Last updated: November 4, 2026
The International Institute of Mechanical Engineering ("IIME," "we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain and protect personal information when you visit ii-me.us, use our certificate verification service at cert.ii-me.us, enroll in a course, sit an examination, or otherwise interact with us. It applies to candidates, certificate holders, members, representatives of accredited training centers, and website visitors.
1. Information We Collect
We collect only the information reasonably necessary to deliver our training, certification and website services. This includes:
- Account information: name, email address, telephone number, password (stored in hashed form), preferred language and country.
- Enrollment information: courses selected, training center, session dates, attendance records and course progress.
- Certification records: identity details required to issue a certificate, date of birth where required for identity verification, photograph, examination results, certificate numbers, issue and expiry dates, and verification codes.
- Payment information: transaction amounts, invoices and payment status. Card and bank details are entered directly with our third-party payment processors and are not stored on our servers.
- Technical information: IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited and information collected through cookies and similar technologies, as described in our Cookie Policy.
- Communications: messages, inquiries, appeals and complaints you send us.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use personal information to:
- create and manage your account and process course enrollments;
- administer examinations, assess eligibility and issue, renew, suspend or withdraw certificates;
- operate the public certificate verification service so that employers and other parties can confirm the authenticity of a certificate;
- process payments, issue invoices and handle refunds;
- respond to inquiries, appeals and complaints;
- maintain the security and integrity of our services and examinations, including the detection of fraud;
- send service communications and, where you have consented, information about courses and events; and
- comply with legal, regulatory and accounting obligations.
For users in the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom, our legal bases for processing are the performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, our legitimate interests in operating a credible certification scheme, and, where required, your consent.
3. Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We disclose personal information only as follows:
- Accredited training centers: the center through which you enroll receives the information needed to deliver training, administer examinations and request certificates on your behalf. Training centers are contractually required to protect this information.
- Service providers: hosting, email, payment processing and IT support providers who act on our instructions.
- Verification users: a person who enters a valid certificate number or scans a certificate QR code may view limited certificate details, such as holder name, certificate title, status and validity dates.
- Legal requirements: where required by law, court order or to protect the rights, safety and property of IIME, candidates or the public.
4. Data Retention
We keep personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes described above. Certification records are retained for the period described in our Data Retention & Records Policy so that certificates can be verified throughout and after their validity period. Financial records are retained as required by applicable tax and accounting laws.
5. Your Privacy Rights
California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information we collect, use and disclose; to request access to and deletion of your personal information; to correct inaccurate personal information; to limit the use of sensitive personal information; and to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined by California law. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
EEA and UK Residents (GDPR and UK GDPR)
If you are located in the EEA or the UK, you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict or object to the processing of your personal data, the right to data portability, and the right to withdraw consent at any time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority. Where personal data is transferred outside your jurisdiction, we rely on appropriate safeguards recognized by applicable law.
Please note that certain certification records may need to be retained to protect the integrity of the verification service, even after a deletion request, where the law permits.
6. Security
We use administrative, technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information, including encrypted connections, access controls based on role and need, hashed passwords and activity logging. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Children's Privacy
Our services are intended for adults and professionals. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have done so, we will delete the information promptly. Candidates under 18 may enroll only where permitted by law and with the consent of a parent or guardian.
8. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when it was last revised. Material changes will be communicated through the website or by email.
9. Contact Us
To exercise your rights or ask a question about this policy, please reach us using the contact details published on our Contact page. We will verify your identity before responding to a request and aim to respond within the timeframes required by applicable law.