At X-PEN ID, we are committed to protecting your personal information while giving you clear control over what becomes publicly visible as part of your digital identity. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose and safeguard your information when you use our platform and services, including how we publish selected data as part of your public X-PEN ID profile.
Your Consent: By using X-PEN ID, you consent to the collection and use of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.
1
Introduction
This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the X-PEN ID platform and Professor X, including visitors, registered users and members. X-PEN ID is designed to make selected information about your academic and professional journey visible and verifiable online. We comply with applicable data protection regulations and aim to balance privacy, transparency and verification in the way we handle your data.
"Personal Data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person.
"Processing" means any operation performed on personal data, such as collection, storage, or disclosure.
"Data Controller" refers to X-PEN ID, which determines the purposes and means of processing personal data.
2
Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide
We collect information you provide directly to us when you:
Create an account or profile
Update account or profile
Apply for verification processes
Upload your educational and professional data
Upload your publication data
Upload your documents or credentials
Contact our support team
Subscribe to newsletters
Participate in surveys or research
Types of data collected include:
Personal identification details (full name, public name, memberships, awards, languages, personal/professional email, phone)
Professional information (affiliation, position)
Academic credentials and achievements
Research publications and interests
Profile pictures and biographical information
Social links
2.2 Automatically Collected Information
We automatically collect certain information when you use our platform:
Type of Data
Purpose
Retention Period
Device Information
Platform optimization
12 months
Usage Data
Analytics & improvements
36 months
Location Data
Approximate location may be inferred from IP for security & fraud prevention only.
12 months
IP Address
Security & fraud prevention
6 months
3
How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information for the following purposes:
Service Provision: To provide and maintain our services
Indexing: To index your profile on search indexing (google, bing, yandax, etc)
Verification: To verify your identity and credentials
Communication: To send important updates and notifications
Improvement: To enhance and personalize user experience
Research: Only with anonymized datasets or with user consent
Compliance: To meet legal and regulatory requirements
Security: To protect against fraud and unauthorized access
3.1 Public Profiles and Search Engine Indexing
A core purpose of X-PEN ID is to make your verified academic and professional information visible, searchable and verifiable. When you choose to create or publish a public profile, you understand and agree that selected information such as your name, public name, education, affiliations, roles, publications and other profile elements may be:
Publicly visible on your X-PEN ID profile page; and
Indexed by search engines (e.g., Google, Bing, Yandex) for recognition and verification purposes.
You can control which fields appear on your public profile through your account settings. However, once certain information has been made public and indexed, we cannot guarantee the removal of that information from all external search engines or third-party caches.
Legal Basis: We process your data based on: (1) Your consent, (2) Contractual necessity, (3) Legal obligations, (4) Legitimate interests.
4
Data Sharing and Disclosure
4.1 When We Share Your Data
We may share your information in the following circumstances:
With Your Consent: When you explicitly authorize sharing
Service Providers: With trusted third-party service providers
Academic Institutions: For verification and research purposes
Legal Requirements: When required by law or legal process
Business Transfers: In connection with mergers or acquisitions
Public Profiles: Information you choose to make public
4.2 Third-Party Services
We work with carefully selected third parties including:
Cloud hosting providers (AWS, hostinger, Google Cloud)
Analytics services (Google Analytics)
Email service providers
Verification may involve direct communication with institutions and supervisors
Data Processing Agreements: All third-party providers sign data processing agreements and comply with applicable data protection laws.
5
Data Security
We implement robust security measures to protect your data:
Encryption: End-to-end encryption for sensitive data
Access Controls: Role-based access restrictions
Regular Audits: Security assessments and penetration testing
Employee Training: Regular privacy and security training
Incident Response: Limited authorized staff handle data under internal security protocols.
Backup Systems: Backups and disaster recovery
Security Commitment: While we implement industry-standard security measures, no system is 100% secure. We continuously work to enhance our security protocols.
6
Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights:
Right to Access: Request copies of your personal data
Right to Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data
Right to Restriction: Limit processing of your data
Right to Portability: Receive your data in a portable format
Right to Object: Object to certain processing activities
Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time
Because X-PEN ID is a persistent digital identity and verification platform, some information that has already been used in verification processes, included in public records or linked to published research may need to be retained for integrity, auditing or legal reasons. In such cases, we may not be able to fully erase all historical records, but we will clearly mark accounts as deactivated and limit further processing wherever possible.
To exercise these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer at registrar@xpenid.com. We will respond to all legitimate requests within 30 business days.
7
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:
Remember your preferences and settings
Analyze website traffic and usage patterns
Personalize your experience
Improve our services
Cookie Control: You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect some platform features.
8
Children's Privacy
X-PEN ID is primarily intended for students, researchers and professionals who are engaging in academic or professional activities. Users under the age of 16 should only create an account with appropriate guidance from a parent, guardian or institution. We do not knowingly collect personal information from young children. If you believe we have collected information from someone who should not be using the platform, please contact us immediately.
9
International Data Transfers
Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure adequate safeguards are in place for international data transfers, including:
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
Adequacy decisions where applicable
Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs)
10
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by:
Email notification to registered users
In-platform announcements
Updating the "Last Updated" date
Your continued use of our platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11
Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us:
Data Protection Contacts
Data Protection Officer
Email: registrar@xpenid.com