Who We Are

AdvanceTide operates from Hsinchu, Taiwan, providing specialized education in automated software testing. We're bound by Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA) and maintain compliance with international privacy standards. When you share information with us, we handle it according to these regulations and our own commitment to your privacy.

Our physical location is No. 16, Section 2, Jingguo Rd, North District, Hsinchu City, Taiwan 300. You can reach us at +886229681701 or contact@advancetide.life for any privacy-related questions.

Information We Collect

We only collect what we actually need to provide our educational services. Nothing more. Here's what that includes:

Information You Give Us Directly

• Name and contact details when you inquire about our programs
• Educational background and professional experience for program placement
• Payment information when you enroll (processed through secure third-party providers)
• Communication preferences and any specific learning needs you share with us
• Assignment submissions and project work during your learning journey

Information We Collect Automatically

When you visit our website, we gather basic technical information to keep things running smoothly and improve your experience. This includes your IP address, browser type, pages you visit, and how long you stay. We use cookies for this, but you can control them through your browser settings.

How We Use Your Information

Every piece of data we collect serves a specific purpose in supporting your learning experience or maintaining our educational operations.

We occasionally send emails about new courses or important updates. You can opt out anytime by clicking the unsubscribe link in any message or contacting us directly.

Sharing and Third Parties

We're selective about who we work with. When we share your information with third parties, it's only with providers who meet our privacy standards and have legitimate reasons to access it.

Service Providers We Work With

• Payment processors for secure transaction handling
• Cloud hosting services for our learning platform infrastructure
• Email service providers for program communications
• Analytics tools to understand how our website performs

Each of these providers operates under strict data protection agreements. They can only use your information for the specific services they provide to us, and they're prohibited from using it for their own purposes.

When We Must Disclose Information

Sometimes we're legally required to share data. This happens when Taiwan authorities request information through proper legal channels, when protecting someone's safety requires it, or when defending our legal rights becomes necessary. We review every request carefully and only share what's legally required.

International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers operate servers outside Taiwan. When your data travels internationally, we ensure proper safeguards are in place through standard contractual clauses and adequacy assessments.

We primarily work with providers in regions recognized for strong data protection standards. Before transferring any data internationally, we verify that appropriate legal mechanisms protect your information according to Taiwan's PDPA requirements.

Your Rights Under Taiwan Law

Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act gives you specific rights over your personal information. We take these seriously and have processes in place to help you exercise them.

1. Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you. We'll provide it within 30 days, in a commonly used format.
2. Right to Correction: Found something wrong or outdated? Let us know and we'll fix it promptly. You can update most information directly through your account.
3. Right to Deletion: You can ask us to delete your data in certain situations, like when it's no longer needed for the original purpose or you withdraw consent.
4. Right to Object: If you disagree with how we're processing your data, you can object. We'll stop unless we have compelling legitimate grounds to continue.
5. Right to Data Portability: Want to move your data elsewhere? We'll provide it in a structured, machine-readable format when technically feasible.
6. Right to Withdraw Consent: If we're processing your data based on consent, you can withdraw it anytime. This won't affect any processing that happened before you withdrew consent.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at contact@advancetide.life with your request. We'll verify your identity and respond within the timeframes required by Taiwan law. There's no fee for reasonable requests, though we might charge for excessive or repetitive requests.

Data Security Measures

Security isn't just a checkbox for us. We've implemented multiple layers of protection to keep your information safe from unauthorized access, alteration, or disclosure.

Technical Safeguards

• Industry-standard encryption for data in transit and at rest
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Secure server infrastructure with restricted physical access
• Automated backup systems with encrypted storage
• Multi-factor authentication for administrative access

Organizational Measures

Our team receives regular training on data protection practices. Access to personal information is strictly limited to staff members who need it for their work. We maintain detailed logs of who accesses what and when.

Despite our best efforts, no online system is 100% secure. If a data breach occurs that might affect you, we'll notify you and relevant authorities according to Taiwan legal requirements, typically within 72 hours of discovering the breach.

Data Retention Periods

We don't keep your data forever. Our retention periods are based on legal requirements, business needs, and the purposes for which we collected the information.

How Long We Keep Different Types of Data

• Student records: 7 years after program completion (required by Taiwan education regulations)
• Financial records: 5 years after transaction date (tax compliance requirement)
• Marketing communications: Until you unsubscribe or request deletion
• Website analytics: 26 months maximum, then automatically deleted
• Support inquiries: 3 years for quality assurance and legal protection

After these periods expire, we securely delete or anonymize your information. Anonymized data that can't identify you might be retained indefinitely for statistical analysis and program improvement.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies to function properly and provide a better experience. Some are essential for basic operations, while others help us understand how people use our site.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential cookies: Required for login, security, and basic site functionality. These can't be disabled.
• Performance cookies: Help us understand which pages are popular and identify technical issues. These are anonymous.
• Functional cookies: Remember your preferences like language settings and display options.

You can control non-essential cookies through your browser settings. Keep in mind that blocking certain cookies might affect how our website works for you. Most browsers allow you to view, manage, and delete cookies through their settings menu.

Children's Privacy

Our programs are designed for adult learners aged 18 and older. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you're a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately. We'll delete the information as soon as possible.

Changes to This Policy

Privacy regulations and our practices evolve. When we make significant changes to this policy, we'll notify you by email (if you've provided one) and post a notice on our website. The "Effective Date" at the top shows when the current version took effect.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.