Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to LingoWhales (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and transparency. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website lingowhales.com and interact with our services.

By using our website and services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you join our waitlist, we collect the following information:

• Email Address: Required to contact you about our launch and updates
• Name: Optional, to personalize our communications
• Native Language: Optional, to understand our audience and tailor content
• Learning Language: Optional, to understand your language learning interests

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:

• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our website (via Vercel Analytics)
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Log Data: IP address, access times, and pages viewed

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To notify you about our platform launch and updates
• To communicate with you about LingoWhales features and news
• To understand our audience and improve our services
• To personalize your experience based on your language preferences
• To analyze website usage and improve our platform
• To prevent fraud and ensure the security of our services
• To comply with legal obligations

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Data Storage

Your information is stored securely using Amazon Web Services (AWS) DynamoDB, a highly secure and reliable database service. We implement industry-standard encryption at rest to protect your data.

4.2 Data Retention

We retain your waitlist information until you unsubscribe or until our platform launches. After launch, inactive waitlist data may be automatically deleted using Time-To-Live (TTL) features to comply with data minimization principles.

4.3 Security Measures

We implement multiple layers of security to protect your information:

• Cloudflare DDoS protection and Web Application Firewall (WAF)
• API Gateway throttling and request validation
• HMAC signature verification to prevent request tampering
• Encryption at rest and in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Regular security audits and monitoring

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

5.1 Third-Party Service Providers

We share your information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website and services:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS): Database hosting and infrastructure
• Vercel: Website hosting and analytics
• Cloudflare: Security and DDoS protection

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

5.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests, such as court orders or subpoenas.

5.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you via email of any such change in ownership.

6. Your Rights and Choices

6.1 Access and Correction

You have the right to access and update your personal information. Contact us at ashley@lingowhales.com to request access or corrections.

6.2 Unsubscribe

You can unsubscribe from our waitlist at any time by:

• Visiting our unsubscribe page
• Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send you
• Contacting us directly at ashley@lingowhales.com

6.3 GDPR Rights (for EU Residents)

If you are located in the European Union, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Right to rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to restrict processing: Limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured format
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent: Withdraw consent at any time

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our website. Cookies are small data files stored on your device.

7.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website (Vercel Analytics)
• Security Cookies: Protect against fraudulent activity and spam

7.2 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure that adequate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page with a new effective date
• Sending an email notification to our waitlist subscribers

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

11. Contact Us

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