Privacy Policy — Tutors Hub Namibia

1 Who We Are

Tutors Hub Namibia ("we", "us", "our") is an online marketplace platform that connects students with qualified tutors across Namibia. We are operated as an independent platform and may be registered as a legal entity in Namibia.

For privacy matters, you may contact us at: privacy@tutorshub.na

2 Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:

Account registration: Full name, email address, phone number, and password (stored as a one-way bcrypt hash — we never store plain-text passwords).
Tutor profiles: Bio, qualifications, subjects taught, hourly rate, location, teaching mode, availability, and profile photo.
Booking information: Session dates, times, subjects, mode of delivery, and any notes you provide.
Reviews and ratings: Comments and star ratings you submit for tutors.
Communications: Any messages or feedback you send to us.

Information collected automatically:

Profile views: We count how many times a tutor's profile is viewed (no personal data is recorded about who viewed it).
Dark mode preference: Stored as a cookie and in your account settings.
We do not use third-party analytics trackers, advertising cookies, or fingerprinting technologies.

3 How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely to:

Create and manage your account and verify your identity on login.
Display tutor profiles to prospective students.
Process and manage booking requests between students and tutors.
Send booking notifications and status updates within the platform.
Allow students and tutors to communicate via WhatsApp links (your number is only shared when you choose to display it on your profile).
Calculate and display tutor rankings based on ratings and completed sessions.
Moderate reviews and handle disputes.
Improve the platform based on aggregated, anonymised usage data.

We do not use your information for targeted advertising, sell it to third parties, or share it with data brokers.

4 Information Sharing and Disclosure

We share your information only in these limited circumstances:

With other users: Tutors' public profiles (name, bio, subjects, rate, location, WhatsApp — only if you choose to display it) are visible to all visitors. Booking details are shared between the student and tutor involved in that booking.
With platform administrators: Admins can view all user accounts, bookings, and reviews for moderation and support purposes.
Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by Namibian law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of users or the public.
Business transfer: If the platform is acquired or merged, user data may be transferred. You will be notified in advance.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party.

5 Data Security

We take data security seriously and implement the following measures:

Password hashing: All passwords are hashed using bcrypt with a cost factor of 12. Plain-text passwords are never stored.
CSRF protection: All forms include a unique token to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks.
Session security: Sessions use HTTP-only cookies with Lax SameSite policy. Session IDs are regenerated on login.
Prepared statements: All database queries use PDO prepared statements to prevent SQL injection.
File upload validation: Uploaded images are validated by MIME type and size before storage.

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

6 Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information through your profile settings.
Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data by emailing us. We will action this within 30 days.
Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Objection: Object to processing of your data in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@tutorshub.na.

7 Cookies

We use only essential cookies necessary for the platform to function:

Cookie	Purpose	Duration
`PHPSESSID`	Session management (keeps you logged in)	Session / 24 hours
`dark_mode`	Remembers your light/dark mode preference	1 year

We do not use advertising cookies, tracking cookies, or any third-party cookies.

8 Children's Privacy

Our platform is not directed to children under the age of 13. Users between 13 and 17 must have parental or guardian consent to use the platform. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided personal information without parental consent, we will delete that information promptly.

9 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for significant changes, notify registered users via a platform notification. Your continued use of Tutors Hub Namibia after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

10 Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions or requests, contact us at:
Email: privacy@tutorshub.na
Platform: https://namtutorshub.com/