Last Updated: May 25, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how HERDS™ ("HERDS," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects personal data when you use our website and related services (the "Platform"). HERDS provides a systems modeling and decision support platform for research, analysis, and related computational workflows.
We are committed to protecting personal data and processing information in accordance with applicable privacy and data protection laws, including the European Union General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR") and the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), where applicable.
The Platform is operated by AgNext at Colorado State University ("CSU"), which acts as the data controller for personal data processed through the Platform.
This Privacy Policy applies to visitors to the Platform and users who register for an account. It does not apply to third-party websites or services linked from the Platform.
Personal data, or personal information, means any information that can identify an individual directly or indirectly.
We may collect, use, store, and transfer different categories of personal data, including the following:
Input Data refers to information provided directly by users through forms, account registration, or platform interactions. We collect this data to manage access requests, maintain security, provide platform functionality, improve services, and comply with legal obligations.
System Data refers to information automatically collected about devices, interactions with the Platform, and technical usage patterns.
We use trusted third-party service providers to help operate, host, secure, and maintain the Platform. These providers may process limited technical or operational data on our behalf. Current providers may include:
These providers may process technical information such as IP addresses, authentication data, device information, and platform usage metadata as necessary to provide their services.
We only process personal data where permitted by applicable law.
We may use personal data for purposes including:
Under applicable privacy laws, we may process personal data based on:
We do not sell personal information or personal data.
Users may optionally consent to allow AgNext to retain certain submitted data for aggregated research, benchmarking, analytics, and system improvement purposes.
Where such consent is provided, submitted data will be de-identified and aggregated. It may be processed to support research validation, benchmarking datasets, model evaluation, and improving Platform functionality and output quality.
Research and benchmarking data generated through the Platform are treated as research data under Colorado State University’s Research Data Policy and related IT security and human subjects policies. HERDS workflows are designed to support CSU’s commitment to making research data "as open as possible and as closed as necessary," consistent with applicable laws, contracts, and ethical standards.
Data used for these purposes is not intended to identify individual users.
We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal data against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.
Access to personal data is limited to authorized personnel, contractors, and service providers who require such access for legitimate operational purposes and who are subject to confidentiality obligations.
If personal data is transferred outside your country or region, we implement appropriate safeguards where required by law, including adequacy decisions, Standard Contractual Clauses, or other lawful transfer mechanisms.
We do not share personal data with third parties for advertising or marketing purposes.
We may disclose limited personal or technical data to trusted service providers that support the operation, security, and maintenance of the Platform.
We may also access or review limited data internally for debugging, research validation, security monitoring, and improving platform functionality and output quality.
We may disclose information where required by law, regulation, legal process, or where necessary to protect the rights, safety, security, or integrity of the Platform, our users, or others.
We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including legal, accounting, security, and reporting obligations.
Account registration information is generally retained for as long as an account remains active unless a longer retention period is required by law or legitimate operational needs.
If a user deletes their account, operational account data may be deleted or retained as required for legal, security, and operational purposes.
Certain de-identified or aggregated research datasets may be retained in accordance with CSU’s Research Data Policy and applicable sponsor or regulatory requirements, even after individual accounts are deleted.
To request account deletion or data removal, contact herds@colostate.edu.
HERDS uses essential cookies or similar technologies necessary for authentication, account security, and core platform functionality. These technologies help maintain secure, authorized user sessions and enable access to protected areas of the Platform.
We do not currently use cookies for advertising or cross-site behavioral tracking purposes.
If our use of cookies or tracking technologies changes in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy accordingly.
The Platform is not intended for children under the age of 13, or under 16 where required by applicable law. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.
We are committed to providing accessible digital services and to processing personal data fairly and without discrimination.
If you experience accessibility issues or have concerns related to privacy or data protection, please contact us.
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights under applicable data protection laws, including the right to:
To exercise your privacy rights, contact herds@colostate.edu.
We may verify your identity before processing certain requests.
Users may withdraw future participation in optional research data contributions at any time, although previously aggregated or de-identified datasets may continue to be retained where deletion is not reasonably practicable.
The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not operated by us.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of third-party services. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any external websites they visit.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will become effective when posted on this page, and the "Last Updated" date will be revised accordingly.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at herds@colostate.edu.