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Legal · Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how the BMO and UKMT Pathway Guide (“we”, “the site”) collects, uses and discloses information about visitors. The policy is written to comply with the Personal Information Protection Law of the People’s Republic of China (PIPL), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable, and the standard editorial-website norms for transparent data handling.

Effective date: 24 May 2026 · Last reviewed: 24 May 2026

01.

Information We Collect

We collect the minimum information needed to operate an editorial website and a WhatsApp advisor consultation channel:

  • Anonymous analytics — page views, referring URL, browser type and country (no IP address stored beyond 30 days), used to understand which pages are useful and which need editing.
  • WhatsApp advisor exchanges — when you message the WhatsApp advisor channel, the WhatsApp handle, message contents, and timestamp are kept by us for as long as the consultation is active and for one year afterwards for follow-up purposes.
  • Cookies — strictly necessary cookies for site functionality (session, language preference). No third-party advertising cookies; no tracking pixels.

We do not collect name, email, school, phone number or any other identifying information unless you provide it to us directly through the WhatsApp advisor exchange.

02.

How We Use Information

Information collected is used solely for the following purposes:

  • To operate and maintain the editorial website, including anonymous analytics to inform editorial decisions about which content to expand or revise;
  • To respond to WhatsApp advisor consultations, including follow-up messages and providing personalised pathway recommendations;
  • To comply with legal obligations under PIPL, GDPR (where applicable), and Chinese telecommunications and internet regulations.

We do not use information for advertising, behavioural targeting, profile building, or any commercial purpose beyond the operation of the editorial site and the WhatsApp advisor service.

03.

Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent or share visitor information with third parties for marketing or commercial purposes. Information is disclosed only in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service providers — hosting (a Chinese-licensed hosting provider) and analytics (a self-hosted, GDPR-compliant analytics tool). Service providers are bound by contractual confidentiality.
  • Legal obligations — disclosure required by court order, regulatory investigation, or applicable law in China or the user’s home jurisdiction.
  • Editorial corrections — when a reader submits a verified correction or error report, anonymous excerpts may be cited in a published correction note on the relevant page (without identifying the reader).
04.

Your Rights

Under PIPL, GDPR and similar frameworks, you have the right to:

  • Request access to the personal information we hold about you (typically only your WhatsApp advisor exchange history);
  • Request correction of inaccurate information;
  • Request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements);
  • Withdraw consent to data processing where consent was the basis;
  • Lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority (Cyberspace Administration of China for PIPL; your local supervisory authority for GDPR).

To exercise any of these rights, send a written request through the WhatsApp advisor channel. We respond within seven working days.

05.

Children’s Privacy

Much of our audience is composed of minors aged 9 to 18 — students in Year 5 through Year 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 14 except through a parent or guardian’s WhatsApp advisor exchange. Where a younger student initiates a WhatsApp consultation, we ask for confirmation that a parent or guardian is aware and consenting before continuing the exchange.

06.

Data Retention

We retain data only for as long as needed for the purposes stated above:

  • Anonymous analytics: 30 days, then aggregated and the raw record deleted.
  • WhatsApp advisor exchanges: for the duration of the consultation plus 12 months; longer where the user explicitly requests ongoing follow-up.
  • Editorial correction submissions: retained indefinitely as part of the published corrections record (with submitter anonymised by default).
07.

Contact and Updates

To exercise any right under this policy, submit a question about our data practices, or report a privacy concern, contact us through the WhatsApp advisor.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The effective date at the top of this page indicates when it was last updated. Material changes are flagged through a notice on the site front page for at least 30 days.