical, or personality testing.

3. Information We Collect (GDPR Article 13-14)

The categories of personal information that we process include:

  • Name
  • Email address
  • Date of birth (for age verification and consent purposes)
  • Parental/guardian consent status (for users under 18)
  • Consent timestamps (for legal compliance)
  • Educational status and level
  • School or educational institution

Course Compass does not collect any unnecessary information regarding its users such as gender, race, or mobile phone numbers, except for the information necessary to meet the requirements of age verification and consent under Irish and European data protection law.

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR Article 6):

  • Consent: Your explicit consent for processing personal data
  • Contract: Fulfillment of our educational guidance service contract
  • Legal Obligation: Compliance with age verification and consent requirements
  • Legitimate Interest: Platform improvement and security (always balanced with your rights)

Career Profile Information

Your Career Profile will store the following information only if you provide it:

  • Results of the Career Interests Profiler (RIASEC assessment)
  • Results of Personality Profiler (Big Five assessment)
  • University course recommendations generated by AI
  • Any notes or preferences you save
  • Your educational level and institution

This information is only used in the delivery and improvement of Course Compass. Your Career Profile is private - you are the only user who can access this information. The information is not used for profiling or micro-targeting and we WILL NOT sell, rent or trade this information to any third parties.

Why We Collect and Use This Information

  • To help users assess their interests, goals and skills
  • To direct users to university courses and careers that suit their interests, goals and skills
  • To ensure that any data stored in your Career Profile can be retrieved by you alone
  • To generate personalized AI-powered course recommendations
  • To test and improve the site, so we can continually deliver a better experience to our users

Website Visits

Technical details in connection with visits to the website are logged for our statistical purposes. The technical details logged include:

The IP address of the internet connection

An IP address is assigned to your computer automatically when you use the internet. We may use your IP address to help diagnose problems with our server and to administer our website.

The type of browser and device used

This allows our developers to optimize the site for different browsers and devices.

The date and time you accessed the site

Tracking usage patterns is necessary to manage the stability and security of the website.

The pages accessed, links clicked and documents downloaded

This allows us to present information in the most intuitive, accessible manner.

The previous website address from where you reached us

We collect this information to understand how users arrive at Course Compass and to improve visibility and accessibility.

Cookies

A cookie is a small file sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer's hard drive to identify you as the user of the website. Course Compass uses cookies to track user access to the website, site usage, and any repeat visits made by that user. This helps us enhance site performance and deliver a better user experience.

Data Storage & Security

We use Supabase and industry-standard encryption to store your data securely. All personal data is treated with the utmost care and security. Only authorized personnel may access it for the sole purpose of maintaining and improving the service.

Third Parties

We WILL NOT sell, rent or trade your personal details to any third parties such as external marketing companies or recruiters. Any information gathered is utilized solely in the maintenance and delivery of Course Compass.

We do not share your personal data with third parties, except when required by law or when necessary to provide the service (e.g., secure payment processors, hosting infrastructure).

Age Verification and Consent

Course Compass complies with GDPR stipulations and Irish data protection law regarding age of consent:

  • Minimum Age: Users must be at least 13 years old to use our service
  • Users Under 18: Must have parental or guardian consent before providing personal data
  • Verification: We collect date of birth and consent confirmation during registration
  • Consent Records: We maintain timestamps of when consent was given for compliance purposes

Any personal data provided to us by individuals, whether under 18 or over 18, will be treated with the utmost care and security. We have implemented measures to verify age and obtain appropriate consent before processing any personal information.

Data Retention

We do not retain your personal data for longer than is necessary for us to comply with the purpose for which you gave it to us. Any personal data which you provide to us will be used in line with the purposes for which you provided it. You may request deletion of your account and all associated data at any time.

Your Rights (GDPR & Data Protection Act 2018)

Under GDPR and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018, you have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of your personal data we hold
  • Rectification: Request corrections or amendments to your data
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your data (right to be forgotten)
  • Restrict Processing: Request limitation on how we use your data
  • Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Object: Object to processing of your data for specific purposes
  • Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
  • Lodge a Complaint: File a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (Ireland)

To exercise these rights or if you have any questions about your personal data, please contact us through our contact form or email us directly. We will respond to all requests within 30 days as required by law.

Educational Assessment Compliance

Our assessments are designed in accordance with Circular 0035/2017 issued by the Department of Education and Skills, which outlines approved assessment instruments for guidance and learning support in post-primary schools.

We prioritize ethical practices by ensuring that our assessments are used solely for educational and career guidance purposes, and not for clinical or psychological diagnosis. We adhere to data protection regulations, including the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 (as amended by the Data Protection Act 2018), to safeguard all user information.

Our Mission

Course Compass's mission is to provide users with a resource that allows them to research and decide on future careers, employment and educational options. We do not process personal data for any other reason than to provide this service to our users.