PRIVACY POLICY

Effective Date: April 1, 2026|Version: 1.0

This Privacy Policy governs the collection, use, storage, sharing, and protection of personal data by ClarityMentor. Using the Platform, you consent to the practices described herein.

PP 1.Scope and Applicability

This Privacy Policy applies to all individuals who access or use the ClarityMentor Platform — including Seekers, Mentors, and visitors — regardless of whether they have a registered Account.
It governs personal data collected through:
The ClarityMentor website (claritymentor.io);
Account registration, profile creation, and Mentor onboarding;
Booking and payment processes;
Sessions conducted through the Platform;
Customer support interactions, surveys, and feedback mechanisms;
Cookies, tracking technologies, and analytics tools deployed on the Platform.
This Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services linked from the Platform. ClarityMentor is not responsible for the privacy practices of such third parties.

PP 2.Identity of the Data Fiduciary

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection, the Data responsibility for your personal data is:
Walia Enterprises
28, Azad Nagar, Patiala, Punjab, India
Privacy Contact: support@claritymentor.io

PP 3.Personal Data We Collect

PP 3.1 Data You Provide Directly

●Identity data: Full name, date of birth, gender;
●Contact data: Email address, mobile number, city/state of residence;
●Account credentials: Username and encrypted password;
●Profile data: Professional background, expertise, bio, and profile photo (Mentors); goals and session preferences (Seekers);
●Identity verification data: Government-issued ID — Aadhaar (last 4 digits only), Passport number, or Voter ID — submitted during Mentor onboarding;
●Payment and financial data: Bank account details and UPI IDs (Mentors only, for payout purposes). Full card details are not stored by ClarityMentor — they are processed directly by our payment gateway;
●Communication data: Messages exchanged through the Platform's chat or support channels;
●Content data: Reviews, ratings, session notes, and feedback submitted on the Platform.

PP 3.2 Data Collected Automatically

●Device and technical data: IP address, device type, operating system, browser type and version;
●Usage data: Pages visited, features used, session duration, click patterns, and navigation paths;
●Location data: Approximate geographic location derived from IP address (not precise GPS);
●Cookie and tracking data: Session cookies, persistent cookies, pixel tags, and similar technologies.

PP 3.3 Data from Third Parties

●Payment gateway transaction confirmation and status data;
●Login data if you use social sign-in (Google, LinkedIn) — limited to name, email, and profile picture as permitted by those platforms;
●Publicly available professional information used for Mentor verification purposes.

PP 4.Purposes for Which We Process Your Data

ClarityMentor processes your personal data only for specific, lawful purposes. The following sets out the primary purposes and the legal basis for each:
Account Creation & Management: To register, verify, and maintain your Account. Basis: Contractual necessity.
Booking & Session Facilitation: To process Session bookings, match Seekers with Mentors, and facilitate Session delivery. Basis: Contractual necessity.
Payment Processing: To collect fees, process payouts to Mentors, and generate transaction records. Basis: Contractual necessity; legal obligation.
Identity Verification: To verify Mentor credentials and prevent fraud. Basis: Legal obligation; legitimate interest.
Platform Safety & Security: To detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, abuse, and prohibited activities. Basis: Legitimate interest; legal obligation.
Customer Support: To respond to queries, complaints, and grievances. Basis: Contractual necessity; legitimate interest.
Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable Indian laws, regulatory requirements, and court orders. Basis: Legal obligation.
Communications & Notifications: To send transactional emails (booking confirmations, receipts) and, with your consent, promotional communications. Basis: Consent; legitimate interest.
Product Improvement & Analytics: To analyse usage patterns, improve Platform features, and conduct internal research using aggregated and anonymised data. Basis: Legitimate interest.
Dispute Resolution: To investigate and resolve disputes between Users. Basis: Legitimate interest; legal obligation.
ClarityMentor does NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party for commercial or marketing purposes. Ever.

PP 5.How We Share Your Personal Data

PP 5.1 Between Platform Users

●When a Seeker books a Session, their name and session details are shared with the relevant Mentor, and vice versa — limited to what is operationally necessary;
●Public Mentor profile information (name, bio, expertise, ratings) is visible to all Platform visitors.

PP 5.2 Service Providers and Data Processors

●We engage trusted third-party service providers who process data strictly on our behalf under contractual obligations of confidentiality:
●Payment gateway providers (e.g., Razorpay) for transaction processing;
●Cloud hosting providers (e.g., AWS, Google Cloud) for data storage and Platform operations;
●Communication tools for Session delivery;
●Email and SMS service providers for transactional notifications;
●Analytics providers for Platform performance monitoring (data shared in aggregated, anonymised form only).

PP 5.3 Legal and Regulatory Disclosure

●We may disclose personal data to law enforcement, courts, regulators, or government authorities when required by applicable Indian law or court order;
●Such disclosures will be made to the minimum extent necessary and, where legally permissible, we will notify the affected User.

PP 5.4 Business Transfers

●In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred to the acquiring entity under equivalent privacy protections. You will be notified of any such transfer in advance.

PP 6.Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:
Account data: Retained for the duration of your Account's existence, plus 3 years after account deletion (for legal and dispute resolution purposes).
Transaction and payment records: Retained for 8 years from the date of transaction, as required under Indian tax and accounting law.
Session records and communications: Retained for 2 years from the date of the Session.
Identity verification documents: Retained for the duration of Mentor status, plus 2 years post-deactivation.
Marketing consent records: Retained until consent is withdrawn, plus 1 year thereafter.
Legal hold data: Retained for the duration of any active legal proceedings or regulatory investigation.
Upon expiry of the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymised in accordance with our internal data destruction policy.

PP 7.Sensitive Personal Data

ClarityMentor may, in limited circumstances, collect data qualifying as Sensitive Personal Data or Information (SPDI) under Indian law:
Financial information: Bank account details and UPI IDs — collected solely for Mentor payout processing;
Government ID numbers: Aadhaar last 4 digits — for Mentor identity verification only.
We collect your explicit consent, use it solely for the stated purpose, and apply heightened security measures to its storage and processing. We do not collect health, biometric, sexual orientation, or full government ID data unless explicitly necessary and consented to.

PP 8.Data Security

ClarityMentor implements reasonable technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, or disclosure:
Encryption of data in transit using TLS (Transport Layer Security) protocols;
Encryption of sensitive data at rest;
Role-based access controls limiting employee access on a need-to-know basis;
Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing;
Secure password hashing and two-factor authentication options for User accounts;
Data processing agreements with all third-party service providers.
No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we implement industry-standard protections, ClarityMentor cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach affecting your rights, we will notify you as required under applicable Indian law.

PP 9.Cookies and Tracking Technologies

ClarityMentor uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on the Platform:
Strictly Necessary Cookies: Essential for Platform functionality. Cannot be disabled. Include session authentication and security cookies.
Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences (language, login state) to personalise your experience.
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand User interactions with the Platform (e.g., Google Analytics). Data is aggregated and anonymised.
Marketing Cookies: Used only with your consent to deliver relevant promotional content. You may opt out at any time via browser settings or our cookie preference centre.
By continuing to use the Platform after being presented with our cookie notice, you consent to our use of non-essential cookies as described. You may disable non-essential cookies through your browser settings; this may affect certain Platform functionalities.

PP 10.Children's Privacy

ClarityMentor is NOT intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors.
If we become aware that personal data of a minor has been collected without parental or guardian consent, we will take immediate steps to delete such data. If you believe a minor has registered on the Platform, please notify us at support@claritymentor.io.

PP 11.Cross-Border Data Transfers

ClarityMentor primarily stores and processes data within India. Where data is transferred outside India (e.g., by cloud infrastructure providers with international data centres), we ensure such transfers are subject to:
Contractual safeguards equivalent to Indian data protection standards;
Compliance with any applicable data localisation requirements under Indian law;
Transfers only to jurisdictions notified as adequate by the Government of India under the DPDPA, once such notifications are issued.

PP 12.Changes to This Privacy Policy

ClarityMentor may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes:
We will update the 'Effective Date' at the top of this Policy;
We will notify you by email (to your registered address) or via a prominent in-Platform notice at least 15 days before changes take effect;
Where required by law, we will seek fresh consent.
Continued use of the Platform after the revised Policy takes effect constitutes your acceptance. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

PP 13.General Privacy Contact

Privacy Queries: support@claritymentor.io
ClarityMentor, 28, Azad Nagar, Patiala, Punjab, India
Response time: Acknowledgement within 24 hours; resolution within 15 days of receipt.

This document is the intellectual property of ClarityMentor. Unauthorised reproduction is prohibited.

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