Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Genoguide collects, uses, and protects information when you access our genomic healthcare education platform. Genoguide is operated by the Genoguide Team at TD School, University of Technology Sydney (UTS). Using the platform does not require you to create an account or provide any personal or health information.

Who we are

Genoguide is a genomic healthcare education and decision-support platform developed by the Genoguide Team at TD School, University of Technology Sydney (UTS). UTS is the entity responsible for this platform and for any personal information handled through it.

This policy should be read together with the broader UTS Privacy Policy, which governs how UTS handles personal information generally.

Who this policy applies to

Genoguide is publicly accessible and is intended primarily for healthcare professionals. We recognise that members of the public, including patients seeking to understand genomic testing, may also access the platform. This policy applies to everyone who uses Genoguide.

Information we collect

Genoguide is designed to collect as little information as possible. Using the guided pathways or checklists never requires you to create an account or enter patient data, personal health information, or other identifying details.

The information we do process falls into three categories: anonymous, aggregated usage analytics; learning progress that stays on your own device; and the details you choose to provide if you submit feedback. Each is described below.

Progress and local storage

As you work through a guided pathway or checklist, your progress — such as completed chapters and the decisions you make — is stored locally in your browser using local storage.

This data remains on your device, is not transmitted to or stored on our servers, and can be removed at any time by clearing your browser data.

Analytics

We use privacy-focused analytics (Vercel Analytics and Speed Insights) to understand how the platform is used and to keep it fast and reliable. These tools collect aggregated, anonymous information such as page views, device type, and approximate geographic region derived from your IP address.

We do not use these tools to identify you, to track you across other websites, or to build an advertising profile of you.

Feedback

Each guided chapter, checklist item, and resource article has an optional Feedback tab where you can let us know if something looks inaccurate, outdated, or unclear.

If you choose to submit feedback, we collect your full name, email address, the message you write, and a reference to the specific page and piece of content you were viewing. This is used solely to review your feedback, follow up with you if we need more detail, and let you know once it's been actioned. We do not use it for marketing, and we do not share it with anyone outside the team maintaining Genoguide.

Submitting feedback is entirely optional and is never required to use any part of the platform.

Cookies

Genoguide does not use advertising or tracking cookies. Any browser storage we use is limited to the local storage and essential functionality described in this policy.

Third-party services and hosting

Educational content — and any feedback you submit — is managed through a headless content management system (Sanity), and the platform is currently hosted on Vercel. As a normal part of serving the website securely, these providers process limited technical information such as your IP address and browser type. To help prevent automated spam submissions, the Feedback form is also protected by Cloudflare Turnstile, which may check limited technical signals about your browser and connection to verify you're a real visitor.

We do not sell your information, and we do not share it with third parties for marketing purposes.

Overseas processing

Some of the service providers we rely on, including our analytics and hosting providers, may store or process technical information on servers located outside Australia. Where this occurs, only limited, non-identifying technical information is involved, and we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled securely.

How we use information

We use the limited information we process to operate and secure the platform, to measure and improve its performance, and to understand which resources and pathways are most useful to our users.

We do not sell your information, and we do not use it for advertising or for automated decision-making about individuals.

Your privacy rights

As a public university, UTS is bound by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 (NSW) and the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). Genoguide doesn't collect personal information as part of using the pathways themselves — the only personal information we hold is what you choose to provide if you submit feedback: your name, email address, and message.

If you believe UTS holds personal information about you in connection with this platform, you may request access to, or correction of, that information, and you may make a privacy complaint, by contacting the UTS Privacy Officer.

Data security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the information processed through the platform. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children's privacy

Genoguide is intended for healthcare professionals and the general public and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Medical disclaimer

Genoguide provides educational guidance and general information about genomic testing, including Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) items. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or clinical judgement, and it does not create a clinician–patient relationship. Always consult an appropriately qualified health professional or clinical genetics service for decisions about a person's care.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the platform or to our legal obligations. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised "last updated" date.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact Hossai Gul at the Genoguide Team, TD School, UTS, at [email protected].

For formal privacy requests or complaints, you may also contact the UTS Privacy Officer, who can direct you to the NSW Information and Privacy Commission if required.