privacy policy

Central Link Co., Ltd., a company incorporated under the laws of Japan (hereinafter referred to as “the Company”), recognizes the protection and proper management of personal information obtained through its import and sales business of bio-materials and research biospecimens in the life sciences field, as well as through the operation of the biospecimen procurement platform (hereinafter referred to as “the Service”), as an important social responsibility. The Company hereby establishes and complies with this Privacy Policy (Personal Information Protection Policy; hereinafter referred to as “this Policy”).

1. Basic Policy

The Company complies with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information of Japan and other relevant laws and guidelines, and handles personal information appropriately. The Company continuously reviews and improves its initiatives for the protection of personal information, and responds promptly and sincerely to inquiries, complaints, or consultations regarding the handling of personal information.

2. Types of Personal Information Collected

The main types of personal information collected by the Company include the following: Common Information (inquiries, business discussions, forms, exchange of business cards, etc.)
  • Name, company name, department/title, address, telephone number, email address, etc.
Website Browsing Information (cookies, access logs)
  • IP address, browser information, browsing history, location data, referrer information, etc.
Service Registration Information (Kentai Navi membership registration)
  • Name, email address, research institution name, field of expertise, position, login ID, password, etc.
Service Usage Information (specimen requests, provision, transaction history)
  • Type and quantity of specimens, test items, delivery and billing information, communication history, etc.

3. Purposes of Use of Personal Information

The Company uses collected personal information only within the scope necessary for the following purposes: Business Operations
  • Provision of products and services (including Kentai Navi), quotations, order processing, contract performance, billing and payment
  • User matching, specimen search and request management, and post-transaction follow-up within the Service
Communication
  • Responding to inquiries and requests, sending materials, and providing technical support
  • Providing information on seminars, webinars, exhibitions, and distributing email newsletters
Improvement and Development
  • Improvement of products and services, planning and development of new services, creation of statistical data
Legal Compliance
  • Notifications, reporting, and audits required under applicable laws such as the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act, Infectious Diseases Control Act, and import/export regulations
  • Exercise of rights, fulfillment of obligations, and dispute resolution

4. Provision to Third Parties

The Company does not provide personal information to third parties without the prior consent of the individual, except as required by laws and regulations.

5. Supervision of Contractors

When outsourcing the handling of personal information, the Company selects contractors that meet adequate protection standards, requires appropriate security measures through contracts, and conducts regular supervision.

6. Use of Cookies and Similar Technologies

The Company uses cookies, local storage, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies (“Cookies, etc.”) on its website and the Service for the following purposes:
  • Provision of essential site functions (maintaining login status, assisting form input, etc.)
  • Improving convenience (remembering user settings, improving display speed, etc.)
  • Performance measurement (access analysis, failure detection, etc.)
  • Delivery and effectiveness measurement of behavior-based targeted advertising

6-1 Advertising and Analytics Cookies

The Company may use the following advertising and analytics services to display and evaluate optimized advertisements based on users’ behavior and attributes. Users may opt out via each provider’s opt-out page. Google LLC – Google Ads / Google Analytics
Opt-out: https://adssettings.google.com/authenticated Meta Platforms, Inc. – Facebook / Instagram Ads
Opt-out: https://www.facebook.com/settings/?tab=ads Yahoo Japan Corporation – Yahoo! Ads
Opt-out: https://btoptout.yahoo.co.jp/optout/index.html HubSpot, Inc. – HubSpot marketing and analytics tools
Opt-out: https://legal.hubspot.com/privacy-policy#cookies Please note that disabling cookies in browser settings may prevent certain functions of the Service from operating properly.

6-2 Management of Cookies

Users can control acceptance of advertising and analytics cookies through browser privacy settings or each provider’s opt-out page.

7. Handling of Anonymized and Pseudonymized Information

In accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, the Company may process personal information into anonymized or pseudonymized information (“Anonymized Information, etc.”) and use or provide it to third parties for purposes such as clinical research at other institutions.

7-1 Items Included in Anonymized Information

  • Age (including age ranges)
  • Gender
  • Health-related information (medical history, health check results, test data, etc.)
  • Genetic information (genetic test data, etc.)
  • Blood tests, infectious disease tests, and other biospecimen analysis data
  • Other clinical test data

7-2 Provision to Third Parties

Items provided: Same as listed in Section 7-1
Method of provision: Secure, access-controlled server communication, encrypted file transfer, or other methods with measures to prevent unauthorized access
Recipients: Clinical research institutions, reagent and diagnostic manufacturers, academic institutions, and other organizations using the data for research purposes
Purpose: Clinical research, product development, statistical analysis, etc.

7-3 Security Measures

  • Establishment of documented anonymization procedures and adoption of appropriate processing methods to prevent re-identification
  • Logical and physical separation of data before and after anonymization
  • Access control management, log audits, and regular security inspections

7-4 Contact Point

Inquiries or complaints regarding anonymized or pseudonymized information are accepted through the Company’s designated inquiry contact.

8. Continuous Improvement

The Company regularly reviews and improves this Policy and its personal information protection management system.

9. Revisions to This Privacy Policy

This Policy may be revised without prior notice. In the event of material changes, the Company will promptly notify users on its website.

10. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Japan.

11. Contact Information

For inquiries regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of personal information, please contact:
Central Link Co., Ltd.
Email: customerservice@centrallink.info