Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Adaptive Smart Tech ("AST Certify," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use astcertify.com and its related subdomains (collectively, the "Service").

1. Who This Applies To

The Service is used by three kinds of people, and this policy covers all of them:

• Companies and Authorities — organizations that register to build and issue certifications.
• Candidates — individuals who take exams and receive certifications through an Authority.
• Visitors — anyone using the public credential verification tool.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only what's needed to operate the Service:

• Account information: organization name, your name, email address, and phone number (if provided) when a Company registers.
• Candidate information: name and email address, exam attempts, scores, and issued certifications, provided by the Authority you're certified through.
• Usage information: records of significant account actions (such as registration, certification issuance, and token purchases) for security, support, and accountability purposes.

We do not collect payment card numbers directly — token purchases are processed through a third-party payment processor, which handles that information under its own privacy practices.

3. How We Use Information

• To create and manage your account and deliver the Service you signed up for.
• To send account-related communications, including email verification links and important notices about your account.
• To issue and publicly verify certifications, as intended by the Service's core function.
• To maintain security, detect misuse, and keep an audit trail of significant account activity.

4. Third-Party Services We Use

We rely on a small number of third-party providers to operate the Service:

• Email delivery (currently Brevo) — to send verification and account emails.
• Google reCAPTCHA — to protect our registration form from automated abuse.
• Google Sign-In — as an optional way to verify your identity and sign in, if you choose it.
• CRM integrations (optional) — if an Authority connects HubSpot or Salesforce, certification records may sync to that Authority's own CRM account. This is controlled entirely by the Authority, not by us.

We do not sell personal information to third parties, and we do not use it for advertising.

5. Public Credential Verification

A core feature of the Service is allowing anyone to verify that a specific certification is real and active, using a unique verification link. Only the minimum information needed to confirm a credential (such as the certification name and status) is shown publicly. Verification does not expose a candidate's full account, contact information, or exam results.

6. Data Retention

We retain account and certification records for as long as your account is active, and as needed to maintain the integrity of the public verification system (a certification's record shouldn't disappear just because it later expires). You may request deletion of your account information as described below, subject to any records we're required to keep for legal, security, or verification-integrity purposes.

7. Your Rights

You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information by contacting us at support@astcertify.com. We'll respond within a reasonable time and explain any limits on deletion (for example, where a certification record needs to remain verifiable).

8. Data Security

We use industry-standard safeguards to protect your information, including encrypted connections, database-level access controls that keep each organization's data isolated from others, and least-privilege access for our own systems. No system is perfectly secure, but we take this seriously and continue to improve it as the Service grows.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is intended for use by organizations and adult professionals. It is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Service evolves. We'll update the "Last updated" date above when we do. Continued use of the Service after changes means you accept the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

Questions about this policy can be sent to support@astcertify.com.