Privacy Policy
InstMates is a professional community platform for instrumentation and analyzer technicians. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to you.
Information We Collect
- Account information: name, email address, and password, handled via Firebase Authentication.
- Profile information: details you choose to add such as headline, location, specialization, and photo.
- Content you post: posts, comments, and replies you submit to the community.
- Usage analytics: general usage patterns and page views collected via Google Analytics.
How We Use Information
- To operate your account and let you participate in the community.
- To display your profile and posted content to other visitors, consistent with the site's open, public design.
- To understand overall usage patterns and improve the platform.
- To communicate with you about your account when necessary.
Data Storage & Security
Account and content data is stored using Google Firebase (Authentication and Firestore database). We use reasonable technical safeguards to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage over the internet is guaranteed to be 100% secure.
Sharing of Information
- We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
- Content you choose to post publicly (posts, comments, profile details) is visible to other visitors, in line with InstMates' open-access design.
- Aggregated, anonymized analytics data may be processed by services such as Google Analytics.
Your Choices & Rights
- You can edit or remove your profile information and your own posts or comments at any time.
- You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us.
- You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this may affect site functionality such as staying signed in.
Cookies
InstMates uses cookies and similar local storage to keep you signed in ("remember me") and to collect basic analytics about how the site is used.
Children's Privacy
InstMates is intended for use by working professionals and is not directed at children under 13 years of age (or the applicable minimum age in your region).
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Continued use of InstMates after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to request deletion of your data, contact us at hello@instmates.com.