The Privacy Policy explains how Protea may: collect, use, and disclose information it obtains through the “Platform Service”. Used terms that are not defined in here will have the same definition as in the Terms of Service. The terms “we,” and “us” include Protea B.V., and our affiliates and subsidiaries. 

“Protea”: include Protea B.V., and its affiliates and subsidiaries. 

“Platform Service” and the “Service(s)”: any services provided by Protea through its websites, mobile applications, and/or other services under the control of Protea, whether partial or otherwise, related to providing an online, mobile, and/or other digital platform for said Services. 

“Personal Information”: information that alone or when in combination with other information may be used to readily identify, contact, or locate Users, such as: name, address, e-mail address, payment information, or phone number. We do not consider Personal Information to include information that has been de-identified so that it does not allow a third party to easily identify a specific individual.

“User(s)”: Members of Protea as well as Apprentices registered in the Protea database

“Your User Content”: Protea may provide its Users with the ability to post or share content including posts, text, comments, photos, videos, links, and files to share with other Users.

For purposes of this Privacy Policy, “Personal Information” is any information that identifies, relates to, or describes, directly or indirectly, an individual or a household.

In the course of operating the Platform Service, Protea collects Personal Information, which it uses for typical business and commercial purposes (including compliance with legal obligations and use for auditing, security, and anti-fraud purposes) and for other purposes as described below:

Information Users Give Us. When User sign up for and use the Platform Service Protea may collect and store Personal Information Users provide, including:

• Personal Identifiers. Protea receives personal identifiers Users provide (including, for example, information such as your name, hometown, e-mail address, login and password, telephone number, or similar identifiers) and use them to respond to and complete Users requests, provide notifications, and communicate with Users for registration, customer service, and informational purposes (including sending you confirmation e-mails, notices, updates, invoices, and security alerts), and for marketing purposes (including sending you news, promotions, sof interest to you). Protea may also create internal identification and reference codes to identify Users in its electronic systems.

• Communications and Submissions. Protea collect the information and content Users submit when submitting a review / rating or otherwise use of the Platform Service (including posting public testimonials and other public content), or otherwise voluntarily interact with us. We also collect information Users submit through contact, sign-up, and profile forms, e-mail communications, and other submissions (including reviews and surveys), and when User communicate with Protea or its support department. Protea uses this information to respond to and fulfill Users requests, communicate with User about the Platform Services and the Site, for promotional/marketing purposes, to establish and manage its customer relations and customer service, and to provide and improve its websites, products, and services.

• Protea’s Referral Information. If Users use Protea’s referral program to recommend Protea to a friend, Users may need to provide contact information of itself for of the friend. Protea will automatically send the friend a one-time e-mail inviting him or her to visit its website and Platform Service. Protea stores this information for the sole purpose of sending this one-time e-mail and tracking the success of its referral program.

• Financial Information. Protea receives financial information such as payment card, banking information, or PayPal™ information, and other related information to process payments for services Users have requested and/or rendered to receive and issue payments to Users.

• Commercial Information. Protea collects and generate commercial information and transaction information (such as records of services transactions / purchases on its websites and/or other services User has enrolled in). Protea uses this information to respond to and fulfill requests, improve its product and service offerings, communicate with Users, tailor its marketing efforts, and for internal reporting purposes.

• Inferences from the information listed above. Protea will use the information listed above to draw inferences about User’s preferences to help it develop and provide better products and services.

• Privacy Choices. Protea receives and retain any opt-outs or other choices related to how Protea collect, use and disclose Personal Information.

Social Networks and Publicly Available Data. Protea’s websites and Platform Services may include social media features, such as the Facebook “Like” button and widgets like the “Share” button and similar functions. These features may collect User’s IP address, the pages Users are visiting on Protea’s websites, and may set cookies to enable them to function as Users have requested. Social media features and widgets are either hosted by a third party or directly on Protea’s websites. Protea may also permit User to log-in and connect its account with accounts on other websites and Protea may collect personal identifiers User have made available on those sites. Protea uses the Personal Information collected in this way for the same purposes as described above.

Information Other Users Provide. Other Users may provide Protea with a third party’s personal identifiers (such as your e-mail address) or other information in order to invite this third party  to use the Platform Services or to share content from the Platform Services with. In this case, Protea will use the information of the third party for the purposes for which it was provided.

Other Collected Information. Protea may also collect other information about User, User’s device, or User’s use of the Services in ways that Protea describes to User at the point of collection or otherwise with User’s consent. User may choose not to provide Protea with certain types of information but doing so may affect User’s ability to use some of the Services.

Information obtained from usage of the Platform Service. In addition to information User provide when using the Platform Services, Protea keeps track of information about how User have used said Platform Services, like when User open one of our e-mails or whether User viewed and interacted with certain content (collectively, “Usage Information”). Protea uses this information to provide and improve its products and services, tailor User’s experience on and across its websites and other services, tailor its marketing efforts, and to create aggregate internal reports on website usage and activity, such as views of certain pages and content. Usage Information includes:

• Device Information. Protea collects device-specific information (such as User’s hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information, including phone number).

• Browsing Information. This includes the URL that referred User to the Platform Service, the areas within the Platform Service that User visit, how long User spend on the Platform Service, and the time of day of User’s visit.

• IP Address. An IP address is a string of numbers associated with the device User use to access the Internet.

• Location Information. Many mobile devices permit applications to access real-time geolocation information. Protea may collect and use such information with User’s consent when User use its websites. Protea use various technologies to determine location, including IP address, GPS, and other sensors that may, for example, provide Protea with information on nearby devices, Wi-Fi access points and cell towers and provide geo-location information.

• Inferences from the information listed above. Protea may use the information listed above to draw inferences about User’s preferences to help it provide User with personalized content and offers and help it develop and provide better products and services.

Automatic Collection of Information from Cookies and Other Technology. Protea and its partners use various technologies to collect and store information when User visit the Platform Service, which Protea uses for the same purposes as Usage Information and to help Protea improve its websites and communications. This automatic information collection may include using cookies or similar technologies to identify User’s browser or device:

• a cookie is a small file containing a string of characters that is sent to your computer when you visit a website. When you visit the website again, the cookie allows that site to recognize your browser. Cookies may store user’s preferences and other information. User can reset its browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, some website features or services may not function properly without cookies;

• mobile Identifiers. Protea may use software development kits (“SDKs”) or mobile advertising identifiers (i.e., IDFA on Apple mobile devices or Advertising ID on Android mobile devices), which function similarly to cookies on mobile devices. User may reset its IDFA or Advertising ID in the settings on its mobile device;

• web Beacons. Small graphic images or other web programming code called web beacons (also known as “1×1 GIFs,” “one pixel GIFs,” or “clear GIFs”) may be included in Protea’s web pages and e-mail messages. Web beacons may be invisible to Users, but any electronic image or other web programming code inserted into a web page or e-mail can act as a web beacon. Web beacons or similar technologies may be used for a number of purposes, including, without limitation, to count visitors to the Platform Service, to monitor how Users navigate the Platform Service, to make cookies more effective, and to analyze how its e-mails, articles, and links were opened, viewed, and used.

** Most browsers will tell you how to stop accepting new cookies, how to receive notification of new cookies, and how to disable existing cookies. For more information about cookies and how to disable them, or restrict the categories of cookies you wish to accept, you can consult the information at www.allaboutcookies.org/manage-cookies/. Please note that rejecting cookies does not mean that you will no longer see ads when you browse the internet. Also, without cookies, User may not be able to take full advantage of all of the Platform Service and some parts of the Website may not function properly.

Anonymous or Aggregated Information. Protea de-identify or aggregate data it receives and may use and disclose it for any business purpose.

Service Providers. Protea shares any of the Personal information described above with service providers (including but not limited to payment processors, fraud detection vendors, and service-related technology providers) that provide services to User and us, including to help Protea maintain its databases and websites, administer e-mails, display content, and analyze website usage activity. For example, Protea may provide User’s personal identifiers and commercial information to vendors so they can send Users communications on our behalf. Protea requires that service providers use Personal Information only for the purposes specified in our agreements.

Advertising Partners. Protea may share User’s personal identifiers and commercial information with advertising partners that use various technologies to send (or serve) relevant ads on our behalf on platforms or websites operated by others.

Within Our Organization. Protea may share any of User’s Personal Information with parents, subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and other entities under common control subject to this Privacy Policy.

Social Networks. User may interact with features of the website and Platform Services that cause certain categories of Personal Information to be published to User’s social networks. To understand the precise categories of Personal Information shared in this manner, please review the privacy policies of the relevant social networks and/or log out of the applicable service before you use our online services.

Disclosures Using Non-Restricted Services. Information you post to the Platform Service may be shared in order for us to provide the Service. Please exercise caution and good judgment when disclosing any Personal Information in posts you make on the Platform Service. Note that Protea cannot be responsible for any online postings outside of its control. Such activities and the associated postings are also outside the scope of this Policy.

Sweepstakes, Contests, and Promotions. Protea may offer sweepstakes and other promotions (“Promotion(s)”) that may require registration. By participating in a Promotion, Users are agreeing to the terms, conditions or official rules that govern that Promotion, which may contain specific requirements of Users, including, except where prohibited by law, allowing the sponsor(s) of the Promotion to use User’s name, and/or likeness in advertising or marketing associated with the Promotion. If Users choose to enter a Promotion, Personal Information may be disclosed to third parties or the public in connection with the administration of such Promotion, including, without limitation, in connection with winner selection, prize fulfillment, and as required by law or permitted by the Promotion’s official rules, such as on a winners list.

Business Transfers. In the event of a merger, acquisition, financing due diligence, reorganization, bankruptcy, receivership, sale of company assets (whether by private sale, through operation of law, as part of a divestiture plan, or otherwise), User’s Personal Information, and any other information that Protea has collected, may be disclosed to the persons and/or entities assuming control of the relevant business unit or as otherwise necessary to complete the transaction as permitted by law or contract.

Legal and Similar Disclosures. Protea may disclose Personal Information about User with law enforcement, the courts, its advisors, attorneys, and/or others who participate in the legal process, if necessary to do so by law or based on our good faith belief that it is necessary to enforce or apply our contracts, conform or comply with the law or is necessary to protect us, the Users of the websites, or others.

Otherwise with Consent or At Direction. In addition to the sharing described in this Privacy Policy, Protea may share information about User with third parties whenever User consent to or direct such sharing.

Protea does not share User’s Personal Information with third parties for their own marketing purposes. However, Protea uses e-mail services to send informational and marketing e-mails, and analytics services to help it understand and improve the usage of its websites and e-mails. Protea also uses advertising services to serve ads as User browse other sites on the internet. These services will collect User’s personal identifiers (such as IP address, device ID, and cookie information), device characteristics (such as browser version), and website browsing activity by placing cookies and using other similar technology. They use that information to provide advertisements to User and/or to provide analytical information for its websites. These companies also may collect and combine information about User’s online activities over time, on other devices, and on other websites or online services that Protea does not control, if those websites and online services also use the same partners.

Protea currently uses Google Analytics to collect and process usage-related data on the Platform Service. To learn more about Google Analytics and how to opt out, please visit https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

At User’s request, and where required by law, Protea will confirm and/or update the Personal Information it holds about User. Protea may have to verify User’s identity to do so. If User does not want to receive marketing information, User may “opt out” by writing or e-mailing us using the contact information listed below. If User opt out, User may still receive information from us but only if it is necessary to provide User with our services, including administrative messages and satisfaction surveys.

Protea does not sell Personal Information for monetary consideration. However, User can submit a request to opt out of us selling User’s Personal Information for monetary consideration by contacting us at info@proteawork.com.

Protea takes steps to ensure that User’s information is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Unfortunately, the Internet cannot be guaranteed to be 100% secure, and Protea cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information User provide to us. Protea does not accept liability for unintentional disclosure.

By using the Platform Services or providing Personal Information to us, User agree that we may communicate with User electronically regarding security and/or privacy and/or administrative issues relating to User’s use of the Platform Service. If we learn of a security system’s breach, we may attempt to notify User electronically by posting a notice on the Platform Service or by sending an e-mail directly to User.  User may have a legal right to receive this notice in writing. To receive free written notice of a security breach (or to withdraw your consent from receiving electronic notice), please notify us at info@proteawork.com.

No one under the age of 18 is authorized to submit any information, including Personal Information, on the Platform Services. Under no circumstances may anyone under the age of 20 use the Platform Service.

If User learns that a family member or an acquaintance has provided us with Personal Information without User’s consent, User may alert us at info@proteawork.com. If we learn that we have collected any Personal Information from people other than User, we will promptly take steps to delete such information and terminate the  account.

By choosing to visit the website and Platform Service or otherwise provide information to Protea, User agrees that any dispute over privacy or the terms contained in this Privacy Policy will be governed by the law of the Netherlands and the adjudication of any disputes arising in connection with Protea, the website or the Platform Service will be in accordance with its Terms of Service. By providing information to Protea’s Website and/or its Platform Service User consent to any transfer and processing in accordance with this Policy.

This Platform Service may contain links to third-party websites or enable sharing of content with third-party websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to the practices of other websites and services, and we are not responsible for the actions and privacy policies of the third parties that operate or interact with those other website and services.

Data Retention. Protea will retain User’s information for as long as needed to provide Users with the Platform Service and as permitted by law. Protea will retain and use User’s information as necessary to comply with its legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce its agreements.

Account Deactivation and Deletion. Please review our Terms of Service for the requirements in the event User no longer desire to use the Platform Service. Please note, certain data User may have provided may continue to exist in aggregate form that cannot be used to identify it.

Revised Privacy Policy. Protea may update this privacy policy to reflect changes to its information practices. If Protea makes any change in how it uses Personal Information it will notify Users by email (sent to the e-mail address specified in User’s account) or by means of a notice on the website and/or the Platform Service prior to the change becoming effective. Protea encourages its Users to periodically review this page for the latest information on its privacy practices.

Uses of Personal Information. From time to time, Protea may desire to use Personal Information for use not previously disclosed in its Privacy Policy. If Protea practices change regarding previously collected Personal Information in a way that would be materially less restrictive than stated in the version of this Privacy Policy in effect at the time it collected the information, Protea will make reasonable efforts to provide notice and obtain consent to any such use as may be required by law.