LabEquipment NG

Privacy Policy

Last updated August 2026

At LabEquipment NG, accessible from this website, one of our main priorities is the privacy of our visitors. This policy explains what information we collect, why, and how you can control it. It applies only to our online activities and is valid for visitors with regards to information shared with or collected by LabEquipment NG — it does not cover information collected offline or through other channels. If you have questions this page doesn't answer, contact the project office below.

Information we collect

We only collect what's needed to run the directory:

  • Staff accounts — name, email, phone, and institution/laboratory assignment, created for you by your institution administrator.
  • Equipment & laboratory records — details staff users submit about equipment, laboratories, and institutions, including photos.
  • Announcement sign-ups — if you opt in on the "What's New" page, we store the email address you provide, solely to notify you about new features.
  • Direct contact — if you email or message us, we keep the information you choose to share, such as your name and the contents of your message.
  • Technical data — standard web server logs and a session cookie required to keep you signed in (see Log files & cookies).

How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide, operate, and secure the directory, including authenticating staff accounts
  • Display equipment and laboratory listings to researchers searching the directory
  • Understand and improve how the site is used
  • Notify announcement subscribers about new features, if you've opted in
  • Respond to messages you send us
  • Detect and prevent fraud or abuse

We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not sell it.

Data security & confidentiality

We take the security and confidentiality of your data seriously. Data in transit is protected with HTTPS/TLS encryption, passwords are never stored in plain text, and staff account access is scoped by role — institution and laboratory staff can only see and manage data belonging to their own institution. We keep personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose it was collected, or to meet legal or reporting requirements.

Log files & cookies

Like most websites, our hosting infrastructure keeps standard server logs recording IP address, browser type, internet service provider, date/time, and referring pages — used only to analyze trends, administer the site, and keep it secure. We use a single essential cookie to keep signed-in staff authenticated between requests. We do not currently use third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking cookies.

How we share data

LabEquipment NG does not sell, trade, or rent personal data to anyone, and we do not share it with third parties except as necessary to operate the service or as described in this policy. We may access, disclose, or preserve data when we believe it's necessary to comply with applicable law, respond to valid legal process, prevent fraud or harm, or protect the security of our systems and the rights of our users.

Equipment and laboratory listings — including contact details a researcher chooses to reveal — are, by design, visible to the public as part of the directory's purpose. Institutions and laboratories are responsible for their own conduct once contact is made off-platform; LabEquipment NG is not responsible for how a third party handles information you share with them directly.

Your data protection rights

Every user is entitled to:

  • Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Erasure — request deletion of your personal data, under certain conditions.
  • Restriction — request that we limit how we process your data, under certain conditions.
  • Objection — object to our processing of your data, under certain conditions.
  • Portability — request that we transfer your data to another organization, or to you directly.
  • Complaint — lodge a complaint with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

If you make a request, we aim to respond within one month.

Children's information

LabEquipment NG is built for institutional and research use and does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will promptly remove it.

Changes to this policy

We continually improve LabEquipment NG, and our data practices may change as the platform, the law, or the underlying technology evolves. When we make material changes, we'll update the date at the top of this page.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or want to exercise a data right? Reach the project office at iceesr@uniuyo.edu.ng or contact@nwistem.org, or see the full contact details on the About page.