Privacy Policy

1. About VTU Circle

VTU Circle is an independent student-focused platform created to help VTU students access academic tools such as results, ranking information, notes, PDFs, circulars, timetable updates, syllabus, question papers, and other student-related updates.

VTU Circle is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or officially connected with Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU). Any official academic information, results, circulars, timetable details, notices, or academic records should always be verified from VTU’s official website or authorized sources.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information required to provide, operate, improve, and secure our services. The type of information collected may depend on the features you use.

Personal Information: We may collect information such as your name, email address, gender, USN, college name, scheme, batch, branch, semester, and other academic profile information when you create or manage your account. Adding a bio and phone number is optional and depends entirely on your choice. An optional phone number is stored only as part of your profile and is not currently used for login, verification, notifications, marketing, or any other app functionality. VTU Circle does not provide a profile photo upload feature. Users can select a profile avatar only from the avatars provided within the app.

Account and Login Information: VTU Circle allows users to create an account using an email address and password or sign in using Google. Phone number is not used for account creation or login. When you use Google Sign-In, we may receive and store information provided by Google, such as your name, email address, Google profile photo URL, and Google account or authentication provider identifier. This information is used to create your account, display your profile, authenticate you, and identify your account securely.

Academic Information: When you check a result through VTU Circle, we may process and store the retrieved academic result information, including marks, subject details, result status, semester details, and related academic records. Based on the saved result data, our backend may dynamically calculate SGPA, CGPA, percentage, class rank, university rank, result insights, and performance insights. Users do not manually submit this academic information.

One-to-One Chat Information: VTU Circle provides one-to-one realtime chat only between users who follow each other. Chat is not a public or group chat feature and currently supports text messages only. When you use chat, we process message content, sender and receiver details, timestamps, sent, delivered, and read status, and related notification information only to deliver realtime messages and chat notifications.

Chat Message Retention: Chat messages are temporary and are automatically deleted after 24 hours. VTU Circle does not provide permanent chat history or long-term storage for chat messages. After deletion, chat message content is not used for profiling, advertising, analytics, or any other purpose.

Device and Technical Information: We may collect and store limited technical information such as device model, operating system version, app version, Firebase notification token, socket connection details, server logs, and related diagnostic information needed to operate, secure, debug, and improve VTU Circle. IP addresses may also be automatically processed through our server, hosting, CDN, or security logs. Our backend does not intentionally store browser type or screen size from the Android app. However, Google Analytics and Cloudflare may process limited browser, device, traffic, and technical information when you visit VTU Circle’s app-related website, as explained in the Cookies and Similar Technologies section.

Usage & Operational Information: We may process limited operational information such as server requests, app errors, security events, and system logs required to operate, secure, troubleshoot, and improve VTU Circle. We do not currently use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs and do not intentionally track individual feature usage or maintain general user interaction histories.

Support Information: If you contact us by email, we may receive and retain information such as your name, email address, email subject, message content, and any attachments you voluntarily include. We use this information only to review your request, respond to you, provide support, and maintain related support records.

Bug Report Information: If you use the Report a Bug feature, we collect the text details you submit and automatically include your logged-in email address, app version, Android version, device brand, device model, device UI mode, and Android API level. The feature does not support screenshots, files, or other attachments. Bug report information may be sent to our internal Discord workspace through a webhook so our admin or support team can review, investigate, and resolve the reported issue.

3. App Permissions We Use

Document Downloads and File Handling: VTU Circle allows users to open or download PDFs, notes, question papers, syllabus files, circulars, and other academic documents. When you choose to download a document, the requested file is saved to your device’s public Downloads folder using Android’s system download functionality. VTU Circle does not request broad storage, media, photo, video, or all-files access. We do not browse, scan, read, upload, or collect personal or unrelated files stored on your device.

Notification Permission: VTU Circle may request notification permission to send service-related and academic notifications, including result alerts, VTU circulars, timetable updates, document updates, chat message notifications, and important app-related announcements. We use Firebase Cloud Messaging to deliver push notifications. We do not send promotional or marketing notifications. You can disable notifications at any time through your device settings.

Internet Access: VTU Circle requires an active internet connection to use the app and its features, including account creation, sign-in, result checking, rankings, circulars, timetable updates, notes, PDFs, question papers, syllabus files, chat messages, notifications, and other online academic content. Without an internet connection, VTU Circle’s app features and services may not be available.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to operate VTU Circle and provide its features. This includes creating and managing user accounts, authenticating users through email/password or Google Sign-In, sending account verification and password-reset emails, displaying user profiles, managing follow and follower connections, displaying and storing result history, calculating SGPA, CGPA and percentage, generating class rank, university rank, result insights and performance insights, providing one-to-one realtime chat between users who follow each other, delivering service-related and academic notifications, handling bug reports, and providing academic study materials.

We may also use limited information to operate and improve app performance, prevent abuse, fix errors, monitor server stability, protect user accounts, respond to support requests, maintain platform security, and ensure the safety and reliability of VTU Circle. We do not use personal or academic profile information for personalized recommendations, targeted content, customized study materials, marketing, or advertising.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

5. Result and Academic Data

When you check a result through VTU Circle, we may process and store the retrieved academic result data to provide features such as result history, result dashboards, SGPA, CGPA, percentage, rank comparison, class rank, university rank, result insights, and performance insights.

Saved result information may be visible to other VTU Circle users through ranking tables, result views, and related academic features. Publicly visible result details may include the student’s name, USN, semester information, subject details, marks, result status, SGPA, CGPA, percentage, and rank. Profile avatars are not displayed as part of the public result details.

Academic result information and calculated insights are provided for convenience and informational purposes only. While we try to keep the information accurate and updated, users must always verify academic data from official VTU sources. VTU Circle does not replace official VTU records, official result pages, official notices, or authorized academic documents.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share or process limited information with service providers only when necessary to operate VTU Circle, complete user-requested actions, maintain security, prevent misuse, comply with legal obligations, or protect users and the platform.

For email/password accounts, authentication is handled by VTU Circle’s backend, and passwords are stored only in securely hashed form. For Google Sign-In, Firebase Authentication processes the Google authentication information, and VTU Circle’s backend verifies the authenticated identity before granting access and managing the user’s account and app data.

We use Firebase Cloud Messaging to deliver push notifications. This may involve processing Firebase notification tokens and related notification-delivery information.

We use Hostinger SMTP to send account-verification, password-reset, support, and other account-related emails. The email service may process information such as your email address, email subject, message content, and delivery details as required to deliver those emails.

We use Cloudflare for domain and CDN management, security, traffic protection, and service delivery. Cloudflare may automatically process limited network and security information, such as IP addresses, requests, and security events.

External storage or CDN services are used to store and deliver academic documents such as notes, PDFs, question papers, syllabus files, circulars, and related study materials. These services are not used to store VTU Circle user accounts, profiles, saved results, chat messages, or other personal account data.

Realtime chat is provided using Socket.IO running through VTU Circle’s own server. Account, profile, saved-result, chat, and related app data are stored in VTU Circle’s server database, subject to the retention practices described in this Privacy Policy.

Bug reports submitted through the app may be sent through a webhook to our internal Discord workspace. This may include the submitted bug description, logged-in email address, app version, Android version, device brand, device model, device UI mode, and Android API level so our admin or support team can investigate the issue.

We may also disclose limited information when required by law, legal process, government request, fraud prevention, security investigation, dispute resolution, or protection of the rights and safety of VTU Circle, its users, or others.

Service providers process information only as required to provide their services. Their handling of information may also be governed by their own privacy and security practices.

7. Third-Party Services

VTU Circle uses selected third-party services to provide authentication, notifications, email delivery, academic-document storage and delivery, security, traffic protection, and bug-report handling.

These services include Google Play Services, Firebase Authentication, Google Sign-In, Firebase Cloud Messaging, Hostinger SMTP, Cloudflare, Cloudflare R2 object storage, Google Drive, and Discord webhook integration.

Firebase Authentication and Google Sign-In are used for Google account authentication. Email/password authentication is handled by VTU Circle’s backend using securely hashed passwords. Firebase Cloud Messaging is used to deliver push notifications. Hostinger SMTP is used to send account-verification, password-reset, support, and other account-related emails.

Cloudflare is used for domain management, CDN functionality, security, traffic protection, and service delivery. Cloudflare R2 object storage and Google Drive may be used to store or deliver academic documents such as notes, PDFs, question papers, syllabus files, circulars, and other study materials. These document storage services are not used to store VTU Circle user accounts, profiles, saved results, or chat messages.

Bug reports submitted through the app may be sent to VTU Circle’s internal Discord workspace through a webhook so our admin or support team can review and investigate the reported issue.

VTU Circle uses Socket.IO software on its own server to provide realtime chat. Socket.IO is not used as a separate externally hosted chat-storage provider. Chat messages and related app data are handled through VTU Circle’s server and database according to the retention practices described in this Privacy Policy.

These third-party services may process limited personal, authentication, technical, network, notification, email, document-delivery, or bug-report information only as required to provide their respective functions. Their processing of information is also governed by their own privacy policies, security practices, and service terms.

VTU Circle does not currently display third-party advertisements and does not use advertising SDKs such as Google AdMob.

VTU Circle Android app does not currently use third-party analytics or automatic crash-reporting SDKs such as Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, or Sentry. Google Analytics is used only on VTU Circle’s app-related website to measure general website traffic and usage. We may also maintain limited server logs, security records, app-error information, and user-submitted bug reports required for service operation, security, debugging, and support.

If we introduce advertising, analytics within the Android app, automatic crash reporting, or other new third-party services in the future, we will update this Privacy Policy and the applicable Google Play Data Safety disclosures before releasing those features.

8. Cookies and Similar Technologies

VTU Circle’s app-related website may use cookies, local storage, and similar technologies to maintain website functionality, remember preferences such as theme selection, measure website traffic, improve performance, and protect the website from security threats.

We use Google Analytics for general website traffic and usage measurement. We also use Cloudflare for CDN services, traffic analytics, performance, security, bot protection, and protection against malicious requests. These services may process limited technical information such as IP address, browser or device details, page visits, requests, and security events.

These technologies apply only to VTU Circle’s app-related public website pages, such as app information, legal, contact, about, and account-deletion pages. They are separate from the native VTU Circle Android app. We do not use cookies for advertising or marketing purposes. You can control or delete cookies through your browser settings.

9. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect user information from unauthorized access, misuse, alteration, disclosure, or loss. These measures include HTTPS encryption during transmission, encryption at rest for stored data and backups, access controls, restricted administrative access, server monitoring, authentication controls, and security-focused development practices.

For email/password accounts, passwords are stored only in hashed form and are not stored as readable text. For Google Sign-In, authentication is handled through Firebase Authentication, and the authenticated identity is verified by VTU Circle’s backend before access is granted.

However, no online platform, server, database, app, or transmission method can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Users should protect their account credentials, use a strong password, avoid sharing login details, and avoid sending highly sensitive information through chat, support emails, or bug reports.

10. Data Retention

We retain account, profile, academic result, ranking, notification, follow connection, support, bug-report, technical, and related information only for as long as necessary to provide VTU Circle’s features, maintain security, prevent misuse, resolve disputes, and operate the platform.

One-to-one chat messages are temporary and are automatically deleted after 24 hours. VTU Circle does not provide permanent chat history or long-term chat-message storage.

When a verified account-deletion request is received, the user’s account and associated information are removed from active use. Limited information may be retained temporarily for request verification, security, fraud prevention, misuse investigation, or dispute resolution.

The account and associated data, including profile information, saved results, academic data, rankings, notification tokens, follow connections, chat-related records, support emails, bug-report records, server records, and backup copies, will be permanently deleted within 30 days after the verified deletion request.

11. Data Deletion Requests

VTU Circle allows users to request deletion of their account and associated personal information. The Delete Account option inside the app opens our account-deletion webpage, which explains the process. The deletion request must then be submitted by email.

VTU Circle does not currently provide an automatic account deletion form. The account deletion page explains the deletion process and the information required to verify your request.

In-app path: Open VTU Circle app → Settings → About → Account Deletion / Delete Account.

Website: https://app.vtucircle.com/delete-account

Email: [email protected]

The request must be sent from the email address registered with the VTU Circle account. For verification, users should include their name, registered email address, USN, college name, and phone number only if one was added to the profile.

After receiving and verifying a valid request, we will remove the account and its associated information from active use. Limited information may be retained temporarily for verification, security, fraud prevention, misuse investigation, or dispute resolution.

The account and associated data, including profile information, saved results, academic data, rankings, notification tokens, follow connections, support records, bug reports, server records, and backup copies, will be permanently deleted within 30 days after the verified deletion request.

Deleting or uninstalling the VTU Circle app does not automatically delete your account or data. You must submit an account-deletion request using the process described above.

12. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on applicable laws, you may have the right to access, correct, update, or request deletion of your personal information. You may also contact us to ask how your information is collected, used, stored, shared, or protected.

You can update available profile information directly inside the VTU Circle app, including your name, gender, bio, optional phone number, college, scheme, batch, branch, semester, and selected avatar. For information that cannot be changed directly in the app, you may contact us at [email protected] to request access, correction, or assistance.

You can disable push notifications at any time through your device settings. VTU Circle does not request broad storage, media, photo, video, or all-files access.

Individual saved results cannot currently be deleted separately. To request deletion of your account and associated information, including saved results, you must follow the account-deletion process described in this Privacy Policy. You may stop using VTU Circle at any time.

13. Children’s Privacy

VTU Circle is intended only for users who are 18 years of age or older. It is not designed or intended for children or minors under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18.

VTU Circle does not currently collect a user’s age or date of birth and does not independently verify age during account creation. Users under 18 should not create an account or use VTU Circle.

If we become aware that personal information has been collected from a user under 18, we will take reasonable steps to delete the account and associated information. A parent or guardian who believes that a minor has provided information to VTU Circle may contact us at [email protected].

14. User Responsibility

Users are responsible for providing accurate information while using VTU Circle. Users must not misuse the platform, submit false or misleading information, attempt unauthorized access, interfere with app security, abuse app features, or use the services for illegal, harmful, deceptive, or unauthorized activities.

Users are responsible for the text messages they send through one-to-one chat. Users must not send abusive, threatening, harassing, obscene, illegal, misleading, fraudulent, spam, or otherwise harmful content.

VTU Circle does not currently provide a separate user-reporting or blocking feature. If a user no longer wishes to communicate with another user, they may unfollow that user. Chat is available only between users who follow each other, so unfollowing prevents further chat communication.

VTU Circle may suspend an account that misuses chat, violates platform rules, threatens platform security, or engages in harmful or unauthorized conduct. A suspended user will not be able to sign in to or use VTU Circle until the suspension is removed by an administrator.

Chat messages are temporary and are automatically deleted after 24 hours. Users should not use chat to store or send important academic, personal, legal, financial, confidential, or highly sensitive information.

15. Disclaimer

VTU Circle is an independent platform created for student convenience. Academic results, marks, subject details, notes, PDFs, circulars, timetable updates, syllabus files, question papers, and other academic content are provided for informational purposes only.

Marks and subject-result information may be retrieved from VTU’s official result pages. SGPA, CGPA, percentage, result insights, performance insights, class rank, and university rank are calculated by VTU Circle based on the result data available in the platform.

Class rank and university rank are unofficial comparisons based only on results currently saved in VTU Circle. They may not include every VTU student and must not be treated as official university rankings.

Users must verify official academic records, results, circulars, notices, and updates through VTU’s official website or other authorized sources. VTU Circle does not replace official VTU records or services and is not responsible for decisions made solely on delayed, incomplete, incorrectly displayed, or unofficial information provided through the app or website.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in VTU Circle’s features, services, legal requirements, third-party services, security practices, or data-handling practices.

When this Privacy Policy is updated, we will revise the “Last Updated” date displayed on this page. For important changes, we may also inform users through a manual push notification or another notice within VTU Circle.

We encourage users to review this Privacy Policy periodically to understand how their information is collected, used, stored, shared, and protected. Continued use of VTU Circle after an updated policy becomes effective means that the updated policy will apply to your continued use of the services.