Privacy Policy
Last updated: December 2024
Hashtag M-Cubed ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you use our website and services.
In brief: We collect only what we need to deliver our courses and communicate with you. We never sell your data to third parties. You can unsubscribe or request data deletion at any time.
Who We Are
Hashtag M-Cubed provides online mathematics courses and tutoring services. Our website is hashtagmcubed.com.
For any privacy-related questions, contact us at: info@hashtagmcubed.com
Information We Collect
Information you provide directly
| Data Type | When Collected | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Name, email address | Newsletter signup, contact forms, course purchase | Communication, account creation |
| Payment information | Course purchase | Processing payments (handled by Stripe) |
| Child's name and details | Course enrolment, tutoring enquiries | Providing educational services |
| Course progress data | While using our learning platform | Tracking learning progress, providing feedback |
Information collected automatically
- Cookies: We use cookies for website functionality and analytics. You can manage your cookie preferences using the cookie settings button on our website.
- Usage data: Pages visited, time spent on site, and similar analytics data (via Google Analytics).
- Device information: Browser type, operating system, and device type for optimising your experience.
How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information to:
- Provide access to courses and learning materials
- Process payments and manage your account
- Send course updates, tips, and educational content (if you've subscribed)
- Respond to enquiries and provide customer support
- Improve our website and services
- Comply with legal obligations
Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
We process your data under the following legal bases:
- Contract: To deliver courses and services you've purchased
- Consent: For marketing emails (you can withdraw consent anytime)
- Legitimate interests: To improve our services and prevent fraud
- Legal obligation: To comply with tax and accounting requirements
Third-Party Services
We use trusted third-party services to operate our business:
| Service | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Payment processing | stripe.com/privacy |
| Mailchimp | Email marketing | mailchimp.com/legal/privacy |
| Chamilo LMS | Course delivery platform | Self-hosted on our servers |
| Google Analytics | Website analytics | policies.google.com/privacy |
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes.
Data Retention
We retain your data for as long as necessary to provide our services:
- Account data: While your account is active, plus 2 years after last activity
- Course progress: For the duration of your course access
- Email subscribers: Until you unsubscribe
- Payment records: 7 years (legal requirement for tax purposes)
- Enquiry emails: 2 years
Your Rights
Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of the data we hold about you
- Rectification: Ask us to correct inaccurate data
- Erasure: Ask us to delete your data (with some exceptions)
- Restrict processing: Ask us to limit how we use your data
- Data portability: Request your data in a machine-readable format
- Object: Object to certain types of processing
- Withdraw consent: For marketing, unsubscribe anytime
To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@hashtagmcubed.com. We'll respond within 30 days.
Children's Privacy
Our courses are designed for children, but accounts are created and managed by parents/guardians. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 without parental consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your data, including:
- SSL encryption on all pages
- Secure password storage (hashed, not plain text)
- Regular security updates to our systems
- Limited staff access to personal data
However, no internet transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
International Transfers
Some of our third-party services (Mailchimp, Stripe) are based in the United States. They comply with appropriate data transfer mechanisms (Standard Contractual Clauses) to ensure your data is protected.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. Significant changes will be communicated via email or a notice on our website. The "last updated" date at the top shows when the policy was last revised.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data:
- Email: info@hashtagmcubed.com
- Website: hashtagmcubed.com/contact
If you're not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk