01. Introduction
Trader Ascent ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect when you use our website and services (the "Services"), how we use it, who we share it with, and the rights you have over your data.
By using the Services, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with how we handle your information, please do not use the Services.
Controller: Trader Ascent is the data controller responsible for your personal information. Contact us at privacy@trader.co.ke for any privacy-related request.
02. Data We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide
- Account information: name, email address, phone number, country, date of birth, username.
- Authentication data: hashed password, passkey credentials (credential ID, public key), two-factor authentication secrets.
- Identity verification (KYC): government-issued ID details, selfie images, nationality, and verification results from our KYC provider (Didit).
- Trading profile: trading experience, preferred markets, trading platform, strategy, mentorship goals, availability preferences.
- Payment information: payment method details, billing address. Card numbers are never stored on our servers — they're processed by our payment provider.
- Communications: messages you send to support, mentors, or through our contact forms.
2.2 Information We Collect Automatically
- Device and browser data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, screen size.
- Usage data: pages visited, features used, session duration, referring URLs, clicks, and interactions.
- Cookies and similar technologies: session cookies for authentication, preference cookies, and analytics cookies (see Section 6).
2.3 Information From Third Parties
- Google: if you sign in with Google, we receive your Google ID, email, and basic profile info.
- KYC providers: identity verification results.
- Brokers and trading platforms: trading activity, account balance, and performance data for funded accounts.
- Payment processors: confirmation of payment, transaction IDs, refund status.
03. How We Use Your Data
We use your personal information to:
- Create and manage your account, and authenticate you when you log in;
- Verify your identity in compliance with anti-money laundering (AML) and counter-terrorism financing (CTF) regulations;
- Provide funded trading evaluations and mentorship services;
- Process payments and payouts;
- Communicate with you about your account, transactions, and support requests;
- Match you with a mentor based on your stated goals and availability;
- Send you transactional and (where you've opted in) marketing emails;
- Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms of Service;
- Comply with legal, tax, and regulatory requirements;
- Improve our Services, debug issues, and analyze usage patterns.
04. Legal Basis for Processing
Where required by law (for example, under the EU GDPR or Kenya's Data Protection Act), we rely on the following legal bases for processing your data:
| Purpose | Legal Basis |
|---|---|
| Providing the Services, managing your account | Performance of a contract |
| Identity verification (KYC/AML) | Legal obligation |
| Fraud prevention and platform security | Legitimate interests |
| Sending marketing emails | Consent (opt-in) |
| Analytics and service improvement | Legitimate interests |
| Responding to legal requests | Legal obligation |
05. How We Share Your Data
We never sell your personal information. We share it only in the following limited circumstances:
5.1 Service Providers
We work with trusted third parties who help us operate the Services. They are contractually bound to use your data only for the purposes we specify:
- Identity verification: Didit (KYC)
- Payment processing: our payment partners
- Cloud infrastructure: hosting and CDN providers
- Media storage: Cloudinary (avatars and documents)
- Google: Meet API for mentorship sessions
- Email delivery: our transactional email provider
- SMS delivery: our SMS gateway for phone verification
5.2 Brokers and Trading Partners
If you participate in the funded trading program, we share the minimum necessary information with our broker partners to set up and manage your trading account.
5.3 Legal and Regulatory Disclosures
We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or government request, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
5.4 Business Transfers
If Trader Ascent is acquired, merged, or sells assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We'll notify you of any such change and any choices you may have.
06. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to:
- Keep you signed in (essential session cookies — cannot be disabled)
- Remember preferences like language and display settings
- Measure usage to understand which features are used and where users need help
- Prevent fraud by detecting suspicious activity
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies will prevent you from logging in and using the Services.
07. Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:
- HTTPS/TLS encryption for all data in transit
- Encryption at rest for sensitive fields
- Password hashing with modern algorithms (Argon2 / bcrypt)
- Passkey (WebAuthn) support for phishing-resistant authentication
- Two-factor authentication
- Role-based access controls for internal systems
- Regular security reviews and updates
No system is 100% secure. While we work hard to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please use a strong, unique password and enable two-factor authentication on your account.
08. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Services. After you close your account, we retain limited data for the following periods:
- Account and transaction records: up to 7 years, as required by tax and AML laws
- KYC data: up to 5 years after the end of our business relationship
- Trading performance data: up to 5 years
- Marketing consent records: until you withdraw consent
- Server logs: up to 12 months
09. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights over your personal information:
- Right to Access
- Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Right to Rectification
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Right to Erasure
- Request deletion of your data, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Right to Restrict Processing
- Ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Data Portability
- Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to Object
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests, including marketing.
- Right to Withdraw Consent
- Withdraw any consent you've given at any time, without affecting past lawful processing.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@trader.co.ke. We'll respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority — in Kenya, the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC).
10. International Transfers
Trader Ascent is based in Kenya, but some of our service providers operate servers outside your country. When we transfer your data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:
- Standard contractual clauses approved by relevant regulators
- Transfers to countries recognized as providing adequate protection
- Contractual commitments from providers to protect your data
11. Children's Privacy
The Services are not intended for anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that we have collected data from a minor, we will delete it promptly.
If you believe we may have information from or about a minor, please contact us at privacy@trader.co.ke.
12. Third-Party Links
Our Services may contain links to third-party websites (for example, broker platforms or educational resources). We're not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we'll notify you by email or through a prominent notice on the platform at least 14 days before the changes take effect.
Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of the updated policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes.
14. Contact Us
For any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact us:
Privacy inquiries
Our privacy team responds to all requests within 30 days. For urgent security concerns, mark your email "URGENT" in the subject line.
privacy@trader.co.ke