Research Topic Finder

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 3 July 2026

This policy explains how the International Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Research (IIAR), the academic and publishing arm of Veristzon Global Holdings ("we", "us", "our"), collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal data when you use the Research Topic Finder at topics.airinternational.org (the "Service"). We are the data controller responsible for your personal data. Please read this policy carefully; by creating an account or submitting a request, you confirm you have read and understood it.

1Information we collect

Information you give us

• When you create a free account: your name, email address, and WhatsApp number.
• When you request professional research support: your name, email address, phone/WhatsApp number, the service you are interested in, the research topic it relates to, and any message you choose to add.

Information from your use of the Service

• Topics you open, save, or select ("pick"). When you are signed in, these actions are linked to your account so we can maintain your saved list and show how widely topics are used.

Technical information

• A secure sign-in cookie that keeps you logged in, with a rolling 30-day expiry. This is essential to the Service.
• Standard server logs (such as IP address, browser type, and access times) recorded by our hosting provider for security, diagnostics, and abuse prevention.

2How we use your data

• To provide the Service — searching, browsing, saving topics, and running your account.
• To sign you in securely by emailing you one-time login codes (we use passwordless sign-in; we do not store account passwords).
• To respond to your professional-service requests and arrange for a member of our research team to contact you, normally within 24 hours.
• To maintain and improve the topic database and features, including popularity indicators derived from aggregated usage.
• To send you information about research resources and services where you have consented, by email or WhatsApp. You can opt out at any time.
• To keep the Service secure, prevent misuse, and comply with our legal obligations.

3Legal basis for processing

Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, and equivalent data-protection laws that may apply to you, we rely on:

• Consent — for creating your account and for any marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time.
• Performance of a contract / steps at your request — to act on and fulfil your professional-service requests.
• Legitimate interests — to secure, operate, and improve the Service, provided these do not override your rights.
• Legal obligation — where we are required to process data to comply with the law.

4How we share your data

We share data only as follows:

• Our research team — members of the IIAR / Veristzon research team receive the details of your service request so they can assess your needs and respond.
• Service providers (processors) — our hosting and email provider processes data on our behalf to run the website and deliver emails such as login codes and request confirmations. They act only on our instructions.
• WhatsApp — if you ask us to reach you by WhatsApp, those messages are delivered through WhatsApp, which processes them under its own terms as the messaging channel.
• Legal and safety — we may disclose data where required by law, to enforce our terms, or to protect the rights and safety of our users or others.

5How long we keep your data

• Account data is kept while your account is active, and is deleted when you ask us to close your account.
• Service-request data is kept for as long as needed to provide and complete the service you asked for, and for a reasonable period afterwards for our records.
• Server logs are kept for the standard periods set by our hosting provider for security and troubleshooting.

6How we protect your data

The Service is served over an encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) connection. We use passwordless sign-in to avoid storing account passwords, and we limit access to personal data to people who need it to do their work. No online service can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information.

7Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Ask us to correct data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Ask us to delete your data ("right to be forgotten").
• Restrict or object to certain processing.
• Withdraw consent at any time, including opting out of our communications.
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format.
• Lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) if you believe your rights have been breached.

To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@publications.airinternational.org. We will respond within the timeframe required by law.

8Cookies

We use a single essential cookie to keep you signed in. We do not use advertising or third-party tracking cookies. Because the sign-in cookie is essential to the Service, disabling it will prevent you from staying logged in.

9Children

The Service is intended for researchers and users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

10Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above, and where changes are significant we will take reasonable steps to notify you. Continued use of the Service after an update means you accept the revised policy.

11Contact us