BiruniWeb Privacy Policy
Last Updated: 2025/07/01 (YYYY/MM/DD Format)
This Privacy Policy explains how BiruniWeb ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, and shares your personal data when you use our services. We are committed to protecting your privacy in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable EU data protection laws.
1. Who We Are (Data Controller)
BiruniWeb is the data controller responsible for the processing of your personal data described in this Privacy Policy.
Contact Details: For any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: Email: biruniwebreplyto@outlook.com
2. What Personal Data We Collect, Why, and Our Lawful Basis for Processing
We collect and process your personal data for specific purposes, based on clearly defined lawful bases under GDPR.
A. Analytics Data
•Categories of Personal Data Collected: When you consent, we collect certain analytics data. This includes internet or other electronic network activity information (e.g., page views, scrolls, outbound clicks, site search, video engagement, file downloads, form interactions) and general location data (e.g., country inferred from IP address; we do not collect full IP addresses directly). We also collect the time and date a service was accessed, and the platform a service was accessed from.
•Purpose of Processing: We process this data to understand how users interact with BiruniWeb Services, analyze website performance, identify popular content, and improve user experience.
•Lawful Basis for Processing: Your explicit consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), provided via our cookie consent banner.
•Retention Period: Analytics data is retained for 2 months from the date of collection.
B. Account Data (for Caton Chat, Caton Post, Biruni ID)
•Categories of Personal Data Collected:
•Identifiers: Email address, username, and profile picture (if you choose to provide one).
•Content Data: All chats and posts you create within Caton Chat and Caton Post.
•Purpose of Processing: To provide you with account-based services, allow you to log in and maintain your logged-in status, facilitate communication, enable content creation and sharing, and manage your service subscriptions.
•For Caton Post, while content you post is publicly visible, BiruniWeb does not directly access or view the content of individual posts or messages on the platform.
•For Caton Chat, while direct messages are private between users, both BiruniWeb and Glide (our service provider) have technical access to chat contents to ensure service functionality, security, and to investigate reported violations of our Terms of Service.
•Lawful Basis for Processing: Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR) between you and BiruniWeb to provide the requested services (e.g., Caton Chat, Caton Post, Biruni ID). Where BiruniWeb accesses Caton Chat content for security or Terms of Service enforcement, our lawful basis is our legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) in maintaining a safe and compliant platform.
•Requirement: You do not need an account to use most BiruniWeb Services, but an account is required for Caton Chat.
•Retention Period:
•Caton Post: Your account data and content are retained as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time using the dedicated button within the service.
•Caton Chat: Your account data and chat history are retained until your account is deleted. Accounts inactive for 30 days are automatically deleted. For faster deletion, you can email biruniwebreplyto@outlook.com.
•Biruni ID: Your account data is retained as long as your account is active. Upon signing up for Biruni ID, you are given a 1-week period to delete your account by replying to a confirmation email. After this initial week, you will need to use our Biruni ID Deletion Form to request deletion.
•Content Deletion: By posting on Caton Post, you are granted the right to delete your content that you have posted.
3. How We Share Your Personal Data (Third-Party Recipients & International Transfers)
We use various trusted third-party service providers who process personal data on our behalf to operate our services. We do not sell your personal data. We only engage with third parties who commit to protecting your data in line with GDPR requirements.
Your personal data may be shared with the following categories of recipients:
A. Analytics Service Provider
•Recipient: Google LLC (for Google Analytics).
•Purpose: For website analytics and performance measurement as described in Section 2A.
•International Data Transfers: Your analytics data is transferred to Google's servers in the United States. To ensure adequate protection for your personal data, we rely on appropriate safeguards, specifically Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), with Google, and ensure any further legal requirements for transfers are met.
•Third-Party Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy: [https://policies.google.com/privacy]
B. Forms Service Providers
•Recipients: Google LLC (for Google Forms), Microsoft Corporation (for Microsoft Forms).
•Purpose: To collect your form submissions (e.g., feedback, inquiries) when you choose to fill out a form.
•International Data Transfers: Data may be transferred to and processed by Google and Microsoft in the United States. We rely on appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), to ensure the protection of your personal data during these transfers.
•Third-Party Privacy Policies:
•Google Privacy Policy: [https://policies.google.com/privacy]
•Microsoft Privacy Statement: [https://privacy.microsoft.com/en-us/privacystatement]
C. Community and Application Platform Providers
•Recipients: Bettermode (for Caton Post), Glide (for Caton Chat).
•Purpose: To host and operate the Caton Post forum and Caton Chat messaging service, including account management, content hosting, and messaging functionalities.
•Bettermode (Caton Post): Bettermode, as the service provider, has access to all data on the Caton Post platform for operational purposes.
•Glide (Caton Chat): Glide, as the service provider, has access to all data on the Caton Chat platform for operational purposes.
•International Data Transfers: Data may be transferred to and processed by Bettermode and Glide in the United States. We ensure appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), are in place for these transfers.
•Third-Party Privacy Policies:
•Bettermode Privacy Policy: [https://bettermode.com/legal/privacy-policy]
•Glide Privacy Policy: [https://www.glideapps.com/legal/privacy]
D. Content Delivery & Hosting Providers
•Recipients: Google LLC (for Google Sites, Google Docs), Netlify, Inc.
•Purpose: To host and deliver BiruniWeb's website content, documents, and ensure overall website functionality and availability.
•International Data Transfers: Data may be transferred to and processed by these providers in the United States. We rely on appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs), for these transfers.
•Third-Party Privacy Policies:
•Google Privacy Policy: [https://policies.google.com/privacy]
•Netlify Privacy Policy: [https://www.netlify.com/privacy/]
4. Your Data Protection Rights
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the following rights regarding your personal data. You can exercise these rights by contacting us at biruniwebreplyto@outlook.com. We will respond to your request without undue delay and at the latest within one month.
•Right to Information (Articles 13 & 14 GDPR): You have the right to be informed about the collection and use of your personal data. This Privacy Policy serves to fulfill that right.
•Right of Access (Article 15 GDPR): You have the right to request confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning you are being processed, and, where that is the case, access to the personal data and specific information about its processing.
•How to Exercise: You can request a copy of your personal data related to a BiruniWeb Service by emailing biruniwebreplyto@outlook.com. We will provide it in a machine-readable format (CSV) usually within 1 month, but can be up to 2 months.
•Right to Rectification (Article 16 GDPR): You have the right to obtain the rectification of inaccurate personal data concerning you without undue delay. You also have the right to have incomplete personal data completed.
•Right to Erasure / "Right to be Forgotten" (Article 17 GDPR): You have the right to obtain the erasure of personal data concerning you without undue delay in certain circumstances (e.g., if the data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or if you withdraw consent and there is no other legal basis for processing).
•How to Exercise: You can delete your account in Caton Post using the in-service button. For Caton Chat, your account will be deleted after 30 days of inactivity, or you can email biruniwebreplyto@outlook.com for faster deletion. For Biruni ID, follow the email instructions (1 week post-signup) or use our Biruni ID Deletion Form. You also have the right to delete content you have posted on Caton Post.
•Right to Restriction of Processing (Article 18 GDPR): You have the right to obtain restriction of processing where certain conditions apply (e.g., you contest the accuracy of the data, the processing is unlawful, or we no longer need the data for the purposes of processing but you require it for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims).
•Right to Data Portability (Article 20 GDPR): You have the right to receive the personal data concerning you, which you have provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and have the right to transmit those data to another controller without hindrance from us, where the processing is based on consent or on a contract and is carried out by automated means.
•How to Exercise: You can request your personal data in CSV format by emailing biruniwebreplyto@outlook.com.
•Right to Object (Article 21 GDPR): You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to processing of personal data concerning you which is based on legitimate interests. We will no longer process the personal data unless we demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
•Right to Withdraw Consent (Article 7(3) GDPR): Where processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.
•How to Exercise: You can withdraw your consent for non-essential cookies, including analytics, by visiting our Cookie Preferences pages: [https://biruniweb.netlify.app/biruni-start/cookie-preferences] for Biruni Start and [https://biruniweb.netlify.app/biruniweb/cookie-preferences] for BiruniWeb.
•Rights in relation to Automated Decision-Making and Profiling (Article 22 GDPR): You have the right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling, which produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you, unless certain exceptions apply. BiruniWeb does not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects on you.
•Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority (Article 77 GDPR): You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, in particular in the EU Member State of your habitual residence, place of work, or place of the alleged infringement if you consider that the processing of personal data relating to you infringes the GDPR.
5. Cookies and Similar Technologies
BiruniWeb uses cookies and similar technologies on its services. Some cookies are essential for our services to function, while others (non-essential cookies) are used for analytics purposes.
•Strictly Necessary Cookies: These cookies are essential for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences or logging in. You cannot opt out of these cookies as they are fundamental to service operation.
•Analytics Cookies: These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. If you do not allow these cookies, we will not know when you have visited our site and will not be able to monitor its performance.
•Your Consent: When you first enter a BiruniWeb Service, you will receive a clear popup banner informing you about our use of cookies. You will be given the option to Agree or Reject the use of non-essential cookies. No non-essential cookies will be placed on your device until you have given your explicit consent.
•Managing Your Preferences: You have the right to erase non-essential cookies or change your preferences at any time. Because our services have a specific structure, managing your cookie preferences may involve interacting with separate cookie management pages specific to certain BiruniWeb Services or our underlying platforms. For example:
•To manage general website analytics cookies, visit: [https://biruniweb.netlify.app/biruni-start/cookie-preferences]
•For cookie settings related to Caton Post (powered by Bettermode), refer to the cookie options available within that service or Bettermode's policy: [https://bettermode.com/legal/privacy-policy]
•For cookie settings related to Caton Chat (powered by Glide), refer to the cookie options available within that service or Glide's policy: [https://www.glideapps.com/legal/privacy]
You can delete analytics cookies through the relevant cookie preferences page.
6. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.