Privacy Policy

AksharX ("we", "our", "us") operates the Paper Maker application (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect information about you when you use our Service, including our website and Android/iOS mobile application.

By using the Service you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account information: name, email address, school/institute name, and password (stored as a bcrypt hash — we never store plain-text passwords).
• User content: exam papers, questions, answers, explanations, uploaded images, and scanned documents you create or upload.
• Payment information: billing plan choice and transaction IDs. Full card/UPI details are processed by Razorpay and are never stored on our servers.
• Support communications: messages or emails you send to our support team.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device & usage data: device type, OS version, app version, IP address, browser type, pages visited, features used, and session duration — collected to improve the Service.
• Log data: error logs and crash reports to debug issues.
• Cookies & local storage: we use essential secure cookies for authentication, session refresh, and CSRF protection so you can stay signed in safely. We do not use advertising cookies, third-party tracking cookies, or browser localStorage for primary authentication.

1.3 Camera & Storage Permissions (Mobile App)

Our Android/iOS app requests the following device permissions only when you use the specific features described:

• Camera — required to scan question papers using your device camera. We do not record, stream, or store camera footage. Images are processed locally or sent securely to our OCR pipeline and then deleted.
• Storage / Media Library — required to pick images from your gallery for scanning, and to save exported PDF files to your device. We do not access any files other than those you explicitly select.
• Network access — required to sync your papers and questions with our servers.

All permissions are requested at the time of feature use and can be revoked from your device Settings at any time. Revoking a permission will disable the associated feature but will not affect other functionality.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Create and maintain your account and provide the Service.
• Process payments and manage your subscription.
• Send you important notices (account, billing, security updates) — not marketing unless you opt in.
• Improve the accuracy of our OCR and AI features (using anonymised, aggregated data only — never your identifiable content without consent).
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
• Comply with applicable laws and regulations in India (including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 — "DPDP Act").

We do NOT sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties for marketing purposes.

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information with:

• Razorpay — payment processing. Their privacy policy is at razorpay.com/privacy.
• Google Gemini API — images you submit for OCR may be processed by Google's API. Google's terms apply. We send only the image data needed for the request and do not store the API response beyond your session.
• Cloud hosting providers — our servers are hosted in India-region data centres.
• Legal authorities — if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of users or the public.

4. Data Retention

• Your account data and content are retained for as long as your account is active.
• If you delete your account, all personal data and user content are permanently deleted within 30 days (see Section 8 for deletion instructions).
• Anonymised usage statistics may be retained indefinitely.
• Payment records are retained for 7 years as required by Indian accounting laws.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures including: HTTPS/TLS encryption in transit, bcrypt password hashing, JWT-based authentication with short-lived tokens, and access controls limiting employee access to personal data. However, no system is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Children's Privacy

The Service is intended for use by teachers, educators, and coaching institute staff (adults 18+). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us at privacy@papermaker.in and we will delete it promptly.

7. Your Rights (DPDP Act 2023 & General)

As a user you have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction — update or correct inaccurate data via Settings → Profile.
• Erasure — request deletion of your account and all associated data (see below).
• Withdraw consent — revoke optional permissions (camera, storage) via device settings at any time.
• Grievance redressal — raise a complaint with our Grievance Officer (see Section 9).

8. Account and Data Deletion

You can permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time:

1. Open the app → Settings → Account → Delete Account.
2. OR visit Paper Maker Data Deletion page.
3. OR email privacy@papermaker.in with subject "Delete my account" from your registered email.

For security, deletion requests submitted through the app or deletion page must be confirmed from a one-time link sent to your registered email address before the account is disabled and scheduled for deletion.

After that confirmation, all personally identifiable information including your name, email, school, papers, questions, and uploaded files will be irreversibly deleted within 30 days. Payment transaction records are retained for 7 years as legally required (anonymised where possible).

Data deletion URL (required by Google Play): https://papermaker.in/delete-account

9. Grievance Officer (India — DPDP Act)

In accordance with the Information Technology Act, 2000 and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, the name and contact details of our Grievance Officer are:

Name: Grievance Officer, AksharX
Email: grievance@papermaker.in
Address: Gujarat, India
Response time: Within 30 days of receipt of complaint.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or an in-app notice at least 7 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries:
📧 privacy@papermaker.in
🏢 AksharX, Gujarat, India