Cookie Policy
Understanding Data Usage on Study Spot
What Are Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device to remember information about your visit. Think of them as digital sticky notes that help websites recognize you when you return. Beyond traditional cookies, we also use web beacons, pixel tags, and local storage technologies to improve how our platform works for you.
These technologies serve different purposes - some are essential for basic website functionality, while others help us understand how people use our career development resources and email marketing tools. We've designed our tracking approach to be respectful of your privacy while still providing you with a personalized experience.
Types of Tracking We Use
Essential Cookies
These cookies are necessary for basic website functionality. They enable core features like secure login, remembering your preferences, and maintaining your session as you navigate between pages. Without these, our platform simply wouldn't work properly.
Functional Cookies
These enhance your experience by remembering choices you make, such as your preferred language, region, or customized dashboard settings. They help us provide a more personalized experience without identifying you personally.
Analytics Cookies
We use these to understand how visitors interact with our website. They help us identify which career development resources are most valuable, how people navigate our platform, and where we can make improvements.
Marketing Cookies
These track your visit across websites to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant content. They help us understand which email marketing campaigns are effective and personalize your experience with our career development resources.
How Tracking Enhances Your Experience
Our tracking technologies work behind the scenes to make your interactions with Study Spot more meaningful and efficient. When you return to our platform, we can remember where you left off in a webinar series or which career development topics interest you most.
Practical Benefits You'll Notice
Your dashboard remembers your preferred layout and displays relevant career opportunities based on your previous activity. Our email marketing system learns which types of content you engage with most, ensuring you receive valuable updates rather than generic newsletters. We can also identify technical issues faster and provide better customer support when you contact us.
Information We Collect Through Tracking
Data Retention and Your Control
We retain tracking data for different periods depending on its purpose. Essential cookies last only for your current session, while preference cookies might remain for up to a year to remember your settings. Analytics data is typically aggregated and anonymized after 26 months.
You have significant control over this data collection. Most browsers allow you to view, delete, or block cookies entirely. However, blocking essential cookies may affect how well our platform works for you. We've designed our systems to respect your choices while still providing core functionality.
Managing Your Browser Settings
Each browser handles cookie management differently, but the process is generally straightforward. You can typically find these options in your browser's privacy or security settings section.
Third-Party Tracking Partners
We work with carefully selected partners to provide analytics, email marketing services, and other functionality. These partners may place their own tracking technologies on our website, but they're bound by strict agreements about how they can use your information.
Our analytics providers help us understand website performance and user behavior patterns. Email marketing partners enable us to send you relevant career development updates and measure campaign effectiveness. We regularly review these partnerships to ensure they align with our privacy standards and South African data protection requirements.
Updates to This Policy
As we continue developing new features for our career development platform and email marketing services, we may need to update this policy. We'll notify you of significant changes through our website and email communications. Minor clarifications or additions will be updated here with a new effective date.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically, especially if you have questions about how we handle tracking data. Our approach to data collection evolves with technology and regulatory requirements, but our commitment to transparency remains constant.