🔒 Privacy Policy

Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.

Last updated: July 18, 2025

1. Overview

Hack4Life ("we," "our," or "us") operates the website hack4life.me and its subdomains (gsep.hack4life.me, gai.hack4life.me). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our websites and use our services related to GitHub Student Developer Pack and Google AI Student Pack guides.

🎯 Our Mission: We provide comprehensive guides for student developer resources while maintaining the highest standards of privacy and data protection.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Contact Information: Email addresses when you contact us directly
Community Participation: Discord usernames and messages when you join our community
Feedback: Comments, suggestions, and feedback you provide

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent, click patterns, referral sources
Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address, device identifiers
Performance Metrics: Page load times, Core Web Vitals, user engagement metrics
Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Website Operation: Provide, maintain, and improve our services
Content Optimization: Analyze user behavior to improve content quality
Support Services: Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
Analytics: Understand website usage patterns and user preferences
Security: Protect against fraud, abuse, and security threats
Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. Third-Party Services

4.1 Google Services

Google AdSense: We use Google AdSense to display advertisements. Google may use cookies and similar technologies to serve personalized ads based on your browsing history.

Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to analyze website traffic and user behavior. This helps us improve our content and user experience.

4.2 External Links

Our website contains links to third-party services including:

GitHub Education (education.github.com)
Google AI Student Program (one.google.com)
JetBrains, DigitalOcean, and other partner websites
Discord community servers

⚠️ Important: We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party websites. Please review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Remember your preferences and settings
Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
Serve relevant advertisements through Google AdSense
Improve website performance and user experience

5.1 Cookie Management

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect website functionality and your user experience.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls and authentication measures
Data minimization and retention policies

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law. Analytics data is typically retained for 26 months, while contact information is retained until you request deletion.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:

Access: Request information about the personal data we hold about you
Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data
Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured format
Objection: Object to certain processing of your personal data
Opt-out: Opt out of personalized advertising

9. Children's Privacy

Age Requirement: Our services are intended for users who are 18 years or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are under 18, please do not provide any personal information on our website.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data during such transfers.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

Posting the updated policy on our website
Updating the "Last updated" date
Sending notifications through our Discord community (for major changes)

12. Compliance and Legal Basis

Our processing of personal data is based on:

Legitimate Interest: Providing educational content and website analytics
Consent: When you voluntarily provide information or contact us
Legal Obligation: Compliance with applicable laws and regulations

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

📧 Email: [email protected]

💬 Discord: Join our community

🌐 Website: hack4life.me

Response Time: We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 72 hours.

14. Disclaimers

Educational Purpose: This website provides educational information about student developer resources and is not affiliated with GitHub Inc., Google LLC, or any other companies mentioned.

No Warranty: Information is provided "as is" without any warranties. We are not responsible for the accuracy of third-party information or services.

Independent Resource: We are an independent educational resource and not an official representative of any student program or company.

Independent educational resource • Not affiliated with GitHub, Inc. or Google LLC