Privacy Policy

YardUnion ("YardUnion," "we," "our," or "us") is operated by EZ Business Automation Services. We provide a professional networking and career development platform purpose-built for the HBCU community — connecting students, alumni, mentors, employers, universities, and organizations through a shared digital ecosystem accessible via our website at yardunion.com and our companion mobile application.

This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you use the YardUnion platform, including all web pages, authenticated dashboards, APIs, and related services (collectively, the "Platform"). It applies to all user roles: prospective students, current students, alumni, mentors, employers, university administrators, and organization administrators.

By creating an account or using the Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use the Platform.

We collect information you provide directly, information generated through your use of the Platform, and information from third-party services you connect to your account.

Account & Identity Information

• Full name, email address, and password when you register
• Phone number, if provided during registration or profile setup
• Date of birth or age verification information
• Profile photo and cover image, if uploaded
• User role selection (student, alumni, employer, university administrator, etc.)
• HBCU school affiliation, graduation year, and major or field of study
• Professional title, company or organization name, and industry

Profile & Career Content

• Resume content entered or uploaded through the resume builder tool
• Portfolio items including project descriptions, links, and uploaded media
• Skills, certifications, and professional interests
• Career goals and mentorship preferences
• Employer-facing profile information including company bio and recruiting interests
• University or organization profile content created by administrators

Activity & Interaction Data

• Connection requests sent, received, and accepted
• Mentorship requests sent, accepted, or declined
• Event RSVPs, check-in records, and event creation data
• Job and internship applications submitted through the Platform
• Opportunities posted by employers or organizations
• Announcements and campus posts created by users or administrators
• Search queries and content discovery activity

Uploaded Media

• Profile photos and cover images
• Portfolio images, documents, and project files
• Resume files uploaded to the platform
• Media files attached to campus posts or event listings

Technical & Usage Information

• IP address, browser type, operating system, and device identifiers
• Pages visited, features used, and time spent on the Platform
• Referral URLs and click-through paths
• Authentication tokens and session identifiers
• Error logs and crash reports
• Cookies, local storage, and similar tracking technologies (described further in Section 7)

Communications

• Messages and inquiries submitted through the contact form
• Support requests and correspondence with our team
• Notification preference settings

We use collected information to:

• Create, authenticate, and maintain your account
• Deliver the core features of the Platform, including profile pages, mentorship matching, event tools, career opportunity browsing, and employer recruiting tools
• Personalize your experience based on your role, school affiliation, and stated interests
• Match students with mentors, employers, and relevant opportunities
• Enable employers to discover and review candidate profiles
• Allow university and organization administrators to manage their institutional presence on the Platform
• Send transactional emails such as account verification, password resets, and application status updates
• Send platform notifications including connection requests, mentorship activity, event reminders, and new opportunity alerts — subject to your notification preferences
• Improve, maintain, and troubleshoot the Platform
• Conduct internal analytics to understand usage patterns and improve product features
• Enforce our Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy
• Comply with applicable legal obligations
• Communicate updates to our policies or services

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We do not use your information to serve third-party advertising.

YardUnion does not sell or rent your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

With Other Platform Users

Certain profile information you provide is visible to other authenticated users of the Platform according to your role and privacy settings. For example, students' profiles may be visible to employers who have access to talent discovery tools, and mentors' profiles are visible to students seeking mentorship. You control the completeness of your profile and the information you choose to share.

With Service Providers

We engage trusted third-party service providers to support Platform operations. These providers are contractually bound to handle your information only as directed by us and in accordance with applicable privacy law. Key providers include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) — cloud infrastructure including compute, storage (S3), database (DynamoDB), authentication (Cognito), API management (AppSync), and serverless functions (Lambda). AWS infrastructure operates across multiple AWS regions. Data is stored in regions consistent with U.S.-based operations.
• Vercel — web application hosting and deployment infrastructure. Vercel may process request data including IP addresses as part of delivering the Platform.
• Resend — transactional email delivery for notifications, verification, and platform communications.

For Legal Reasons

We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of YardUnion, our users, or the public.

In Connection with a Business Transfer

If YardUnion or EZ Business Automation Services is involved in a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or a prominent notice on the Platform before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

With Your Consent

We may share information in other circumstances with your explicit consent.

YardUnion uses Amazon Cognito to handle user authentication. Your password is never stored in plaintext. Cognito manages credential hashing, token issuance, and session management using industry-standard security practices including OAuth 2.0 and JSON Web Tokens (JWT).

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. You agree to notify us immediately at support@yardunion.com if you believe your account has been compromised. YardUnion will never ask for your password via email, direct message, or phone.

We recommend using a strong, unique password for your YardUnion account. Where available, we encourage use of multi-factor authentication if offered through the Platform.

YardUnion uses cookies, browser local storage, and similar technologies to operate and improve the Platform. These technologies allow us to maintain your authenticated session, remember your preferences, and understand how users interact with the Platform.

Types of Cookies We Use

• Strictly Necessary Cookies — required for authentication and core platform functionality. The Platform cannot operate correctly without these.
• Functional Cookies — used to remember your preferences such as notification settings and display preferences.
• Analytics Cookies — used to collect aggregated, anonymized data about how users navigate the Platform to improve features and performance.

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. If you disable cookies, certain features of the Platform — including authenticated access — may not function correctly. YardUnion does not currently respond to "Do Not Track" browser signals, as no industry-standard for such signals has been established.

We collect anonymized and aggregated usage analytics to understand how users navigate and engage with the Platform. This data helps us improve features, prioritize product development, and identify technical issues.

Analytics data we collect may include: pages visited, features activated, session duration, browser and device type, geographic region (country/state level), and error events. This data is not linked to individually identifiable records for the purposes of analytics reporting.

If we integrate third-party analytics tools in the future, we will update this section to identify those providers and describe their data practices.

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Platform to you. Specific retention practices include:

• Account and profile data is retained for the life of your account. If you request account deletion, we will delete or de-identify your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or legitimate business necessity (such as fraud prevention records or legal holds).
• Event and activity logs may be retained for up to 12 months for platform integrity and analytics purposes.
• Uploaded media files are stored in Amazon S3 and will be deleted upon account deletion request, except where content has been shared or is associated with other users' records.
• Communications sent through our contact form and support channels are retained for up to 24 months.
• Anonymized and aggregated analytics data may be retained indefinitely as it does not identify individual users.

To request deletion of your account and associated data, email support@yardunion.com from the email address associated with your account.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access — request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction — request that we correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion — request that we delete your account and personal information, subject to retention requirements described above
• Data Portability — request your profile data in a structured, machine-readable format where technically feasible
• Opt-Out of Communications — unsubscribe from non-essential platform emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in the email footer or by updating your notification preferences in account settings

To exercise any of these rights, email support@yardunion.com. We will respond to all verifiable requests within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

California residents may have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). Please contact us at the address above for a full accounting of your California privacy rights.

The YardUnion Platform is intended for users who are at least 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are under 13, do not register for an account or submit any personal information through the Platform.

Certain employer-facing and financially-oriented features of the Platform are intended for users who are at least 18 years of age. Employer accounts require the account holder to be at least 18.

If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has registered on our Platform, please contact us at support@yardunion.com.

YardUnion implements industry-standard technical and organizational security measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include:

• TLS encryption for all data in transit between your browser and our servers
• Encryption at rest for sensitive data stored in AWS infrastructure
• AWS Cognito-managed credential storage with no plaintext password persistence
• AWS IAM role-based access controls limiting internal access to production data
• Vercel edge-layer DDoS protection and HTTPS enforcement
• Regular review of our access control and security practices

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you discover a potential security vulnerability, please disclose it responsibly to support@yardunion.com.

YardUnion intends to offer AI-assisted features in the future, including tools such as resume feedback, interview preparation, school comparison assistance, and mentorship matching insights. When these features are introduced, this Privacy Policy will be updated to describe:

• What user data is processed by AI systems
• Whether AI outputs are stored or used to improve models
• Which AI providers or infrastructure are used
• What controls users have over AI feature participation

We will not activate AI features that process your personal information without providing advance notice and, where required by law, obtaining your consent.

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, employer career pages, university websites, event registration pages, or other external resources. YardUnion is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those third-party sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit through a link on our Platform.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, Platform features, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• Post a prominent notice on the Platform or send you an email notification
• Where required by law, obtain your consent before changes take effect

Your continued use of the Platform after any changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy. If you do not agree to the updated policy, you must stop using the Platform and may request account deletion.

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:

EZ Business Automation Services / YardUnion

• Privacy inquiries: support@yardunion.com
• Security disclosures: support@yardunion.com
• General legal notices: info@yardunion.com

We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 10 business days.