Privacy Policy

1. Teacher Account and Profile Data

When a teacher creates or maintains a TeachPlug account, TeachPlug may collect and store information provided by the teacher, including:

• Full name;
• Gender;
• Nationality;
• Profile photograph;
• Subjects and tutoring information;
• Qualifications, diplomas and certifications listed on the profile;
• Years of experience;
• Availability;
• Tutoring preferences or locations;
• Session rate;
• Other information entered in the teacher profile; and
• The email address associated with the teacher's sign-in account.

The email address associated with the teacher's account is not displayed publicly on the teacher profile.

Teachers may be provided with settings that allow them to control whether certain information, such as their photograph, full name or tutoring rate, is publicly displayed.

Other profile information intended to form part of the teacher directory may be visible to users of TeachPlug according to the platform's applicable profile settings.

2. How Teacher Information Is Used

Teacher information may be used to:

• Create and operate the teacher's account;
• Create and display the teacher's public profile;
• Verify information submitted by the teacher;
• Administer teacher subscriptions;
• Allow parents or guardians to identify suitable tutors;
• Facilitate initial contact between parents or guardians and teachers;
• Communicate with teachers regarding their accounts or profiles;
• Provide platform functionality;
• Prevent fraud, abuse or misuse;
• Investigate complaints or potential violations of TeachPlug's Terms & Conditions;
• Maintain the security and integrity of the platform; and
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

TeachPlug does not sell teacher personal information to third parties.

3. Identity and Qualification Documents

For verification purposes, TeachPlug may ask teachers to provide documents such as:

• Identity documents;
• Diplomas;
• University degrees;
• Professional certificates; or
• Other documents reasonably required to support information appearing on a teacher's profile.

These documents are submitted by teachers directly to TeachPlug's designated verification email address.

TeachPlug does not provide an identity-document upload function through the TeachPlug website, and these documents are not stored within the TeachPlug website or its profile database.

However, documents sent to TeachPlug's verification email address are necessarily received and processed through the email service used by TeachPlug for the purpose of verification.

TeachPlug uses verification documents for legitimate verification and administrative purposes and does not intentionally make such documents publicly available.

Verification documents will be retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for verification, administrative, security or legal purposes, after which they may be deleted subject to any applicable legal retention requirements.

4. Parent and Guardian Data

Parents and guardians do not need to create a TeachPlug account to contact a teacher.

When a parent or guardian submits the TeachPlug contact form, TeachPlug may process information including:

• Name;
• Email address;
• Subject of the inquiry;
• Message content; and
• Information voluntarily included in the message.

The information submitted through the contact form is used to transmit the inquiry to the selected teacher and may also be sent to the parent or guardian as confirmation.

TeachPlug does not use the contact form as a permanent messaging system between teachers and parents.

After the initial message is transmitted, subsequent communication generally takes place directly between the teacher and parent or guardian outside TeachPlug.

5. Contact Message Retention

TeachPlug is designed so that the content of a parent or guardian's contact message is not retained within the TeachPlug platform database after the message has been transmitted.

TeachPlug may retain limited technical or statistical information concerning contact activity, such as the number of messages sent to a particular teacher.

Copies of messages may nevertheless exist temporarily or for a period of time within the email systems used to transmit or deliver those messages, subject to the operation and retention practices of the relevant email service provider.

Users should therefore avoid including unnecessary sensitive or confidential information in initial contact messages.

6. Payments

Teacher subscription payments are processed through an external payment service provider.

TeachPlug does not receive or store full payment-card details, such as the complete card number or card security code.

The payment provider may process payment information in accordance with its own terms and privacy practices.

TeachPlug may receive and retain limited information relating to a payment or subscription, such as:

• Payment status;
• Transaction reference;
• Amount paid;
• Subscription status;
• Payment date;
• Renewal information; and
• Other information reasonably necessary to administer the subscription.

Such information may be retained for accounting, administrative, fraud-prevention and legal purposes.

7. Google Sign-In

Where TeachPlug allows teachers to sign in using Google, Google may provide TeachPlug with limited account information necessary to authenticate the teacher, such as the teacher's email address and other information authorized through the sign-in process.

TeachPlug does not receive the teacher's Google password.

Google's processing of information through its services is governed by Google's own privacy practices.

8. Public Teacher Profiles

Information selected or intended for publication on a teacher's profile may be visible to visitors using TeachPlug.

Depending on the available profile settings, this may include information such as:

• Name;
• Profile photograph;
• Nationality;
• Gender;
• Subjects taught;
• Qualifications;
• Years of experience;
• Tutoring information;
• Availability; and
• Session rate.

Teachers should not include private, confidential or sensitive information in fields intended to be publicly displayed. A teacher's account email address is not publicly displayed through the teacher profile unless TeachPlug expressly introduces such functionality and clearly informs the teacher.

9. Directory Exports and Bulk Access

TeachPlug does not provide administrators with a standard bulk-export function for downloading the entire teacher directory or teacher contact details.

This restriction is implemented by design as an additional privacy and data-protection measure.

However, authorized administrators may access individual teacher information where reasonably necessary to operate, verify, support, secure or administer the platform.

TeachPlug may also access or disclose information where required by applicable law or a competent authority.

10. Service Providers

TeachPlug may rely on third-party service providers to operate parts of the platform, including services relating to:

• Website hosting;
• Cloud infrastructure;
• Email delivery;
• Authentication;
• Payment processing;
• Security;
• Technical support; or
• Website analytics, if used.

These providers may process limited personal information where necessary to provide their respective services. TeachPlug seeks to use such providers only for legitimate operational purposes and does not authorize them to use TeachPlug user information for unrelated purposes except as permitted under their applicable agreements, privacy terms or law.

11. Cookies and Technical Information

TeachPlug may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary for the operation, security and functionality of the website. Certain technical information may also be processed automatically when a user accesses the platform, such as:

• IP address;
• Browser or device information;
• Date and time of access;
• Security-related information; and
• Technical logs.

Such information may be used for security, troubleshooting, fraud prevention and operation of the platform. If TeachPlug introduces non-essential analytics, advertising or similar tracking technologies, additional notice or consent mechanisms may be provided where required.

12. How Long We Keep Personal Information

TeachPlug does not intend to retain personal information longer than reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected. Retention periods may vary depending on the type of information. For example:

• Active teacher profile information may be retained while the account remains active;
• Account information may be retained for a reasonable period after account closure where necessary;
• Subscription and transaction records may be retained for accounting, legal or administrative requirements;
• Verification documentation may be retained only for the period reasonably necessary for verification, security, dispute management or applicable legal requirements; and
• Certain technical or security records may be retained for fraud prevention, security and legitimate operational purposes.

Where information is no longer reasonably required and there is no legal or legitimate reason to retain it, TeachPlug may delete or anonymize it.

13. Account Deletion

Teachers may request deletion of their TeachPlug account. Following an account-deletion request, TeachPlug may remove the teacher's public profile and delete or anonymize associated personal information that is no longer required. Certain information may nevertheless be retained where reasonably necessary for:

• Legal obligations;
• Accounting or transaction records;
• Fraud prevention;
• Security;
• Resolving disputes;
• Establishing or defending legal claims; or
• Other legitimate purposes permitted by applicable law.

Account deletion does not necessarily result in immediate deletion of information contained in technical backups, although such information will not ordinarily be restored for normal platform use.

14. Personal Data Rights

Subject to applicable law and any applicable exceptions, individuals may contact TeachPlug regarding personal information concerning them, including to request:

• Access to certain personal information held about them;
• Correction of inaccurate information;
• Updating of outdated information; or
• Deletion of information where applicable.

TeachPlug may need to verify the identity of the person making a request before acting on it. Certain information may need to be retained despite a deletion request where retention is permitted or required by law.

15. Data Security

TeachPlug takes reasonable organizational and technical measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss or misuse. However, no website, email system, database or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users are responsible for protecting access to their own accounts, devices and email accounts and should promptly notify TeachPlug if they suspect unauthorized access to their TeachPlug account.

16. Children's Personal Information

TeachPlug is designed primarily for communication between teachers and parents or guardians seeking private tutoring for children.

Children are not intended to create TeachPlug accounts or independently submit personal information through the platform.

Parents and guardians should avoid including unnecessary sensitive information about their children when contacting teachers.

Any personal information concerning a child that is voluntarily communicated directly between a parent or guardian and a teacher after initial contact is the responsibility of those parties and does not form part of TeachPlug's platform messaging service.

17. Disclosure Required by Law

TeachPlug may disclose personal information where reasonably necessary to:

• Comply with applicable law;
• Respond to a lawful request from a competent authority;
• Protect the rights, security or property of TeachPlug or its users;
• Investigate suspected fraud or unlawful activity; or
• Respond to serious safety concerns.

TeachPlug will not voluntarily disclose personal information for unrelated purposes without an appropriate basis.

18. International and Third-Party Processing

Some third-party service providers used by TeachPlug, such as authentication, email, hosting or payment providers, may process information using infrastructure located outside Lebanon.

Where this occurs, the relevant provider's privacy and data-protection practices may also apply.

TeachPlug will use third-party services for legitimate operational purposes and will seek to handle personal information in accordance with applicable Lebanese data-protection requirements.

19. Changes to This Privacy Policy

TeachPlug may update this Privacy Policy when necessary to reflect:

• Changes to the platform;
• New features;
• Changes in the information collected or processed;
• Changes to third-party services; or
• Legal or regulatory requirements.

The most recent version will be published on TeachPlug with the applicable “Last Updated” date.

Where a material change significantly affects how personal information is handled, TeachPlug may provide additional notice where reasonably appropriate or required by applicable law.

20. Contact Us

Questions, requests or concerns relating to privacy or personal information may be submitted using the contact form published on the TeachPlug platform.

21. Relationship With the Terms & Conditions

This Privacy Policy should be read together with the TeachPlug Terms & Conditions.

If you use TeachPlug, the Terms & Conditions govern your use of the platform, while this Privacy Policy explains how personal information associated with that use is handled.