Guideway Privacy Policy

GUIDEWAY | PRIVACY POLICY Operated by Vednext Innovations Private Limited Effective date: 12 October 2026 (use actual publication date if different) | Website: https://guideway.co.in Introduction This Privacy Policy explains how Vednext Innovations Private Limited ("Guideway", "Company", "we", "our", "us") collects, uses, discloses, stores and protects personal data in connection with the Guideway website, mentorship booking platform and related services (the "Platform"). It applies to students, mentors, parents or guardians, administrators and visitors. Please read this Policy together with our Terms and Conditions. Where consent is required, we will seek it in accordance with applicable law. This Policy does not govern third-party websites or services operated independently of Guideway. 1. Personal Information "Personal data" means information relating to an identified or identifiable individual, as understood under applicable Indian law. It can include contact information, account identifiers, educational records, communications and booking records. Some categories of information may require enhanced safeguards under applicable law. 2. Collection and Use of Information 2.1 Information we collect Depending on the service and role, we may collect: (a) names, email addresses, phone numbers, profile photos, age/date of birth where required, and address details where necessary; (b) student academic details, college ID and marksheets supplied for verification; (c) mentor qualifications, employment certificates, verification documents, expertise, pricing, languages and availability; (d) parent/guardian identity, contact details and booking relationship; (e) session bookings, scheduled times, participant details, session status, refund requests and transaction references; (f) messages, attachments, reviews, complaints and support correspondence; and (g) optional social profile links. We may automatically receive device/browser information, IP address, logs, cookies and usage data needed for security, functionality and permitted analytics. We may receive transaction confirmations from payment providers and other information lawfully provided by integrated service providers. We do not ask users to provide unnecessary sensitive information. 2.2 Purposes We use information to create and verify accounts; show mentor profiles; enable discovery, chat, bookings, calendar invitations and meetings; process payments, payouts, cancellations and refunds; communicate booking confirmations and service updates; prevent fraud and abuse; provide support; investigate disputes; maintain records; comply with legal obligations; and improve platform functionality through appropriate analytics. Marketing communications, where used, are subject to applicable consent and opt-out requirements. 2.3 Account responsibility and communication Users should safeguard their credentials and avoid sharing sensitive information in messages. Guideway may retain in-app communications and support records for service delivery, safety and dispute handling, subject to the retention section. Guideway does not claim to record every Google Meet mentorship call; any future recording feature will require a separate, accurate disclosure and appropriate notice or consent. 2.4 Pre-booking chat Where enabled, limited pre-booking communication may be available under Guideway’s conduct and moderation rules. Attachments may be limited to post-booking conversations. Messages may be reviewed where lawful and necessary for safety, complaints or platform security. 3. Sharing and Disclosure of Information We share only information reasonably necessary for the purposes described here, with: (a) the booked student, mentor and, where relevant, parent/guardian, including participant name, relevant booking details, scheduled time and meeting link; (b) authorised Guideway administrators and personnel for verification, operations, support, refunds and investigations; (c) contracted service providers for hosting, communications, calendar/meeting services, payment processing, security and support, subject to appropriate safeguards; and (d) regulators, law-enforcement agencies or other parties where disclosure is legally required or necessary to protect lawful rights. Mentor names, qualifications, profile photos, categories, fees and availability may appear on public or student-visible profiles as part of the service. We do not publish verification documents or private contact details merely because a mentor has a public profile. We do not sell or rent personal data. Transfers in a corporate transaction will be handled subject to applicable law, notices and consent where required. 3.1 Google Calendar and Google Meet integration Guideway uses its centrally authorised Google Workspace account (info@guideway.co.in) to generate and manage Google Calendar events and Google Meet links for booked mentorship sessions. Our integration provider has confirmed that mentors and students are not required to connect or authorise access to their personal Google Calendar accounts. To schedule a session, Guideway may send to Google Calendar the booking title or description, date and time, session duration, student and mentor names or email addresses, and other limited details necessary to generate an event and Google Meet link. The resulting event details, invitations and meeting link may be delivered to the relevant student, mentor and, if appropriate, parent or guardian. Invitees may see one another’s email addresses or other event details according to Google Calendar event settings. Guideway requests the Google Calendar API scope calendar.events through its central Workspace account to create, update and delete mentorship booking events. According to our integration provider, Guideway does not read unrelated existing calendar events. Google Calendar access is not requested from individual students or mentors. To arrange a booked session, Guideway transmits the necessary event and participant information to Google and makes the resulting meeting details available to the relevant student and mentor. According to our integration provider, Google Calendar integration data is not shared with additional third parties. Other platform information may be processed by service providers as described in Section 3. Guideway’s use and transfer of information received from Google APIs complies with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Google separately processes information under its own privacy policy and terms. 3.2 Google data storage, deletion and authorisation For its Google Calendar integration, Guideway stores the event ID, Google Meet link and participant email address. Google OAuth tokens used by the central account are encrypted. When a booking is cancelled or a Guideway account is deleted, associated Google Calendar events are deleted, and the corresponding integration data is removed from Guideway’s database, as confirmed for this policy. Booking and financial records may separately be retained where necessary for lawful accounting, tax or dispute purposes. Google may retain data under its own policies. 3.3 Google Meet sessions and recordings Mentorship sessions take place through Google Meet, outside Guideway’s platform. Guideway does not independently record or store Google Meet audio, video or transcripts. Participants’ use of Google Meet and any recording features available directly through Google are governed by Google’s applicable terms, settings and notices. 4. Cookies and Similar Technologies Guideway may use essential cookies for authentication, security and session functionality and, where implemented, analytics cookies to understand service performance. Any non-essential advertising or analytics technologies will be disclosed accurately and consent obtained where required. Users may manage cookies through browser settings, though essential functions may be affected. 5. Data Storage Information may be stored in secure hosted systems and processed by contracted providers in India or other jurisdictions where permitted. We take reasonable steps to limit access, protect transfers and ensure providers handle information consistently with contractual obligations and applicable law. We do not promise that any electronic system is completely risk-free. 6. Data Security We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards appropriate to the information and risks involved, including access controls, secure transmission, credential protection, monitoring and restricted administrative access where implemented. Users should promptly report suspected account misuse or data security issues to our privacy contact. 7. Retention and Disposal We retain personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to provide the services, maintain booking and transaction records, resolve disputes, and comply with applicable legal, tax and accounting obligations. Users may request account deletion by contacting info@guideway.co.in. On receiving a valid request, we review pending sessions, payments and refunds, deactivate access as appropriate, and delete or anonymise information no longer needed, subject to legally necessary retention. A self-service account deletion feature is planned but is not yet represented as available. In-app chat messages may be retained for service delivery, safety, support and dispute resolution. Guideway plans to introduce automatic deletion seven (7) days after a completed session, or seven (7) days after the last message for pre-booking chats without a booking. Until that feature is deployed and verified, we do not represent that messages are automatically deleted after seven days. Requests regarding deletion can be sent to info@guideway.co.in, subject to applicable retention obligations. 8. Contact Information Privacy and grievance email: info@guideway.co.in Legal entity: Vednext Innovations Private Limited Platform: Guideway Website: https://guideway.co.in Registered office: Mitranagar, KSK College Road, Beed, Maharashtra – 431122, India 9. Children and Parent/Guardian Use Guideway is intended for adult account holders aged 18 years or older. Parents or legal guardians may use their own accounts to arrange mentorship for minors, in which case limited information about the child may be processed to provide the service. A mandatory age-declaration control is planned for signup but is not yet represented as implemented. Parents or guardians should contact info@guideway.co.in with questions or requests concerning a minor’s information. Guideway will apply legally required parental-consent and child-data safeguards before relying on them for processing children’s data. 10. International Transfers Service providers, including cloud and communications providers, may process information outside India. Where this occurs, we apply appropriate contractual, technical and organisational safeguards and comply with restrictions and requirements under applicable Indian law. 11. User Rights and Consent Withdrawal Subject to applicable law, users may request access to information about their personal data, correction or updating, erasure, grievance redressal, and withdrawal of consent where processing depends on consent. Withdrawal may affect our ability to provide affected services but does not invalidate prior lawful processing or override mandatory retention obligations. Requests should be sent to the privacy contact in Section 8. Google account authorisation can also be revoked by the relevant authorised account holder. 12. Non-Waiver A failure or delay by Guideway to exercise any lawful right or remedy does not constitute a waiver of that right or remedy. 13. Changes to this Privacy Policy We may revise this Policy to reflect changes in our services, practices or legal requirements. We will post the updated effective date and provide additional notice or obtain consent where required for material changes, including new uses of Google user data. 14. Governing Law and Jurisdiction This Policy is governed by applicable Indian law. Subject to any mandatory statutory forum or consumer/data-protection rights, disputes concerning this Policy are subject to the competent courts at Pune, Maharashtra.