Privacy Policy

Last modified: November 8, 2025

  • Information
  • How We Use It
  • How We Protect Data
  • Data Sharing & Third Party
  • Your Rights & Choices
  • Data Retention & Deletion
  • Let's Talk Cookies

1. Information

We collect the following types of data:

A. Information You Provide Directly

When you register or interact with the platform, we collect:

  • Personal Information: First name, last name, email, username, password (encrypted).
  • Profile Information: Languages spoken, affiliation, areas of expertise.
  • Contributor Submissions: Course materials, case studies, and teaching resources, which may or may not be directly related to OpenCC’s brand. These are collected with contributor consent.
  • Communication Data: Messages sent through the platform and feedback submissions

B. Information Collected from AI Agents

  • User Discussions: AI-powered agents store discussions related to syllabus creation, topic searches, and material recommendations.
  • AI Processing: Conversations are used to improve responses but are not used for training external AI models.

C. Information Collected Automatically

  • Usage Data: Pages visited, actions taken, time spent on the platform.
  • Device & Browser Information: IP address, device type, operating system, browser type.

D. Bot Protection & Security Measures:

  • reCAPTCHA is used to prevent automated abuse and protect user accounts.
  • Advanced bot protection mechanisms detect and block suspicious activity. D. Information from External Databases & AI Processing

E. Contributor Submissions & AI Enhancements:

  • Course materials, case studies, and teaching resources may be stored in external vector databases like Pinecone for AI-powered contextual enhancements.
  • These databases enable AI models to retrieve relevant information for improved content recommendations.
  • Contributor Consent: All contributor materials are stored and used with the explicit consent of the contributor when they agree to the Terms and Services.

2. How We Use Your Information

We collect and process data to:

  • Provide and personalize your experience on the Open Climate Curriculum.
  • Enable AI-powered syllabus creation, material recommendations, and contextual enhancements.
  • Enhance security, prevent fraud, and block automated bots.
  • Improve platform functionality based on user behavior and feedback.
  • Store contributor submissions in external vector databases (e.g., Pinecone) to enhance AI retrieval capabilities.
  • Ensure compliance with legal and regulatory requirements.

3. How We Protect Your Data

We implement strict security measures to protect your data:

  • Password Encryption: All passwords are securely encrypted and never stored in plain text.
  • End-to-End Security: Data transmissions are protected by SSL/TLS encryption.
  • Access Controls: Only authorized personnel can access critical system data.
  • Bot Protection & reCAPTCHA: Prevents malicious bots from accessing the platform.
  • External Database Security: Data stored in Pinecone is encrypted and access-restricted for AI contextual retrieval only.
  • Secure Slide Generation: Plain text data sent to the SlideSpeak API does not include
    personal or identifiable user information.
  • Despite these measures, no online system is 100% secure. Users are encouraged to use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication (if available).

4. Data Sharing & Third Party Services

  • We do not sell or rent your personal data. However, we may share information in specific situations.
  • Your name, affiliation, languages spoken, and areas of expertise may be visible to other registered users.
  • If you contribute materials, your name is linked to your submissions.
  • No personal data, IPs, or user credentials are transmitted during this process.
  • If required by law or necessary to protect platform integrity, we may share data with law enforcement or regulatory bodies.
  • We use third-party analytics or cloud hosting services that comply with strict data protection standards.

5. Your Rights & Choices

You have control over your data and can:

  • Access & Update Your Information: Edit your profile details anytime from your dashboard.
  • Delete Your Account: Request account deletion, and we will erase associated personal data (except where required for legal compliance).
  • Control Cookies: Modify browser settings to limit cookie tracking (may affect platform functionality).

6. Data Retention & Deletion

  • We retain personal information only as long as necessary to provide platform services.
  • If an account is inactive for 24 months, it may be automatically deleted.
  • Contributor-submitted materials may remain on the platform for educational purposes, unless the contributor requests removal.

7. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

  • Essential Cookies: Required for authentication and security.
  • Analytics Cookies: Help us understand user behavior (can be disabled).
  • Third-Party Cookies: Used by embedded services like AI tools (subject to third-party privacy policies).
  • You can modify cookie settings in your browser, if needed. Otherwise, we do track for essential, analytical, and third-party analytic tracking on AI usage. Information such as page actions, user discussion (protected by encryption) is tracked.