What we collect,
and how we look after it

Who we are

This Privacy Policy explains how Community of Practice ("we", "us", the Platform) handles personal information belonging to people who visit, register with, or use the Platform.

If anything here is unclear, write to us at info@kstvet.ac.ke and we will walk you through it.

What we collect

We only collect what we need in order to run the community well.

• Account details — name, username, email address and password (stored as a one-way hash, never in plain text).
• Profile details — photo, bio, organisation, role, country and any other information you choose to add.
• Content you post — discussions, replies, files, images, event listings and comments.
• Technical data — IP address, browser, device, operating system and referring link.
• Usage data — pages viewed, links clicked, time spent and features you use.
• Cookies — small files that keep you signed in, remember preferences and help us understand how the Platform is used.

If you sign in using Google, Microsoft, GitHub, LinkedIn or a similar provider, we receive only your basic public profile — typically your name, email and photo. We never receive your password from those providers.

Why we collect it

We use personal information for a short list of purposes:

• to create and manage your account;
• to let you participate in discussions, groups and events;
• to send service messages — password resets, security notices, replies to your posts;
• to personalise what you see, so relevant groups and members come to the top;
• to keep the Platform safe, including spam and abuse detection;
• to understand how the Platform is used, so we can improve it;
• to meet our legal obligations.

Where the law requires us to name a legal basis, we rely on one of the following: performance of a contract (running your account), legitimate interests (security and improvement), consent (optional features such as a public profile), or legal obligation.

Cookies

Cookies and similar technologies do three jobs on the Platform:

• keeping you signed in between visits;
• remembering your preferences — language, layout, notification settings;
• measuring how the Platform is used so we can improve it.

You can block or clear cookies in your browser settings at any time. Blocking the essential ones will prevent you from signing in.

Who sees it

We do not sell your personal information, and we never will. We share it only in the following narrow cases:

• With other members — content you post is visible according to the privacy settings you choose;
• With service providers — hosting, email delivery, analytics and spam protection providers who process data on our behalf under contract;
• For legal reasons — where the law, a court order, or the safety of our members requires it;
• In a reorganisation — if the community is transferred to another operator, members will be told in advance.

Visibility

By default your profile is visible only to signed-in members. You may choose to make your profile visible to the public web from your account settings — and change your mind whenever you like.

How long we keep it

We keep your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we remove your personal information within 30 days, except where we must keep specific records for legal, security or accounting reasons.

Content you posted may remain visible if it has already been quoted or reshared by other members. Where that happens, we will still remove your identifying details on request.

Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational steps to protect your information:

• HTTPS encryption for all traffic;
• passwords stored using industry-standard hashing;
• access to member data restricted to authorised administrators;
• regular updates to the Platform and its components.

No online service can be completely secure. Please use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication where available.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• see the personal information we hold about you;
• correct anything inaccurate or incomplete;
• ask us to delete your data;
• restrict or object to certain processing;
• receive a portable copy of your data;
• withdraw consent at any time;
• lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

To exercise any of these rights, write to info@kstvet.ac.ke. We respond within 30 days.

Children

The Community of Practice is intended for professional and adult audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will remove it promptly.

Overseas transfers

Our Platform and its service providers may store or process data in countries outside your own. Where that happens, we take steps to ensure your information receives an adequate level of protection, consistent with applicable law.

Changes

We will update this Privacy Policy when our practices change, when the Platform changes, or when the law requires it. The version date at the top always reflects the current text. Where a change is significant, we will flag it inside the Platform or by email. Continuing to use the Platform afterwards means you accept the revised version.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first — most concerns are settled in a single email. If we cannot resolve it, you are entitled to complain to your local data protection authority.

See also our Terms of Service, which form part of the agreement between you and us.

Contact

Questions about this page are welcome. So are requests to see, correct or delete your data.