Privacy Policy

Your Big Year®

Last updated: 5 October 2026

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how Your Big Year®, a program operated by International Connector LLC ("we", "us", "our"), collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including:

  • EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

  • UK GDPR

  • EU ePrivacy Directive

  • California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by CPRA (CCPA/CPRA)

  • Other applicable U.S. state privacy laws

This Privacy Policy applies to all users, applicants, participants, and visitors of our websites, platforms, and programs.

2. Data Controller

International Connector LLC
Operator of the Your Big Year® program

Contact: Saurabh Verma
Email: support@yourbigyear.com

International Connector LLC acts as the Data Controller for the purposes of GDPR and UK GDPR.

3. Personal Data We Collect

Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

  • Identification Data: name, email address, contact details

  • Educational and Professional Data: university affiliation, professional background, interests

  • Application and Program Data: application responses, assessments, participation records

  • Communications: emails, messages, support inquiries

  • Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information (via cookies)

We do not intentionally collect special category data under Article 9 GDPR.

4. How We Collect Personal Data

Personal data is collected through:

  • Online forms and applications

  • Email and direct communications

  • Program participation activities

  • Website usage (cookies and similar technologies)

5. Purposes and Legal Bases for Processing

We process personal data only where permitted by law, relying on one or more of the following legal bases:

  • Performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR)

  • Consent, where required (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR)

  • Legitimate interests, such as operating and improving our programs (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)

  • Compliance with legal obligations (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR)

You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

6. Use of Personal Data

We use personal data to:

  • Administer and deliver programs and services

  • Communicate with applicants and participants

  • Engage with partner companies for program-related opportunities

  • Maintain platform security and integrity

  • Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

7. Data Sharing and Recipients

Personal data may be shared only with:

  • Internal teams within International Connector LLC

  • Authorized service providers acting as data processors, including:

  • Advertising and analytics providers (Google, Meta and Microsoft), as described in Section 13. Some of them process this data under their own terms and privacy policies.

All processors are contractually bound by Data Processing Agreements (DPAs).

Where data is shared with partner companies, this occurs strictly for program-related purposes and under contractual confidentiality obligations.

8. International Data Transfers

Personal data may be transferred and processed outside the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom.

Where such transfers occur, we rely on appropriate safeguards, including:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)

  • UK International Data Transfer Addendum

  • Adequacy decisions where applicable

9. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, including legal, contractual, and reporting requirements.

Unless a longer retention period is required by law, personal data is deleted or anonymized within 30 days after it is no longer actively required.

10. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data, including access controls, encryption, and secure cloud infrastructure.

While no system is completely secure, we take reasonable steps to protect your information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

11. Your Rights Under GDPR and UK GDPR

You have the right to:

  • Access your personal data

  • Request rectification or erasure

  • Restrict or object to processing

  • Withdraw consent at any time

  • Data portability

  • Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Requests can be submitted using the contact details below. We respond within statutory timeframes.

12. California and U.S. State Privacy Rights

Residents of California and certain other U.S. states may have additional rights, including:

  • Right to know what personal data is collected

  • Right to request deletion

  • Right to opt out of certain data sharing

  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

Requests may be submitted via the contact details below.

Opting out of sale or sharing. We do not sell personal data for money. We use advertising tools (Google Ads and the Meta Pixel) that may count as "sharing" for cross-context behavioural advertising under California law. You can opt out at any time with the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link at the bottom of every page, or by turning on Global Privacy Control in your browser. The opt-out is saved in your browser, so if you clear your cookies or use another device you'll need to opt out again. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal data of anyone under 16.

13. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies as described in our Cookie Policy. How they work depends on where you are:

  • European Economic Area, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Quebec. Analytics and advertising cookies are off until you select Accept all on our cookie banner.

  • Everywhere else. We use analytics and advertising measurement cookies by default. You can switch them off at any time under Manage cookies on the cookie banner, or by using the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link at the bottom of every page.

  • Session recordings (Microsoft Clarity, with on-page text masked) run only after you select Accept all, wherever you are.

  • We treat a Global Privacy Control signal from your browser as a request to opt out of advertising cookies and of the sale or sharing of your personal data.

The tools we use are Google Analytics and Google Ads (Google), the Meta Pixel (Meta) and Microsoft Clarity (Microsoft). We have also enabled Google signals, which lets Google Analytics report on age, gender and interests in aggregate for visitors signed in to a Google account who have allowed ads personalisation. Some of this data may be processed outside the EEA/UK under the safeguards described in Section 8.

14. Children’s Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. Any participation of users under the age of 18 must include documented consent of a guardian or minor.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated via email or prominent notice on our website.

16. Complaints and Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or complaints regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, you may contact:

Saurabh Verma
Acting Data Protection Officer
International Connector LLC
Email: support@yourbigyear.com

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.