Privacy Policy

A straightforward guide to how we respect your data—what we collect, why we use it, and the choices you have.

AbroadMates is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how AbroadMates Ltd. ("AbroadMates," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you use our website, mobile application, and services (collectively, the Services). It also outlines your rights regarding your personal information—and how you can exercise them.

We follow the principles of data protection and privacy laws that apply to our work, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI). Your privacy matters to us. We are committed to protecting your personal information with care.

This policy describes how we handle your data when you use our services. By accessing or using our Services, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use our Services.

We collect only what we need to provide and improve our Services. The categories below depend on how you interact with us—which features you use, and whether you are a student, mentor, or visitor. This may include:

Personal details (identifiers)

  • Contact information: name, email address, phone number, postal address.
  • Account information: username, password, profile picture, and other registration details.
  • Demographic information: date of birth, gender, nationality (optional).

Financial information (commercial)

  • Payment information: credit card details, bank account information, and other payment methods—processed securely by trusted processors such as Stripe.
  • Transaction data: mentorship sessions booked, payments made, and services purchased.

Technical data (network & device activity)

  • Device information: IP address, operating system, browser type and version, device identifiers.
  • Usage data: how you use our Services—pages visited, features used, time on the platform, referral URLs.
  • Log data: server logs that may include your IP address, browser type, and visit timestamps.

Professional & educational information

  • Mentor information: qualifications, experience, expertise, and professional background.
  • Student information: educational background, study-abroad interests, and academic goals.

Communications

  • Correspondence: emails, chat messages, and support conversations with us.
  • Feedback: what you share in surveys or when you tell us how we're doing.

Sensitive personal information (CCPA / CPRA)

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal information such as health data, genetic data, or biometric data. If such information is ever collected by mistake, we will handle it with the utmost care and in line with applicable law.

We use your information for clear purposes, each tied to legal bases under GDPR, CCPA, and APPI. Below is a plain-language summary:

Provide and improve our Services

Legal basis: performance of a contract · legitimate interests

  • Accounts & sessions: create and manage your account; connect students and mentors; process payments.
  • Support & experience: answer your questions, personalize the platform, and refine our features.

Stay in touch with you

Legal basis: contract · legitimate interests · consent (where required)

  • Service-related notifications, updates, and administrative messages.
  • Information about our Services, offers, or news— only where you have agreed or where the law allows.
  • Surveys and feedback to learn what works for you.

Security & fraud prevention

Legal basis: legal obligation · legitimate interests

  • Detect, prevent, and investigate fraud or unauthorized access.
  • Keep our platform safe and reliable for everyone.

Legal & compliance

Legal basis: legal obligation

  • Meet laws, regulations, legal process, and lawful government requests.
  • Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements.
  • Protect rights, safety, and property—ours, yours, and those of our partners and users.

Analytics & research

Legal basis: legitimate interests · consent (where required)

  • Understand how our Services are used so we can improve them.
  • Run research and analysis to make the experience clearer and more helpful.

We share information thoughtfully—only with the kinds of recipients below, and only for the purposes described in this policy:

Mentors & students

To run mentorship sessions, we share what's needed—such as names, profiles, and session details—between students and mentors.

Service providers

Trusted partners help us with payments, hosting, analytics, support, and marketing. They may access personal information only to perform their work for us and must protect it.

Legal & regulatory authorities

We may disclose information when the law requires it—for example, in response to a valid court order or agency request.

Business transfers

If we are involved in a merger, financing, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to the same commitments to privacy.

When you say yes

We may share with other third parties when you have given us clear, explicit consent.

Your data is not for sale.We do not sell your personal information or share it for monetary or other valuable consideration, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Where you live shapes your rights. Depending on applicable law, you may be able to:

Everyone

  • Access: ask what personal information we hold about you.
  • Correction: ask us to fix inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion: ask us to delete your information in certain situations.

EEA & UK (GDPR)

  • Right to data portability — receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.
  • Right to restriction of processing — ask us to limit how we use your data in certain cases.
  • Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing.
  • Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
  • Right to lodge a complaint — with a supervisory authority in your country.

California (CCPA / CPRA)

  • Right to know — what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and share.
  • Right to opt out of sale / sharing — where applicable under California law.
  • Right to limit use and disclosure of sensitive personal information.
  • Right to non-discrimination — we will not deny services or change prices solely because you exercised your rights.

Japan (APPI)

  • Disclosure: request disclosure of your personal information.
  • Correction, addition, or deletion: request changes when information is inaccurate or incomplete.
  • Cessation of use or deletion: request that we stop using or delete your information under applicable conditions.
  • Cessation of provision to third parties: request that we stop providing your information to third parties.

By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to this Privacy Policy.