Your data,
your privacy

Built by one person, for students everywhere

Welcome to StudySphere. My name is Ahmad Ali — I'm an independent developer and the sole person behind this project. StudySphere is not a company, startup, or corporate product. It was built, designed, and is maintained entirely by me, as a passion project to help students like myself study smarter and stay organised.

Because this is an independent, one-person project, when you contact StudySphere, you're talking directly to me. I personally read every message, handle every support request, and take full responsibility for how your data is handled. There is no team, no data department, no third-party handling things behind the scenes on my behalf — just me.

This Privacy Policy explains in plain language how I collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use StudySphere on the web or as a desktop app. I've written it to be actually understandable — not dense legal filler. Please read it; it matters.

By using StudySphere, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you have any questions at any time, you can reach me directly at the contact details at the bottom of this document.

What we collect and why

We collect only what we need to provide you with a great experience. Here's a breakdown of the information we gather:

We do not collect your financial information, precise GPS location, camera or microphone access, or any data unrelated to your study experience.

Purposes of data processing

Every piece of data we collect serves a specific purpose. We never use your information for unrelated purposes.

• Provide and maintain the StudySphere application and all its features
• Generate your personalized study analytics and progress dashboards
• Power the AI assistant to provide contextually relevant academic support
• Synchronize your data seamlessly across devices
• Send important service updates, security alerts, and account notifications
• Diagnose and fix technical issues to improve app stability and performance
• Develop and improve existing and upcoming features based on usage patterns
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

We process your data on the legal basis of contractual necessity (to deliver the service you signed up for) and legitimate interest (to improve and secure the application).

How we protect your data

Your data is stored securely using Google Firebase — a trusted, enterprise-grade cloud platform — with industry-standard AES-256 encryption for data at rest and TLS 1.2+ for data in transit.

We implement multiple layers of protection:

• Encryption at rest: All database entries are encrypted using Firebase's built-in security model
• Encryption in transit: All network communication uses HTTPS/TLS protocols
• Access controls: Firebase Security Rules enforce that users can only access their own data
• Authentication: Secure sign-in via Google OAuth 2.0 and email magic links with no passwords stored on our servers
• Minimal access: Our team accesses user data only when necessary for support or legal compliance

While we take extensive precautions, no system is 100% immune to breaches. In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your information, we will notify you promptly in accordance with applicable laws.

Who can see your data

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their own commercial purposes. Your data is shared only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: Trusted vendors (listed below) who help us operate the platform and are bound by strict confidentiality agreements
• Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental authority
• Safety: When necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of StudySphere, our users, or the public
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger or acquisition, your data would transfer to the new entity under the same privacy commitments

Our service providers

StudySphere integrates with carefully selected third-party services to power its features. Each provider is subject to their own privacy policy.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these services directly. We select providers with strong privacy track records and process agreements (DPAs) where applicable.

Tracking technologies we use

StudySphere uses minimal tracking technologies necessary for the application to function:

• Session tokens: Firebase authentication tokens stored in local storage to keep you signed in
• Preferences: Local storage entries for your theme, language, and UI settings
• Cache: Temporary caching of app data for offline access and faster load times

We do not use third-party advertising cookies, cross-site tracking pixels, or behavioral profiling technologies. You can clear all local storage data at any time through your browser or device settings.

Control over your personal data

You have meaningful rights over your personal information. We respect and uphold these rights:

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the email addresses listed below. We will respond to all legitimate requests within 30 days. For requests from users in the European Economic Area, additional GDPR rights may apply.

Protection of younger users

StudySphere is designed for users aged 13 and above, in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and similar regulations internationally.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has created an account or provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at the email addresses below and we will promptly delete that information and any associated account.

Users between 13 and 17 years of age should obtain parental consent before using StudySphere in jurisdictions where such consent is required.

How long we keep your data

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with services. More specifically:

• Active accounts: All data is retained for the lifetime of your account
• Deleted accounts: Personal data is purged within 30 days of account deletion
• Anonymized analytics: Aggregated, non-identifiable usage statistics may be retained indefinitely for product improvement
• Legal holds: Data subject to legal proceedings may be retained longer as required by law

You can request deletion of your account and data at any time by contacting us. Backup copies may persist for up to 30 additional days before being fully purged from our systems.

When this policy is updated

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time as our services evolve or legal requirements change. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Post a prominent notice within the StudySphere application
• Send an email notification to your registered address for material changes
• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• In some cases, seek your re-consent before continuing to process your data

We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of StudySphere after policy changes constitutes acceptance of the updated terms.

You're talking directly to Ahmad

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how I handle your data — please reach out. There's no support ticket system or bot. It's just me, Ahmad Ali, reading your message personally and responding as quickly as I can.

I aim to respond to all inquiries within 5–7 business days, though I typically reply much sooner. For data deletion requests or urgent privacy concerns, I treat those as a priority.