Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Identity Data: Full name, nickname, date of birth, gender, and profile photograph.
• Contact Data: Email address used for registration and account recovery.
• Academic Data: University campus, course of study, and year of study.
• Profile Data: Interests, personal bio, intent (e.g. study partner, friendship, networking), and any other information you voluntarily add to your profile.
• Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on the Platform, device type, operating system, and IP address.
• Communication Data: Messages exchanged between users on the Platform.
• Device Data: Push notification tokens and browser or device identifiers used to deliver notifications.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To create, maintain, and manage your account on the Platform.
• To match you with other students based on shared campus, course, and stated interests.
• To deliver push notifications about matches, messages, campus activity, and study group updates.
• To display your profile to other authenticated users of the Platform.
• To enforce our Terms of Service and Community Guidelines.
• To detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, and safety concerns.
• To improve the Platform through analytics and user feedback.
• To comply with applicable laws and regulations.

3. User-to-User Interactions and Safety

MKUConnect is a social platform designed to connect university students. When you interact with other users on this Platform, you do so at your own discretion and risk. We strongly advise all users to exercise caution and good judgement when communicating with or meeting other users.

Important Safety Notice:

• MKUConnect does not conduct criminal background checks on users.
• We cannot fully verify that users are who they claim to be beyond their provided registration details.
• Never share sensitive personal information such as your home address, financial details, passwords, or ID documents with other users.
• Be cautious of users who ask for money, gifts, or financial assistance — this is a common indicator of fraud or romance scams.
• If you choose to meet another user in person, always meet in a public place and inform a trusted person of your plans.
• MKUConnect is not responsible or liable for the conduct, actions, or representations of users on or off the Platform.
• Report any suspicious, abusive, or fraudulent behaviour using the in-app reporting tools or by contacting support@mkuconnect.app.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We use Supabase for database and authentication services, and Vercel for hosting. These providers process data solely on our behalf under strict data protection obligations.
• Legal Obligations: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of MKUConnect, our users, or the public.
• Business Transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. You will be notified of any such change in advance.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational security measures including SSL/TLS encryption in transit, encrypted data at rest, Row Level Security (RLS) in our database, and role-based access controls. No method of electronic transmission is 100% secure. We encourage users to use strong, unique passwords and to log out of shared devices.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as necessary to provide services. If you delete your account, we will delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or for legitimate business purposes such as fraud prevention.

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data.
• Right to Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
• Right to Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your data for certain purposes.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@mkuconnect.app.

8. Prototype and Future Development

MKUConnect is currently in an active development phase (prototype/beta). Features, data practices, and policies may evolve as the Platform grows and expands to additional universities and user bases across Kenya and beyond. We will notify users of any material changes that affect how their data is collected or used. Early users acknowledge that the Platform is being continuously improved and refined, and certain features may change over time.

9. Push Notifications

With your permission, we send push notifications to keep you informed of matches, messages, study group updates, and campus activity. You may withdraw consent at any time by disabling notifications in your device settings. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of prior processing.

10. Cookies and Local Storage

We use essential cookies and browser local storage to maintain your authenticated session and remember your preferences. We do not use advertising, tracking, or third-party analytics cookies. You may clear cookies through your browser settings, though this will log you out of the Platform.

11. Age Restriction

MKUConnect is intended solely for university students aged 18 years and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. Accounts found to belong to minors will be terminated immediately and their data deleted.

12. Changes to This Policy

We reserve the right to update this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make material changes, we will notify users via the Platform or by email. Your continued use of the Platform after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

13. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kenya, including the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019. Any disputes arising under this Policy shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Kenya.

14. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns, please contact us: