Privacy Policy

Last Updated: June 2026

1. Introduction

ShadowTeacher UAE ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users' personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, process, and disclose your information when you use our platform.

This Policy is drafted in accordance with the United Arab Emirates Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 regarding the Protection of Personal Data (the "PDPL").

2. Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

  • Identity & Contact Data: Name, phone number (verified via SMS OTP), email address, and profile photos.
  • Professional Data (Teachers): Resumes, educational certificates, police clearance certificates, and other documents uploaded for verification.
  • Sensitive Personal Data: Information regarding a child's special needs or health conditions voluntarily shared by Parents in job posts or chat messages. Under the UAE PDPL, this is classified as sensitive data and is processed solely to facilitate the matching of appropriate shadow teaching services.
  • Technical & Usage Data: IP addresses, browser types, interaction logs, and view tracking (e.g., tracking teacher profile views).

3. Legal Basis and Purpose of Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

  • Consent: By registering and using the platform, you explicitly consent to our processing of your data. For Parents providing Sensitive Personal Data regarding a child's needs, your submission of such details constitutes explicit consent to share this information with prospective Teachers.
  • Contractual Necessity: To provide our matching, messaging, and community services.
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with UAE laws, including fraud prevention and responding to lawful requests from authorities.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share your data in the following circumstances:

  • Between Users: Approved Teachers' profiles (including bios and photos) are visible to Parents. Job posts created by Parents are visible to Teachers. Anonymous community posts hide the Parent's identity from Teachers but remain visible to platform administrators.
  • Service Providers: We use trusted third-party providers for services such as OTP delivery (Twilio) and email delivery (Resend). These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data.
  • Legal Authorities: We will disclose your information if required to do so by UAE law or in response to a valid request by law enforcement or regulatory authorities.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or as required by UAE law. Account information and verification documents are retained while your account is active. If your account is deleted or blocked, certain data may be retained for audit and legal compliance purposes.

6. Your Rights (UAE PDPL)

Under the UAE PDPL, you have the right to:

  • Access: Request access to the personal data we hold about you.
  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("Right to be Forgotten"), subject to our legal retention obligations.
  • Restriction/Objection: Object to or request the restriction of processing of your data under certain conditions.

To exercise these rights, please contact our support team.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. However, no internet-based platform can guarantee 100% security.

8. Changes to this Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on the Platform.