Privacy Policy

Welcome to Skillstone! At Skillstone, we recognise the importance of privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information with the highest privacy and security standards. This policy outlines our practices in managing your personal information by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and industry best practices. We encourage you to read this policy carefully to understand how we handle your information and how you can manage your preferences.

 

1. Personal Information: Definition and Collection

Personal Information is data that identifies you, such as your name, address, email address, and phone number. We collect this information through various means, including correspondence, phone calls, emails, our Skillstone App, our website (www.skillstone.com), and the Skillstone Admin Portal powered by Strapi. We also receive information from third parties occasionally. This information is collected to provide you with our services, communicate with our clients, and conduct marketing activities. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by following the instructions provided in those communications.

 

2. Sensitive Information

We may collect Sensitive Information, which includes details such as your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, health information, and financial details, only with your explicit consent. This information is used solely for the purposes for which it was collected, any related secondary purposes, or as required or authorised by law.

 

3. Electronic Signatures

The Skillstone App may collect your electronic signature during the onboarding process for signing work-related documents. These signatures are securely stored and used solely to facilitate document management.

 

4. Security and Data Hosting

Your information is securely hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers in Sydney, Australia, in the Asia Pacific region. AWS is renowned for its robust security measures, including encryption, access controls, and data centre security. Additionally, the Skillstone Admin Portal, powered by Strapi, implements advanced security protocols such as role-based access controls and audit logs, enhancing the safeguarding of your data within our content management workflows.

 

5. Third-Party Data Collection

If we receive information about you from third parties, such as your employer, we will notify you and obtain your consent where necessary. We ensure that such data is handled with the same level of security and confidentiality as we handle data collected directly.

 

6. Disclosure of Personal and Sensitive Information

Your Personal and Sensitive Information will only be disclosed:

 

• To your employer, with your consent, during an onboarding process.

• To trusted third-party service providers, only with your explicit consent.

• When required or authorised by law, such as in response to lawful requests from authorities.

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7. Optional Chat Feature and Third-Party Integration
Skillstone offers an optional chat function powered by a third-party provider, CometChat. If the client enables this feature, chat-related communications, including text, audio, and media, will be managed through CometChat. Skillstone does not have control over the data collected, processed, or stored by CometChat regarding chat communications.
CometChat is solely responsible for all chat-related activities' privacy, security, and data management, including compliance with data protection laws such as GDPR, CCPA, and HIPAA. Clients are encouraged to review CometChat’s Privacy Policy to understand their practices concerning data collection, use, and protection.

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8. Cookies

Our website and app use three types of cookies:

 

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for basic site functionality.

• Performance Cookies: Help us analyse how you use our site, aiming to improve our services.

• Functionality Cookies: These enhance your user experience.

• Managing Cookie Settings: You control how cookies are handled on your device. You can manage your cookie settings through your web browser or mobile device. This allows you to refuse the use of cookies, delete any cookies already stored on your device, and prevent cookies from being stored in the future. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website and services.

 

9. User Behavior Data

We collect data on how you interact with our app, such as navigation patterns and user interactions. This information helps us to:

 

• Improve app performance and functionality.

• Address any issues that may impact user experience.

• Improve user satisfaction by customising and optimising the interface according to user needs.

 

10. Managing User-Generated Content
At Skillstone, we provide tools within the Skillstone Admin Portal for Employers to create and manage content. All user-generated content must adhere to our community standards, prohibiting hate speech, harassment, explicit material, and illegal content. We use a combination of automated tools and human oversight to moderate content. Employers are responsible for ensuring that the content shared with their employees complies with these guidelines.

 

Content Moderation Tools: We provide functionalities for reporting and blocking inappropriate content and employ active monitoring to ensure the safety and legality of the content shared.
 

User Responsibilities: Employers are expected to manage the content they upload responsibly and ensure it meets the legal and ethical standards outlined in our community guidelines.

Legal and Ethical Compliance: We comply with all applicable laws concerning digital content and expect our users to do the same. This includes adhering to copyright laws, privacy regulations, and anti-discrimination laws.

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11. Personal Information

We gather personal details through direct interactions with you via our website, emails, and the Skillstone app. The collected information includes but is not limited to:

 

• Names and contact details.

• Employment details provided by your employer during the onboarding process.

• Your usage of our app and services indicates your preferences and interests.

 

12. Storage and Security Measures

We store your personal and sensitive information on secure AWS servers, protecting it against unauthorised access, alteration, and destruction. We adhere to the highest data security standards, including:

 

• Encrypting data in transit and at rest.

• Strict access controls and authentication measures.

• Regular security audits and compliance checks.

13. Accessing and Updating Your Personal Information
If you need to access, update, or correct your Personal Information, please contact your employer or Skillstone directly. Administrators manage updates to ensure the accuracy and security of the data. We won't charge a fee for access but may charge an admin fee for providing a copy. To protect your data, we may ask for identification.

14. Managing Consent
Personal and Sensitive Information: To modify your consent preferences for processing personal and sensitive information, contact your employer or Skillstone directly. We ensure compliance with applicable legal standards and will promptly update our records based on your preferences.

User-Generated Content: Users with content creation rights through the Skillstone Admin Portal can manage the visibility and usage of their content and can see or access the content directly on the Skillstone app.

 

Tools for Effective Consent Management: The Skillstone Admin Portal includes tools to effectively manage consent settings, ensuring compliance with data protection regulations like the GDPR and the Privacy Act 1988. These tools offer straightforward options for securely managing both content and personal data.

 

Compliance and Transparency: We review our consent mechanisms regularly to ensure they align with legal requirements and maintain transparency.

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15. Data Retention and Deletion

Retention: We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this policy or as required by law. Specific retention periods depend on the nature of the information and our legal obligations.

Deletion Process: If you end your employment contract with your employer or expect to use the app no longer, you should contact your HR department or company administrator to initiate the deletion of your account. Upon receiving a request, we will ensure that all your data is permanently deleted from our systems in compliance with legal requirements and industry best practices, except for any data we must retain by law.

 

16. Policy Updates

We reserve the right to update this privacy policy at any time. Changes will be posted on our website and app, and where appropriate, we will notify you by email.

 

17. Contacting Us

For any questions regarding this policy or personal information, please contact us at support@skillstone.com.