Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 2024-10-08

This Privacy Policy explains how your information is collected, used, and protected when you use the VITAP Student mobile application (the "App"), developed by Udhay Adithya J, for the students of VIT-AP University. By using this App, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

  • VTOP Credentials: You log into the App using your VTOP credentials (username and password). These credentials are used to fetch academic data from the VTOP Portal. All data is stored locally on your device.
  • Usage Analytics: We use Firebase Analytics to collect anonymized usage data including:
    • Screen navigation events (pages visited)
    • Interaction events (button clicks/taps)
    • Anonymized user group information (joining year and branch derived from your registration number)
  • No Data Collected for Academic Access: The App does not collect or store any academic data fetched from VTOP on external servers. All data is stored locally on your device.

2. Data Usage

VTOP Data Fetching

The App fetches data from the VTOP Portal to provide you with updated information on your academic performance, timetable, attendance, grades, and other university-related data. This data is used exclusively for the purpose of displaying your academic information on the App.

Analytics

Usage data is collected to:

  • Understand feature engagement and user behavior
  • Identify areas for app improvement
  • Analyze aggregated usage patterns (not individual users)
  • Anonymized group data (joining year/branch) helps identify trends across student cohorts

3. Data Storage and Security

Local Storage

All academic data fetched from VTOP is stored locally on your device. The App does not store or collect this data on external servers.

Encryption

Your VTOP credentials are stored in encrypted format:

  • On iOS, Keychain is used to securely store the credentials.
  • On Android, your credentials are encrypted using AES encryption, and the AES secret key is further encrypted with RSA stored in the Android KeyStore.

Firebase Analytics

Usage data is processed through Firebase Analytics in anonymized form. No personally identifiable information is stored with analytics events.

4. Sharing of Information

No Third-Party Sharing

We do not share any of your personal information with third parties. The only exception is Firebase Analytics, which processes anonymized usage data. By using the App, you agree to Google's Privacy Policy.

Anonymization

Analytics data contains no personally identifiable information. User group properties (joining year/branch) cannot be traced back to individual users.

5. User Responsibility

Credentials Responsibility

You are solely responsible for safeguarding your VTOP credentials. The App does not share or distribute these credentials. If you share your credentials with others and unauthorized access occurs, the App is not responsible for any misuse of your account.

6. Data Retention

Analytics Data

Firebase Analytics data is retained for up to 14 months before automatic deletion.

VTOP Data

Academic data fetched from VTOP is stored locally on your device and is not retained by the developer. If you delete the App, all locally stored data will be removed.

7. Legal Disclaimer on Data Scraping

The App fetches academic data from the VTOP Portal using scraping methods. By using the App, you agree to have your data fetched from VTOP for your convenience. The responsibility for using this method lies solely with the user. The App merely serves as a service to make your data accessible in a user-friendly way. Any issues regarding the legality or terms of VTOP's data usage must be addressed with the VIT-AP University administration.

8. Changes to this Privacy Policy

I reserve the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy at any time. Any updates will be communicated through in-app notifications. Continued use of the App following any modifications indicates your acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Republic of India. Any disputes or issues arising from the use of the App will be addressed in accordance with Indian law.

10. Contact Information

For any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact me at:

Udhay Adithya J

Email: udhayxd@gmail.com