1. Data Ownership
- Students retain rights of access, use, and sharing over credentials issued to them and their associated personal academic records.
Ownership in this context refers to personal data rights under applicable data protection laws and does not imply authority to alter, revoke, or re-issue official academic credentials.
- Institutions retain authority over the issuance, accuracy, revocation, and lifecycle management of credentials they issue.
- AcadCert acts solely as a secure custodian and verification service provider and does not claim ownership over academic credentials.
2. Student Rights & Capabilities
Students may:
- Access and view credentials issued to them
- Download credentials in PDF format with preserved filenames
- Verify the authenticity of credentials using cryptographic validation
- Share credentials with employers, institutions, or third parties of their choosing
Important Notice:
Only authorised institutional issuers, or platform administrators acting under explicit institutional authorisation, may modify, revoke, or supersede credentials. This ensures institutional control over official academic records while preserving student access and sharing rights.
3. Institution Rights & Responsibilities
Institutions may:
- Issue academic credentials to students within their institution
- Revoke or supersede credentials where errors, updates, or misconduct are identified
- Manage authorised issuers and approved email domains
- Maintain visibility into issued credentials under their authority
Institutions must:
- Ensure accuracy of credentials issued under their authority
- Maintain proper access controls for issuer accounts
- Act in accordance with applicable data protection and educational regulations
- Provide students with access to credentials issued in their name
4. AcadCert Platform Responsibilities
AcadCert commits to:
- Securely store credentials and cryptographic materials
- Maintain availability and integrity of verification services
- Provide transparent audit logs for security and compliance
- Enforce role-based access controls to protect institutional and student data
- Not claim ownership or authority over academic credentials
5. Data Protection & Privacy
Information We Collect
- Account Information: Email addresses, institutional affiliations, role assignments
- Credential Data: Document metadata, issuance details, verification records
- Audit Information: Access logs, authentication events, system interactions
How We Use Data
- Provide credential issuance and verification services
- Maintain security and prevent unauthorized access
- Generate audit trails for compliance and accountability
- Support legitimate institutional requests for access or modification
Data Sharing
We do not sell or rent personal information. Data is shared only:
- With the issuing institution for credentials they issued
- When students choose to share credentials with third parties
- As required by law or valid legal process
- With service providers under strict confidentiality agreements
6. Contact & Updates
For questions about this privacy policy or data handling practices, please contact your institution's credential administrator or our support team.
We reserve the right to update this policy. Material changes will be communicated to registered users via email and posted prominently within the platform.