Privacy Policy

Introduction

Paternal Path ("we," "us," or "our") operates VetCivNav at vetcivnav.com ("Service"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information with care and transparency.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and your rights regarding your data. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described in this Policy.

1. Information We Collect

A. Information You Provide

• Email Address: When you join our waitlist or purchase Pro plan
• Payment Information: Credit card details processed securely through Stripe (we do not store card numbers)
• Veteran Profile Information: Service branch, MOS, rank, skills, certifications, family situation, location preferences, career goals (used solely to generate your career pathways)
• Communications: Messages you send to our support team

B. Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on the Service
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address
• LocalStorage Data: Your career pathway results are saved in your browser's localStorage for your convenience

C. What We Do NOT Collect or Store

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: To generate personalized career pathway recommendations using AI analysis
• Account Management: To process payments and manage Pro tier subscriptions
• Communication: To send transactional emails (payment receipts, password resets), product updates, and respond to support inquiries
• Service Improvement: To analyze usage patterns (anonymized), identify bugs, and develop new features
• Marketing: To send promotional emails about new features or offerings (you may opt out anytime)
• Legal Compliance: To comply with legal obligations, enforce our Terms of Service, and protect our rights

4. Data Retention

• Veteran Profile Data: Not stored on our servers (stateless architecture)
• Career Analysis Results: Stored only in your browser's localStorage (you can clear anytime)
• Email Addresses: Retained while you remain on our waitlist or have an active Pro subscription
• Payment Records: Retained for 7 years for tax compliance and audit purposes
• Support Communications: Retained for 2 years or until resolved

5. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time
• Data Portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format

To exercise any of these rights, email us at contact@vetcivnav.com. We will respond within 30 days.

6. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Right to delete personal information held by businesses
• Right to opt-out of sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights

To submit a CCPA request, email contact@vetcivnav.com with the subject line "CCPA Request."

7. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

• Right to access, rectification, erasure, and data portability
• Right to object to processing and withdraw consent
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

We process your data based on your consent, contractual necessity, or legitimate business interests. Contact contact@vetcivnav.com to exercise your rights.

8. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit
• Secure payment processing through Stripe (PCI DSS compliant)
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls and authentication for our systems

However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately atcontact@vetcivnav.com.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the Service after changes indicates acceptance of the updated Policy.