Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Visual Institute of Arts ("VIA", "we", "our", or "us") collects information to provide better services to our students. We collect:

• Personal Information: Name, email address, phone number, date of birth, and address when you register for an account or enroll in a course.
• Payment Information: Billing details, transaction history. We use secure payment gateways and do not store complete credit card numbers.
• Educational Records: Course enrollments, progress, assignment submissions, grades, and certificates.
• Communication Data: Messages with mentors, support tickets, and feedback.
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, device type for security and analytics purposes.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To provide and maintain our educational services
• To process course enrollments and payments
• To communicate with you about your courses, assignments, and account
• To assign mentors and facilitate student-mentor interactions
• To issue certificates upon course completion
• To improve our platform, courses, and services
• To send promotional communications (with your consent)
• To comply with legal obligations

3. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information:

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmission
• Secure password hashing using bcrypt
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls and authentication for all systems
• Encrypted database storage

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share data with:

• Payment Processors: Razorpay for processing transactions securely
• Cloud Services: For hosting and infrastructure (data centers in India)
• Mentors/Instructors: Limited information necessary for teaching
• Legal Authorities: When required by law or to protect our rights

5. Your Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications
• Request data portability
• Lodge a complaint with supervisory authorities

6. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies for:

• Authentication and session management
• Remembering your preferences
• Analytics to improve our services

You can control cookies through your browser settings.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. Educational records may be retained for certification verification purposes. Financial records are retained as required by Indian tax laws (typically 7 years).

8. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals 16 years and older. For students under 18, we require parental/guardian consent. Parent/guardian information is collected during enrollment.

9. Contact Us