GeoVanguard Intelligence Privacy Policy

Information About the Operator

Name

GeoVanguard Energy Inc.

Address

15F Toranomon Hills Business
Tower, 1-17-1 Toranomon,
Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Representative

Ryo Kogure, Managing Director & CEO

Contact for Personal Information Inquiries

contact@geovanguardenergy.com

Information We Collect

The Site collects the following information.

Context	Information Collected
Membership registration	Email address, name, company or organization, country or region, password (stored in an encrypted form that cannot be restored even by the Company), title and department (optional), newsletter preference, the date and time of consent to the Terms of Use, and the version of the Terms of Use accepted
Inquiries	Name, company or organization, email address, inquiry category, and inquiry details
Use of the Site	IP address, browser type, device type, pages viewed, referring URL, and date and time of access

Purposes of Use

The purposes for which the Site uses the personal information it collects are as follows:

1. To register, authenticate, and verify users as members of the Site
2. To provide members-only reports and other content
3. To process changes to registration details, password resets, membership cancellations, and other procedures
4. To respond to and communicate regarding inquiries
5. To send newsletters and notices concerning the Site (only to users who have opted in)
6. To analyze Site usage and industry needs for editorial planning and Site improvement (all information is processed as statistical data that does not identify individuals)
7. To prevent misuse of the Site and ensure its security
8. To comply with applicable laws and regulations

Cookies and Other Technologies

The Site uses the following two types of cookies.

Type	Purpose	Concent
Strictly necessary	Maintaining login status and recording consent to the Terms of Use	These cookies are essential to provide the Site’s core functions and maintain security and are therefore used without separate user consent.
Analytics	Measuring and analyzing browsing activity using Google Analytics and similar tools	These functions will not be activated until the user has consented to the use of cookies.

Cookie Consent Management

1. On your first visit, you may select “Accept All” or “Reject All” from the consent banner.
2. Until the user’s explicit consent is obtained, all analytics tools and tracking functions other than strictly necessary cookies will remain inactive.
3. Consent preferences are stored in the user’s browser. Accordingly, the consent banner will be displayed again if the user changes devices or browsers.
4. Preferences may be changed at any time through “Cookie Settings” at the bottom of the Site.

Transmission of Information to External Parties

The Site transmits certain information about users to external service providers. This section constitutes the disclosure required under the external transmission rules set forth in Article 27-12 of Japan’s Telecommunications Business Act.

Recipient	Information Transmitted	Purpose
Google LLC (Google Analytics)	Pages viewed, referring URL, device information, browser information, and cookie identifiers	Company: To understand and analyze use of the Site Google: To provide, maintain, and improve its services (please refer to Google’s privacy policy for details)
Google LLC (YouTube) Only on pages with embedded videos	Page viewed, device information, browser information, and cookie identifiers	Company: To display videos in articles Google: To provide, maintain, and improve its services (please refer to Google’s privacy policy for details)

Access Analytics

1. The Site uses Google Analytics (GA4) and Google Search Console.
2. Google Analytics is used to understand browsing trends and does not collect information that identifies individuals. Google Search Console is a tool for reviewing search-engine data and does not directly collect information from users’ devices.
3. Please refer to Google’s privacy policy for information on how Google handles data.
4. Analytics cookies will not be activated until user consent has been obtained.

Disclosure to Third Parties

1. The Company will not provide personal information entrusted to it to any third party without the individual’s prior consent, except in the following cases:
   • When required by law
   • When necessary to protect a person’s life, body, or property and obtaining the individual’s consent is difficult
     
   • When cooperation is necessary for a national or local government body, or a party acting on its behalf, to perform duties prescribed by law, and obtaining consent could impede the performance of those duties
     
   • When personal information is provided in connection with a business succession resulting from a merger or other cause
     
2. The Company does not sell or rent personal information.

Outsourcing

In operating the Site, the Company outsources certain activities involving the handling of personal information to external service providers to the extent necessary to achieve the purposes of use. The Company enters into appropriate agreements and exercises proper supervision to ensure that personal information is handled appropriately by such service providers.

Type of Service Provider	Outsourced Services
Hosting provider	Provision and maintenance of the server environment used to store the Site and member information
Email delivery provider	Delivery of confirmation and notification emails
Newsletter distribution provider	Management of newsletter distribution
Development and maintenance provider	System development, server operations, maintenance, and incident response for the Site

International Transfers and Provisions Concerning the GDPR and Similar Laws

1. If, in connection with operation of the Site, the Company uses services provided by businesses located outside Japan (including within the EU/EEA) or transfers personal data outside Japan, the Company will ascertain the personal-information protection framework of the relevant country or region and take necessary measures to ensure an appropriate level of protection, including entering into the EU Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or relying on an adequacy decision.
2. Members’ personal information is generally stored on servers in Japan. If an overseas transfer occurs through an external contractor, cloud service provider, or other party, the Company will promptly disclose and update in this section relevant information such as the destination country and the safeguards implemented.
3.  [Additional Rights of Users in the EU (Application of the GDPR and Similar Laws)]
   The processing of personal data relating to users located in the EU/EEA (“EU Users”) is subject to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and other applicable laws. Under applicable law, EU Users may exercise the following rights:
   • Right of access (to confirm data held and the status of processing)
   • Right to rectification (to correct or supplement inaccurate personal data)
   • Right to erasure (right to be forgotten)
   • Right to restriction of processing under specified conditions
   • Right to data portability (to receive data in a structured format and transmit it to another controller)
   • Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
   • Right to withdraw consent at any time with prospective effect where processing is based on consent
4. EU Users who wish to exercise any of the above rights, or who have a data-protection complaint, should contact the inquiry desk. EU Users also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority of an EU Member State.

Retention Periods

1. Personal data entrusted to the Company will be retained only for the minimum period necessary to achieve the purposes specified in advance.
2. The Company regularly creates data backups in preparation for system failures. Information that has already been deleted may therefore temporarily remain in backup data, but it will be automatically overwritten and erased after the applicable rotation period.

Information	Retention Period
Member registration information	For the duration of membership. Data will be deleted promptly after completion of the membership cancellation procedure.
Newsletter subscription information	While the user wishes to receive emails. The user will be removed from the distribution list once the unsubscribe process is complete.
Inquiry details	For the period necessary to respond to the inquiry and handle subsequent matters. The information will be deleted when there is no longer a reasonable basis for retaining it.
Access analytics information	In accordance with the retention periods and settings established by Google Analytics and other tool providers.

Security Measures 

1. Member information is strictly managed in an environment separate from the system used to display the Site.
2. Account passwords are stored after being processed using irreversible encryption (hashing).
3. All communications with the Site use SSL/TLS encrypted communication (HTTPS).
4. Personnel authorized to handle personal information are limited to the minimum necessary, and access privileges are appropriately managed and restricted.

Changes to This Policy and Inquiries