This Privacy Policy explains how NCODE BIO handles personal information. It applies to website visitors, prospective clients, current clients, client representatives, service providers, and individuals whose information is supplied for legitimate administrative work. NCODE BIO began operations on December 13, 2024, and records may relate to interactions from that date forward.
1. Scope of This Policy
This Policy covers information collected through the website, inquiry forms, email, phone communications, onboarding, proposals, invoices, project systems, and remote administrative services. It also covers information contained in client materials when NCODE BIO acts as a service provider processing information under client instructions.
This Policy does not control the privacy practices of Shopify, payment processors, email platforms, cloud storage providers, CRM systems, analytics vendors, or other third parties. Those services publish their own privacy notices and may process information independently.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
We may collect names, business names, job titles, email addresses, phone numbers, mailing addresses, project descriptions, service selections, scheduling preferences, messages, invoices, payment status, billing details provided through a processor, and other information submitted during an inquiry or engagement.
Client materials
Depending on the service, client materials may contain contact lists, calendar information, email correspondence, spreadsheets, invoices, CRM records, file names, document contents, research subjects, business templates, vendor details, and internal operational information. Clients control what is supplied and must have lawful authority to provide it.
Technical and usage information
The website and supporting services may collect IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, language, referring page, pages viewed, approximate location derived from IP address, timestamps, cookie identifiers, session information, and interaction events. This information may be collected automatically by Shopify, hosting infrastructure, security tools, or analytics providers.
Payment information
Payments may be processed by third-party payment providers. NCODE BIO generally receives transaction identifiers, payment status, amount, date, billing contact details, and limited payment method information rather than full card numbers or bank credentials.
3. Sources of Information
Information may come directly from you, from another authorized representative of your business, from client-selected systems, from publicly available sources used for approved research, from service providers, from payment processors, and from automated website technologies. When a client supplies information about another person, the client is responsible for having a lawful basis and providing any required notice.
4. How We Use Information
- To respond to inquiries and determine whether a requested service is appropriate.
- To prepare proposals, schedules, project plans, invoices, and service records.
- To perform administrative work under client instructions.
- To organize email, calendars, files, documents, spreadsheets, contacts, CRM records, and basic business records.
- To communicate about assignments, approvals, deadlines, service changes, security, and billing.
- To maintain business records, enforce agreements, prevent fraud, and resolve disputes.
- To secure accounts, detect suspicious activity, diagnose technical issues, and protect the website.
- To understand website performance and improve content, navigation, and service delivery.
- To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.
NCODE BIO uses personal information only for purposes reasonably related to the context in which it was collected, the client’s instructions, or another lawful and disclosed purpose.
5. Roles in Client Data Processing
For website inquiries, billing, and direct business administration, NCODE BIO generally decides why and how information is processed. For many client service tasks, the client determines the purpose of processing and NCODE BIO handles information only to perform the agreed administrative work. The exact legal role may vary by jurisdiction and engagement.
Clients are responsible for privacy notices, consent, lawful basis, retention instructions, and individual rights requests relating to data they control. NCODE BIO will provide reasonable assistance when a request concerns information processed on a client’s behalf.
6. Disclosure of Information
Information may be disclosed to service providers that support website hosting, cloud storage, email, communications, document processing, analytics, security, scheduling, invoicing, and payment processing. These providers receive information only as reasonably necessary for their function and are subject to their own contractual and legal obligations.
Information may also be disclosed to professional advisers, insurers, auditors, or legal authorities when reasonably necessary to protect rights, investigate misconduct, comply with law, respond to valid legal process, or complete a lawful business transfer. NCODE BIO does not disclose client confidential information for unrelated commercial purposes.
7. Sale and Sharing of Personal Information
NCODE BIO does not sell personal information for money. NCODE BIO does not knowingly share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. If website technology is later introduced that constitutes a sale or sharing under applicable privacy law, this Policy and available privacy controls will be updated before or when required.
Advertising or analytics vendors may characterize certain browser-level transfers differently under state law. Where legally required, visitors will receive a method to exercise applicable opt-out rights.
8. Cookies and Similar Technologies
Cookies and similar technologies may support essential website functions, remember preferences, protect forms, maintain sessions, measure performance, and understand how pages are used. Additional details appear in the Cookie Policy. Browser controls may block or delete cookies, but some website features may not function correctly afterward.
9. Data Retention
Information is retained only as long as reasonably necessary for service delivery, client instructions, business records, tax and accounting obligations, fraud prevention, dispute resolution, enforcement, backup cycles, and legal requirements. Retention periods vary by record type, sensitivity, contractual need, and the systems involved.
Inquiry records may be retained to manage follow-up and maintain a history of requests. Project materials are generally retained for the active engagement and a reasonable closeout period unless the client requests earlier deletion, a longer period is agreed, or law requires retention. Backup copies may remain temporarily until overwritten through normal cycles.
10. Security
NCODE BIO uses administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed for the nature of the information handled. Measures may include access limitation, unique accounts, multi-factor authentication where available, secure device practices, reputable cloud providers, encrypted transmission supported by the platform, data minimization, and controlled deletion.
No system is completely secure. Email, cloud services, internet transmission, and third-party platforms carry inherent risk. Clients should avoid sending passwords, full payment card details, government identification numbers, medical records, or other highly sensitive data through ordinary email unless a secure and agreed method is available.
11. Credentials and Account Access
Delegated access and role-based permissions are preferred. Clients should maintain administrator ownership, recovery options, and current access lists. NCODE BIO may retain limited credentials or access tokens only while reasonably necessary and may request that access be revoked at the end of the engagement.
Clients should notify NCODE BIO promptly if they suspect unauthorized access, a compromised account, an incorrect recipient, or a security incident affecting shared systems.
12. Your Privacy Rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction, objection, or information about disclosure. You may also have the right to withdraw consent where processing depends on consent and to appeal certain privacy decisions.
Rights are not absolute. A request may be limited by identity verification, legal retention duties, security needs, privilege, another person’s rights, or an exception under applicable law. NCODE BIO will not discriminate against a person for exercising a legally protected privacy right.
13. California Privacy Information
California residents may have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended, when the law applies to the relevant processing and business. These may include the right to know categories and specific pieces of personal information, request deletion or correction, receive information about disclosure, and opt out of sale or sharing. NCODE BIO does not sell personal information for money and does not knowingly share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
California law also requires an online privacy policy to identify categories of personally identifiable information collected, categories of third parties with whom information may be shared, and a process for reviewing material changes. This Policy is intended to provide that notice. A California resident may submit a request through the privacy email or other contact information listed below.
14. Verification and Authorized Agents
To protect information, NCODE BIO may verify identity by matching information already maintained, confirming control of an email account, requesting project identifiers, or using another proportionate method. Sensitive or extensive requests may require additional verification.
An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted by law. NCODE BIO may request proof of authorization and may verify the request directly with the individual unless an applicable legal exception applies.
15. Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track
Where applicable law requires recognition of a legally valid browser-based opt-out preference signal, NCODE BIO will process the signal in a manner required by that law. Because technical standards and legal requirements continue to develop, the website’s response may depend on the technology in use.
Some browsers transmit “Do Not Track” signals. There is no single universally adopted response standard. NCODE BIO does not use such signals to override essential website operations, but it honors legally required opt-out mechanisms where applicable.
16. Children
The website and services are intended for businesses and adults. They are not directed to children under thirteen, and NCODE BIO does not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under thirteen. If such information is discovered, NCODE BIO will take reasonable steps to delete it unless retention is legally required.
17. International Users
NCODE BIO is based in California. Information may be processed in the United States and in locations where service providers operate. Those locations may have different privacy laws. Where required, appropriate contractual or legal safeguards may be used for cross-border processing.
18. Privacy Requests
A request should describe the right being exercised, identify the person or business relationship involved, and provide enough information for reasonable verification. Do not send highly sensitive identification documents unless specifically requested through a secure method. NCODE BIO will respond within the period required by applicable law.
19. Changes to This Policy
This Policy may be revised to reflect new services, technology, legal requirements, or business practices. Material changes will be posted in a reasonably prominent manner. Continued use after an effective change indicates acknowledgment of the revised notice, but consent will be requested separately where law requires it.