Privacy Policy

I. Information We Collect

We collect “Non-Personal Information” and “Personal Information.” Non-Personal Information includes information that cannot be used to personally identify you, such as anonymous usage data, general demographic information we may collect, referring/exit pages and URLs, platform types, preferences you submit and preferences that are generated based on the data you submit and number of clicks. Personal Information includes your email, name, university affiliation, phone number, profile information, payment information (processed securely by Stripe, our third-party payment processor), which you submit to us through the registration process at the Site.

1. Information collected via Technology

To activate the Service you do not need to submit any Personal Information other than your email address. To use the Service thereafter, you do need to submit further Personal Information, which may include: your name, university affiliation, phone number, profile photo, academic major, courses of study, tutoring preferences, and payment information. However, in an effort to improve the quality of the Service, we track information provided to us by your browser or by our software application when you view or use the Service, such as the website you came from (known as the “referring URL”), the type of browser you use, the device from which you connected to the Service, the time and date of access, and other information that does not personally identify you. We track this information using cookies, or small text files which include an anonymous unique identifier. Cookies are sent to a user's browser from our servers and are stored on the user's computer hard drive. Sending a cookie to a user's browser enables us to collect Non-Personal information about that user and keep a record of the user's preferences when utilizing our services, both on an individual and aggregate basis.

For example, the Company may use cookies to collect the following information: User preferences for tutoring subjects and schedules, search history within the platform, tutor-student matching interactions, session booking patterns.

The Company may use both persistent and session cookies; persistent cookies remain on your computer after you close your session and until you delete them, while session cookies expire when you close your browser. For example, we store a persistent cookie to remember your login status and matching preferences.

2. Information you provide us by registering for an account

In addition to the information provided automatically by your browser when you visit the Site, to become a subscriber to the Service you will need to create a personal profile. You can create a profile by registering with the Service and entering your email address, and creating a user name and a password. By registering, you are authorizing us to collect, store and use your email address in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

3. AI-Powered Matching and Chat Analysis

HarmonAId uses artificial intelligence to improve tutor-student matching and service quality. This includes:

• Analysis of in-platform conversations between tutors and students to calculate compatibility scores and matching effectiveness
• Evaluation of communication patterns, response times, professionalism, and engagement quality
• Detection of inappropriate behavior, potential safety concerns, or attempts to circumvent the platform
• Continuous improvement of our matching algorithms based on aggregated, anonymized interaction data

User Consent and Control

When you begin using our in-platform messaging features, you will be presented with a clear opt-in consent request to allow AI analysis of your conversations. This consent is optional, and you may decline while still using basic chat functionality. However, declining AI analysis means you will not receive match compatibility scores or benefit from our enhanced matching features.

If you consent to AI analysis, you can revoke this consent at any time through your Account Settings. Upon revocation, we will stop analyzing new conversations, though previously analyzed data may be retained in anonymized, aggregated form for platform improvement purposes.

Privacy Protections

• All chat messages are encrypted in transit and at rest
• AI analysis is fully automated — no human employees read your private conversations unless required for safety, legal, or security purposes
• Your conversation data is never sold to third parties or used for advertising
• We do not analyze protected characteristics such as race, ethnicity, religion, disability status, sexual orientation, or gender identity
• Our AI systems are designed to evaluate communication quality, professionalism, and compatibility — not personal characteristics
• We comply with applicable US federal and state data protection regulations, including CCPA and TDPSA, in all aspects of our AI-powered features

4. Eligibility and Age Requirements

Our Service is intended exclusively for college and university students who are at least 18 years of age. By using our Service, you represent and warrant that you are at least 18 years old and are enrolled in or affiliated with a college or university.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that a user under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete such information. If you believe we have collected information from someone under 18, please contact us immediately at privacy@harmonaid.ai.

II. How We Use and Share Information

Personal Information

Except as otherwise stated in this Privacy Policy, we do not sell, trade, rent or otherwise share for marketing purposes your Personal Information with third parties without your consent. We do share Personal Information with vendors who are performing services for the Company, such as the servers for our email communications who are provided access to user's email address for purposes of sending emails from us. Those vendors use your Personal Information only at our direction and in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

In general, the Personal Information you provide to us is used to help us communicate with you. For example, we use Personal Information to contact users in response to questions, solicit feedback from users, provide technical support, and inform users about promotional offers.

We may share Personal Information with outside parties if we have a good-faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to meet any applicable legal process or enforceable governmental request; to enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations; address fraud, security or technical concerns; or to protect against harm to the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public as required or permitted by law.

Non-Personal Information

In general, we use Non-Personal Information to help us improve the Service and customize the user experience. We also aggregate Non-Personal Information in order to track trends and analyze use patterns on the Site. This Privacy Policy does not limit in any way our use or disclosure of Non-Personal Information and we reserve the right to use and disclose such Non-Personal Information to our partners, advertisers and other third parties at our discretion.

In the event we undergo a business transaction such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your Personal Information may be among the assets transferred. You acknowledge and consent that such transfers may occur and are permitted by this Privacy Policy, and that any acquirer of our assets may continue to process your Personal Information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. If our information practices change at any time in the future, we will post the policy changes to the Site so that you may opt out of the new information practices. We suggest that you check the Site periodically if you are concerned about how your information is used.

III. How We Protect Information

We implement security measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access. Your account is protected by your account password and we urge you to take steps to keep your personal information safe by not disclosing your password and by logging out of your account after each use. We further protect your information from potential security breaches by implementing certain technological security measures including encryption, firewalls and secure socket layer technology. However, these measures do not guarantee that your information will not be accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed by breach of such firewalls and secure server software. By using our Service, you acknowledge that you understand and agree to assume these risks.

Verification and Security

Phone and Email Verification: We collect phone numbers and email addresses to verify your identity and secure your account. Verification codes are sent via email OTP for email verification and SMS OTP for phone verification (processed by Twilio). We store verified contact information in encrypted form and use it for account authentication, security alerts, and session notifications (with your consent).

Communications

Text Message Notifications: With your consent, we send SMS notifications about upcoming tutoring sessions, session confirmations and changes, payment confirmations, and time-sensitive security alerts.

You control your notification preferences in Account Settings. Reply STOP to opt-out of non-essential messages. Transactional messages (security alerts, payment confirmations) cannot be disabled as they are essential to the Service. Standard message and data rates may apply. Message frequency depends on your platform activity.

IV. Your Rights Regarding the Use of Your Personal Information

General Rights

You have the right at any time to prevent us from contacting you for marketing purposes. When we send a promotional communication to a user, the user can opt out of further promotional communications by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in each promotional e-mail. You can also indicate that you do not wish to receive marketing communications from us in the “Account Settings” section of the Site. Please note that notwithstanding the promotional preferences you indicate by either unsubscribing or opting out in the Account Settings of the Site, we may continue to send you administrative emails including, for example, periodic updates to our Privacy Policy.

Rights for California Users (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: You have the right to request information about the personal information we have collected about you and how we use it.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to request a copy of your personal information in a portable format.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right not to be discriminated against for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

We do not sell personal information to third parties. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at privacy@harmonaid.ai. We will respond to your request within 45 days.

V. Rights for Texas Residents (TDPSA)

If you are a Texas resident, you have the following rights under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA):

• Right to Confirm: You have the right to confirm whether we are processing your personal data.
• Right to Access: You have the right to access the personal data we have collected about you.
• Right to Correct: You have the right to correct inaccuracies in your personal data.
• Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to obtain a copy of your personal data in a portable, readily usable format.
• Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal data (we do not sell personal data), targeted advertising (we do not engage in targeted advertising), and profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects (our AI matching does not produce such effects).

To exercise your TDPSA rights, contact us at privacy@harmonaid.ai. We will respond to your request within 45 days. You will not be discriminated against for exercising these rights.

Right to Appeal: If we deny your request, you have the right to appeal our decision by contacting us at privacy@harmonaid.ai within a reasonable time after receiving our denial. We will respond to your appeal within 60 days.

VI. Educational Records and FERPA

HarmonAId provides a peer-to-peer tutoring marketplace and does not act as an educational institution or “school official” as defined under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We do not access, collect, or maintain student education records from educational institutions.

Any information provided to HarmonAId is provided directly by users themselves (students and tutors) and is not obtained from educational institutions' official records. Students retain full control over what information they share on the platform.

If you have questions about how your educational institution handles your education records, please contact your institution's registrar or FERPA compliance office directly.

VII. Data Retention

We retain your information according to the following schedule:

• Account data: Retained for the duration of your active account plus 30 days after deletion request
• Session and matching data: Retained for 2 years from the date of the session
• Payment records: Retained for 7 years as required by tax and financial regulations
• AI analysis outputs (compatibility scores): Retained in anonymized form for the life of the platform; personally identifiable analysis is deleted within 90 days of account deletion
• Chat messages (raw text): Retained for 1 year after the session, then automatically deleted unless required for an active dispute or legal hold
• Verification data (phone, email): Retained for the duration of your active account
• Cookies and usage data: Session cookies expire when you close your browser; persistent cookies and analytics data are retained for up to 13 months

When data reaches the end of its retention period, it is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymized. You may request early deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements) by contacting us at privacy@harmonaid.ai.

VIII. Links to Other Websites

As part of the Service, we may provide links to or compatibility with other websites or applications. However, we are not responsible for the privacy practices employed by those websites or the information or content they contain. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by us through the Site and the Service. Therefore, this Privacy Policy does not apply to your use of a third party website accessed by selecting a link on our Site or via our Service. To the extent that you access or use the Service through or on another website or application, then the privacy policy of that other website or application will apply to your access or use of that site or application. We encourage our users to read the privacy statements of other websites before proceeding to use them.

IX. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

The Company reserves the right to change this policy and our Terms of Service at any time. We will notify you of significant changes to our Privacy Policy by sending a notice to the primary email address specified in your account or by placing a prominent notice on our site. Significant changes will go into effect 30 days following such notification. Non-material changes or clarifications will take effect immediately. You should periodically check the Site and this privacy page for updates.

X. Contact Us

If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or the practices of this Site, please contact us by sending an email to privacy@harmonaid.ai.