Privacy & Data Policy#

Version 1.0 | Effective Date: January 1, 2026#

About This Policy#

The CAPIBARA Collaboration is a small, informal student research group. This policy explains what information we collect, how we handle it, and your rights. We keep things simple and transparent.

What Information We Collect#

Required Information#

  • Name (or preferred name)

  • Email address

  • GitHub username (needed to collaborate on GitHub)

  • Institutional affiliation (e.g., your university)

  • Role (student member, advisor, etc.)

Optional Information#

  • Country/location

  • Research interests

  • ORCID ID

  • Profile photo

  • Academic background

Automatically Collected#

  • GitHub activity: Your commits, pull requests, issues, and comments on CAPIBARA repositories are public and part of GitHub’s permanent record

  • Meeting attendance: We track who attends meetings for activity tracking

  • Contribution records: What you’ve worked on (for authorship purposes)

How We Use Your Information#

We use your information to:

  • Manage membership and GitHub access

  • Communicate about collaboration activities

  • Track contributions for fair authorship attribution

  • List active members on our website (with your consent)

  • Organize meetings and coordinate work

Where Your Data is Stored#

  • GitHub: All code, documentation, issues, and discussions (GitHub’s servers, subject to their privacy policy)

  • Email: Microsoft Outlook/365 (subject to their privacy policy)

  • Website: GitHub Pages (lists of members, if you consent)

Public vs. Private Information#

Public by Default:#

  • Your GitHub username (required to use GitHub)

  • Your GitHub activity (commits, comments, issues)

  • Contributions to public repositories

Always Private:#

  • Your email address (unless you choose to share it)

  • Personal communications

  • Parental consent forms (for minors)

Your Rights#

You can:

  • See your data: Ask us what information we have about you

  • Correct it: Update any incorrect information

  • Delete it: Request we remove your personal information (note: GitHub repository history is permanent)

  • Opt out: Choose not to be listed publicly

  • Leave anytime: Withdraw from the collaboration

How to exercise these rights: Email

Special Rules for Members Under 18#

If you’re under 18:

  • Your parent/guardian must complete the Parental Consent Form

  • We have extra privacy protections for you

  • No adult member will message you privately (all communication in groups)

  • Your parents can access your collaboration data anytime

Data Sharing#

We DO share:

  • Public GitHub contributions (that’s how open source works)

  • Your name/affiliation on the website (only with your consent)

  • Information with GitHub, Microsoft (our tools providers)

We DON’T share:

  • Your email or personal info with third parties

  • Your data for marketing purposes

  • Anything without your permission (except legal requirements)

Exception: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect safety (especially for minors).

How Long We Keep Data#

  • While you’re active: All data retained

  • After you leave:

    • Personal data deleted within 90 days (if you request it)

    • GitHub contribution history stays (it’s permanent)

    • You can stay listed as “Alumni” if you want

  • Emails: Kept for 2 years then deleted

Data Security#

We protect your data by:

  • Limiting access to private repositories to verified members

  • Encouraging two-factor authentication on GitHub

  • Using encrypted email when possible

  • Not storing sensitive information unnecessarily

But remember: We’re a small student group, not a company. We do our best but can’t guarantee perfect security.

If Something Goes Wrong#

If there’s a data breach affecting your information:

  • We’ll email you within 72 hours

  • For minors: we’ll contact parents/guardians within 24 hours

  • We’ll explain what happened and what to do

Cookies and Website Tracking#

Our website (GitHub Pages) doesn’t use cookies for tracking or advertising. GitHub may collect basic anonymous analytics about page views.

Changes to This Policy#

If we update this policy:

  • Major changes: We’ll email everyone and give 30 days notice

  • Minor changes: We’ll post updates on GitHub

  • Staying in the collaboration means you accept the updated policy

International Members#

CAPIBARA has members worldwide. Your data might be:

  • Stored on US servers (GitHub, Microsoft)

  • Accessed by members in other countries

  • Subject to different privacy laws

We follow GDPR principles as a baseline, even though we’re not a formal EU organization.

Questions?#

Contact us at:

We’ll respond within a week for general questions, within 30 days for formal data requests.

Quick Summary Table#

What We Collect

Why

Where Stored

Who Sees It

Name, email

Membership, communication

GitHub, Email

Private (members only)

GitHub username

Collaboration access

GitHub

Public

Institution

Attribution

Website

Public (with consent)

Contributions

Authorship, recognition

GitHub

Public

Meeting notes

Activity tracking

GitHub docs

Members only

Last Updated: January 1, 2026