How Utopedia handles your personal data — and our commitment to your privacy.
Last updated: March 2026 · Effective date: March 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how UtopiaCircle/Utopedia (“we”, “us”, “our”) collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when you use Utopedia (learn.utopiacircle.org). We are committed to your privacy. We do not sell your data. We do not use marketing cookies. We do not profile you for advertising.

1. Who We Are

Utopedia is operated by UtopiaCircle, a knowledge organisation founded and based in Lagos, Nigeria. For all privacy-related enquiries, contact us at privacy@utopiacircle.org.

2. What Data We Collect

Data You Provide to Us

  • Account registration data — your name, email address, and password when you create a Scholar account
  • Profile data — your academic credentials, institutional affiliation, discipline, and biography as provided in your Scholar profile
  • ORCID data — where you connect your ORCID iD, we access your public ORCID record (name, affiliations, publications)
  • Content submissions — entries, research papers, and other content you submit to Utopedia
  • Communications — messages you send to our editorial or support team

Data Collected Automatically

  • Usage data — pages visited, entries read, features used, and time spent on the platform (used to improve the Service only)
  • Technical data — IP address, browser type, device type, and operating system
  • Cookie data — functional cookies only (see our Cookie Policy for details)

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your data only for the following purposes:

  • To operate and maintain your Scholar account
  • To verify your identity and academic credentials
  • To publish your contributions under your verified byline
  • To display your monthly reader count on your Scholar profile
  • To communicate with you about your submissions, account, and platform updates
  • To improve the performance and functionality of the Utopedia platform
  • To comply with legal obligations

We do not use your data for advertising. We do not build advertising profiles. We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with third-party advertisers under any circumstances.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service providers — trusted third parties who help us operate the platform (such as hosting providers and email services), under strict data processing agreements
  • ORCID — when you connect your ORCID iD, your public ORCID data is retrieved from ORCID’s servers. We do not share data back to ORCID beyond what is required for the verification process
  • Legal requirements — where required by law, court order, or regulatory authority

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your personal data is removed from our active systems within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or compliance purposes. Published content attributed to your name will be retained in the library under the terms of your contributor licence, but can be anonymised upon request.

6. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Access — the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Correction — the right to request correction of inaccurate data
  • Deletion — the right to request deletion of your account and associated personal data
  • Portability — the right to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Objection — the right to object to our use of your data in certain circumstances

To exercise any of these rights, contact privacy@utopiacircle.org. We will respond within 15 days.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encrypted data transmission (HTTPS), secure password storage, and access controls on internal systems.

No system is completely secure. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal data, we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

8. Children’s Privacy

Utopedia is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact privacy@utopiacircle.org and we will promptly delete it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email and will post the updated policy on this page with a revised effective date. Continued use of the platform after notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact

For all privacy-related enquiries: privacy@utopiacircle.org