Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Value Studies Coach (“Value Studies Coach”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use our website at valuestudiescoach.com(the “Service”). It also covers our use of the Pinterest API — a feature currently in development — to provide reference images for value study practice, both from public Pinterest boards that we curate and, optionally, from your own Pinterest account if you choose to connect it.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and to handling personal data in accordance with the EU and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the CPRA (CCPA), and the Pinterest Developer Guidelines and Pinterest Platform Policy.

By using the Service you agree to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

Who we are (Data Controller)

For the purposes of the GDPR, the data controller responsible for your personal data is Value Studies Coach. You can contact us about this policy or about your data at any time:

• Email: cvikramad@gmail.com

Information we collect

We collect as little information as possible. Specifically:

• Information you choose to provide. You do not need to create an account to use the core value studies practice tool. If you contact us by email, we receive the information you include in that message.
• Pinterest account information. Only if you choose to connect your Pinterest account, we access certain read-only information through the Pinterest API. See the dedicated section below.
• Usage and analytics data. We use Vercel Analytics, a privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics tool, to understand aggregate traffic and improve the Service. It does not use cookies and does not collect information that identifies you personally.
• Technical data. Like most websites, our hosting provider automatically processes limited technical data such as IP address and browser type in order to deliver the Service securely.

Pinterest data and the Pinterest API

Feature status: The Pinterest integration described in this section is currently in development and is being tested under limited Pinterest API trial access. It is not yet generally available. This section describes how the feature is designed to collect and handle data once it is enabled.

Curated reference boards

Value Studies Coach displays Pins from public Pinterest boards that we own and curate, so that anyone can practice value studies with a ready-made set of reference images. We fetch this content using our own Pinterest API credentials, and the boards are already publicly available on Pinterest. Browsing these curated boards does not require you to log in or connect a Pinterest account, and it does not involve us collecting any personal data about you.

Connecting your own Pinterest account

Connecting your Pinterest account is, and will remain, entirely optional, and the Service works fully without it. When you choose to connect Pinterest:

• Authorization. You are redirected to Pinterest to sign in and grant permission. Authentication is handled by Pinterest using OAuth 2.0. We never see or receive your Pinterest password.
• What we access. With your permission, we access read-only information from your Pinterest account through the Pinterest API. This is limited to your boards and the Pins within them (including Pin images, titles, and links). We request only the minimum permissions (scopes) needed to display your Pins as reference images, and we do not request access to your profile.
• How it is used. This data is used for one purpose only: to display your Pinterest images inside the Service so you can practice timed value studies with them.
• Where it is processed.Displaying your Pins requires requests to the Pinterest API. Because Pinterest does not permit these requests to be made directly from your browser, they are relayed through our server as a transient pass-through. We do not copy, save, cache, log, write to a database, or otherwise retain your Pinterest content, boards, or access token — they exist only for the brief moment needed to complete a request and are discarded immediately afterward. Your Pinterest access token is held only in your browser for the duration of your session and is never stored on our servers.
• No sharing or secondary use. We do not sell, rent, or share your Pinterest data with any third party. We do not use it for advertising, building user profiles, or training machine-learning or AI models.
• Compliance.Our access to and use of the Pinterest API — for both the curated reference boards and connecting your account — adheres to the Pinterest Developer Guidelines and Pinterest Platform Policy, including their limited-use requirements. Your use of Pinterest is also governed by the Pinterest Privacy Policy and Pinterest Terms of Service.
• Revoking access.You can disconnect Pinterest within the Service at any time. You can also revoke Value Studies Coach’s access directly from your Pinterest account under Settings → Apps and accounts (Connected apps). Revoking access immediately ends our ability to retrieve any data from your account.

Purposes of processing and legal bases

Under the GDPR we must have a lawful basis for processing personal data. We process data only for the purposes and on the legal bases set out below:

• To provide the core practice tool — technical data — necessary to deliver the Service you request and our legitimate interest in operating it.
• To display your Pinterest boards and Pins — Pinterest account data — your consent, given when you connect Pinterest, which you may withdraw at any time by disconnecting.
• To measure aggregate, anonymous site usage — cookieless analytics data — our legitimate interest in maintaining and improving the Service.
• To keep the Service secure and prevent abuse — technical data — our legitimate interest and, where applicable, compliance with a legal obligation.

How we store and protect your information

We have designed the Service to minimize data storage:

• We do not operate user accounts for the practice tool, and we do not store your Pinterest data on our servers or database.
• Connections to Pinterest and to our Service are encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS.
• Our website infrastructure is provided by Vercel (hosting and cookieless analytics) and Supabase (a database used only for our blog articles), reputable providers that maintain industry-standard security practices.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect information processed through the Service.

Data retention

Because we do not store your Pinterest data or personal account data, there is nothing for us to retain in connection with the Pinterest integration — that data exists only transiently: within your browser session, and momentarily within the server request that relays it on your behalf, after which it is discarded. It is also discarded when your session ends or when you disconnect. Aggregate analytics data is retained by Vercel Analytics in anonymized form according to their retention practices. Limited server logs are retained by our hosting provider for a short period for security purposes.

Sharing and third-party services

We do not sell your personal data. We share personal data only with the service providers (processors) that operate the Service:

• Pinterest — provides the Pinterest API used for the curated reference boards and the optional account connection.
• Vercel — website hosting and cookieless analytics.
• Supabase — a database used to store our blog articles. This does not include any user data or Pinterest data.

We may also disclose information where we are required to do so by law.

International data transfers

The Service and its providers may process data in countries outside your own, including the United States. Where personal data is transferred out of the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, our providers rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.

Cookies and similar technologies

We keep cookies to a minimum and do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies. The Service may store small amounts of data in your browser’s local storage to remember your practice settings (such as timer length or display mode) and, if you connect Pinterest, to hold your session’s access token. Vercel Analytics is cookieless. You can clear this local data at any time through your browser settings.

Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you have rights over your personal data. Under the GDPR (EEA and UK) you have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data;
• request erasure of your data (the “right to be forgotten”);
• restrict or object to our processing of your data;
• data portability;
• withdraw consent at any time (for example, by disconnecting Pinterest), without affecting processing carried out before withdrawal;
• lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.

Under the CCPA/CPRA, California residents have the right to know what personal information is collected, to request its deletion, and not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights. We do not sell or “share” personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

Because we do not store your Pinterest data or operate user accounts, the fastest way to exercise your erasure and withdrawal rights for the Pinterest integration is to disconnect the app and revoke its access in your Pinterest settings. For any other request, contact us at cvikramad@gmail.com and we will respond within the timeframes required by law (generally within 30 days).

Children’s privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the minimum age required in your jurisdiction), and we do not knowingly collect personal data from children. Pinterest similarly requires its users to meet a minimum age. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page, and significant changes will be communicated through the Service. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at cvikramad@gmail.com.