Privacy Policy

We collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for our educational and charitable functions, including:

• Identity information: full name, date of birth, gender;
• Contact details: residential address, email address, telephone number;
• Program participation information: course enrolment history, attendance, and learning progress;
• Payment information: transaction records (payment card details are processed by secure third-party payment providers and are not retained by us);
• Communications: records of correspondence with the Academy;
• Website usage data: IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time of access, collected via cookies and analytics tools.

We do not collect sensitive information (including health information, government identifiers such as Tax File Numbers, or biometric data) unless it is strictly necessary and you have provided explicit consent, or collection is required by law.

We collect personal information:

• Directly from you when you register, enrol in a program, make a donation, or contact us;
• Automatically when you use our website, via cookies and analytics technology;
• From third parties, only where you have provided consent for such referral or sharing.

You are not obliged to provide personal information to us. However, if you choose not to provide certain information, we may be unable to process your enrolment or respond to your enquiry.

We use your personal information solely for the following purposes:

• Processing course and program enrolments;
• Communicating with you regarding your enrolment, program schedules, and Academy updates;
• Issuing receipts for donations and course payments;
• Managing our charitable operations and reporting obligations;
• Improving the quality and accessibility of our educational programs;
• Sending newsletters, event notifications, and educational updates (you may unsubscribe at any time);
• Complying with legal obligations, including ACNC reporting requirements.

We do not use your personal information for commercial marketing purposes or share it with third parties for commercial gain.

We do not sell, trade, or commercially share your personal information. We may disclose your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• To service providers engaged to assist our operations (such as email platforms or payment processors), under strict confidentiality agreements;
• To the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), or other regulatory bodies as required by law;
• To our instructors and volunteers on a strict need-to-know basis in connection with your program participation;
• With your explicit consent.

We do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients unless required by law or unless you have been informed and have consented.

We take all reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure. Our measures include:

• Encrypted transmission of data via SSL/TLS on our website;
• Restricted internal access to personal information on a need-to-know basis;
• Secure storage of physical and electronic records;
• Regular review of our data handling and security practices.

Please be aware that no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Our website uses cookies to improve user experience and gather anonymised usage statistics. Cookies are small text files placed on your device by your browser. You may configure your browser to refuse cookies or to notify you when cookies are set, although this may affect website functionality.

We use analytics tools (such as Google Analytics) to understand how visitors use our website. This data is collected in anonymised or aggregated form and is used solely to improve our website and programs.

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you, and to request that any inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information be corrected. To make such a request, please contact us at iching@taoacademy.com.au. We will respond within 30 days.

In limited circumstances permitted by the Privacy Act, we may decline to provide access. If we decline, we will provide written reasons.

We retain personal information only for as long as it is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. When personal information is no longer required, we take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify it securely.

Our programs are generally open to adults aged 18 and over. Where children under 18 participate with parental consent, we collect only the personal information necessary to manage their participation and apply additional care to its handling.

If you believe we have not complied with the Australian Privacy Principles in handling your personal information, you may lodge a complaint by writing to us at iching@taoacademy.com.au. We will acknowledge your complaint promptly and aim to resolve it within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in law or our practices. The revised policy will be posted on our website with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this policy from time to time.

For all privacy enquiries, please contact us at:

Australian Tao Academy Limited Email: iching@taoacademy.com.au Website: www.taoacademy.com.au