Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information PrepYak (“we”, “us”) collects when you use prepyak.com and the PrepYak app (together, the “Service”), how we use it, and the choices you have. If anything here is unclear, email hello@prepyak.com.

What we collect

Account information

When you sign in, our sign-in provider (Clerk) gives us your name and email address, and if you use Google sign-in, the identifier Google issues for your account. We do not receive your password. We do not store your Google profile photo; PrepYak avatars are illustrations you pick.

Your profile

The details you enter to be matched: the exams and subjects you are preparing for, your timezone, the hours of the day you usually study, how many hours a week you plan to study, your preferred study style, a short bio and your chosen avatar. Everything in your profile except your email address is visible to other signed-in members.

Posts, comments and likes

Anything you publish to the Posts feed, including images, plus your comments and likes. Posts are public: every post has a link that anyone can open, including people who are not members, so that you can share it outside PrepYak. Comments and likes are visible to signed-in members. You can delete your posts and comments at any time.

Requests, matches and messages

Study requests you send and receive, the notes attached to them, and the messages and files you exchange with a partner after you are matched. Messages are visible only to the two people in the conversation and to us when needed for safety and support.

Device and usage information

Our servers keep standard access logs (IP address, browser or device type, the pages and API endpoints requested, and timestamps) for security and to keep the Service running. If you allow notifications on your phone, we store a push notification token for your device. We do not use third-party analytics or advertising trackers.

How we use it

• To create and rank matches. Your subjects, timezone, study hours, style and weekly hours are the inputs.
• To deliver requests, chats, files and notifications, including emails when someone sends you a request or you have unread messages.
• To keep people safe: reviewing reports, enforcing blocks, and preventing abuse.
• To operate, secure and improve the Service, and to respond when you contact us.

We do not sell your information and we do not show advertising.

Who we share it with

Other members see your profile (never your email) and, once matched, your messages. Beyond that, we share information only with the providers that run the Service on our behalf, and only as needed for them to do so:

• Clerk for sign-in and account security.
• Google if you choose Google sign-in.
• DigitalOcean, which hosts our servers, database and file storage.
• Resend, which delivers our emails.
• Expo and Apple, which deliver push notifications to the iPhone app.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect the rights and safety of our members and the public.

How long we keep it

Your profile, requests, matches and messages are kept until you delete your account. Server logs are kept for a limited time for security, and backups age out on a rolling schedule. If we receive a report about a conversation, we may keep the relevant messages longer while the report is handled.

Your choices and rights

• Edit everything in your profile at any time from the profile page.
• Delete your account from the profile page in the app. This removes your profile, requests, matches and messages and cannot be undone.
• Block anyone to stop all contact, and report anyone who breaks the rules.
• Email us to ask for a copy of your information, to correct it, or with any other request under the privacy laws that apply to you. We answer every request.

Age requirement

PrepYak connects you with people you do not know, so it is only for people who are at least 16 years old. If the law where you live sets a higher age for services like this without a parent's consent, that age applies. If we learn that someone younger has created an account, we delete it.

Security

All traffic to PrepYak is encrypted in transit. Files you share are stored privately and served only through short-lived links to the people in the conversation. No system is perfectly secure, so please tell us at hello@prepyak.com if you believe your account has been compromised.

Changes

If we make a meaningful change to this policy we will post it here with a new date and, for significant changes, tell you in the app or by email.

Contact

hello@prepyak.com. See also our Terms of Service.