Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 4 May 2025

1. Introduction

Welcome to Advancer.com.au (the "Website"). Advancer Group Pty Ltd ("Advancer", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of individuals who interact with our Website and services. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, and manage personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the "Privacy Act") and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

This policy explains our practices regarding the personal information we collect through our Website, which offers services including AI Services, AI Products, AI Development, AI Strategy, HR Services and Business Strategy. By accessing or using our Website and services, you signify your understanding of the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy. We are dedicated to ensuring the transparency and security of your personal information.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information to provide and improve our services. The types of personal information we may collect include:

  • Information You Provide Directly: When you use our contact forms or otherwise communicate with us, we may collect personal information such as your name, email address, phone number, company name, and any other details you choose to provide in your message. This information is collected when you voluntarily submit it to us.

  • Information Collected Automatically (Usage Data): When you visit our Website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing activity. This may include your IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, pages viewed, links clicked, and the dates and times of your visits. This data is primarily collected using cookies and similar tracking technologies.

  • Cookies and Analytics Data: We use cookies to enhance your experience on our Website and gather usage data. Specifically, we utilize Google Analytics to understand how visitors engage with our site. Google Analytics collects information such as which pages you visit, how long you stay on the site, the website you came from, and what you click on. Importantly, the data collected by Google Analytics is anonymised and aggregated, meaning it does not personally identify you. We do not attempt to link this anonymised data with any personally identifiable information.

  • Email Marketing Information (Opt-In): If you choose to subscribe to our mailing list or newsletter, we collect your email address via MailChimp. This collection only occurs with your explicit consent (opt-in), and you can unsubscribe at any time.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect personal information through various methods, depending on your interaction with our Website:

  • Direct Collection: The primary way we collect personal information is directly from you when you voluntarily provide it. This occurs when you fill out and submit contact forms on our Website, subscribe to our newsletter, or communicate with us via email or other direct channels.

  • Automatic Collection (Cookies and Similar Technologies): As you navigate through our Website, we automatically collect technical and usage data. This is done using cookies and other standard web technologies. Cookies are small data files placed on your device that help us understand user behaviour, remember preferences, and improve the overall user experience. Our use of Google Analytics also falls under this category, collecting anonymized data about website traffic and usage patterns. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

  • Third-Party Sources: While we primarily collect information directly or automatically, we utilize third-party platforms for specific functions. For instance, if you opt-in to our mailing list, your email address is collected and managed through MailChimp. Similarly, our website hosting platform, Squarespace, may collect standard web server logs and usage data as part of its service provision, which may include IP addresses and browser information.

4. Use of Personal Information

We use the personal information we collect for specific purposes related to providing and improving our services and communicating with you. These purposes include:

  • Responding to Inquiries: To respond to your questions, comments, or requests submitted through our contact forms or other communication channels.

  • Providing Services: To deliver the services you request from us, such as AI Services, AI Products, AI Development, AI Strategy, HR Services, or Business Strategy consultations.

  • Website Operation and Improvement: To operate, maintain, and improve the functionality and user experience of our Website. Anonymized data collected via Google Analytics helps us understand user behaviour, identify popular content, diagnose technical issues, and optimize website performance.

  • Communication: To communicate with you regarding our services, updates, or administrative matters. This may include sending confirmations or notifications related to your inquiries or service requests.

  • Direct Marketing (with Consent): If you have explicitly opted-in to receive marketing communications (e.g., by subscribing to our newsletter via MailChimp), we will use your email address to send you information about our services, promotions, or industry insights that we believe may be of interest to you. You have the right to opt-out of receiving these communications at any time.

  • Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or governmental requests, and to protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and/or that of our users or the public.

We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which it was collected, or for closely related secondary purposes, unless we obtain your consent for other uses or as otherwise required or permitted by law.

5. Disclosure of Personal Information

Advancer.com.au respects the privacy of your personal information and will not disclose it to third parties except in the circumstances outlined below or as required or permitted by law.

We may disclose your personal information to:

  • Third-Party Service Providers: We engage third-party companies and individuals to perform services on our behalf to facilitate the operation and improvement of our Website and services. These providers have access to your personal information only to perform these tasks on our behalf and are obligated not to disclose or use it for any other purpose. Our key service providers include:

    • Squarespace: Our website is hosted on Squarespace. Squarespace provides the platform and infrastructure for our Website and may store data collected through the site, including information submitted via contact forms and standard web server logs, as part of their hosting services. Their handling of data is governed by Squarespace's own privacy policy.

    • Google Analytics: We use Google Analytics to analyse website traffic and usage patterns. As mentioned previously, the information collected by Google Analytics is anonymised and aggregated. Google may store this anonymized data on its servers, potentially outside Australia. Google's use of data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

    • MailChimp: If you subscribe to our mailing list, your email address is collected and managed through MailChimp, an email marketing platform. MailChimp facilitates the sending of newsletters and marketing communications to opted-in subscribers. MailChimp's handling of your data is governed by MailChimp's privacy policy.

  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to:

    • Comply with a legal obligation or court order.

    • Protect and defend the rights or property of Advancer Group Pty Ltd.

    • Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Website or our services.

    • Protect the personal safety of users of the Website, our services, or the public.

    • Protect against legal liability.

  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our Website of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information.

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

6. Cross-Border Disclosure of Personal Information

As part of our operations and use of third-party service providers, your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries outside of Australia. Specifically:

  • Squarespace: Our website hosting provider, Squarespace, may store data on servers located in various jurisdictions, including the United States.

  • Google Analytics: Data collected by Google Analytics may be processed and stored by Google on servers located outside of Australia, primarily in the United States.

  • MailChimp: Our email marketing provider, MailChimp (part of Intuit), operates globally, and data, including email addresses of subscribers, may be stored and processed in the United States or other countries where MailChimp or its service providers maintain facilities.

These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in Australia. When we disclose personal information to overseas recipients, such as these service providers, we take reasonable steps to ensure that the recipient handles the information in a manner consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles. This often involves relying on the contractual commitments and privacy policies of these reputable third-party providers, which typically include provisions for data protection and compliance with international data transfer standards.

By providing us with your personal information or using our Website, you consent to the potential transfer of your information to these overseas locations as described in this policy and the privacy policies of our third-party service providers. We remain accountable for the handling of your personal information by these third parties acting on our behalf, in accordance with APP 8 (Cross-border disclosure of personal information).

7. Data Quality and Security

Data Quality: We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we collect, use, or disclose is accurate, up-to-date, complete, and relevant (APP 10). When you provide information through our contact forms, we rely on you to provide accurate details. If you believe that any personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or out-of-date, please contact us using the details below so we can take reasonable steps to correct it.

Data Security: We are committed to protecting the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure (APP 11). We implement reasonable security measures appropriate to the nature of the information held. These measures include:

  • Platform Security: Our Website is hosted on Squarespace, which provides various security features for the platform infrastructure. Data submitted via forms is managed within the Squarespace environment.

  • Third-Party Security: We rely on the security practices of our third-party service providers (Squarespace, Google, MailChimp) for the data they process and store on our behalf. We select reputable providers who state their commitment to data security.

  • Access Controls: Access to personal information within our organization is limited to personnel who need access to perform their job functions.

  • Data Minimisation: We aim to collect only the personal information necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy.

  • Anonymisation: As noted, data collected for website analytics via Google Analytics is anonymised.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your personal information, please be aware that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will comply with our obligations under the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme in the Privacy Act.

8. Access and Correction of Personal Information

Under the Australian Privacy Act, you have the right to access the personal information that Advancer holds about you and to request corrections if you believe the information is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.

Accessing Your Personal Information (APP 12): You can request access to the personal information we hold about you by contacting us using the details provided below. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe. In most cases, we will provide you with access to your information. However, there may be circumstances under the Privacy Act where we are permitted to deny access, for example, if providing access would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, if the request is frivolous or vexatious, or if the information relates to existing or anticipated legal proceedings.

If we deny access, we will provide you with a written notice explaining the reasons for the refusal (unless unreasonable to do so) and the mechanisms available to complain about the refusal.

We may charge a reasonable fee for providing access to your personal information to cover our administrative costs, but we will not charge for lodging a request for access.

Correcting Your Personal Information (APP 13): We take reasonable steps to ensure the personal information we collect, use, and disclose is accurate and up-to-date. If you believe that personal information we hold about you is incorrect, incomplete, or needs updating, please contact us using the details below. We will take reasonable steps to correct the information after verifying your identity.

If we correct information that we have previously disclosed to another entity covered by the APPs, we will take reasonable steps to notify that other entity of the correction, if requested by you, unless it is impracticable or unlawful to do so.

If we refuse to correct your information, we will provide you with a written notice stating the reasons for the refusal (unless unreasonable to do so) and the mechanisms available to complain about the refusal. You also have the right to request that we associate a statement with the information indicating that you believe it is inaccurate, out-of-date, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.

To request access or correction, please contact our Privacy Officer using the contact details provided in Section 13.

9. Cookies and Analytics

Our Website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience, analyse website traffic, and improve our services. By using our Website, you consent to the use of cookies as described below.

What are Cookies? Cookies are small text files placed on your computer or mobile device when you visit a website. They are widely used to make websites work, or work more efficiently, as well as to provide information to the site owners.

How We Use Cookies:

  • Essential Cookies: Some cookies are necessary for the technical operation of our Website (hosted on Squarespace). These may enable basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas.

  • Analytics Cookies (Google Analytics): We use Google Analytics to collect information about how visitors use our Website. This helps us understand user behaviour, such as which pages are most popular, how long visitors spend on the site, and how they arrived there. As stated previously, Google Analytics collects this information in an anonymised form. It does not collect personally identifiable information. The data helps us compile reports and improve the Website.

  • Preference Cookies: We may use cookies to remember your preferences (like language or region) to provide a more personalized experience on future visits, although our current usage is primarily focused on analytics.

Google Analytics: Google Analytics uses its own cookies to track visitor interactions. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Website (including your IP address, which is anonymized before storage) is transmitted to and stored by Google on servers, potentially outside Australia. Google uses this information to evaluate website usage, compile reports on website activity for us, and provide other services relating to website activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. Google states it will not associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. For more information on Google Analytics' privacy practices, please visit Google's Privacy Policy and their specific page on safeguarding your data.

Managing Cookies: You have the ability to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. If you choose to decline cookies, you may not be able to fully experience the interactive features of our Website.

You can also opt-out of being tracked by Google Analytics across all websites by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

10. Direct Marketing

Advancer complies with the requirements of the Australian Privacy Principles (APP 7) and the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) regarding direct marketing communications.

We will only use your personal information (specifically, your email address) for direct marketing purposes if you have explicitly consented to receive such communications. This consent is typically obtained when you voluntarily subscribe to our newsletter or mailing list through the opt-in mechanism provided on our Website (managed via MailChimp).

If you have consented to receive marketing communications, we may periodically send you emails about our services, industry insights, promotions, or events that we believe may be relevant to you.

Opting Out: You have the right to opt-out of receiving direct marketing communications from us at any time. Every marketing email we send will include a clear and functional 'unsubscribe' link, allowing you to easily withdraw your consent. You can also request to be removed from our marketing list by contacting us directly using the contact details provided in Section 13.

Once you opt-out, we will take prompt action to remove you from our marketing mailing lists and cease sending you marketing communications.

We do not disclose your personal information to third parties for the purpose of allowing them to direct market their products or services to you.

11. Complaints

If you have any concerns or complaints about how we handle your personal information or believe there has been a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, please contact us directly in the first instance. We take privacy complaints seriously and will investigate your concerns promptly.

Please direct your complaint to our Privacy Officer using the contact details provided in Section 13 below. To help us address your complaint effectively, please provide sufficient detail about your concern.

We will acknowledge receipt of your complaint within a reasonable timeframe (typically within 7 business days) and aim to resolve it within 60 days. We may need to contact you to request further information during our investigation.

If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint, or if you do not receive a response within 30 days, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC)

  • Online: www.oaic.gov.au

  • Phone: 1300 363 992

  • Mail: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

We encourage you to contact us first to allow us the opportunity to resolve your concerns directly.

12. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or legal obligations. We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time.

When we make changes to this Privacy Policy, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

For significant changes, we may also provide a more prominent notice on our Website or notify you directly via email if we hold your contact details for such purposes.

Your continued use of our Website or services after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to exercise your privacy rights (such as accessing or correcting your information), want to opt-out of direct marketing, or need to make a complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer using the following details:

Privacy Officer Advancer Group Pty Ltd

  • Email: info@advancer.com.au

  • Mail: C/O Bentleys, Level 23/71 Eagle Street Brisbane QLD 4000