Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect information that you provide directly to us and information that is automatically collected when you use our services.

Account Information

• Email address
• Full name
• User or student ID (as assigned by your institution)
• Password (stored in encrypted form)
• Role (student, lecturer, or administrator)
• For students: year, programme, and course enrollments

Verification and Attendance Data

• Face reference image (for facial verification during attendance)
• Device identifiers (hashed) for device binding
• Attendance records: QR scan timestamps, session IDs, geolocation (when required)
• Verification logs: face match results, geofence compliance

Automatically Collected Information

• IP address and device type
• Usage data (e.g., pages visited, features used)
• Log data (e.g., access times, error logs)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our attendance verification services
• Authenticate users and enforce security measures (e.g., device binding, face verification)
• Process attendance records and generate reports for lecturers and administrators
• Prevent fraud and ensure the integrity of attendance data
• Communicate with you about service updates, security alerts, and support
• Comply with legal obligations and institutional requirements
• Analyze usage patterns to improve reliability and user experience

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• With your institution: Attendance data, enrollment information, and verification results may be shared with lecturers and administrators at your school or university.
• Service providers: We may use third-party services (e.g., hosting, storage) that process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality agreements.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or government request.
• Protection of rights: We may disclose information to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

4. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide our services. When you request account deletion, we permanently remove your account and associated data within 30 days. Anonymized audit logs may be retained for up to 90 days for security and compliance purposes. Backup copies may retain deleted data for up to 30 days before permanent purging.

5. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information through your profile settings
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable format (where applicable)
• Objection: Object to certain processing of your data
• Withdraw consent: Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent

To request account deletion, visit our Delete Account page for the steps to request deletion of your account and associated data.

6. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS), hashed passwords, and secure storage of sensitive information. Face reference images and verification data are stored in secure, access-controlled environments. Despite our efforts, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for use by students, lecturers, and administrators within educational institutions. If you are under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of consent in your jurisdiction), your use of Absense may be subject to your institution's policies and parental consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without appropriate consent.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be processed in countries other than your country of residence. We take appropriate safeguards to ensure that your data receives an adequate level of protection in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. Your continued use of our services after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please contact your institution's Absense administrator or support team. For general inquiries about Absense, you may reach out through the support channels provided by your institution.