1. Introduction

At Breaking Barriers (operating via books.kerolos.work), your privacy and the security of your personal data are of the utmost importance to us. This Privacy Policy outlines how your information is collected, used, protected, and shared when you visit our website or make a purchase.

This policy applies to operations conducted by both of our legal entities: Kerolos, LLC (New Mexico, USA) for international operations, and Breaking Barriers (Law 159, Egypt) for local operations. By using our website, you consent to the data practices described in this comprehensive policy.

2. Information We Collect

To provide you with a seamless browsing and purchasing experience, we collect the following types of information:

Personal Identification Information: When you place an order or register an account, we collect your Name, Email Address, Billing Address, Shipping Address, and Phone Number.
Transaction Information: Details about the products you purchase (digital books, physical books, or medical supplies) and the date/time of your transactions.
Technical & Usage Data: As you navigate our WordPress/WooCommerce site, we automatically collect your IP address, browser type, device information, and interactions with our website using cookies and similar tracking technologies.

3. How We Use Your Information & Digital Rights Management (DRM)

The primary reason we collect your data is to fulfill your orders legally and efficiently. However, as an academic and investigative publisher, protecting our authors’ intellectual property is a critical operational necessity.

Explicit Consent to Digital Watermarking:
If you purchase and download digital products (eBooks, PDFs, or research files), you must be aware that our files are protected by Digital Rights Management (DRM) technology.

We actively use your Personal Identification Information (specifically your Name, Email Address, and/or Order ID) to dynamically generate a unique, permanent watermark on your downloaded files.
This process is automated at the point of download and is designed to trace and deter digital piracy, unauthorized distribution, and copyright infringement.
By purchasing and downloading a digital product from Breaking Barriers, you explicitly consent to your personal data being embedded within the digital file.

Other Uses of Your Data:

To process payments and screen orders for potential risk or fraud.
To coordinate physical shipping logistics via our global Print-on-Demand partner (Lulu Direct) or our local Egyptian distribution networks.
To communicate with you regarding your order status, customer support inquiries, or essential service updates.

4. Payment Processing & Financial Data Security

Breaking Barriers does not store, process, or transmit your raw credit card numbers or sensitive financial data on our servers. All transactions are securely encrypted and handed off to our PCI-DSS compliant payment partners:

International Transactions (USD): Handled securely by Stripe / WooPayments, linked to our US banking infrastructure (Mercury Bank).
Local Transactions (EGP): Handled securely by Paymob, linked to the National Bank of Egypt.

5. Data Sharing & Third-Party Partners

We respect your privacy and do not sell your personal data to third parties. We only share your information with trusted third-party service providers necessary to operate our business:

WooCommerce / WordPress: Our core e-commerce platform that hosts our store and manages order databases.
Lulu Direct: Our global Print-on-Demand integration partner. If you order a physical book internationally, your shipping address and name are securely transmitted to Lulu Direct solely for printing and delivery fulfillment.
Local Couriers: Delivery partners in Egypt who require your phone number and address to deliver physical books and medical supplies.
Legal Compliance: We may disclose your personal information if required by law, to enforce our Terms & Conditions, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of Breaking Barriers, our authors, or others (including pursuing legal action against copyright infringement traced via our DRM watermarks).

6. GDPR & Your Data Rights

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), or subject to other global privacy frameworks, you have specific rights regarding your personal data:

The Right to Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
The Right to Rectification: You may request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
The Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): You may request that we delete your personal data. Please note: Due to our DRM watermarking and anti-piracy measures, if you have purchased digital downloads, we may be legally required to retain a record of your purchase and the associated watermarked identity to protect our intellectual property rights.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer at help@kerolos.work.

7. Data Retention

When you place an order through our website, we will maintain your Order Information for our legal, tax, and intellectual property records unless and until you ask us to delete this information (subject to the DRM exceptions noted above).

8. Contact Information

For any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, please reach out to us:

Egypt Address: 8 Ebn Hany El Andalosy, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt

Email: help@kerolos.work

US / International Phone: +1 (505) 373-3339

Egypt / Local Phone: +20 105 086 8803

US Address: 206 S CORONADO AVE, ESPANOLA, NM 87532, USA