1. Data controller
The data controller responsible for processing described in this policy is Cartilagevita, located at 145 Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale NSW 2100, Australia. You may contact us at assist@cartilagevita.world or +61 2 9905 3000 for privacy-related enquiries.
2. Scope
This Privacy Policy applies to visitors of our website, purchasers of educational products, participants in programs or observation tracks, and individuals who book consulting sessions. It does not govern third-party websites linked for reference; those sites maintain independent policies.
3. Categories of personal data we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may process the following categories of data:
- Identity and contact data: name, email address, phone number if provided, and postal address for physical shipments.
- Communication data: messages submitted through our contact form, email correspondence, and call notes when you consent to documentation.
- Transaction data: order references, payment status confirmations from processors, and refund requests. We do not store full payment card numbers on our servers.
- Technical data: IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, and referral URLs collected through cookies where permitted.
- Preference data: program interests, dietary preferences you voluntarily share for educational planning, and cookie consent selections.
4. Sources of data
We collect data directly from you when you complete forms, register for programs, or communicate with our team. Technical data may be collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies when you grant consent. Payment processors supply limited confirmation data necessary to reconcile orders.
5. Purposes and legal bases for processing
We process personal data only when a legal basis applies under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Australian Privacy Act 1988 where relevant.
5.1 Contract performance
When you purchase educational products or enroll in programs, we process contact and transaction data to deliver materials, provide access credentials, and administer refunds according to our Refund Policy.
5.2 Legitimate interests
We may process technical and communication data to maintain website security, prevent fraud, improve content structure, and respond to enquiries. We balance these interests against your rights and provide opt-out mechanisms for non-essential cookies.
5.3 Consent
Marketing messages, optional analytics cookies, and storage of sensitive preference notes beyond basic program delivery rely on your explicit consent. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
5.4 Legal obligations
We retain certain financial records to comply with tax and consumer protection requirements in Australia and, where applicable, EU member state regulations for EU residents.
6. How we use personal data
Personal data is used strictly for identifiable purposes: responding to contact requests, delivering balanced eating educational content, scheduling consulting sessions, issuing invoices, analyzing aggregated site usage, and complying with law. We do not use your data to make automated medical decisions or to profile health conditions.
7. Data retention periods
Retention periods depend on the data category and legal requirements:
- Contact form submissions: twelve months from last interaction unless an active contract extends the period.
- Program enrollment records: duration of participation plus seven years for accounting and dispute resolution.
- Marketing consents: until withdrawal plus proof of consent for three years.
- Server logs: ninety days unless needed for security investigations.
- Cookie preference records: thirteen months, renewed when you update choices.
When retention periods expire, we delete or anonymize data using secure erasure procedures.
8. Recipients and international transfers
Access is limited to authorized staff and processors bound by written agreements. Hosting providers, email delivery services, and payment gateways may process data outside Australia or the European Economic Area. Where transfers occur, we implement Standard Contractual Clauses or rely on adequacy decisions, and we document transfer impact assessments.
9. Security measures
We apply administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards including TLS encryption for website traffic, role-based access controls, periodic vulnerability reviews, employee confidentiality training, and incident response procedures. No online transmission is completely secure; we encourage strong passwords on any accounts we issue.
10. Your rights under GDPR and comparable laws
If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions with similar rights, you may exercise the following rights by contacting assist@cartilagevita.world:
- Right of access: obtain confirmation whether we process your data and receive a copy.
- Right to rectification: correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
- Right to erasure: request deletion when data is no longer necessary or consent is withdrawn, subject to legal exceptions.
- Right to restriction: limit processing in defined circumstances.
- Right to data portability: receive structured, machine-readable data you provided where processing is automated and based on consent or contract.
- Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
- Right not to be subject to solely automated decisions with legal effects.
Australian residents may access and correct personal information under the Privacy Act and lodge complaints with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.
11. Children
Our services target adults. We do not knowingly collect data from individuals under sixteen without parental authorization. If you believe a child submitted data, contact us for prompt deletion.
12. Third-party links
Educational resources may reference external sites for ingredient information. We are not responsible for their privacy practices. Review their policies before submitting personal data.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect legal or operational changes. Material updates will be noted on this page with a revised date in the hero section. Continued use after publication constitutes acknowledgment of non-material updates where permitted by law.
14. Contact and supervisory authorities
For privacy requests, email assist@cartilagevita.world or write to Cartilagevita, 145 Old Pittwater Road, Brookvale NSW 2100, Australia. EU residents may also contact their local data protection authority. We respond to verified requests within thirty days unless extensions are permitted.
15. Health-related information you choose to share
Please avoid sending sensitive health information through contact forms unless necessary. We do not use voluntary health details for advertising personalisation or to imply therapeutic outcomes. If sensitive data is received inadvertently, we delete it when identified unless retention is required by law.
16. Australian advertising and APPs
We align website disclosures with Australian Privacy Principles and common advertising platform requirements by clearly stating that services are educational. Marketing lists are maintained separately from support tickets with opt-out links where applicable.