Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
This Privacy Policy describes how Hardik Sir, School of Marine Education (SME) ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you visit our website and use our online course platform for IAMI (Institute of Allied Marine Industries) EOOW Class IV examination preparation, including Science A and Science B — Hydrostatics.
By accessing or using our website, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the site.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following types of information:
- Account information: email address and password, provided when you sign up via Netlify Identity (GoTrue).
- Usage information: pages visited, time spent, and interaction with course content (PDFs, AI chat).
- Content you submit: questions, images, and chat history you send to the AI tutor.
- Device & browser information: IP address, browser type, and operating system, for security and diagnostics.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, maintain, and improve our course platform and AI tutor.
- Authenticate your access to gated study material.
- Enforce single-session access so your account is used by one device at a time.
- Respond to support requests and WhatsApp inquiries.
- Detect and prevent abuse, fraud, or security incidents.
- Comply with legal obligations.
4. Cookies & Local Storage
Our site uses localStorage (not third-party tracking cookies) to remember your session ID, display preferences, and chat history on this device. We do not set advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. You can clear localStorage at any time via your browser settings; doing so will sign you out.
5. Third-Party Services
To operate the platform, we rely on the following third-party services:
- Netlify — hosting and identity (GoTrue) for sign-up and login.
- Groq — AI inference API used to power the in-app tutor. Your questions are sent to Groq for processing; please do not submit sensitive personal information to the chat.
- Mozilla PDF.js — client-side rendering of course PDF notes.
- Google Fonts — web fonts (Playfair Display, JetBrains Mono).
6. Google AdSense
We use Google AdSense, a third-party advertising service provided by Google. AdSense uses cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to our site or other sites on the Internet. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
You may opt out of personalised advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You may also opt out of certain third-party vendors' use of cookies for personalised advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.
Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to our website. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google Ad and Content Network privacy policy.
7. Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We share information only with the service providers listed above, and only as needed to operate the platform. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights, users, or the public.
8. Data Security
We use industry-standard security measures including HTTPS encryption, JWT-based authentication, and server-side role checks. Course PDFs are served behind authentication and watermarked with your session to discourage redistribution. No method of transmission over the Internet, however, is 100% secure.
9. Your Rights & Choices
You have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Request correction or deletion of your data.
- Log out and clear your localStorage at any time.
- Opt out of personalised Google Ads (see Section 6).
To exercise these rights, contact us using the details on our Contact page.
10. Children's Privacy
Our service is intended for adult learners preparing for professional marine certification exams (typically 18+). We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under the age of 13. If you believe a minor has provided us personal data, please contact us so we can delete it.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top will reflect the most recent revision. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach us via the details on our Contact page.