THE BALANCE INSTITUTE

PRIVACY POLICY

The Balance Institute Pty Ltd
ABN 35 163 745 926
Last updated: September 2026

1. ABOUT THIS PRIVACY POLICY

The Balance Institute Pty Ltd (“TBI”, “we”, “us” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information we collect and hold.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, hold and disclose personal information in connection with our websites, coaching programs, memberships, courses, events, digital tools, marketing and other products and services.

We are an Australian company and handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles where they apply to us.

Where we provide services to individuals outside Australia, additional privacy laws may apply. Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit any privacy rights that cannot lawfully be excluded.

“Personal information” means information or an opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, as defined under applicable law.

For United States residents, “personal information” or “personal data” also has the meaning given by applicable U.S. privacy law. This Policy is a notice at collection where required by applicable law. It describes the categories of information we collect, the purposes for which we use it, and the categories of recipients to whom we disclose it.

2. WHAT PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

The personal information we collect depends on how you interact with us and may include:

a. your name, email address, telephone number, address and other contact details;
b. information you provide when enquiring about, applying for, purchasing or participating in our products, programs or services;
c. information you choose to share in connection with coaching or our services, including information about your professional or personal life, business, career, goals, relationships, experiences, behaviours, beliefs, challenges and circumstances;
d. responses to applications, questionnaires, assessments, surveys, coaching preparation forms, exercises and reflections;
e. communications with TBI, our coaches or team, including communications through email, messaging and community platforms;
f. information shared during individual or group coaching, workshops, Q&A sessions, events and other interactions;
g. audio or video recordings, transcripts, automated notes, summaries and other records of sessions;
h. information you submit to artificial intelligence (“AI”) or other technology-enabled tools made available through our services, together with responses or other outputs generated from those interactions;
i. transaction and payment information. Payment card or financial account information may be processed directly by third-party payment providers rather than stored by TBI;
j. marketing preferences and information about your engagement with our emails, SMS messages, websites and advertisements; and
k. technical information such as IP address, device and browser information, website activity, referral source and interactions with our online services.

Some information you voluntarily provide through coaching, forms, communications, recordings or AI-enabled tools may constitute sensitive information under applicable privacy laws, including information relating to health or wellbeing, beliefs or other personal circumstances. Where required by law, we will obtain consent before collecting or using sensitive information.

For U.S. residents, depending on applicable law, sensitive personal information or sensitive data may include health or mental-health information; racial or ethnic origin; religious or philosophical beliefs; precise geolocation; government-issued identifiers; account credentials; genetic or biometric data used to identify an individual; sexual-orientation information; and information concerning a known child. TBI does not request that you provide sensitive information through The Oracle or group sessions. If you voluntarily do so, we will process it only as described in this Policy, with your consent where required by applicable law.

You are not required to provide all information requested by us. However, if you do not provide information reasonably required to deliver a product or service, we may be unable to provide some or all of that product or service.

Our services and The Oracle are intended only for individuals who are at least eighteen (18) years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under thirteen (13) years old. If we learn that we have collected such information without the legally required consent, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

3. HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

We generally collect personal information directly from you when you:

a. visit or interact with our websites;
b. make an enquiry, book a call, apply for or enrol in a program or purchase a product or service;
c. complete a form, assessment, questionnaire, survey, exercise or reflection;
d. participate in coaching, workshops, events or online communities;
e. communicate with us, our coaches or team;
f. use an AI-enabled or other technology-enabled service made available by us; or
g. interact with our marketing, advertisements, emails or SMS messages.

We may also collect information automatically through cookies, pixels, analytics tools and similar technologies, or through third-party platforms and service providers used to operate our business and deliver our services.

We may receive personal information from another person or organisation where you have authorised them to provide it to us or where collection is otherwise permitted by law.

4. HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION

We may use personal information to:

a. respond to enquiries and assess applications;
b. process enrolments, purchases and payments;
c. provide and administer our coaching, programs, memberships, courses, events and other services;
d. support coaching continuity and the work of our coaches and team;
e. provide and administer AI-enabled and other technology-enabled tools;
f. record, transcribe, summarise and document sessions and interactions;
g. communicate with you about appointments, participation, purchases and services;
h. operate client communities and communications;
i. improve, administer and evaluate our programs, services, content and customer experience;
j. conduct internal analysis, quality assurance and business administration;
k. send marketing communications where permitted by law;
l. measure and improve our websites, marketing and advertising;
m. protect our legal rights, systems, clients and business; and
n. comply with legal and regulatory requirements.

We may also use personal information for other purposes disclosed to you at the time of collection, with your consent, or as otherwise permitted by law.

We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about you or to make decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects. We do not use The Oracle to make automated decisions about eligibility for employment, housing, insurance, credit, health care, or another similarly significant matter.

5. COACHING, RECORDINGS AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Coaching sessions and recordings

Individual coaching sessions, group coaching sessions, workshops, Q&A sessions and other interactions may be recorded or processed using recording, transcription, automated note-taking, AI or similar technologies. This may result in audio or video recordings, transcripts, summaries, notes, action items or other records being created.

We may use these records to provide program resources, support coaching continuity, assist coaches involved in delivering our services, administer programs, maintain business records, conduct quality assurance and improve our services.

Recordings, transcripts or summaries may also be made available within a program or client area where relevant to delivery of the service. Where group sessions are recorded, information voluntarily shared during those sessions may therefore be accessible to other authorised participants in that program.

A participant who does not consent should contact us before the session.

Artificial intelligence

TBI uses and may continue to adopt AI, automation and other technology-enabled tools in operating our business and delivering our services. The technologies and providers we use may change from time to time.

AI and automated tools may be used for purposes including:

a. providing AI-enabled coaching, reflection or educational tools;
b. generating responses based on information submitted by clients;
c. recording or transcribing sessions;
d. creating summaries, notes or action items;
e. organising or analysing information;
f. supporting our coaches and team; and
g. administering and improving our services.

Information you provide through these tools may be processed by third-party technology providers and may include personal or sensitive information.

Depending on the tool and how it is configured, TBI may be able to access information submitted to or generated through an AI-enabled service. Authorised TBI personnel may access that information where reasonably necessary for program delivery, administration, support, quality assurance or other legitimate business purposes.

AI-enabled services may rely on third-party providers of AI models, hosting, data processing and other infrastructure. The handling of information by those providers may also be governed by their contractual terms, privacy policies and data-handling practices.

TBI takes reasonable steps when selecting and using technology providers, having regard to privacy, security, confidentiality and data handling. However, third-party technologies, providers, terms and data practices may change.

Unless we expressly tell you otherwise, you should not assume that information submitted to an AI-enabled service is visible only to you. You should not submit another person’s personal, confidential or sensitive information to an AI-enabled tool unless you are authorised to do so.

Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent for particular uses of personal or sensitive information involving AI.

The Oracle is an AI-enabled supplementary coaching and reflection resource, not a therapist, emergency service, or professional adviser. It may generate incorrect, incomplete, or inappropriate output. It does not monitor your safety or wellbeing. Do not use it for crisis assistance, medical, mental-health, legal, financial, or other professional advice, and do not rely on it as a substitute for qualified professional judgment. We do not intentionally use content submitted to The Oracle to train a generally available third-party AI model, unless we clearly disclose that use and obtain any consent required by applicable law.

6. DISCLOSURE AND THIRD-PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS

We may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to:

a. our employees, coaches, contractors and consultants involved in operating our business or delivering our services;
b. technology and service providers used for website hosting, program delivery, customer relationship management, communications, communities, scheduling, forms and surveys, payments, cloud storage, recording and transcription, AI and automation, analytics, advertising and business administration;
c. professional advisers, insurers and other advisers;
d. regulators, courts, law enforcement agencies or other parties where required or authorised by law;
e. parties involved in protecting our legal rights, safety, systems or business; or
f. a potential or actual purchaser or successor in connection with a sale, merger, restructure or transfer of all or part of our business, subject to appropriate confidentiality arrangements where applicable.

We take reasonable steps to ensure employees, coaches and contractors who have access to personal information through their work with TBI are subject to appropriate confidentiality and privacy obligations.

Third-party providers may also have their own privacy policies and terms governing their handling of information.

We do not sell personal information for money. We may disclose limited online identifiers and internet activity to analytics and advertising providers in connection with our advertising activities. Depending on applicable law, this may be treated as a “sale,” “sharing,” or processing for targeted advertising.

Where those laws apply, you may opt out as described in Section 11A below. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of consumers under sixteen (16) years old.

7. INTERNATIONAL PROCESSING AND DISCLOSURE

TBI is based in Australia but operates internationally and uses coaches, contractors and technology providers that may operate, store information or process information in other countries.

As a result, personal information may be stored, accessed, processed or disclosed outside Australia.

Overseas recipients may include coaches, contractors, technology providers, cloud service providers, AI providers, payment processors and other service providers involved in operating our business or delivering our services.

The countries in which information is processed or recipients are located may change as our business, personnel and technology providers change.

Where required by applicable law, we take reasonable steps in relation to overseas disclosures and the privacy practices of overseas recipients.

If you are in the United States, your information may be transferred to, stored in, or accessed from Australia and other countries that may have privacy laws different from those where you reside. We use reasonable contractual, technical, and organisational safeguards designed to protect information transferred internationally.

8. WEBSITE, COOKIES, ANALYTICS AND ADVERTISING

When you visit our websites or interact with our online content, we and our service providers may automatically collect information such as your IP address, device and browser information, pages viewed, referral source and interactions with our websites, forms, emails and advertisements.

We may use cookies, pixels, tags, analytics tools and similar technologies to:
a. operate and improve our websites;
b. understand how people use our websites and services;
c. measure marketing and advertising performance;
d. personalise content or advertising;
e. create or measure advertising audiences; and
f. understand how people move between advertisements, websites, forms and purchases.

Some of these technologies are provided by third-party analytics, advertising and technology providers, which may receive information about your interaction with our websites or advertisements.

You may be able to manage cookies through your browser or through privacy controls made available on our websites. Disabling certain technologies may affect website functionality.

Our websites may also contain links to third-party websites or services. We do not control the privacy practices of independent third parties and encourage you to review their privacy policies where appropriate.

Where required by applicable law, we will honour legally recognised browser-based opt-out preference signals and provide any additional mechanisms required to enable opt-out requests concerning targeted advertising, sale or sharing of personal information.

9. MARKETING, EMAIL AND SMS

Where permitted by law, we may use your personal information to communicate with you about our products, services, programs, events, resources and offers.

We may communicate with you by email, SMS, telephone, online messaging, advertising or other channels.

You can unsubscribe from promotional emails using the unsubscribe link contained in our emails. You can opt out of promotional SMS messages using the instructions provided in the message, such as replying “STOP”, where available, or by contacting us at [email protected].

Opting out of promotional communications does not prevent us from sending communications reasonably necessary to administer a product or service you have purchased or requested.

Standard message and data rates may apply to SMS messages.

For U.S. SMS marketing, consent to receive recurring automated promotional messages is not a condition of purchasing any product or service. Message frequency varies. Reply STOP to cancel and HELP for help. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. We will maintain consent records and obtain any required prior express written consent before sending automated marketing text messages.

10. SECURITY AND RETENTION

We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These measures may include administrative, technical and organisational safeguards and reasonable steps in selecting and using service providers that process personal information.

No method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, to provide and administer our services, maintain appropriate business records, comply with legal requirements, resolve disputes and protect our legitimate business interests.

Different types of information may be retained for different periods. Information held through third-party platforms may remain within those systems until deleted by TBI or the provider in accordance with applicable settings, contractual arrangements, legal requirements or retention practices.

When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to delete, destroy or de-identify it where required by applicable law.

If we become aware of a data breach involving personal information, we will assess and respond to it in accordance with applicable law, including notifying affected individuals and regulators where required.

11. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS AND COMPLAINTS

You may request access to personal information we hold about you or ask us to correct information you believe is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading.

Depending on where you live, applicable privacy laws may provide additional rights concerning your personal information, including rights relating to deletion or other uses of your information.

Where applicable law provides you with additional privacy rights, we will process eligible requests in accordance with that law. Nothing in this Privacy Policy is intended to limit rights that cannot lawfully be excluded or restricted.

We may need to verify your identity before processing a privacy request.

To make a privacy request or complaint, please contact:

The Balance Institute Pty Ltd
PO Box 274 Epping NSW 1710 Australia
Email: [email protected]

We will investigate privacy complaints and respond within a reasonable period.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may be entitled to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (if Australian privacy law applies) or the relevant privacy regulator in your jurisdiction, such as the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner or your applicable U.S. state Attorney General or consumer protection authority.

11A. U.S. PRIVACY RIGHTS AND CHOICES

Depending on your U.S. state of residence and subject to applicable-law exceptions, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a portable copy of personal information; to opt out of certain processing for targeted advertising, the sale or sharing of personal information, or certain profiling; to limit certain uses of sensitive personal information; and to appeal a decision on a privacy request.

To exercise a right, email [email protected] with the subject line “Privacy Request,” identify the right you wish to exercise, and provide sufficient information for us to verify your request. An authorised agent may submit a request where permitted by law, subject to verification of the agent’s authority and your identity. We will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right.

You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by using the unsubscribe link in our marketing emails or by contacting us. Where applicable law gives you the right to opt out of targeted advertising, sale or sharing of personal information, you may exercise that right by emailing [email protected] or through any legally recognised opt-out preference signal that we are required to honour.

If we deny a privacy rights request and applicable law provides a right of appeal, you may appeal by replying to the denial email and writing “Privacy Appeal” in the subject line. We will review the appeal and respond within the period required by applicable law.

TBI will not require a consumer to waive a non-waivable privacy right as a condition of receiving the Program. These rights apply only where and to the extent required by law; some data and processing activities may be exempt from particular state laws.

12. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our business, services, technology, legal obligations or privacy practices. The current version will be published on our website with the date it was last updated.

Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before materially changing the way we use personal information already collected.

CONTACT US

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our handling of personal information, please contact:

The Balance Institute Pty Ltd
ABN 35 163 745 926
PO Box 274 Epping NSW 1710 Australia
Email: [email protected]