Welcome to MeriSkill’s Privacy Policy. MeriSkill (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates and maintains the website https://www.MeriSkill.com (“Website” or “Platform”) where we offer industry-specific online upskilling courses (“Tracks” or “Courses”). We value your trust and are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the highest standards.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, update, delete, and share information about our users (“User”, “you”, “your”) through our Platform. Please review our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy (collectively referred to as the “Terms”) that govern your use of the Platform and Tracks. This Privacy Policy is an integral part of the Terms. Any capitalized terms not defined in this Privacy Policy have the meanings set forth in the Terms of Use.

This Privacy Policy applies specifically to the part of the Platform provided by MeriSkill. We are not responsible for the practices of entities or websites that MeriSkill does not control, manage, or employ.

Definitions:

– User: Any person who visits, uses, deals with, or transacts through our Website, including guest users and browsers. If a User is under 18 years of age, consent from a legal guardian is required, and it is advisable to review this policy with the legal guardian present.

Our Commitment:

We prioritize the privacy of every individual interacting with our Platform. We adhere to all applicable laws and regulations concerning data protection, ensuring privacy by design and by default.

Your Consent:

By using our Platform or submitting any Personally Identifiable Information (“PII”) to us, you consent to our collection, use, updating, disclosure, and retention of your information (including PII) in accordance with this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use, and as permitted or required by law. We reserve the right to share collected information with our affiliates. In the event of a sale or transfer of all or part of our business assets, consumer information may be transferred as part of the transaction. If you do not agree with these terms, please refrain from providing any Personally Identifiable Information. Declining consent or withholding required PII may prevent us from offering certain services on our Platform.

Compliance:

This Policy complies with applicable data protection laws, including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation, 2018 (“GDPR”), the Information Technology Act, 2000 (“IT Act”), and the Information Technology (Reasonable Security Practices and Procedures and Sensitive Personal Data or Information) Rules, 2011 (“IT Rules”).

1. INFORMATION COVERED BY THIS PRIVACY POLICY

Our Platform offers certain functionalities that can be used without disclosing personal information. However, accessing features or services related to Tracks/Courses on the Platform requires the submission of personal information. If you opt not to use these specific features or services, we will only collect “Non-Personal Information,” which cannot identify you individually. Non-Personal Information includes data such as the web pages you have visited.

To access specific features and benefits on our Platform, you may be required to provide “Personally Identifiable Information” (PII), which can be used to identify you. PII may include details such as your name, email address, contact numbers (mobile and landline), educational qualifications, Aadhaar number, PAN, social security number, tax identification numbers, and post-qualification or work experience, among other relevant information. It is your responsibility to ensure the accuracy of the PII you submit to MeriSkill. Inaccurate information may impact your ability to use the Platform effectively, receive pertinent information, and our ability to communicate with you. For instance, maintaining valid email addresses and contact numbers is crucial, as these are our primary means of communication with you.

INFORMATION COLLECTION

NON-PERSONAL INFORMATION

When you visit our Platform, we gather, track, and aggregate Non-Personal Information that indicates various aspects such as the pages visited, the sequence of visits, timestamps of visits, and clicked hyperlinks. Additionally, we collect data from URLs through which you accessed our Platform. This collection process may involve logging the IP address, operating system, and browser software utilized by each user. While this information may not individually identify users, under local regulations, it may enable us to determine a user’s Internet Service Provider and approximate geographic location based on their IP address.

We collect Non-Personally Identifiable Information from visitors to our Platform to monitor aggregate visitor numbers and to identify the types of web browsers (e.g., Internet Explorer®) and operating systems (e.g., Windows®) used by them. This data helps us continually enhance our Platform and services.

PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION

The Personal Identifiable Information you share with MeriSkill holds the meaning derived from the definition of ‘Personal Information’ or ‘Personal Data’ under the applicable Data Protection Laws. The information you provide is used strictly for the purposes outlined in our Policy. This includes information collected through our Platform or third-party platforms utilized by us, such as when you sign up for updates or Tracks, participate in forums, use chat room services, receive emails or calls, engage in online or offline events, or access other services via our Platform or through offline activities conducted by MeriSkill or its Educational Partners.

This information may encompass details like your name, address, email, contact number, social security or tax identification numbers, login credentials (for registered users), educational qualifications, salary information, career goals, post-qualification experience, and photographs. We also gather demographic information such as gender and socio-economic status. For specific purposes like scholarships, refunds, or referrals, we may collect your bank account details. However, we do not collect financial information directly, as all payments are processed through third-party payment gateways.

We collect this data through various methods, including your input during Platform use, interactions with our customer support, or participation in surveys or marketing promotions.

For educational assessments like assignments, exams, and other evaluations related to online courses, MeriSkill (or its third-party service providers) may collect Personally Identifiable Information to (a) authenticate your identity or submissions (e.g., through signatures, photographs, or webcam recordings), or (b) monitor exam conduct to ensure compliance with test rules (e.g., prohibiting unauthorized resources). Information collected may include exam scores, grades, project evaluations, and teacher assessments.

If you require financial aid, MeriSkill may recommend third-party credit facility providers. If you choose to engage with these providers, any information you provide will be governed by their respective terms and policies, as you will become their direct customer. Please note, MeriSkill does not oversee or regulate these third-party providers.

OTHER INFORMATION

In addition to Personal Identifiable Information, we may collect the following types of information from you or about you:

– Interactions with Customer Service: Details regarding your interactions with our customer service team and any maintenance interactions.

– User-Generated Content: Content that you upload or post to public forums through our Platform.

– Information for Compliance: Data necessary to comply with applicable procedures, laws, and regulations, either for our legitimate interests or the legitimate interests of others.

– Recordings of Calls: Recordings of calls made by students or users expressing interest in our programs.

– Other Directly Provided Information: Any other information you voluntarily provide to us in connection with your use of the Platform and Tracks/Courses OR Job Simulations.

THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS

We may receive your information when you access or log in to third-party sites, such as Facebook or WhatsApp, from our Platforms or when you respond to our ads on these platforms. This may include text and/or images of your Personally Identifiable Information available from the third-party site. Please note that the information we obtain from these third-party platforms depends on their privacy policies and your settings regarding what information you consent to share with them.

We engage third parties to serve ads on our behalf across the internet, social networking sites, and blogs. These parties may collect or store information about your visits to our Platform and your interaction with our products and services. They may also use information about your visits to this Platform and other websites to target advertisements for goods, services, or other purposes. This information is collected using pixel tags, which are industry standard technologies used by most major websites. MeriSkill prohibits these third parties from selling or sharing your Personally Identifiable Information. If any such third parties do sell or share Personally Identifiable Information, MeriSkill’s liability is limited to providing you with reasonable assistance in any action you may choose to take against such third parties, at your sole cost and expense.

We also collaborate with third-party sales and marketing affiliates who may collect your information through their channels and share it with us based on your interest in our Job Simulations or Tracks/Courses. For instance, an affiliate may organize an event and share attendee details with MeriSkill.

INFORMATION WE RECEIVE FROM OTHER SOURCES We may receive information about you if you use any of our other platforms or services. In such cases, this data may be shared internally and combined with the information collected on our Platform. We also collaborate closely with third parties, including Educational Partners, scholarship providers, marketing partners, sales affiliates, subcontractors in technical/advertising networks, analytics providers, and search information providers. Information about you may be obtained from these sources.

Additionally, if your participation in Tracks is sponsored partly or fully by your employers, educational institution, or scholarship providers, we may receive your information from them. The third party sponsoring your Tracks may provide us with your information, subject to our agreements with them. In these situations, the third-party sponsor may control such data.

If you have been referred under any referral scheme, we will receive your information from the referrer.

USE OF INFORMATION We may use the information we collect, with your consent, to register you on our Platform, provide information about our Tracks and other services, and send you updates about MeriSkill events, maintenance, or new services via email, SMS, phone call, or other mediums. Even if you have registered under DND or DNC or NCPR services, you authorize us to contact you for these purposes for up to 365 days after your registration.

MeriSkill may utilize business partners, operational service providers, and subcontractors (“Service Providers”) to operate and deliver our services and to meet legal and regulatory requirements. While we select our Service Providers carefully and require them to protect your information as per this Privacy Policy, they are independent third parties, and we do not control their privacy practices.

Your Personally Identifiable Information may be used to manage and process your participation in Tracks, including tracking attendance, progress, and completion. For instance, we may use this information to administer exams, projects, and other assessments, ensuring compliance with testing rules. We may also archive this information for future communication and quality control purposes.

Additionally, we may provide chat room services and create WhatsApp groups or similar for communication related to Tracks. Information shared on third-party platforms is subject to their privacy policies and your settings regarding information sharing.

MeriSkill may collaborate with companies offering digital wallets, payment services, or rewards programs, disclosing necessary information to support your membership with them. We are not liable for the privacy practices of these companies, and you should review their policies individually.

Your information may also be used to improve our services and offerings. For example, we may contact you through surveys or workshops to assess the impact of our Tracks on your career. We may use images or likenesses collected from you for marketing purposes related to Tracks.

Non-Personal Information is used in aggregate form for statistical analysis, enhancing service quality, and understanding user demographics and interests on our Platform.

If your Personally Identifiable Information is governed by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process it where it aligns with our legitimate interests.

SHARING YOUR INFORMATION

In addition to the examples mentioned above, we share your information in the following ways:

Educational Partners: We may share the information collected from you with the Educational Partner responsible for developing or offering the Track you are enrolled in, as well as with instructors, graders assessing your performance, or mentors providing support. For example, if you are taking a university-affiliated Track, we may share Personally Identifiable Information to report on your progress and issue certificates upon completion. Information shared with Educational Partners is subject to their privacy policies, and we may also archive this information for future communication.

Employers, Sponsors, and Scholarship Providers: If your Track is sponsored by your employer, a sponsor, or if you have received a scholarship, we may share your Personally Identifiable Information, grades, evaluations, or progress with these entities during or after the Track.

Service Providers: We engage operations and maintenance contractors and other third parties to perform services on our behalf under strict confidentiality terms. These include billing, sales, marketing, test proctoring, mentoring, recruitment consulting, and data security. We may share certain Personally Identifiable Information with platforms like Facebook or WhatsApp to provide requested services or services related to Tracks. Information collected via third-party platforms like Typeform or Google Forms may also be stored on their servers.

Recruitment Services: As part of our recruitment activities, we may share your information with recruiters and potential employers. For instance, if you participate in a recruitment drive with a recruitment agency, your information may be shared with them and potential employers for employment considerations. The recruitment agency or employer may contact you directly for interviews or other purposes, governed by their own terms and policies.

Public Sharing Features: MeriSkill offers public sharing features as part of career services, making your profile and Track progress visible to others outside MeriSkill, including employers, recruiters, and peers. You acknowledge that once information is shared publicly, it may remain accessible even if you later make your profile private or cease sharing information. MeriSkill has no control over how third parties use shared information on external platforms.

Alumni Portal and Networking Services: We collaborate with third-party service providers to organize networking activities for current and former students. Basic information like your name, email address, and cohort details may be shared with these providers to facilitate networking invitations. Your interactions with these providers are governed by their respective policies.

Government and Regulatory Disclosure: We may disclose your information to government authorities in response to legal processes, court orders, or to establish and defend legal claims. This includes situations where disclosure is necessary to investigate illegal activities or protect the rights, property, or safety of MeriSkill, our users, or others, as required by law or in accordance with our Terms.

Associates and Business Transfers: Your Personally Identifiable Information may be shared with our associates, which includes entities controlled by MeriSkill or under common control, as well as with any potential acquirer, assignee, or successor entity in connection with a sale, merger, or reorganization involving MeriSkill.

Business Partners: We may share information that allows direct contact with you with third-party business partners offering products, services, or opportunities that may interest you.

These disclosures are made in accordance with our Privacy Policy and applicable laws to enhance your experience with MeriSkill and facilitate the provision of our services.

1. Public Disclosure of Information

   Any Personally Identifiable Information voluntarily displayed by you on our Platform may be used by third parties for unsolicited purposes. MeriSkill is not liable for such unsolicited use of your Personally Identifiable Information.

2. Aggregated Data

   “Aggregated Data” refers to records stripped of Personally Identifying Information, combined to provide generalized, anonymous insights. Your identity and personal details are not discernible in Aggregated Data. We may combine your personal information anonymously with other data for internal, commercial use, and share it with affiliates, subsidiaries, and business partners for planning and marketing purposes.

3. Protection of Information

   Confidentiality and Security: MeriSkill employs reasonable measures to protect your Personally Identifiable Information online and offline, preventing unauthorized access or breaches.

   Notification of Changes: We may update this Privacy Policy, and any changes will be posted on our Platform. You are advised to review it periodically to stay informed about how we collect, use, and disclose information.

4. Email Address and Mobile Number

   We store email addresses/mobile numbers of those who communicate with us via email/mobile or express interest in our Tracks. These may be added to our mailing/SMS/call list for special promotions and updates upon signup.

5. Opting Out

   If you wish to change your preferences or opt out of receiving mail/SMS/calls, contact us at info@MeriSkill.com. Allow up to 30 business days for processing your opt-out request, acknowledging some promotions may already be in progress.

6. Consent and Refusal

   Refusing or withdrawing consent, or not providing required Personally Identifiable Information, may affect our ability to provide certain services on our Platform.

7. Third-Party Links

   Our Platform may include links to other sites not under MeriSkill’s control. We aren’t responsible for the privacy practices of these sites; read their privacy policies before providing Personally Identifiable Information.

8. Retention of Personally Identifiable Information

   We retain your Personally Identifiable Information as necessary to provide services and comply with applicable laws, rules, or regulations.

9. Data Storage, Transfer & Processing Globally

MeriSkill and its service providers in India and abroad may store your information on servers globally. By using our services, you consent to this transfer and storage. Laws governing data protection in these locations may differ from your country; by submitting your data, you acknowledge this transfer, storage, and processing.

We may also share your data with affiliates, service providers, or third parties worldwide for service provision, transactions, or support. We ensure reasonable steps to safeguard your Personally Identifiable Information wherever it’s transferred, stored, or processed.

This Privacy Policy outlines our commitment to protecting your information while providing services and adhering to applicable laws and regulations. With respect to subjects of the European Union, if we provide any information about you to any such Non-European Union entities, we will take appropriate measures to ensure that such companies comply with the applicable data protection laws. Should you require any further information on the processes followed, please connect with the Grievance Officer (details mentioned below).

1. Children’s and Minors’ Privacy

   MeriSkill strongly advises parents and guardians to supervise the online activities of minors and suggests using parental control tools to create a safer online environment. While our Platform isn’t intended for minors, we respect their privacy and will promptly delete their information upon notification.

2. Cookies and Web Beacons

   Cookies: These are small files stored by your browser on your device’s hard drive. They record aspects of your visit to enhance your experience and provide uninterrupted service.

   Web Beacons: Small graphic files linked to our servers that track your use of our Platform and related features.

   We use cookies and web beacons to identify repeat visitors, analyze user behavior on our Platform, and personalize your experience. These tools do not retain Personally Identifiable Information. Periodically, additional data collection methods may also be employed.

   Third-party companies, such as advertising firms (e.g., Facebook, Google), may place cookies on our site to track your activity across different sites for advertising purposes. These cookies store information about your browsing preferences linked to your device or IP address. They help tailor ads and measure their effectiveness.

   You can manage cookie acceptance through your web browser settings. Rejecting our cookies may affect the functionality of certain features on our Platform.

3. Data Protection Officer

   In compliance with relevant laws, including the Information Technology Act, 2000 and EU GDPR, MeriSkill has appointed a Data Protection Officer reachable at info@meriskill.com.

4. Rights of Users

   Users may exercise their rights under applicable Data Protection Laws by emailing info@MeriSkill.com. Key rights include:

   – Right to Access: Confirm if MeriSkill processes your personal data and access the information shared.

   – Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

   – Right to Erasure: Request deletion of personal information.

   – Right to Restrict Processing: Limit processing of personal information under specific circumstances.

   – Right to Object Processing: Object to processing of personal data.

   – Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for processing personal information.

   – Access to Information: Confirm processing of personal information and obtain a copy.

   To update contact information or user preferences, email info@MeriSkill.com.

This Privacy Policy outlines our commitment to protecting your information and respecting your rights in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Security Statement

MeriSkill has implemented robust physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard the information we collect. This includes strong encryption methods for certain data storage and stringent managerial checks and password policies. Our data is stored in third-party data centers that adhere to a comprehensive seven-level security model. Please note that MeriSkill cannot be held liable for any misuse or loss of information by these third-party data centers. Additionally, we rely on the strong security features of your mobile phones to prevent any unauthorized access or information leakage, except when intentionally processed for authentication purposes.

While we employ numerous security measures on our site, it’s important to note that absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

Address for Privacy Questions

If you have any questions regarding this policy or MeriSkill’s practices regarding information collection, use, and disclosure, please contact us at info@MeriSkill.com. We strive to respond promptly to inquiries about our use of your information. However, unless required by law, MeriSkill cannot guarantee a response to questions unrelated to this policy or our privacy practices.

Changing Our Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated periodically and will be posted on our Platform for your reference. Any revisions will take effect immediately upon posting on this page. By accessing the Platform, you agree to the updated Privacy Policy and its changes. Please revisit this page regularly to stay informed about the most current version.

Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is an integral part of our Terms of Use and is governed by the laws of India.

Miscellaneous Provisions

The miscellaneous provisions outlined in our Terms of Use also apply to this Privacy Policy.

Policy for NDNC

By using the Website and/or registering with MeriSkill, you authorize us to contact you via email, phone call, or SMS to provide information about our services, offer product knowledge, and present promotional offers. This Privacy Policy covers how MeriSkill handles personally identifiable information collected when you visit our site or use our services, including information shared by our business partners. Please note that this policy does not apply to certain MeriSkill products or services, visits to specific MeriSkill pages, or participation in promotions.

When you register with MeriSkill, we collect your first name, last name, contact number, and email address. Once registered, you are not anonymous to us. During registration, you may also provide your mobile phone number, email address, pager, or other devices for receiving text messages and other services. By registering, you authorize us to send SMS/email alerts for login details, service requirements, or promotional messages.

This summary outlines MeriSkill’s commitment to data security, user privacy, and transparency in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.