Privacy Protected

Privacy Policy

At SEP Platform we take your privacy seriously. This policy explains exactly what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights over it.

Effective: September 1, 2026 Last reviewed: September 1, 2026 NDPA · GDPR · CCPA Compliant
Our commitment: We collect only what we need to run the Platform and improve your learning experience. We do not sell your personal data to third parties. You can request access, correction, or deletion of your data at any time by emailing info@smarteduplus.com.

1 Who We Are (Data Controller)

SEP Platform ("we", "us", "our") is the data controller responsible for your personal information collected through the Platform at https://smarteduplus.com.

We are registered and operate under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Our Data Protection Officer (DPO) can be reached at info@smarteduplus.com.

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of the Platform, including students, organisation account holders, and visitors.

2 Data We Collect

2.1 Data You Provide Directly

Data TypeExamplesWhen Collected
IdentityFirst name, last name, usernameRegistration
ContactEmail address, phone numberRegistration, checkout
Account credentialsHashed passwordRegistration
Organisation detailsCompany name, industry, contact personOrg registration
Payment dataTransaction reference (not card numbers)Purchase
Profile contentProfile photo (optional)Account settings
CommunicationsSupport emails, feedback submissionsWhen you contact us

2.2 Data Collected Automatically

Data TypeExamples
Usage dataPages visited, courses viewed, time spent per lesson, quiz attempts
Device & browserIP address, browser type & version, operating system, screen resolution
Log dataAccess timestamps, error logs, HTTP request data
CookiesSession tokens, preference cookies (see §7)
LocationCountry/region inferred from IP (not GPS)

2.3 Data from Third Parties

  • Payment processors (Paystack) — transaction status and reference numbers only
  • Email service providers — delivery and open status of transactional emails
  • AI providers (Google, Groq) — responses generated in AI sessions (no personal identifiers are sent to AI APIs)

3 How We Use Your Data

PurposeData UsedLegal Basis
Create and manage your accountIdentity, contact, credentialsContract
Process course enrolments and paymentsIdentity, contact, payment refsContract
Deliver course content and track progressUsage, identityContract
Issue and verify certificatesIdentity, completion dataContract
Provide AI tutoring featuresSession inputs (anonymised before API call)Legitimate interest
Send transactional emails (receipts, verifications, password reset)Contact, identityContract
Send product updates and learning recommendationsContact, usageConsent (opt-out available)
Improve Platform performance and contentUsage, device dataLegitimate interest
Fraud prevention and securityIP, device, logsLegitimate interest / legal obligation
Comply with legal obligationsAny relevant dataLegal obligation
Respond to support enquiriesCommunications, identityContract / legitimate interest
We will never use your data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects without your explicit consent.

4 Legal Bases for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases as defined by the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA) and, where applicable, the GDPR:

  • Contract performance — processing is necessary to fulfil your registration, enrolment, or purchase
  • Legitimate interests — improving the Platform, preventing fraud, and securing our systems, where these interests are not overridden by your rights
  • Legal obligation — where processing is required to comply with Nigerian or applicable law
  • Consent — for marketing communications and optional features; you may withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing

5 Sharing Your Data

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share data only in the following circumstances:

5.1 Service Providers (Processors)

We share data with vetted third-party processors who help us operate the Platform. All processors are contractually bound to handle data securely and only for the purpose we specify:

ProviderPurposeData Shared
PaystackPayment processingEmail, transaction amount
AWS / hosting providerServer infrastructureAll data stored on servers
Google (Gemini API)AI tutoring responsesAnonymised session prompts only
Groq APIAI tutoring fallbackAnonymised session prompts only
Email delivery serviceTransactional emailsEmail address, name

5.2 Organisation Administrators

If you access the Platform through an Organisation seat package, your enrolment status, progress, and certificate data will be visible to your Organisation's account administrator.

5.3 Legal Disclosure

We may disclose data when required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of SEP Platform, our users, or the public.

5.4 Business Transfer

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of substantially all our assets, your data may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to the same privacy protections. You will be notified via email before the transfer takes effect.

6 AI Features & Your Data

When you interact with ARIA (AI Tutor), the AI Course Builder, or AI-generated assessments:

  • Your inputs are processed by our server before being forwarded to third-party AI APIs (Google Gemini, Groq)
  • Personal identifiers are stripped before any data is sent to AI providers — the prompt sent contains only the educational context, not your name, email, or account ID
  • AI conversation logs are stored on our servers for up to 90 days to allow session continuity and quality improvement, after which they are permanently deleted
  • We may use anonymised, aggregated AI interaction data to improve our own models and course content
  • You may opt out of AI feature logging by contacting us — note that disabling logging may affect session continuity
Do not include sensitive personal information (government IDs, financial account numbers, medical information) in your AI tutor conversations.

7 Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use the following types of cookies:

TypePurposeDurationCan You Opt Out?
Strictly necessarySession management, CSRF security tokens, login stateSessionNo — required for the Platform to function
FunctionalLanguage preference, currency selection, remember-me30 daysYes (affects experience)
AnalyticsPage visit counts, feature usage (anonymised)12 monthsYes — via cookie banner
MarketingNone currently in useN/A

You can manage cookie preferences via your browser settings or the cookie consent banner displayed on your first visit. Withdrawing consent for functional or analytics cookies will not affect your ability to use core Platform features.

8 Data Retention

Data CategoryRetention PeriodReason
Account & profile dataDuration of account + 2 yearsContractual obligation
Course progress & completion records5 years after last activityCertificate verification
Payment transaction references7 yearsNigerian financial regulation (FIRS)
AI conversation logs90 daysSession continuity & quality
Server & security logs12 monthsSecurity & fraud detection
Email communication records3 yearsDispute resolution
Deleted account data30 days post-deletion requestAccidental deletion recovery

After the applicable retention period, data is securely deleted or irreversibly anonymised.

9 Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational security measures including:

  • Encryption in transit: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted via TLS 1.2 or higher (HTTPS)
  • Password hashing: Passwords are stored as bcrypt hashes — we never store plain-text passwords
  • CSRF protection: All forms are protected with cross-site request forgery tokens
  • Access controls: Role-based access controls restrict staff access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular backups: Encrypted backups are maintained and tested regularly
  • Session management: Sessions expire after periods of inactivity
Despite our safeguards, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please disclose it responsibly to info@smarteduplus.com.

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in high risk to your rights, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority within 72 hours of becoming aware, as required by the NDPA and GDPR.

10 International Data Transfers

As a Nigerian-based platform using cloud infrastructure and AI APIs hosted internationally (including in the USA and EU), your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside Nigeria.

Where such transfers occur, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

  • Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) with EU-based processors
  • Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) with all sub-processors
  • Adequacy assessments before engaging new international processors

By using the Platform, you acknowledge and consent to these international transfers subject to the safeguards described above.

11 Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed at children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected data from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.

Users aged 13–17 must have verifiable parental or guardian consent before registering. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has registered without consent, please contact us immediately at info@smarteduplus.com.

Schools and educational institutions accessing the Platform for learners under 18 must ensure appropriate data processing agreements and parental consent mechanisms are in place under their own applicable regulations.

12 Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights over your personal data. To exercise any right, email us at info@smarteduplus.com with the subject line "Privacy Rights Request". We will respond within 30 days.

RightWhat it means
AccessRequest a copy of the personal data we hold about you
RectificationAsk us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten")Request deletion of your data where there is no compelling legal reason to retain it
RestrictionAsk us to restrict processing while a dispute or complaint is resolved
PortabilityReceive your data in a structured, machine-readable format (JSON/CSV)
ObjectionObject to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing (always honoured for marketing)
Withdraw consentWithdraw consent at any time for consent-based processing (e.g. marketing emails) without affecting prior processing
ComplaintLodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) or your local supervisory authority
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights. Account deletion requests are processed within 30 days; some data may be retained for legal compliance (see §8).

13 Nigerian Data Rights (NDPA 2023)

Under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the implementing regulations of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Nigerian residents have specific rights including:

  • The right to be informed about how your data is processed (fulfilled by this Policy)
  • The right to consent to or withdraw consent for processing
  • The right to access, correct, and delete your personal data
  • The right to data portability where technically feasible
  • The right to lodge a complaint with the NDPC at ndpc.gov.ng

We are committed to full compliance with the NDPA 2023 and will cooperate fully with the NDPC in the event of any investigation or inquiry.

14 California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the CPRA grants you additional rights:

  • Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you in the past 12 months
  • Delete: Request deletion of personal information we have collected (subject to exceptions)
  • Opt-out of sale: We do not sell personal information — no opt-out mechanism is necessary
  • Non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising CCPA rights
  • Sensitive data: We do not collect sensitive personal information beyond what is described in §2

To exercise your California rights, contact us at info@smarteduplus.com with "CCPA Request" in the subject line. We will respond within 45 days.

15 Third-Party Links & Integrations

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms, or embedded content (e.g. YouTube videos). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external sites and recommend reviewing their privacy policies before providing any personal data.

Third-party payment processors (Paystack) have their own privacy policies. By using their payment interfaces you also agree to their terms.

16 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make material changes we will:

  • Update the "Effective Date" at the top of this page
  • Send a notification to your registered email address
  • Display a prominent banner on the Platform for at least 14 days

Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of the updated Policy constitutes your acceptance of the changes. If you do not agree to the changes, you may delete your account at any time.

17 Contact Us & Data Protection Officer

For all privacy-related queries, data subject requests, or to reach our Data Protection Officer:

Data Protection Officer

info@smarteduplus.com

Subject line: "DPO — Privacy Request"

Supervisory Authority (Nigeria)

Nigeria Data Protection Commission

ndpc.gov.ng