Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Pydium ("we", "us", "our") operates the Pydium learning platform, including StepSync (the "Platform"). We are based at Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), Doha, Qatar, and we are the controller of the personal data described in this policy. We process personal data in line with Qatar's Law No. 13 of 2016 on the Protection of Personal Data Privacy.

Where a school gives its students and teachers access to Pydium, the school decides how that data is used and we process it on the school's behalf.

2. Data we collect

Information you give us

• Account details: name, email address, phone number, password (stored encrypted), role (student, parent, teacher, school admin).
• Student details: name, year/grade, school, subjects and syllabus (e.g. Edexcel, Cambridge), class or group.
• Learning data: quiz attempts, answers, scores, time taken, topics practised, progress, points and badges.
• Payment details: plan, billing history and transaction references. Card details are entered directly with our payment provider, Tap Payments; we never see or store your full card number.
• Communications: messages you send us through email, WhatsApp, the contact form or registration forms.

Information collected automatically

• Device and browser type, IP address, approximate location, and login times.
• Pages viewed, features used and videos or materials opened, to help us improve the Platform.

Information from others

• If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google.
• Schools may provide us with student and teacher details to set up their accounts.

3. Children's data

Most of our learners are under 18. We only create student accounts with the consent of a parent or guardian, or through a school that has obtained the required consent. We collect only what we need to provide learning and reports, we never sell children's data, and we never use it for advertising.

A student's results are visible only to that student, their parent or guardian, and, for school accounts, authorised teachers and school administrators. Parents can contact us at any time to view, correct or delete their child's data.

4. How we use your data

• To create and manage accounts and give you access to the Platform.
• To deliver quizzes, adapt difficulty to each student, and produce progress reports for students, parents and schools.
• To process subscription payments, renewals and refunds.
• To send service messages such as email verification, receipts, quiz assignments and report notifications, by email and, where you provide a phone number, by SMS or WhatsApp.
• To respond to your questions and provide support.
• To keep the Platform secure, prevent fraud and cheating, and fix technical problems.
• To analyse usage in aggregated or anonymised form so we can improve our content and features.
• To comply with our legal obligations.

We will only send marketing messages if you have agreed to receive them, and you can opt out at any time.

5. Legal basis

We process personal data because:

• it is needed to provide the service you or your school signed up for;
• you (or a parent or guardian) have given consent;
• we have a legitimate interest in running, securing and improving the Platform, balanced against your rights; or
• we must do so to comply with the law.

6. Who we share data with

We do not sell personal data. We share it only with:

• Your school, if your account was provided by a school.
• Parents or guardians linked to a student account.
• Service providers who help us run the Platform, under contract and only for that purpose: for example cloud hosting (Microsoft Azure), payment processing (Tap Payments), email and messaging providers, and Google (for Google Sign-In).
• Authorities, where required by law or to protect someone's safety.
• A buyer or successor, if Pydium is merged or acquired, under the same privacy protections.

7. Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you logged in, remember your settings and protect forms against misuse. We may also use analytics cookies to understand how the Platform is used. You can control cookies in your browser settings; blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the Platform working.

8. How we protect data

• All traffic to the Platform is encrypted using HTTPS.
• Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text.
• Access to personal data is limited to staff who need it, and to the right roles within each school.
• Card payments are handled by Tap Payments, a PCI-DSS compliant provider.

No system is completely secure. If a data breach affects your personal data, we will notify you and the relevant authority as required by law.

9. How long we keep data

We keep personal data only as long as needed for the purposes above. Account and learning data are kept while your account is active and deleted or anonymised within 12 months of the account being closed, unless you ask us to delete it sooner. Payment records are kept for as long as required by tax and accounting laws.

10. International transfers

Some of our service providers may store or process data outside Qatar. Where this happens, we make sure the data is protected to a standard consistent with Qatari law.

11. Your rights

You (or a parent or guardian on behalf of a child) can ask us to:

• access the personal data we hold about you;
• correct data that is inaccurate or incomplete;
• delete your data;
• withdraw consent or object to certain processing;
• stop marketing messages;
• receive a copy of your data.

Email admin@pydium.com to make a request. We may need to confirm your identity first, and we will respond within 30 days. For school accounts, we may pass your request to your school. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the National Data Privacy Office, part of Qatar's National Cyber Security Agency.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version here with a new "Last updated" date and notify you by email of any significant change.

13. Contact us

Pydium
Qatar Science & Technology Park (QSTP), Tech 1 Building, 2nd Floor, Doha, Qatar
Email: admin@pydium.com