Privacy Policy
Last updated: 14 June 2026
Qalam (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates the Qalam platform — an Islamic tutoring marketplace connecting students with verified scholars. This policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, and how we protect it.
1. Who We Are
Qalam is an online platform based in the United Kingdom. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, contact us at support@qalam.co.
2. Information We Collect
Account information
When you register, we collect your name, email address, and password (stored securely via Supabase Auth). You may optionally add a profile photo and bio.
Scholar profile data
Scholars additionally provide: qualifications and credentials, institution, nationality, languages spoken, subjects taught, years of experience, hourly rate, timezone, and an optional introduction video. This information is displayed publicly on your scholar profile.
Booking and session data
We record details of sessions you book or teach: scheduled time, duration, subject, any notes you add, session status, and the video room link. Sessions are not recorded — video calls are live only.
Payment information
We collect transaction amounts, payment status, and Stripe payment identifiers. Full card details are handled exclusively by Stripe and never stored on our servers. Scholars who receive payouts provide banking and identity information directly to Stripe as part of Stripe’s Know Your Customer (KYC) process.
Messages and reviews
We store messages exchanged within the platform and any reviews or ratings you submit after a session.
Usage data
We collect standard server logs including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps. This helps us maintain platform security and improve performance.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To create and manage your account
- To facilitate bookings between students and scholars
- To process payments and transfer scholar earnings via Stripe
- To send transactional emails (booking confirmations, session reminders, payout notifications)
- To display scholar profiles publicly so students can find tutors
- To handle disputes, refund requests, and support enquiries
- To detect fraud and keep the platform secure
- To improve platform features and fix issues
We do not use your data for advertising, and we do not sell your personal information to any third party.
4. Legal Basis for Processing (UK GDPR)
We process your data under the following lawful bases:
- Contract — processing necessary to provide the services you have signed up for (account management, bookings, payments)
- Legitimate interests — platform security, fraud prevention, and improving our services
- Legal obligation — retaining financial records as required by law
- Consent — optional communications such as platform updates (you can withdraw consent at any time)
5. Third-Party Services
We share data with the following trusted providers only to the extent necessary to operate the platform:
Supabase
Our database and authentication provider. All user data is stored in Supabase’s managed PostgreSQL infrastructure with row-level security enforced.
Stripe
Payment processing and scholar payouts via Stripe Connect. When you make or receive a payment, relevant transaction data is shared with Stripe. Stripe’s privacy policy applies to data they hold. Scholars must accept Stripe’s Terms of Service and provide KYC information directly to Stripe.
Daily.co
Video conferencing for live sessions. Room links are generated per-session and expire after the session ends. Sessions are not recorded.
Resend
Transactional email delivery. We share your email address and relevant session details with Resend solely to deliver booking and notification emails.
If you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your name and email address from Google OAuth. We do not receive access to your Google account beyond this.
All providers are required to handle your data in accordance with applicable data protection law.
6. Cookies and Sessions
Qalam uses HTTP-only session cookies managed by Supabase Auth to keep you logged in. These cookies are strictly necessary for the platform to function and cannot be disabled while you are signed in. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking cookies.
7. Data Retention
- Account data — retained for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
- Payment records — retained for 7 years to meet UK financial and tax reporting obligations.
- Session and booking records — retained for 3 years to support dispute resolution.
- Server logs — retained for up to 90 days for security monitoring.
8. Your Rights
Under UK GDPR you have the right to:
- Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate data
- Erasure — request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention obligations)
- Restriction — ask us to limit how we use your data
- Portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
To exercise any of these rights, email us at support@qalam.co. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
9. Data Security
We apply industry-standard protections including encrypted connections (HTTPS), database-level row security so users can only access their own data, and access controls limiting which staff can view personal information. No system is completely immune to risk. If you suspect unauthorised access to your account, contact us immediately.
10. Children
Qalam is not directed at children under 13. If you are under 13, please do not create an account. If we become aware that a child under 13 has registered, we will delete their account promptly. Users aged 13–17 should have parental consent before using the platform.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes by email and update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of Qalam after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
12. Contact Us
Questions, requests, or complaints about your privacy should be sent to: support@qalam.co