Privacy Policy

Generally, our websites do not require a user to log in. However, PII may be collected in the following specific scenarios:

• Online Purchases (Parallax):
  • If you make a purchase in our online store, we collect your customer name (and/or company name), shipping/mailing address, and contact information (phone number, fax number, and/or email address). This information is collected and retained to ensure efficient processing and delivery of your products and to speed up future transactions.
  • Online payment information is NOT stored by Parallax.  Such information is handled solely by our secure third-party payment processor, in accordance with their privacy policies.
• Creating an Account (Parallax, Forums, and Obex):
  • If you choose to create an account in our Parallax online store, your customer name, shipping/mailing address, and contact information you provide for purchases will be retained within your account for your convenience in placing future orders.
  • For accounts you choose to create on our Forums or Obex sites, the information you provide is retained within the site account, independent of our online store, for functional purposes of the site itself.
• Educator Accounts (Learn):
  • The Learn site and the lessons it contains are free for use by students, educators, parents, and the general public.  It does not require or allow student, parent, or public  accounts and does not collect PII. Instead, accounts are manually created only for vetted educators (instructors) by Parallax staff.
  • To request an educator account, send us an email from your school account to [email protected] requesting an account on “Learn” and include your name and your school’s name.  We will verify your faculty affiliation with your school and will use your name and email in the creation of the account.
  • These accounts provide vetted educators with access to special materials, such as answer keys and special downloads.

Newsletter Opt-In

If you provide us with your email address, it may be included in our customer records for future communications regarding orders, news, events, and service inquiries.

• • You can explicitly opt-in to receive our electronic newsletter via the Subscribe form in our website footer.
  • Parallax may also automatically send a newsletter to customers who made a new purchase within the previous 3 months.
  • You can opt-out of receiving newsletters at any time by using the unsubscribe link located at the bottom of every newsletter email. Opt-outs are permanent; if you choose to opt-out, your email address will not be re-added to Parallax’s newsletter list.
  • Regardless of subscription status, at any time you may read current and previous news, learn about events, and watch instructional videos and webinars via our Community page.

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How We Share Your Information

Any actual PII collected by Parallax is not shared, rented, sold, or traded with any individual or company outside of Parallax Inc. This includes student PII. Information necessary for payment processing is handled directly by our secure third-party payment processor as needed for that specific transaction.

Data Security and Retention

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Data Security

We have implemented appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and help prevent unauthorized access, maintain data security, and correctly use the information we collect online and offline.

Data Retention

• • Website Account Data (Parallax, Learn, Forums, and Obex): If you own an online account on the websites that support it, your PII is retained within that account for as long as the account exists.
  • Internal Sales and Shipping Data: Customer contact and shipping information is also stored internally within Parallax’s accounting and shipping systems. This data is typically retained for 3 to 4 years until inactive customer data is purged through our normal operations.
  • Anonymized Google Analytics Data: This aggregated, anonymized data is retained by Google Analytics according to their standard data retention policies. It does not contain PII.
  • No Student PII for Non-Educational Purposes: Parallax does not collect or store student PII for any purpose. Our software collects no PII. Our Learn site includes PII for vetted educators only. In good faith, we expect that any PII collected for direct sales transactions is initiated by a parent, educator, school district, or industry professional.

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Your Rights Regarding Your PII

You have control over your PII collected by Parallax.

Access, Modification, and Deletion of Your PII

• Online Account (Parallax, Learn, Forums, and Obex): If you have an online account, you may access and change your account information at any time.
• All PII: You may contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] to request modifications or deletion of your PII from our websites and/or from Parallax’s internal accounting/shipping systems. We will process such requests in a timely manner.

Parental Rights and Student PII

Parallax Inc. is committed to protecting the privacy of students and complying with relevant privacy laws. We understand that parents and school administrators have particular concerns regarding student data.

• • No Direct Collection of Student PII: Our software does not collect any PII. Our websites are not designed to directly collect PII from students.
  • Parental/Guardian Requests for Deletion: If a parent or legal guardian believes that their child’s PII has been inadvertently provided to or collected by Parallax through a purchase or other interaction, they may request the deletion of that PII. Please contact us at [email protected] or [email protected] with a clear request for deletion, providing sufficient information to identify the data in question.

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Data Breach Incident Response

While we have implemented robust physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard your information, no system can be 100% secure. In the unlikely event of a data breach involving PII, Parallax is committed to a transparent and timely response. Our incident response plan includes:

• • Identification and Containment: Promptly identifying the scope of the breach and taking steps to contain it.
  • Investigation: Conducting a thorough investigation to determine the cause and extent of the breach.
  • Remediation: Taking immediate action to remediate the vulnerabilities that led to the breach and enhance our security measures.
  • Notification: If PII is compromised, we will notify affected individuals and, where applicable, school administrators, without undue delay, and consistent with legal and regulatory requirements. This notification will include information about the nature of the breach, the types of PII involved, and steps individuals can take to protect themselves.
  • Regulatory Compliance: We will report the incident to relevant regulatory authorities as required by applicable laws (COPPA and state privacy laws like New York’s Ed Law 2-d).

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Compliance with Education-Related Privacy Laws

Parallax is mindful of privacy regulations pertinent to educational environments.

• Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA): Our software does not collect PII from children. Our websites are not intended for direct use by children under 13 without parental or school supervision for activities that involve PII submission (e.g., purchases). In cases where student PII might be incidentally provided (e.g., by an educator or parent making a purchase), we are committed to addressing parental requests regarding that data as outlined in the “Your Rights Regarding Your PII” section.
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA): Our direct interaction with student PII is extremely limited, primarily through purchases made by schools or parents. We commit to protecting the privacy of any educational records that may inadvertently come into our possession in accordance with FERPA principles. Our services are not designed to collect or maintain student educational records.
• New York State Education Law 2-d (Ed Law 2-d): While Parallax is not a direct “educational agency” as defined by Ed Law 2-d, we acknowledge the importance of its principles regarding the privacy and security of student data. We commit to supporting schools in their compliance efforts by clearly outlining our data practices, providing transparency, and offering mechanisms for data deletion requests as detailed in this policy. Our software does not collect student PII, and our data handling practices for any PII collected via sales are designed to minimize risk and protect privacy.