Tutor4me - Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

We, Tutor4me, a Singapore-based home tuition service (Company Registration Number: T24LL0339G), (“Tutor4me”) is the owner of this website (Website) and we are committed to protecting the privacy of our users.

This Privacy Policy outlines how Tutor4me, hereafter referred to as "We," "Our," or "Us," collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you access or use our website, services, or engage in any communication with us. By using our website and services, you agree to the collection and use of your data as outlined in this Privacy Policy.

2. Definitions

For this Privacy Policy:

Account: A personalized account created for you to access our service or specific features within it.
Affiliate: An entity that controls, is controlled by or is under shared control with another party. "Control" refers to owning 50% or more of the shares, equity interest, or other securities granting authority to vote for election of directors or other management decisions.
Company: This refers to Tutor4me, located in Singapore. It is also referred to as "the Company," "We," "Us," or "Our."
Cookies: Tiny files stored on your computer, mobile phone, or any other device by a website. They collect information about your browsing activity on that website.
Country: Singapore
Device: Any device that can access the service such as a computer, mobile phone, or tablet.
Personal Data: Any information that is related to the identified or identifiable person.
Service: The services offered through the Website, including access to the Website.
Service Provider: Any individual or organization that processes data on behalf of the company. This includes third-party companies or individuals who help provide, manage, or analyze the service, or help in understanding how the service is used based in Singapore or Overseas.
Usage Data: Data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the service or from the service infrastructure itself (for example, duration of a page visit).
Website: Tutor4me, accessible online.

User Roles:

User: Any person accessing or using the service.
Tutor: Individuals registered or intending to register as tutors to offer tuition services.
Tutee: Individuals seeking tutors for home tuition through our platform.

3. Collection

Tutor4me may collect certain data when you interact with this Website, including personally identifiable information (PII). Specifically, we collect:

Contact Information: This refers to the pieces of information you provide to access our service, such as your first name, last name, email address, home address, and phone number.
Usage Data: This refers to technical details about your visit to the website, such as your IP address, browser type and version, pages you visited on that site, time and date of visit, time spent on the page, unique device identifiers, and other diagnostic data.
Payment Information: This includes the details of any online payments made via our website, such as transaction records and payment history.
Geographic Information: This includes your postal code, or address, which helps us source suitable tutors in your area.
Profile Information: We collect information about tutors who access our website to offer tuition services. This may include details such as their name, age, profile photo, gender, race, contact information, teaching preferences, academic qualifications, preferred tutoring locations, tutor category, and teaching experience.

Methods of Data Collection

At Tutor4me, we automatically collect information about your visit to our website using tracking technologies such as cookies, web beacons, and other similar tools.

Additionally, we gather data manually through registration forms, request forms, phone calls, digital messages, emails, and other direct interactions with users.

Consent for Third-Party Data: If you provide information about other persons (e.g., family members or friends), you must have their informed consent to disclose their personal data to us.

Data Protection Compliance: In compliance with Singapore’s Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA), we have designated a Data Protection Officer, Ms. Ummal, to oversee data protection practices and safeguard user information.

4. Use of Your Data

We use your personal data for the following intents:

To provide and maintain our service, including tracking its usage.
To manage your registration and provide access to functionalities available to registered users.
To contact you via email, phone, SMS, or other forms of digital communication about updates or important information related to the functionalities and security updates of our service, when necessary or reasonable for implementation.
To address and respond to any inquiries or actions you submit to us.
To create and manage user accounts.
To improve the website based on user interactions and usage trends.
To detect and investigate fraudulent or unauthorized activities.
We may use your information to evaluate or conduct mergers, acquisitions, or other business transactions.
To send users marketing emails based on their interests. Users can opt out by emailing us or sending us a WhatsApp message. Tutor4me complies with Do Not Call (DNC) regulations. Only users who have used our services may receive follow-up calls or marketing materials.

5. Display of Tutor Profiles and Marketing

As a home tuition platform, Tutor4me matches students with tutors. As part of our marketing efforts, we may use certain information about tutors in both online and offline advertisements.

This can include publicly displayed information such as name, age, profile photo, gender, race, teaching preferences, academic qualifications, preferred tutoring locations, tutor category, and teaching experience.

However, sensitive details such as email address, phone number, bank details, postal code, and uploaded documents will not be used in marketing materials.

6. Geographic Information

For students/learners, we collect geographic information such as postal codes or addresses to source suitable tutors. This information may be displayed on our website or third-party websites. We strive to mask full addresses to protect your privacy. If you prefer your address to remain hidden, please inform us to use a nearby location as a placeholder.

7. Data Sharing During the Matching Process

At Tutor4me, we prioritize data protection and comply with the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). During the matching process between tutors and tutees, we implement the following measures:

Consent for Certificate Sharing: We request explicit consent from tutors before sharing any proof of their certificates with tutees.
Controlled Communication: Initial communication between tutors and tutees is facilitated through the Tutor4me platform, ensuring that personal data is not shared at this stage.
Post-Confirmation Data Sharing: Once both parties mutually agree to proceed, we may share their phone numbers, email addresses, and full addresses for further communication and coordination.
Dispute Resolution: We will not disclose personal information unless required by law, specifically in the case of disputes between tutees and tutors.

8. Sharing of Data with Third Parties

We may share your personal data in the following cases:

Service Providers: To monitor and analyze the use of our service, facilitate communication, and perform other services on our behalf in Singapore or Overseas.
Business Transfers: Your personal data may be shared or transferred in the event of any merger, sale of company assets, financing, or acquisition of all or part of our business.
Affiliates: We may share your data with our affiliates, who are required to follow this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include our parent company, subsidiaries, joint venture partners, and other companies we control or that are under common control with us.
Business Partners: To provide you with more products, services, or promotions.
Other Users: When you share personal information or interact in public areas with other users, that information may be visible to all users and could be publicly distributed outside the platform.
With Your Consent: We may share your personal information for any other purpose with your explicit consent.

At Tutor4me, we take data protection seriously. When it comes to third-party actions, we ensure that your personal data is shared only in compliance with legal obligations, to protect your rights, and maintain security. We enter into confidentiality agreements with third parties to ensure that they uphold data security and confidentiality standards.

Your personal data will not be shared with third parties without your consent, except as outlined in our privacy policy or where legally required.

9. Retention of Your Personal Data

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes summarized in this Privacy Policy. This includes keeping your data to comply with legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolving disputes, and enforcing our legal agreements and policies.

We will also keep usage data for internal analysis. It is usually retained for a short period unless needed to enhance security, improve service functionality, or comply with legal requirements for longer retention.

10. Transfer of Your Personal Data

Your information, including personal data, may be processed at our operating offices and in any other locations where the parties involved in the processing are located. By submitting your information, you consent to the transfer of your data to countries outside Singapore, which may have different data protection laws.

We take all necessary measures to ensure your data is handled securely and in line with this Privacy Policy. Transfers will only occur where adequate controls are in place to protect your data.

11. Delete Your Personal Data

You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data that we have collected.

Our service may allow you to delete certain information directly within your account settings. If you have an account, you can sign in at any time to update, modify, or delete your information. Alternatively, you can contact us to request access to, correction, or deletion of your personal data.

Please note that we may need to keep certain information if required by law or for legitimate purposes.

12. Disclosure of Your Personal Data

Business Transactions

If the company undergoes a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your personal data may be transferred as part of that process. We will notify you before the transfer occurs and if a different privacy policy applies.

Law Enforcement

In some cases, we may need to share your personal data to comply with legal obligations, respond to valid requests from public authorities (such as a court or government agency), or protect individuals' rights and safety.

Other Legal Requirements

We may share your personal data if it is essential to:

Comply with a legal obligation
Protect and defend the service’s rights or property
Prevent or investigate potential misuse of the service
Protect the personal security of users of the service or the public
Protect against legal liability

13. Security of Your Personal Data

We are committed to safeguarding your personal data. However, it's important to understand that no method of transmitting data online or storing it electronically is 100% secure. Although we use commercially acceptable measures to protect your data, absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

14. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for individuals under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under this age. If you are a parent or guardian and know that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us. If we discover that we have inadvertently collected personal data from someone under the age of 13 without parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information from our systems.

In cases where we need parental consent to process a child's information, we may ask for your consent before collecting or using that data.

15. Cookies

The user agrees that our service uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. A cookie is a small piece of data that a website asks the user's browser to store on their computer. This data allows the service to record and remember the user's actions to improve their experience.

We use cookies in the following ways:

Identifying Users: To recognize repeat visitors and enhance user experience.
Remembering Preferences: Such as login details, language preferences, and settings to provide a smoother experience.
Improving Service: To analyze user behavior and improve the functionality of our service.
Marketing Purposes: To tailor marketing efforts based on how users interact with our website or app.

Types of Cookies We Use

Necessary / Essential Cookies: These are required for providing essential services and enabling key features of our website.
Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies: These cookies help us recognize if a user has accepted our cookies policy.
Functionality Cookies: These cookies help us remember user preferences, such as language or region, to offer a more personalized experience.

Managing Cookies

Users can manage cookie settings by instructing their browser to refuse all cookies or to notify when a cookie is being sent. However, please note that disabling cookies may limit some of the functionalities of our service.

16. Amendments to this Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on this page, along with the updated "Last Updated" date. If the changes are significant, we may notify you via email or display a prominent notice on our service.

We advise you to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any updates. Changes to this Privacy Policy become effective once they are published on this page.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, feel free to contact us:

By Email: [email protected]
By visiting our website: tutor4me.sg