Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how the ISEF Guide (“we”, “us”, “our”) — an independent, English-language educational guide to the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), published at en.isef.org.cn — handles information when you visit the site or contact us. We are committed to collecting as little personal data as possible and to being transparent about what we do with it.

Scope of this policy

This policy applies only to this website (en.isef.org.cn) and to direct conversations you start with us — for example, over WhatsApp. It does not apply to any third-party website or service we link to, including the official organizer, Society for Science.

Information you provide to us

You can read everything on this site without giving us any personal information. We only receive personal data when you choose to contact us — for example, by scanning our QR code or tapping a messaging link to start a WhatsApp conversation. In that case we may receive:

• Your name or messaging display name, and the contact handle you message us from;
• The contents of the messages you send us, including any details you choose to share (such as your school, grade level, or questions about your project);
• Basic metadata about the conversation, such as the date and time.

You decide how much to share. Please do not send us sensitive personal information that you would not want us to have.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, when you visit we automatically receive limited technical information through standard server logs and privacy-respecting analytics. This may include:

• Your approximate region or country, derived from your IP address rather than your precise location;
• Your browser type, device type, and operating system;
• The pages you view, the time of your visit, and the site or link that referred you;
• Anonymous, aggregated statistics about how the site is used.

We use this information to understand which content is helpful, fix problems, and improve the site. We do not use it to build a personal profile of you.

Cookies and similar technologies

This site may use a small number of cookies or similar technologies, in two broad categories:

• Essential cookies needed for the site to display and function correctly;
• Analytics cookies that help us measure aggregate traffic and improve content.

You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings, and you can block them entirely — the site will still work. Most browsers also offer a “Do Not Track” setting, which you are free to enable.

How we use information

• To operate, maintain, secure, and improve this website;
• To respond to the questions and requests you send us;
• To understand aggregate usage trends so we can create better content;
• To comply with applicable laws and respond to lawful requests.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your messages to send you unrelated marketing.

How information is shared

We share personal information only in limited circumstances:

• Service providers. We rely on trusted providers to host the site, deliver analytics, and carry our messages (for example, WhatsApp, which is operated by Meta). These providers process data on our behalf or under their own terms of service.
• Legal reasons. We may disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of our users or others.

We never sell or rent your personal data to third parties for their own marketing.

Third-party services and links

When you message us through WhatsApp, your use of that app is also governed by WhatsApp’s (Meta’s) own privacy policy. Our website also contains links to external sites, including Society for Science. We do not control and are not responsible for the privacy practices of those services — please review their policies separately.

Data retention

We keep contact messages only for as long as needed to answer your question and for a reasonable period afterwards. Server logs and aggregate analytics are kept for a limited time. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it.

Data security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect information from loss, misuse, and unauthorized access. However, no website or messaging service can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and you share information at your own risk.

International visitors

This website is operated and hosted in China (ICP filing 沪ICP备2023003166号-28). If you contact us through WhatsApp, your messages are handled by Meta’s global infrastructure. By using the site or messaging us, you understand that your information may be processed in locations whose data-protection laws differ from those in your own country. We aim to handle personal data in line with applicable data-protection laws.

Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, or delete the personal information we hold about you, or to object to or restrict certain processing. To make a request, contact us (see below). You can also:

• Stop sharing information at any time by ending the conversation with us;
• Control cookies and tracking through your browser;
• Ask us to delete the messages you have sent us.

We will respond to genuine requests within a reasonable time.

Children’s privacy

This site offers general, educational information about a student competition. It is not designed to collect personal information from children. If you are under the age at which you can consent to data processing in your country (for example, under 13, or under 16 in some regions), please use the site and contact us only with the involvement of a parent, guardian, or teacher. If you believe a child has sent us personal information without appropriate consent, contact us and we will delete it.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or the law. The “last updated” date at the top of this page shows the most recent revision, and significant changes will be reflected here.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, please reach us through our contact page.