Effective Date: October 2025
At Knowsia, your privacy matters to us. We are committed to protecting your personal data and being transparent about how we collect, use, and safeguard it. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your personal information when you visit our website, use our learning management system (LMS), register for tuition, purchase our question bank, participate in discussion forums, or attend our events.
This Policy complies with Ghana’s Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It is available in accessible formats (e.g., screen-reader-compatible text, large print) upon request.
1. Information We Collect
We collect personal and usage information to deliver, improve, and personalize your learning experience.
a. Personal Information
When you register or interact with Knowsia, we may collect:
- Name, email address, phone number, and contact details
- Educational level (e.g., ICAG Level 1–3) and course preferences
- Account login credentials (for the LMS)
- Payment and billing information (processed securely through trusted providers like Stripe or PayPal)
b. Sensitive Educational Data
We collect data related to your academic activities, such as:
- Grades, quiz results, certifications, and progress reports
- Assignment submissions and course engagement metrics
This data is stored securely and accessed only by authorized personnel (e.g., instructors, admins) for educational purposes. You can control visibility of your academic records via account settings.
c. Usage and Technical Data
We may automatically collect:
- Pages visited, time spent, and actions on our platform
- Device type, browser version, and IP address
- Learning progress and resource usage
d. Comments and Forum Data
If you leave comments or participate in course discussion forums, we collect:
- Data shown in the comment form (e.g., name, email)
- Your IP address and browser user agent string to detect spam
- Forum posts or feedback, which may be visible to other course participants or instructors, depending on privacy settings
We use automated spam detection services (e.g., Akismet) to moderate comments. If you use a Gravatar-linked email, your profile picture may be visible to others in the context of your comment or post, per Gravatar’s Privacy Policy: https://automattic.com/privacy/.
e. Media Uploads
If you upload media (e.g., images, PDFs, videos) for assignments, profiles, or forums:
- Avoid uploading images with embedded location data (EXIF GPS), as others may extract this data.
- We automatically scan and remove sensitive metadata (e.g., GPS) from uploads to protect your privacy.
- Uploaded media is stored securely and accessible only to authorized users (e.g., instructors for grading).
f. Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies and analytics tools to:
- Keep you signed in
- Personalize your learning experience
- Analyze platform usage
Types of cookies include:
- First-party cookies: Set by Knowsia for login (lasting 2 days or 2 weeks if “Remember Me” is selected), screen display preferences (1 year), and course progress tracking (up to 2 years).
- Third-party cookies: Set by analytics providers (e.g., Google Analytics, lasting up to 2 years) for usage insights.
- Temporary cookies: Set on the login page to check browser compatibility, discarded when you close your browser.
You can manage or disable cookies via your browser settings or our Cookie Management Tool [link]. Disabling cookies may affect some features. See our Cookie Policy [link] for details.
g. Embedded Content
Our platform may include embedded content (e.g., YouTube videos, Google Docs, Zoom for virtual classes). These behave as if you visited the third-party site, which may collect data, use cookies, or track interactions. We use privacy-enhanced modes (e.g., YouTube’s no-cookie embeds) where possible.
2. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your data based on:
- Consent: When you register, opt into marketing, or enable optional features.
- Contract: To deliver courses, question banks, or LMS access you request.
- Legitimate Interest: To improve our services, user experience, and communications.
- Legal Obligation: To comply with laws (e.g., tax reporting, certification requirements).
3. How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Create and manage your account
- Deliver courses, resources, certifications, and event participation
- Process payments and send confirmations
- Communicate updates, exam insights, and support
- Send educational or promotional messages (opt out via unsubscribe links, account settings, or support@knowsia.com)
- Analyze usage to improve our platform and content
- Comply with legal, accounting, or auditing requirements
We do not sell or rent your personal data.
a. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling
We use automated systems to recommend courses, assess performance, or personalize content based on your learning progress. These may influence your learning path (e.g., suggesting advanced modules). You can opt out or request human review by emailing support@knowsia.com. No fully automated decisions with legal or significant effects are made without human oversight.
b. Educational Research
We may use anonymized data (e.g., aggregated learning analytics) for research to improve teaching methods or collaborate with academic institutions. You can opt out via account settings or support@knowsia.com.
4. How We Protect Your Data
We use encryption (e.g., SSL/TLS), limited-access protocols, and secure systems to protect your data. Only authorized Knowsia staff and service providers access your data for operational purposes (e.g., course delivery, support).
5. Data Breach Protocols
If a data breach occurs, we will:
- Notify affected users and the Ghana Data Protection Commission within 72 hours, per GDPR and local requirements.
- Provide details of the breach, its impact, and mitigation steps.
- Maintain incident response plans and conduct regular security audits.
6. Data Sharing and Third-Party Services
We share data with trusted providers, including:
- Payment processors: E.g., Stripe, PayPal for secure transactions
- Communication platforms: E.g., Mailchimp for emails
- Cloud and analytics providers: E.g., AWS for hosting, Google Analytics for insights
- Educational partners: E.g., ICAG for certification verification
- LMS integrations: E.g., Zoom for virtual classes, Turnitin for plagiarism checks
These providers are bound by data protection agreements and cannot use your data for their own purposes. See their privacy policies: [links to Stripe, Zoom, etc.]. We may share data with authorities if legally required.
7. International Data Transfers
Data may be processed outside Ghana (e.g., in the EU or US) by providers like AWS. We use safeguards like standard contractual clauses (SCCs) or the EU-US Data Privacy Framework to ensure equivalent protection, per GDPR and Ghanaian law.
8. Data Retention
We retain data only as needed:
- Personal and account data: While your account is active, plus 2 years post-closure.
- Educational data (e.g., grades): Up to 7 years for certification and auditing.
- Comments/forum posts: Up to 2 years or until course completion, unless needed for legal purposes.
- Usage data: Up to 2 years for analytics.
- Financial data: Up to 7 years per legal requirements.
- Media uploads: Until account deletion or course completion, unless retained for grading.
Data is securely deleted or anonymized when no longer needed. For password reset emails, your IP address is included and retained for 30 days.
9. Children and Minors
Our services are for adults and professional students. We do not knowingly collect data from users under 16 without verified parental consent, obtained via a signed digital form or email verification. Age verification prompts during registration help identify minors. Inadvertently collected data is deleted promptly, and guardians are notified if identifiable. Contact support@knowsia.com for minor-related inquiries.
10. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of your data.
- Correct: Update inaccurate information.
- Delete: Request data erasure (“right to be forgotten”), processed within 30 days, subject to legal retention (e.g., financial records).
- Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format (e.g., CSV) within 30 days.
- Withdraw consent: Opt out of marketing or optional features.
- Object: To automated decision-making or profiling.
- Complain: Contact the Ghana Data Protection Commission.
To exercise these rights, email support@knowsia.com. For complaints, we offer an internal resolution process (response within 14 days, escalated to a privacy officer if needed). This policy is accessible to users with disabilities (e.g., screen-reader-compatible).
11. Updates to This Policy
We may update this policy to reflect service or legal changes. You’ll be notified via email or a platform banner for all updates. The revised policy will be posted here with an updated effective date. Previous versions and a changelog are available at [link to archive].
12. Contact Us
For privacy questions or requests, contact:
📧 support@knowsia.com
📞 +233-203701923
🏠 Accra, Ghana
🌐 www.knowsia.com