Privacy Policy

1) Who We Are & How to Contact Us

Controller: Webometrics.org (the “webometrics.org team”)
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

If you are in the EEA/UK, you may also have the right to contact your local data protection authority.

2) Scope

This policy applies to:

• Our main site at webometrics.org and any related pages/subpages we operate.
• Any tools, forms, events, newsletters, rankings submissions, or APIs we provide.
• Our research activities related to publicly available web data (see Section 8).

This policy does not apply to third-party sites that we link to (see Section 12).

3) Information We Collect

A) Information You Provide Directly

• Contact & account info: name, email, institution/role, password (hashed), preferences.
• Forms & submissions: ranking data, methodological feedback, corrections or public-contact links for universities.
• Events & newsletters: RSVP details, communication preferences.
• Support requests: message content and attachments you choose to send.

B) Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: pages viewed, referring URLs, date/time, approximate location (from IP), language, device/browser types.
• Log & security data: IP address, user-agent, error logs, access times, authentication events.
• Cookies & similar tech: small files to make the site work, remember preferences, and analyze aggregate usage (see Section 7).

C) Information from Public Sources / Open Web

Institution-level web data: We analyze publicly available pages and technical signals to measure an institution’s web presence, impact, openness, and excellence. Where possible, we respect robots.txt and site-level directives (see Section 8).

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data and we do not build profiles about individual people.

4) How We Use Information

• Provide and improve services: operate the site, rankings, dashboards, and APIs; maintain performance and reliability.
• Research & methodology: develop and explain indicators about the web presence of universities (aggregate/de-identified where possible).
• Communications: respond to inquiries, send service notices, and—only with your opt-in—send newsletters or updates.
• Integrity & security: detect abuse, prevent fraud, enforce policies, and protect our users and infrastructure.
• Compliance: meet legal obligations and respond to lawful requests.

We do not sell personal information and we do not use personal data for cross-context behavioral advertising.

5) Legal Bases (EEA/UK Users)

• Contract/Service necessity to run the website, accounts, and requested features.
• Legitimate interests to secure systems, understand usage at an aggregate level, and conduct public-interest ranking research using open-web sources.
• Consent for non-essential cookies, newsletters, and certain regional requirements.
• Legal obligations to comply with laws and valid legal processes.

You can withdraw consent at any time (see Section 9).

6) How We Share Information

• Service providers (“processors”): hosting, security, email delivery, analytics (under contract, limited to our instructions).
• Research transparency: aggregate metrics, methodologies, and institution-level findings that rely on public data—not personal user data.
• Legal reasons: to comply with laws, protect rights/safety, or respond to lawful requests.
• Business changes: in case of reorganization related to Webometrics.org, subject to this policy’s protections.

We do not sell personal information.

7) Cookies & Similar Technologies

• Strictly necessary cookies (essential for login, security, load balancing).
• Preference cookies (remembering language or UI settings).
• Analytics cookies (to understand site usage in aggregate and improve services).

Where required by law, we show a cookie banner and honor your choices. You can manage cookies in your browser or via our banner/settings page. Blocking certain cookies may affect site functionality.

8) Public-Web Crawling & Research Ethics

• We focus on institution-level signals (domains, subdomains, repositories, scholarly portals, and other publicly accessible sources).
• We respect robots.txt and industry norms for reasonable request rates.
• We avoid collecting personal data from pages that are clearly personal or private; if inadvertently collected, we seek to exclude, minimize, or de-identify it.
• We provide correction channels so institutions can flag outdated or misattributed information.
• We document our methodological changes and aim for transparency in indicators and definitions.

Concerns? Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with relevant logs/URLs.

9) Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Delete your personal data (subject to legal obligations).
• Restrict or object to certain processing.
• Port your data to another service.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Appeal a decision or lodge a complaint with a data protection authority.

California residents (CCPA/CPRA) also have rights to know, delete, correct, and opt out of “sale” or “sharing” of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

To exercise rights, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

10) Data Retention

• Account & form data: kept while your account is active or as needed to provide services; then deleted or anonymized.
• Logs & security data: retained for a limited period for security/integrity; may be longer if required for legal or investigative reasons.
• Research datasets (public-web): retained in aggregate/anonymized form where feasible to preserve methodological continuity.

We keep data only as long as necessary for the purposes described above or as required by law.

11) International Data Transfers

We may process data in countries outside your own. When we transfer personal data internationally, we use appropriate safeguards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable) and implement technical/organizational measures to protect it.

12) Third-Party Links & Embedded Content

Our site links to university sites, repositories, and other resources. These third-party sites are not controlled by us and have their own privacy practices. Please review their policies before providing information.

13) Security

We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal data (e.g., access controls, encryption in transit, backups, logging). No system is 100% secure; please use strong passwords and notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.

14) Children’s Privacy

Webometrics.org is intended for a general audience interested in higher education and is not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal data, contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

15) Changes to this Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date shows when changes were made. Material changes will be communicated by posting a notice on this page and, where appropriate, via email or in-site alerts.

16) How to Reach Us

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
If you prefer postal mail, contact us by email for the current mailing address.

For EEA/UK users, you may also contact your local data protection authority if unresolved concerns remain.

17) Region-Specific Disclosures (Summary)

EEA/UK

You have rights under GDPR, including access, rectification, erasure, restriction, objection, and portability. Our legal bases are listed in Section 5.

California (CCPA/CPRA)

We do not “sell” or “share” personal information as defined by CPRA. You may exercise access, correction, and deletion rights via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

Optional Sections (Enable if Applicable)

Email Marketing

If you opt in, we may send occasional updates about methodology changes, new releases, or events. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in the email or by contacting us.

Analytics Tools Used

We use privacy-conscious analytics (e.g., Matomo or Google Analytics in IP-anonymized mode) to analyze aggregate usage. You can opt out through our cookie controls.

Data Protection Officer (DPO)

If you appoint a DPO, list their contact details here.

Note: This policy is designed to be clear and practical for most jurisdictions. It is not legal advice. Consider having counsel review it for your exact services, locations, and vendor stack.