Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide, personalize, and improve our educational services. The types of data we collect include:

• (a) Information You Provide: This includes account details such as your name, email address, password, school affiliation, educational level, and graduation year. We also collect financial education data like assessment scores, module completions, and simulated trading activity (using virtual currency).
• (b) Information from Google Sign-In: If you choose to register or log in using Google OAuth, we collect basic profile information strictly limited to what is necessary for authentication, such as your name, email address, and profile picture.
• (c) Automatically Collected Information: We automatically collect device and usage data when you access the platform, including your IP address, browser type, operating system, and interaction data (e.g., pages visited, time spent on the platform).

2. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used to operate, maintain, and enhance the CapitalForge platform, specifically for:

• Personalizing your educational journey and generating AI Coach recommendations.
• Operating our simulated trading environment, tracking portfolio performance, and managing leaderboards.
• Communicating with you regarding account updates, security alerts, and educational content.
• Analyzing platform usage to diagnose technical issues and improve overall user experience.

3. Google User Data

CapitalForge adheres strictly to Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Regarding Google User Data:

• We only request the minimum basic profile information (name, email, profile picture) necessary to authenticate your account.
• We do not sell, transfer, or share your Google User Data with any third parties for advertising, marketing, or tracking purposes.
• Data obtained through Google OAuth is used solely to provide and improve the authentication and core educational functionalities of the platform.
• You can revoke CapitalForge’s access to your Google account at any time by visiting your Google Account settings page.

4. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data under any circumstances. We may share your information only in the following limited situations:

• Educational Institutions: With verified teachers or school administrators if you participate in a school-sponsored league or class on the platform.
• Service Providers: With trusted third-party vendors who perform essential services on our behalf, such as payment processing (Stripe), AI coaching functionalities, and hosting infrastructure. These providers are bound by strict confidentiality obligations.
• Legal Obligations: When reasonably required to comply with legal processes, enforce our Terms and Conditions, or protect the safety and rights of our users or CapitalForge.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to ensure the platform functions properly and to improve your experience:

• Session Cookies: To keep you securely logged in during your visit.
• Analytics Cookies: To help us understand how users interact with our platform so we can improve our features and navigation.
• Preference Cookies: To remember your settings, such as theme choices (light/dark mode).

6. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. You have the right to request the deletion of your account and associated personal data at any time through your account settings or by contacting support. Upon a deletion request, your data will be permanently removed from our active databases, though anonymized or aggregated data may be retained for long-term analytical purposes.

7. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

CapitalForge is intended for high school and college students. You must be at least 13 years of age to use the platform. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal data without proper consent, we will promptly delete that information.

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures, including encryption in transit (HTTPS) and at rest, secure server hosting, and regular security audits, to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure. However, please be aware that no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute data security.

9. Third-Party Services

Our platform integrates with select third-party services to deliver key functionalities:

• Stripe: Securely processes payments for premium subscriptions. CapitalForge does not directly store your credit card details.
• Stock Data APIs: Provides real-time market data used within our simulated trading environment.
• Google Gemini AI: Powers our personalized AI Coach. Data sent to AI models is strictly scoped, context-limited, and not used to train global foundation models.
• Google OAuth: Provides secure single sign-on capabilities.

10. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access & Correction: Request access to your personal data and correct any inaccuracies.
• Deletion: Request the erasure of your personal data from our systems.
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from non-essential promotional communications via the links provided in our emails.
• Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us or use the privacy controls available in your account settings.

11. International Users

CapitalForge is headquartered in the United States, and your data is processed and stored on servers located within the US. If you access our platform from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in a jurisdiction that may have different data protection laws than your own.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or regulatory requirements. When we make material updates, we will notify you by prominently posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy regularly to stay informed about how we protect your data.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us via our Contact Page.