GoGira! Privacy Policy

1) Privacy Policy Changes

We may update this Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page. Your continued use of the Services after any change means you accept the updated Policy. If you disagree, stop using the Services.

2) Our Audience (Children's Privacy)

You must be 13 years or older to create an account. The Services are not intended for children under 13 (or below the minimum age to consent to data processing where you live). If we learn an account belongs to someone under the applicable minimum age, we will delete the information and terminate the account.

Minors (13-17).

• GoGira! does not show third-party ads in product and does not use cross-context behavioral advertising to minors.
• Discovery Card (at-a-glance profile) visibility is Off unless opted in at sign-up and can be changed any time.
• Ages 13-15: Where a state could treat pre-connection Discovery Card viewing as a "sale" or "share," we obtain opt-in before enabling Discovery Card visibility and maintain records of consent.
• Maryland (effective Oct 1, 2025): We apply data minimization and do not engage in targeted advertising to minors (not applicable to our in-product design; safeguard remains).
• Parent/Guardian oversight: Students ages 13-17 may add a parent/guardian for optional viewing of the student's in-app activity and messaging with partners or higher-ed institutions.

3) Third Parties and Links

We may reference or link to websites or services (e.g., colleges, universities, career, higher-education, and financial-aid partners) with their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for those practices. Review third-party terms before providing information.

4) Personal Information We Collect

We collect information (a) automatically, (b) from other sources, and (c) directly from you.

We (and/or trusted partners acting on our behalf) automatically collect certain information when you visit, use, or navigate the Services. This does not reveal your specific identity (like your full name) but may include:

• Device & Usage Data: IP address; device identifiers; browser and device characteristics; operating system; language preferences; referring URLs; device name; Internet service provider or mobile carrier; system configuration; pages/screens viewed; navigation paths; time spent; access times; error logs/crash data; diagnostic and performance data.
• Approximate Location: We do not collect precise geolocation. We may infer approximate location (e.g., country/region, state, city, or ZIP) from IP address or use self-reported location you provide.
• Preferences & Engagement: Interactions with our emails, text messages, push notifications, and in-app messages.
• Support Telemetry: Dates of contact; chat transcripts; call logs (including phone numbers you use to contact support).
• Cookies/Similar Tech: Cookies, pixels, tags, and local storage used for session integrity, security, preferences, analytics, and (for adults off-platform) marketing attribution. See Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies.
• Do Not Track: Some browsers send DNT signals; we currently do not respond to DNT.

To provide relevant Services and keep records current, we may obtain information about you from:

• Public databases and data providers
• Joint marketing/affiliate partners
• Social media platforms (if you interact via your social account)

Examples: mailing addresses; job titles; email addresses; phone numbers; intent/behavior data; IP addresses; social handles and URLs; and public profile information, subject to your social platform settings.

You may provide information when you register, create a profile, use features, fill forms, upload content, communicate with us, or otherwise use the Services. Below are the main user roles and the personal information we may collect.

• Identifiers: Name (if you contact us), email, phone; dates of contact; chat transcripts; feedback/reviews/comments you submit.
• Sensitive Information (only as permitted by law and with consent if required): Limited categories such as information revealing race/ethnicity or beliefs only if you provide them voluntarily (e.g., in a message to us).
• Support/Diagnostics: As described in "Information Collected Automatically."

• Identifiers: Name, email, phone, mailing address, date of birth, communication preferences, usernames, authentication data.
• Education & Profile: Educational status and plans; grade/level; general interests; Discovery Card fields (at-a-glance); Detailed Profile fields (e.g., grades, courses, activities, attributes, references, uploads, essays/portfolios, and other materials you choose to provide).
• Demographics (optional/where permitted): Gender/identity, ethnicity, residency/citizenship, financial status—only if you choose to provide and as permitted by law.
• Parent/Guardian Info (if applicable): Relationship, contact info, permissions.
• Payment Data (if you purchase subscriptions): Payment instrument and billing details (processed by our payment providers; we do not store full card numbers).

• Identifiers: Name, email, phone, relationship to student, permissions granted.
• Student-Support Context: Limited access to the student's in-app activity and messaging if the student adds you; any information you submit (feedback, support interactions, etc.).
• Payment Data (if you purchase on behalf of a student).

• Institutional/Professional Identifiers: Name, institutional affiliation, title/role, business contact info, verification data necessary to use Higher-Ed features.
• Account/Permissions: Admin roles, access logs for compliance.
• Payment Data (if applicable to your organization's plan).

(e.g., tutors, school counselors, career services, financial-aid-related services, content providers)

• Entity & Professional Info: Organization name; licenses/certifications; public professional address/description; specialties you choose to share.
• Identifiers: Name, email, phone, role, business address, titles, permissions, authentication data.
• Payment Data (if applicable to your plan).

• Identifiers: Name, email, position/title, institution/organization.
• Reference Content: Recommendation text/ratings/feedback you submit for a student (processed for the student's use within GoGira!).
• Communications: Contact dates and correspondence.

• Identifiers & Business Info: Name, email, phone, website, social URLs, business/entity name, industry, audience, tax information, and other application details.
• Sensitive Information (where required by law and with consent if required): Tax IDs, government ID, banking info for payouts.

Key Product Concepts (How Matching Works)

Partner & Higher-Ed Matching Content (Not Advertising). Inside GoGira!, colleges/universities ("Higher-Ed") and career/financial-aid/service organizations ("Partners") publish information so students can discover, match, and connect. This first-party matching content is not cross-context behavioral advertising and does not use third-party ad networks.

Profile. Your "Profile" means the information you choose to include in GoGira! (for example: first name/initial, education history and grades, test information, extracurriculars/interests, references/recommendations, uploads, contact preferences, and approximate location). GoGira! does not collect or use precise geolocation.

Single Profile-Visibility Opt-In (Default: Off unless opted in at sign-up).At registration—and changeable anytime in Settings—you choose who may view your Profile inside GoGira! without a connection request:

• Off (no one can view your Profile unless you accept a connection or later change this setting)
• Higher-Education Institutions
• Partners (Related College, Career, and Financial Aid Services)

Compliance note (U.S. states): Because some state laws define "sale" or "sharing" broadly, pre-connection Profile visibility may be treated as a sale/share. We therefore provide Do Not Sell/Share controls and honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) where required. For ages 13-15, where required, we obtain an opt-in before enabling any activity a state might treat as sale/share. Users under 13 may not use GoGira!.

Connections & Messaging. Connections enable direct messaging and next-step workflows. If your Profile Visibility is set to Off, recipients will not see your Profile unless you accept a connection (or change your visibility setting).

5) How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information to:

• Provide and improve Services: Account creation, authentication, feature delivery, personalization, security, and integrity of the platform.
• Personalize experience: Show relevant Partner Matching Content based on student-provided data and partner criteria.
• Support & communications: Respond to requests, provide updates on features/terms, request feedback, and facilitate messaging between students and partners/Higher-Ed after the student chooses to connect.
• Research & analytics: Understand usage to improve Services (using de-identified/aggregate data where possible).
• Legal, safety, and fraud prevention: Enforce terms; protect against harm; comply with legal obligations.
• Partner Matching Content is not advertising. It is a first-party matching feature based on student-provided data.

Advertising & Outreach (Outside GoGira!)

We do not run third-party ad networks inside GoGira!. Information posted by Higher-Ed and Partners in GoGira! is first-party matching content, not third-party advertising.

Off-platform campaigns to students and parents. We may run awareness campaigns on third-party services (e.g., search engines or social media) to explain GoGira! and our Services.

• Students ages 13-17. We may show contextual or age-gated ads to teens using the platform's native tools (e.g., "13-17"). We do not: (i) upload or use student lists; (ii) build lookalike audiences from minors' data; (iii) retarget minors from pixels or cookies; or (iv) otherwise use minors' personal information from GoGira! to select, target, or measure ads. Where a law restricts targeted advertising to minors (e.g., certain U.S. states), we do not run such targeted ads to those audiences and honor teen opt-out rights.
• Measurement & tracking. If we use off-platform measurement, we limit it to aggregate reporting. We avoid cross-context behavioral tracking tied to minors and honor legally required signals and controls (including Do Not Sell/Share and Global Privacy Control where applicable).
• No use of minors' in-app data for ads. We do not use student profile content or other minors' personal information collected in GoGira! to create advertising audiences or to run off-platform campaigns.

6) Legal Bases (EEA/UK/Canada)

• Consent: Where required (e.g., certain categories of data; Profiles for ages 13-15 in certain states). You may withdraw consent at any time (where applicable).
• Contract: To provide Services you request (account, matching, connections).
• Legitimate Interests: Security, product improvement, support, and internal analytics balanced against your rights.
• Legal Obligation / Vital Interests: As required by law or to protect someone's safety.

7) When and With Whom We Share Information

We share information with:

• Service Providers/Vendors: Hosting, storage, communications, analytics, customer support, payment processing, and security.
• Educational Entities & Partners: Higher-Ed, career, and financial-aid partners involved in matching/connection.
• Government/Authorities: As required by law or to protect rights/safety.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets.

Offer Wall (if present)

Our apps may display a third-party hosted "offer wall." When you click an offer, you leave our app for a third-party site. A unique identifier (e.g., user ID) may be shared to prevent fraud and credit rewards. That third party's privacy policy applies.

Mobile Information & SMS

We do not share your mobile number or opt-in/consent data with third parties for their own marketing. We may share mobile info with subcontractors to deliver our messaging features or as required by law.

8) Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies

• Purpose: Session integrity, security, preferences, analytics, quality, and (for adults off-platform) marketing attribution.
• No precise geolocation via cookies: We do not collect precise location; any location derived via cookies/identifiers is approximate (e.g., city/state/ZIP from IP).
• Do Not Track: Not currently recognized.
• Analytics: We may use tools such as Google Analytics (see provider pages for opt-outs).
• Universal Opt-Out Signals: Where required (e.g., CO, CT, FL (when effective), MT, NH, NJ, OR, TN, TX, MN, DE, IA, MD), we honor GPC as a request to opt out of "sale"/"sharing."

You can manage cookies in your browser settings. Blocking some cookies may affect functionality.

9) Social Logins

If you register or log in using a social account, we receive certain profile information (e.g., name, email, profile image) per that platform's terms. We use it only as described in this Policy.

10) International Data Transfers

We may transfer, store, and process information in countries other than your own (including the U.S.). We use appropriate safeguards (e.g., EU/UK Standard Contractual Clauses) for international transfers where required.

11) Data Retention

We keep personal information as long as needed to provide the Services and for legitimate purposes (e.g., security, legal, accounting). Users can initiate deletion in Account Settings. Requests are queued, then data are purged from active systems per our schedules and obligations.

12) How We Keep Information Safe

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect information (encryption in transit where supported, access controls, monitoring, testing). No method is 100% secure, but we aim to protect confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

13) Privacy Controls and Rights

Your Core Controls (All Users)

• Access/Update: Manage account details via Account Settings.
• Student Profile Visibility:
  • Default: Off unless opted in at sign-up.
  • Choices at any time: Off / Higher-Ed only / Partners only / Everyone.
  • When On, approved partners/Higher-Ed may view your Profile inside GoGira!.
• Connection Notice: On acceptance, Direct Messaging is enabled with higher ed institution or related college, career or financial-aid partner.
• Sharing Tools: You may share content within the Services; sharing outside is user-directed.
• FERPA & References: You may have rights to access school records; you can choose to waive reference access under FERPA. If under 18, consult a parent/guardian and your reference provider's policy.
• Communications Preferences: Manage emails, texts, and notifications in Account Settings.
• Download Data: Use Download Data for a portable copy.
• Delete Account: Delete anytime in Account Settings.

Because some states define "sale"/"sharing" broadly, allowing partners to view opted-in Profiles in exchange for fees may be deemed a sale/share. Use our Opt-Out Share controls and/or enable GPC; we honor such signals where required.

• Ages 13-15: Where required, we obtain opt-in before enabling any activity a state may treat as "sale/share".
• Ages 16-17: Profile sharing stays Off unless opted in at sign-up; teens can toggle visibility and opt out of sharing at any time.
• We do not run in-product third-party ads or cross-context behavioral advertising to minors.

14) How We Share Information (Signals/Plugins)

We may use targeting/marketing cookies (for adults off-platform), social media cookies, pixels/tags, and social plugins; plugins may process IP and page context. Interactions are governed by each platform's terms. Log out of the social platform to reduce linkage.

15) U.S. Supplemental Statements (CCPA/CPRA and Similar Laws)

Notes: We may collect only some items within a category depending on your role/usage. We do not collect precise geolocation.

• We disclosed Categories A, B, C, D, F, G (approximate only), I, J, K, and applicable L to service providers/partners for business purposes described in this Policy.
• Because some states define "sale" and "sharing" broadly, pre-connection Profile viewing by paying partners may be deemed a sale/share. We therefore provide Do Not Share controls and honor GPC where required.
• We do not run third-party ad networks inside GoGira! and do not conduct cross-context behavioral advertising in product.

You may request access, deletion, correction, or a portable copy of your data, and opt out of sale/sharing where applicable. We will verify requests as required by law and respond within statutory timelines. You may use an authorized agent subject to verification. We do not discriminate for exercising rights.

If we offer a financial incentive tied to personal information, we will disclose required terms (including a good-faith estimate of data value and calculation method). You may withdraw at any time.

These states provide similar rights (access, correction, deletion, portability, opt-out of targeted ads/sale/profiling). We provide opt-outs and an appeals process within required timelines.

We apply data minimization and do not engage in targeted advertising to minors.

16) International Supplemental Statements

• Controller: Shyres SCR Inc. (GoGira!).
• Legal Bases: Consent; contract; legitimate interests; legal obligation; vital interests.
• Transfers: We use SCCs and other safeguards where required.
• Your Rights: Access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, portability, and withdrawal of consent where applicable. You may lodge a complaint with your local DPA.

Canada

We rely on express or implied consent as required; you may withdraw consent (subject to legal/contractual limits). Complaint rights to the OPC or provincial authorities remain available.

Australia / New Zealand / South Africa

We comply with applicable national privacy principles. You may request access/correction and lodge complaints with the relevant regulator.

Matching, not advertising: Inside GoGira!, Partner Matching Content is for discovery and connection, not third-party advertising. Post-connection processing occurs under the recipient's privacy notice.

17) Contact Us

GoGira! -- Data Privacy Office
6475 E. PCH, Suite #355
Long Beach, CA 90803, United States
contact@gogira.com