Last updated: November 2025
Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.
GeniusAcademia ('we', 'our', or 'us') is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our tutoring services, visit our website, or interact with us in any way. This policy applies to all users of our services, including students, parents, guardians, and website visitors. By using our services, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.
We collect several types of information to provide and improve our services. Personal identification information includes full name, date of birth, email address, phone number, physical address, and grade level or educational institution. We also collect academic information such as subjects of interest, learning goals, academic performance data, progress reports, and assessment results. Payment information including billing address and payment method details (processed securely through third-party payment processors) is collected. Technical data such as IP address, browser type, device information, and usage data from our website and online platforms is also gathered. Communication records including emails, messages, session notes, and feedback are maintained for service quality purposes.
Information is collected through various methods. Directly from you during registration, booking sessions, completing forms, participating in surveys, or communicating with us via email, phone, or in person. Automatically through cookies and similar tracking technologies when you visit our website or use our online platforms. From third parties including parents or guardians (for minor students), educational institutions (with appropriate consent), and payment processors for transaction completion. During service delivery through tutoring sessions, assessments, progress tracking, and feedback collection.
We use collected information for several purposes. To provide and manage tutoring services including scheduling sessions, matching students with appropriate tutors, delivering educational content, tracking academic progress, and communicating about sessions and schedules. For payment processing and billing management, maintaining accurate financial records. To improve our services through analyzing usage patterns, gathering feedback, developing new programs, and enhancing teaching methodologies. For communication purposes such as sending service updates, responding to inquiries, sharing educational resources, and providing customer support. To comply with legal obligations including maintaining records as required by law and responding to legal requests. For security and fraud prevention by protecting against unauthorized access and ensuring the safety of our platforms.
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. However, we may share information in specific circumstances. With tutors assigned to provide services, limited to information necessary for effective tutoring. With parents and guardians of minor students, sharing progress reports, session summaries, and academic information. With service providers and partners including payment processors, technology service providers, and analytics services, all bound by confidentiality agreements. When required by law to comply with legal obligations, court orders, or governmental requests. With your explicit consent for any purpose not covered above. In the event of business transfer such as merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, with advance notice to affected users.
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Security measures include encryption of sensitive data during transmission using SSL/TLS technology, secure storage of personal information on protected servers, regular security assessments and updates, access controls limiting employee and contractor access to personal information on a need-to-know basis, secure payment processing through PCI-DSS compliant payment processors, and regular data backups to prevent loss. Despite our security measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but continuously work to maintain the highest standards of data protection.
We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specific retention periods include active account data retained for the duration of the service relationship, academic records and progress reports maintained for 7 years after the last session for record-keeping and reference purposes, financial records kept for 7 years to comply with tax and accounting regulations, and communication records stored for 3 years for quality assurance and dispute resolution. After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymize your personal information. You may request earlier deletion of your information, subject to our legal and contractual obligations.
You have several rights regarding your personal information. The right to access your personal data and receive a copy of the information we hold about you. The right to rectification, allowing you to correct inaccurate or incomplete information. The right to erasure (right to be forgotten), enabling you to request deletion of your personal information subject to legal and contractual obligations. The right to restrict processing in certain circumstances. The right to data portability, receiving your personal information in a structured, commonly used format. The right to object to processing of your personal information for specific purposes. The right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent. To exercise these rights, please contact us at geniusacademia@gmail.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
Many of our services are provided to minors (individuals under 18 years of age). We take special care to protect children's privacy. For students under 18, we require parental or guardian consent before collecting personal information. We collect only information necessary to provide tutoring services. Parents and guardians have the right to review their child's information, request corrections or deletion, and refuse further collection or use of their child's information. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we become aware of such collection without proper consent, we will delete the information immediately. Parents and guardians can contact us at any time to review, modify, or delete their child's information.
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance user experience and analyze website usage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use essential cookies required for website functionality and navigation, analytical cookies to understand how visitors use our website and improve our services, and functional cookies to remember your preferences and settings. You can control cookies through your browser settings, choosing to accept, reject, or delete cookies. However, disabling cookies may affect website functionality and your user experience. We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking across third-party websites.
Our website and communications may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third parties. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by GeniusAcademia. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites or services you visit. We use select third-party services including payment processors for secure transaction handling, email service providers for communications, and analytics tools for website performance monitoring. These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for specified purposes.
For online tutoring sessions, we use video conferencing platforms that may collect additional data. Session recordings may be made for quality assurance, training purposes, or at the student's request for review. We will notify participants before recording any session. Recordings are stored securely and retained only as long as necessary. Access to recordings is limited to relevant tutors, administrators, and the student/parent. You have the right to request deletion of any recordings containing your personal information. If you do not consent to recording, please inform us before the session begins. We can provide alternative arrangements that do not involve recording.
We may send you marketing communications about our services, special offers, educational resources, and updates if you have consented to receive such communications. You can opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in emails or updating your communication preferences in your account settings. Opting out of marketing communications will not affect service-related communications such as session confirmations, schedule changes, or important account updates. We respect your communication preferences and will process opt-out requests promptly.
GeniusAcademia primarily operates in South Africa. If we transfer personal information outside South Africa, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws. Such safeguards may include data processing agreements with recipients, ensuring recipients are in jurisdictions with adequate data protection laws, or obtaining your explicit consent for the transfer. We will inform you if your personal information will be transferred internationally and the protections in place.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a revised 'Last Updated' date, sending an email notification to registered users, or through other appropriate communication channels. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.
If you have questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: Email: geniusacademia@gmail.com, Phone: +27 65 830 2606, or by mail at our registered business address. We take privacy concerns seriously and will investigate and respond to all complaints within 30 days. If you believe we have not adequately addressed your concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa or other relevant data protection authority. We are committed to working with you to resolve any privacy concerns fairly and promptly.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly. If you have any questions or concerns about how we handle your data, please don't hesitate to contact us.