Privacy Policy

The Hagwon Privacy Policy

Last Update: 01/20/2024

Bethesda Education, Inc. ("Bethesda Education" or "Company"), the provider of The Hagwon service, is firmly committed to upholding the highest standards of data protection and privacy. In every phase of our service, from the initial planning stages through to termination, we strictly adhere to all relevant domestic laws and regulations, including the Personal Information Protection Act. Moreover, our practices are in alignment with international standards, including the OECD Privacy Guidelines, ensuring that our services are not only compliant on a local level but also meet globally recognized benchmarks for privacy and data protection.

What Information We Collect at The Hagwon

At The Hagwon, provided by Bethesda Education, Inc., we may collect certain information from our users, including personal data, to enhance our educational services and user experience.

Information You Provide to Us:

We gather information you give us directly, including when you engage with The Hagwon's services. This encompasses personal data used to create or update your profile and account, utilize The Hagwon services (e.g., accessing courses, participating in quizzes, or using our mobile app), engage in interactive features, complete contact or consent forms, join surveys, or seek customer support.

The types of personal data we might collect from you include your name, username, email address, phone number, preferences related to your The Hagwon account, transactional details (such as subscriptions and payments), and any other information you choose to share with us.

For those using social media networks like Instagram to log into The Hagwon, you may opt to use your social media credentials for account creation and login.

Payment Information:

The personal data collected during payment transactions is handled by our payment processors (Paymentwall or Paypal). The Hagwon does not retain any personal financial information, including credit card details or postal codes.

Updating Your Information and Account Deactivation:

You can revise or update your account details at any time by logging into your The Hagwon account and visiting your profile page. If you require assistance with accessing, modifying, or deactivating your account, please contact us at support@bethehagwon.com. For EU users, additional rights are detailed under "EU User Rights" in our Privacy Notice.

Automatically Collected Information:

When using The Hagwon services, we automatically gather certain information, which may include personal data such as:

Usage, Log, and Device Information:

Information on your engagement with The Hagwon services, including visit frequency, duration of use, IP address (potentially indicating general location), pages viewed, system activity, hardware settings, device type, operating system, browser specifics, and previous URLs visited.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies:

Cookies help recognize your browser on subsequent visits. While you can adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies, doing so might affect the functionality of certain service features. We employ remarketing tools and third-party analytics to serve targeted advertisements, understand product usage, and improve our offerings. You have options to opt-out or customize your ad preferences through services like Google's Ad Settings.

This overview illustrates our commitment to safeguarding your privacy while offering a comprehensive online learning experience through The Hagwon. For further details on how we manage and protect your information, please refer to the complete Privacy Notice provided by Bethesda Education, Inc.

How We Use Information Collected at The Hagwon

The information collected through The Hagwon services, provided by Bethesda Education, Inc., is utilized to enhance the delivery of our educational content and communicate effectively with our users. The ways in which we use this information include:

To provide, operate, maintain, and improve The Hagwon services
To enable your access to and use of The Hagwon services, including sending you technical notices, updates, support messages, and administrative communications
To fulfill the services and features you request, process transactions, and send related information such as confirmations and receipts
To respond to your inquiries, provide customer support, and address your service-related comments and questions
To communicate about services, features, surveys, newsletters, offers, promotions, events, and provide other relevant information about The Hagwon and our selected partners
To process entries and rewards for surveys conducted
To analyze trends, usage, and activities to inform marketing strategies and for advertising purposes
To detect and prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and other illegal activities related to The Hagwon services
To personalize The Hagwon experience, providing content and features tailored to your interests and preferences
For additional purposes for which we will provide specific notice in advance or obtain your consent when required.

Using social media credentials (Google/Discord) for sign-in purposes allows linkage of your activities on our platform with your personal registration information on social media, including name, email, and profile picture. With your permission, social networks may inform your network about your engagements with our services and use tracking technologies to observe your online behaviors for targeted advertising. The privacy policies and terms of these social networks govern your use of their services. You may have options to block these technologies, but for detailed instructions, refer to the respective third-party privacy policies and account settings.

How We Use Cookies

Cookies help us understand your preferences for future visits and gather aggregate data about site traffic and interaction, enabling us to offer enhanced experiences and tools. We may engage third-party service providers to:

Serve ads based on past visits to our platform
Report on our ad performance
Conduct analytics on our services usage
Assist with fulfilling orders and user requests
Enhance fraud prevention measures
Improve our services based on survey feedback

For example, we utilize Cloudflare Analytics for demographic and interest reporting, which includes data from Cloudflare’s interest-based advertising or third-party audience data. This information supports all listed purposes above. Third-party vendors, including Cloudflare, use cookies to serve ads based on users’ past visits to our services, helping us to make special offers and continue marketing our services to those interested in our offerings. For more details on cookies and opting out, please see the "Third-Party Analytics and Advertising Providers" section below.

Data Retention and Erasure Policy at The Hagwon

Bethesda Education, Inc., the provider of The Hagwon services, is committed to managing your personal information responsibly and in compliance with applicable data protection laws. We retain certain data to fulfill legal, tax, and regulatory requirements and to maintain an accurate record of your interactions with our services.

Data Retention Period

Tax and Legal Records:

We retain specific data, including personally identifying information, for a period of 5 years from the date of your last login or any study-related activity. This retention period supports our need to keep accurate records for tax and other legal purposes.

Other Personally Identifying Information:

All other personally identifying information will be retained for at least one year following your last login to The Hagwon services. However, we will not keep this information for longer than seven years from your last activity.

Compliance with Legal Obligations:

Notwithstanding the retention periods mentioned above, we may need to retain certain data for extended periods to comply with legal, regulatory, or audit requirements.

Anonymization of Study Information:

Information related to your study activities that does not personally identify you may be anonymized and retained at the discretion of Bethesda Education, Inc. This information can be used for improving our services, research, and analysis.

Data Erasure

After the expiration of the retention period, your personally identifying information will be permanently deleted from our records. This process ensures the protection of your privacy and the security of your data.

Should you wish to request the deletion of your personal data prior to the expiration of the retention period, please contact us directly. However, please note that certain legal and regulatory requirements may prevent us from immediately fulfilling such requests.

Bethesda Education, Inc. takes the privacy and security of our users' data seriously. We implement robust data protection measures and comply with all applicable laws and regulations regarding data retention and erasure. If you have any questions about our Data Retention and Erasure Policy or wish to inquire about your personal data, please reach out to us at support@bethehagwon.com.

BBethesda Education, Inc., operating The Hagwon, respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. We may share your Personal Information under limited circumstances with the following categories of third parties:

Affiliates:

Your Personal Information might be shared with our subsidiaries, affiliates, and entities within our corporate family for operational purposes and to provide a cohesive educational experience. Service Providers and Contractors: We engage with service providers and contractors who assist us in delivering our services. Your Personal Information may be shared with these entities to facilitate the provision of these services, under strict confidentiality agreements.

Business Partners:

If you were enrolled in our services through a partnership with a testing company or educational institution, we might share your Personal Information with them to facilitate your educational journey.

Legal Obligations:

We may disclose your Personal Information to third parties as required by law, such as in response to a warrant, subpoena, court order, or other legal processes, or to defend or assert our legal rights.

Third-Party Analytics:

We utilize third-party analytics services to gather insights on how users interact with our services. This data helps us to enhance the functionality and user experience of our website and services.

Potential Business Transactions:

In the event of a merger, asset sale, financing, or acquisition of our business, or a portion thereof, to another company, your Personal Information may be transferred or shared as part of the negotiation or completion of the transaction.

Other Disclosures:

We may also share your Personal Information with law enforcement, government agencies, or other third parties when we believe it is necessary to comply with the law, protect our rights, the rights of our users, or the safety of our employees, the public, or to respond to an emergency situation.

In every case, our aim is to ensure that your Personal Information is treated with the utmost care and security, and always in accordance with this privacy policy and applicable laws and regulations.

Links To Third-Party Websites

At The Hagwon, we may include links to third-party websites, including educational resources and blogs. It's important to note that when you follow a link to any third-party website from our service, your activity and use of that site are governed by the website’s own privacy and user policies, not by those of The Hagwon. We strongly encourage you to familiarize yourself with their policies before engaging further.

How We Store Information

By accessing and utilizing The Hagwon services, you consent to the storage of your information, including personal data, on servers and cloud-based solutions situated in the United States or other locations as outlined in our agreements with you, which may include a Data Processing Addendum where applicable.

How We Secure Information

Bethesda Education, Inc. is committed to implementing and maintaining robust physical, technical, and organizational safeguards to protect against the accidental, unauthorized, or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, disclosure, access, use, or processing of the information we collect.

Access to your account on The Hagwon and its services is secured through the use of unique user ID and password mechanisms. To ensure the confidentiality of your personal data, you are responsible for keeping your password secret and not sharing it with anyone else. We recommend logging out and closing your browser after each session to maintain the security of your account, especially if you are using a public or shared computer. If you suspect your password has been compromised, please inform us immediately. Additionally, you have the option to "Log out of all sessions" from your profile page, which will terminate all active sessions across different browsers. Please be aware that Bethesda Education, Inc. will never request your password in an unsolicited manner.

Despite our efforts, the transmission of data over the Internet and through apps carries inherent risks, and we cannot guarantee the complete security of your personal information transmitted to our site. Any data transmission is carried out at your own risk. We are not liable for the circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on our website.

For inquiries or concerns regarding the security of your personal data, please contact us directly at support@bethehagwon.com.

Third-Party Websites and Content

Our Services, provided by Bethesda Education, Inc., may feature links to external sites ("Third-Party Websites") as well as content including but not limited to articles, photographs, text, graphics, pictures, designs, music, sound, video, and other materials originating from third-party sources ("Third-Party Content"). It's important to note that such Third-Party Websites and Third-Party Content are not under our surveillance for accuracy, appropriateness, or completeness, and as such, Bethesda Education, Inc. assumes no responsibility for them.

The presence of links to Third-Party Websites or the inclusion of Third-Party Content within our Services does not signify our endorsement or approval. Should you choose to navigate away from our website or Services to engage with any Third-Party Websites or use or install Third-Party Content, you do so at your own discretion and risk. We highly recommend that you familiarize yourself with the terms, policies, privacy, and data collection practices of any Third-Party Websites you visit or Third-Party Content you utilize stemming from our website or Services.

Our Global Data Privacy and Protection Practices

In alignment with the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") and other global data protection regulations, Bethesda Education, Inc., operating The Hagwon, has thoroughly updated our internal governance structure. This comprehensive update encompasses our policies, procedures, staff training, security measures, and this Privacy Notice, ensuring a steadfast commitment to data privacy and protection across all facets of our operations. Bethesda Education, Inc. relies on Standard Contractual Clauses as the foundation for our approach to cross-border data transfers. These clauses are designed to offer appropriate safeguards regarding the privacy, fundamental rights, and freedoms of individuals, along with the exercise of the corresponding rights. This framework ensures that regardless of where your data is processed, it receives a high level of protection consistent with global standards and regulations. By implementing these measures, we aim to maintain the trust of our users and comply with applicable data protection laws, providing a secure and respectful environment for your educational journey with The Hagwon.

Child Protection

Our Services, offered by Bethesda Education, Inc. through The Hagwon, are not designed for individuals under the age of 13. If you are younger than 13, we kindly request that you refrain from using our Services or registering on our website. We do not knowingly collect personal information from users who are under 13 years of age. In the event that we become aware of personal information collected from someone under the age of 13, we will take the necessary steps to promptly remove such information from our databases. Should you have any concerns regarding the collection of personal information from someone under the age of 13, please reach out to our support team at support@bethehagwon.com.

Changes to Privacy Policy

Bethesda Education, Inc. reserves the right to periodically review and update our Privacy Policy. Any updates will be prominently posted on our website, and the revision date will be adjusted to indicate when changes were made. In the case of significant modifications to our policy, we will notify all users who have opted to receive communications from us via email. Furthermore, we may display notifications or updates within our products/services to ensure you are informed of any changes. Your continued use of The Hagwon after such changes have taken effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the changes, you are obliged to discontinue using our services and contact us at [insert Bethesda Education, Inc.'s support email] or the provided address for account deactivation. Refunds for any paid services will be processed in accordance with our refund policy. Changes to the Privacy Policy will become effective only after the posted effective date and will not apply retroactively or affect any disputes that arose before the effective date of the changes.

Contact Us

If you have any inquiries or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or the privacy practices of The Hagwon, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at support@bethehagwon.com. Our team is dedicated to addressing any questions you may have. Bethesda Education, Inc. 89, Dongil-Ro, Seongdong-Gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea, 04787