1. Introduction

Teenager Startups (teenagerstartups.com) is operated, funded, and maintained by New Abilities Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering youth innovation, education, and social entrepreneurship. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency regarding how your personal information is gathered, utilized, and safeguarded.

2. Information We Collect

We collect personal and technical information necessary to deliver our services, process digital transactions, and maintain a secure community environment:

• Account Details: When you register an account, we collect your full name, username, and account credentials.
• Transaction & Order Information: When you purchase digital publications (such as The Changemakers - Educating the Ingenious) or support programs through our store, our payment processors collect payment details. We store transaction IDs, buyer name, billing address, purchased items, and fulfillment records. We never store full credit or debit card numbers on our servers.
• Inquiries & Communications: Information submitted via our web forms, including message content, subject matter, and inquiries submitted through our Contact Us portal.
• Usage & Device Data: Standard server logs, IP addresses, browser types, operating systems, referring URLs, and access timestamps collected automatically for diagnostic, performance, and security purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We utilize collected information solely for legitimate operational and mission-aligned purposes:

• To provide, personalize, and improve the Teenager Startups platform and marketplace.
• To fulfill orders and securely deliver purchased digital publications, novels, and educational resources.
• To authenticate user sessions, prevent unauthorized access, mitigate fraud, and maintain platform security.
• To respond to user inquiries, technical support requests, and community feedback submitted via our official forms.
• To comply with legal obligations, non-profit regulatory accounting, and tax requirements.

4. Payment Processors and Third-Party Integrations

We partner with trusted, industry-standard third-party providers to facilitate secure payments and platform operations:

• Stripe: Processes international credit card transactions with end-to-end encryption and adaptive currency conversion. All card data is handled strictly under PCI-DSS Level 1 compliance.
• Zeffy: Powers fee-free fundraising and digital ticketing/publication donations for non-profit organizations in North America.
• Automation & Webhook Connectors: Automated webhooks (such as Boost.space) transmit verified transaction notifications securely to verify order completion and unlock instant digital downloads.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

5. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

As a platform focused on youth entrepreneurship and educational empowerment, protecting the privacy of minors is paramount. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 without verified parental or legal guardian consent. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal data without parental consent, please notify us immediately through our Contact Us form so we may promptly remove such information.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use standard HTTP session cookies and CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery) protection tokens to keep you logged in, preserve session integrity, and ensure platform security. You can adjust your browser settings to reject cookies, though certain interactive features of the site may be disabled as a result.

7. Your Data Rights (GDPR & CCPA)

Depending on your location, you may have statutory rights regarding your personal data under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), including:

• The right to request access to and a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• The right to rectify inaccurate or incomplete records.
• The right to request deletion ("Right to be Forgotten") of your personal data, subject to lawful retention requirements.
• The right to restrict or object to the processing of your data.

To exercise any of these rights, please submit your request directly via our Contact Us portal.

8. Data Security and Retention

We implement administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, destruction, loss, or disclosure. We retain personal data only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, satisfy non-profit audit obligations, and resolve disputes.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our operational, legal, or regulatory practices. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" timestamp. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

10. Contacting Us

If you have questions, concerns, or privacy rights requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out directly through our official web form:

Submit an Inquiry via Contact Us

All communications are securely routed and handled in accordance with New Abilities Foundation governance standards.