Cookie Policy

1. Introduction

STAR-SOL ("we", "us", "our") operates the website located at starsol-canada.com and related educational platforms. This Cookie Policy explains how we use cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website. By using our website, you consent to the use of cookies in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our use of cookies, you should adjust your browser settings accordingly or refrain from using our website. This policy should be read in conjunction with our Privacy Policy, which provides additional information about how we collect, use, and protect your personal data.

2. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that are placed on your computer, smartphone, tablet, or other device when you visit a website. Cookies are widely used by website owners to make their websites function more efficiently, improve user experience, and provide analytical information to help optimize services. Cookies contain information that is transferred to your device's hard drive and stored in your browser. The information stored in cookies allows websites to recognize your device when you return to the site.

Cookies can be categorized as session cookies, which are temporary and deleted when you close your browser, or persistent cookies, which remain on your device for a set period or until you manually delete them. We use both types of cookies on our website to enhance functionality, analyze usage patterns, and personalize your learning experience.

3. How We Use Cookies

STAR-SOL uses cookies for several important purposes related to the operation and improvement of our educational platform. Our use of cookies is designed to enhance your experience, provide essential website functionality, understand how visitors interact with our content, and improve our educational offerings. Specifically, we use cookies to:

• Enable essential website features such as secure login access to course materials and user account management
• Remember your preferences, including language settings, display options, and course progress
• Analyze website traffic and user behavior to understand which educational content is most valuable to our students
• Improve website performance by identifying technical issues and optimizing page load times
• Personalize content recommendations based on your learning interests and course completion history
• Measure the effectiveness of our educational materials and marketing campaigns
• Prevent fraudulent activity and enhance website security

4. Types of Cookies We Use

4.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies

These cookies are essential for the operation of our website and cannot be disabled in our systems. They are usually set in response to actions you take, such as logging into your student account, accessing course materials, or setting privacy preferences. Without these cookies, certain services you have requested cannot be provided. Strictly necessary cookies do not store any personally identifiable information beyond what is required for basic website functionality.

Duration: Session cookies are deleted when you close your browser; persistent necessary cookies remain for up to 12 months.

4.2 Performance and Analytics Cookies

These cookies allow us to count visits, identify traffic sources, and understand how visitors navigate our educational platform. We use analytics tools such as Google Analytics to collect information about how users interact with our website, which pages are visited most frequently, how long users spend on each page, and where users encounter errors or technical issues. This information helps us improve our course content, optimize website performance, and enhance the overall learning experience. All data collected through analytics cookies is aggregated and anonymized, meaning it cannot be used to identify individual users.

Duration: These cookies typically remain on your device for 13 months from your last visit to our website.

4.3 Functionality Cookies

Functionality cookies enable our website to remember choices you make, such as your username, preferred language, region, or customized settings. These cookies provide enhanced, personalized features and help us deliver a more tailored learning experience. For example, functionality cookies may remember your course progress, allow you to bookmark specific lessons, or save your quiz scores so you can track your educational advancement over time. These cookies do not track your browsing activity on other websites.

Duration: Functionality cookies remain active for up to 24 months or until you manually delete them from your browser.

4.4 Advertising and Marketing Cookies

We may use advertising cookies to deliver relevant educational content and promotional materials that match your interests. These cookies track your browsing behavior across our website and, in some cases, across other websites, to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant advertisements for our courses and learning programs. Marketing cookies may be set by third-party advertising networks such as Google Ads, Facebook Pixel, or LinkedIn Insight Tag. We do not share personally identifiable information with advertisers without your explicit consent. You can opt out of targeted advertising through your browser settings or by visiting industry opt-out platforms.

Duration: Advertising cookies typically remain active for 13 months, though some third-party advertising cookies may have different retention periods as specified by the advertising platform.

5. Third-Party Cookies

In addition to our own cookies, we may use third-party cookies from trusted service providers to help us analyze website usage, deliver targeted advertisements, and improve our educational services. Third-party cookies are set by domains other than STAR-SOL and may track your activity across multiple websites. The third-party services we use include:

• Google Analytics: Used for website traffic analysis and user behavior tracking. Google Analytics cookies help us understand how visitors find our website, which pages are most popular, and how users navigate through our educational content.
• Google Ads: Used to deliver targeted advertisements promoting our educational courses to users who have previously visited our website or expressed interest in digital business education.
• Facebook Pixel: Tracks user interactions with our website and allows us to measure the effectiveness of our Facebook advertising campaigns, retarget visitors with relevant educational content, and build custom audiences.
• LinkedIn Insight Tag: Helps us track conversions from LinkedIn advertising, retarget website visitors, and gain insights into our professional audience demographics.

We do not control the use of third-party cookies, and these cookies are subject to the privacy policies of the respective third-party providers. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn to understand how they collect, use, and protect your data. You can opt out of third-party advertising cookies by adjusting your settings on these platforms or by using browser-based opt-out tools.

6. How to Manage and Delete Cookies

You have the right to control how cookies are used on your device. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies by default, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website and limit your ability to access certain features, such as course progress tracking, personalized recommendations, and secure login access. If you choose to disable cookies, some areas of our educational platform may not function as intended.

6.1 Browser Settings

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Below are links to cookie management instructions for popular web browsers:

• Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Cookies and other site data
• Mozilla Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
• Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Manage Website Data
• Microsoft Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions → Manage and delete cookies and site data
• Opera: Settings → Privacy & security → Cookies and other site data

6.2 Opt-Out Tools

You can also manage advertising cookies and opt out of targeted advertising through industry opt-out platforms:

• Digital Advertising Alliance of Canada (DAAC): youradchoices.ca/choices
• Network Advertising Initiative (NAI): optout.networkadvertising.org
• Google Ads Settings: adssettings.google.com
• Facebook Ad Preferences: facebook.com/settings (Ads section)

6.3 Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting that sends a signal to websites requesting that your browsing activity not be tracked. At this time, there is no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. Our website does not currently respond to DNT signals, but we respect your right to control cookies through the methods described above. We will continue to monitor developments in DNT technology and may update our practices in the future.

7. Cookie Consent

When you first visit our website, you will see a cookie consent banner that informs you about our use of cookies and provides options to accept or reject non-essential cookies. By clicking "Accept," you consent to the use of all cookies as described in this policy. If you click "Reject," only strictly necessary cookies will be used, and optional cookies such as analytics and advertising cookies will not be set on your device.

Your cookie preferences are stored in a cookie on your device and will be remembered for 12 months or until you manually clear your browser cookies. You can change your cookie preferences at any time by adjusting your browser settings or by contacting us at the email address provided in the Contact Information section below. We will respect your preferences and ensure that only the cookies you have consented to are used on your device.

8. Data Protection and Privacy

STAR-SOL is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data responsibly. Any personal information collected through cookies is processed in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) in Canada. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard your data against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

For detailed information about how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data, please refer to our Privacy Policy available at starsol-canada.com/privacy/. The Privacy Policy provides comprehensive information about your rights under data protection laws, including your right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, and object to the processing of your personal data.

9. Children's Privacy

Our educational platform is not directed at children under the age of 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16 through cookies or any other means. If we become aware that a child under 16 has provided us with personal information, we will take immediate steps to delete such information from our systems. Parents and guardians who believe their child has provided personal information to STAR-SOL are encouraged to contact us immediately so we can take appropriate action to remove the data.

10. Changes to This Cookie Policy

We may update this Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or business operations. When we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by sending you an email notification or displaying a prominent notice on our website. We encourage you to review this Cookie Policy periodically to stay informed about how we use cookies and protect your privacy.

Continued use of our website after changes to this Cookie Policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you do not agree with the changes, you should discontinue use of our website and delete any cookies that have been set on your device. Your ongoing consent to our use of cookies is important to us, and we are committed to maintaining transparency about our data practices.

11. International Data Transfers

STAR-SOL is registered in Poland and operates within the European Union. However, our educational services are available to students in Canada and other countries worldwide. Some of the third-party service providers we use, such as Google Analytics and Facebook, may transfer and process cookie data in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and Canada, including the United States. These transfers are conducted in accordance with appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission or adequacy decisions recognizing that the destination country provides an adequate level of data protection. By using our website, you acknowledge and consent to the international transfer of your data as described in this policy.

12. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Cookie Policy or our use of cookies, please contact us using the information below. We are committed to addressing your inquiries promptly and transparently.

You may also contact us through the contact form available on our website at starsol-canada.com/contact/. We will respond to all cookie-related inquiries within 30 days of receipt. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.