Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 12, 2026 · Effective: June 12, 2026 · Version 1.2

This Privacy Policy describes how StudyFar Consultancy ("StudyFar", "we", "us") collects, uses, and protects the personal information of users of our website at studyfar.academy and our mobile application. By using our platform you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

  • Account information: When you create a StudyFar account, we collect your name, phone number, email address, and profile photo (if provided via Google Sign-In).
  • Academic profile: Country preferences, field of study, degree level, IELTS/TOEFL scores, academic grades, and budget range — provided by you during onboarding.
  • Documents: Files you upload to the Document Vault (passports, mark sheets, offer letters, etc.) are stored in Firebase Storage and are only accessible to you and any counselor you explicitly grant access to.
  • Usage data: We collect information on how you use the platform — pages visited, features used, programs saved — to improve the product and personalise your experience.
  • Payment data: Razorpay processes all payments. We store only the Razorpay payment ID and plan details. We never store card numbers, bank details, or CVV codes.
  • Communications: Messages sent to counselors or support chat are stored to enable the conversation feature.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • To provide and personalise the StudyFar platform, including AI-based program recommendations.
  • To connect you with counselors and process session bookings.
  • To process premium plan payments and track subscription status.
  • To send you relevant notifications: deadline reminders, counselor messages, platform updates, and promotional content (you can opt out at any time).
  • To analyse aggregate usage patterns and improve the platform (we use anonymised data only for this purpose).
  • To comply with legal obligations under Indian law.

3. How We Share Your Information

  • With counselors you book: Your name, academic profile, and any documents you share are visible to the counselor assigned to your session.
  • With Firebase / Google Cloud: All data is stored and processed on Firebase infrastructure (Google Cloud), which complies with international data protection standards.
  • With Razorpay: Payment processing is handled by Razorpay. Their privacy policy governs data shared with them at checkout.
  • We do NOT sell your personal data to third parties, advertisers, or universities. We do NOT share your data with any university without your explicit consent.
  • We may share anonymised, aggregated data (e.g., "X% of students prefer UK universities") with partners or in public reports.

4. Data Retention

  • Active accounts: Your data is retained for as long as your account is active.
  • Deleted accounts: When you delete your account, your personal data is permanently deleted within 30 days. Uploaded documents are deleted from storage immediately.
  • Payment records: Transaction records are retained for 7 years as required under Indian accounting law.

5. Your Rights

  • Access: You can view all data we hold about you by visiting your profile page.
  • Correction: You can update your personal information and academic profile at any time.
  • Deletion: You can delete your account and all associated data from your profile settings.
  • Portability: You can request a copy of your data in JSON format by emailing hello@studyfar.academy.
  • Opt-out: You can opt out of promotional communications at any time by updating notification preferences.

6. Security

  • All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest.
  • Firebase Security Rules restrict document access so you can only read/write your own data.
  • Authentication uses Firebase Auth with phone OTP and Google Sign-In — we never store passwords.
  • Payment data is handled exclusively by Razorpay, a PCI-DSS compliant payment processor.
  • Access to backend systems is limited to the StudyFar team and is protected by multi-factor authentication.

7. Cookies

  • We use essential cookies only — for session management and authentication.
  • We do not use advertising or tracking cookies.
  • Firebase uses cookies/local storage to maintain authentication state. You can clear these in your browser settings, but doing so will sign you out.

8. Children's Privacy

  • StudyFar is intended for users aged 16 and above. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16.
  • If you are a parent creating an account on behalf of a student, you are responsible for the accuracy of information provided.

9. Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA)

  • StudyFar processes your personal data in compliance with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023.
  • We collect and process your data only for the purposes described in Section 2 and only with your consent, given at account creation.
  • Your rights under DPDPA: (a) access information about data we hold; (b) correct inaccurate data; (c) erase your data and withdraw consent at any time; (d) nominate another person to exercise your rights in case of death or incapacity.
  • To withdraw consent and request erasure of all personal data, email hello@studyfar.academy with subject "Data Erasure Request". We will process within 30 days.
  • We do not knowingly process data of persons under 18 without verifiable parental consent. Parents must register on behalf of students under 18.

10. Third-Party Data Processors

  • The following services process personal data on our behalf:
  • Firebase / Google Cloud (Google LLC) — authentication, database, file storage.
  • Razorpay Software Private Limited — payment processing (PCI-DSS Level 1 certified).
  • Meta Platforms Inc. (WhatsApp Business API) — counselor and digest messaging.
  • Resend Inc. — transactional email delivery.
  • All processors are bound by data processing agreements and may not use your data for any other purpose.

11. Changes to This Policy

  • We will notify registered users of material changes to this policy via email or in-app notification at least 14 days before changes take effect.
  • Your continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Grievance Officer

  • In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the Grievance Officer details are:
  • Name: Mithilesh Vannela
  • Designation: Founder & Grievance Officer, StudyFar Consultancy
  • Email: hello@studyfar.academy
  • WhatsApp: +91 94900 05320
  • Address: Hyderabad, Telangana, India
  • We will acknowledge your grievance within 48 hours and aim to resolve it within 30 days.