Privacy Policy

Your Privacy Matters

StudyFlow is committed to protecting your personal information. This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.

Last updated: April 2026Effective: April 2026Jurisdiction: South Africa (POPIA)

1. Who We Are

StudyFlow ("we", "our", "us") is an AI-powered study platform built for students. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and other applicable laws.

Information Officer: Thulani Billy
Email: thulanibilly6@gmail.com
Platform: studyflow-zeta.vercel.app

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

Email address, password (encrypted), full name and university when you register.

Study Data

Notes, flashcards, tasks, goals, study sessions, grades and other content you create on the Platform.

Usage Data

Pages visited, features used, session duration and interactions with AI features.

Device Information

Device type, browser type, operating system and IP address.

AI Interaction Data

Content you submit to AI features is sent to third-party AI providers (Groq, Google Gemini, OpenRouter) for processing. Podcast text-to-speech is processed by ElevenLabs. We do not permanently store AI conversations.

Payment Information

Payment processing is handled by PayFast. We do not store your card details.

3. YouTube API Services

⚠️ Important Notice About YouTube

StudyFlow uses YouTube API Services to provide music search functionality within our study platform. By using this feature, you agree to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service. Google's Privacy Policy at http://www.google.com/policies/privacy applies to data processed through YouTube API Services.

We collect your YouTube search queries to provide music search results within StudyFlow

Search queries are temporarily cached for performance but not permanently stored or shared with third parties

We do not store your YouTube watch history, video interactions or personal YouTube data

YouTube API Data is used solely to display music search results within StudyFlow — not for advertising or profiling

StudyFlow is not a substitute for YouTube. We use YouTube API Services as a supplementary study music feature

You can revoke StudyFlow's access to YouTube API Services at any time by contacting thulanibilly6@gmail.com

4. How We Use Your Information

To provide, operate and maintain the StudyFlow Platform

To personalise your study experience and AI recommendations

To process payments securely through PayFast (South Africa)

To send account-related emails and study reminders

To monitor and analyse Platform usage for improvements

To detect, prevent and address fraud and technical issues

To comply with legal obligations under POPIA and applicable South African law

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

StudyFlow uses cookies and similar technologies on your device. We also access and store information directly on your device through local storage and session storage.

Essential

supabase-auth-token, sb-access-token, sb-refresh-token — required for authentication and login

Preference

studyflow_theme, sf_favourites, sf_subjects — stored locally to remember your settings

Analytics

ph_* (PostHog) — usage analytics to improve the Platform; sentry-* — error monitoring and bug tracking

Third-Party

YouTube/Google cookies when using music search; SoundCloud cookies when using embeds. These are subject to their respective privacy policies.

6. Third-Party Services

We share data with the following trusted third-party services to operate StudyFlow. We do not sell your personal information to any third party.

Supabase

Database & Authentication

Vercel

Hosting & Deployment

Groq

AI Processing (Primary)

Google Gemini

AI Processing (Fallback)

OpenRouter

AI Processing (Fallback — Documents & Podcast)

ElevenLabs

Podcast Text-to-Speech

YouTube API

Music Search

PayFast

Payment Processing

PostHog

Analytics

Sentry

Error Monitoring

Resend

Email Delivery

Upstash Redis

Rate Limiting

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data.

Encrypted data transmission via HTTPS/TLS

Row-level security on all database tables

Encrypted password storage using bcrypt hashing

Rate limiting to prevent abuse via Upstash Redis

Regular security monitoring via Sentry

8. Your Rights Under POPIA

Access

Request a copy of your personal information we hold

Correction

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

Deletion

Request deletion of your account and personal data

Objection

Object to processing of your personal information

Portability

Request your data in a portable, machine-readable format

Complaint

Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of SA

To exercise any rights, contact thulanibilly6@gmail.com. We respond within 30 days. You may also lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

9. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active. Upon account deletion we remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

10. Children's Privacy

StudyFlow is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us immediately at thulanibilly6@gmail.com.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by email and by posting a notice on the Platform. Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions, requests or complaints:

Email: thulanibilly6@gmail.com

Platform: studyflow-zeta.vercel.app

Information Officer: Thulani Billy

Information Regulator: inforegulator.org.za