Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

NodMek Academy (nodmekacademy.com, "we", "us", "our") is an online, gamified programming-education platform operated by US Gatewaylist Ltd ("the Company"). This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect when you use our website and services (the "Service"), why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and the choices and rights you have.

By creating an account or otherwise using the Service, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not use the Service.

2. Data we collect

Information you give us

• Account data: name, email address, password (stored as a salted hash, never in plain text), and profile details you choose to add (e.g. avatar, bio, preferred learning path).
• Payment data: when you purchase a course or AI credits, payment is processed by our payment provider, Stripe. We receive confirmation of payment and a reference/transaction ID — we do not receive or store your full card number, CVV, or bank details.
• Content you submit: code you write in lessons/challenges, forum posts and comments, course ratings and reviews, support messages, and questions you ask our AI mentor ("Aria") or AI chat features.
• Communications: messages you send us via email, the contact form, or in-app support.

Information collected automatically

• Usage & learning data: courses viewed/completed, quiz and challenge results, XP, streaks, badges, time spent, and other progress/gamification data needed to run the Service.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type and version, device/operating system, and standard web server logs, used for security, debugging, and abuse prevention.
• Cookies: strictly necessary cookies used to keep you signed in and remember basic preferences (see Section 7).

We do not knowingly collect special category data (e.g. health, religion, biometric data). Please do not include such information in free-text fields (e.g. forum posts or messages to the AI mentor).

3. How we use your data

• To create and administer your account and provide the Service (courses, AI mentor, gamification, community forums).
• To personalise your learning experience (recommended lessons, skill graph, difficulty level, spaced-repetition reviews).
• To process payments and manage your AI-credit balance.
• To send transactional emails (account confirmation, password reset, receipts, important service notices).
• To respond to support requests and communicate with you about your account.
• To maintain the security, integrity, and performance of the Service, and to detect and prevent fraud, abuse, or violations of our Terms and Conditions.
• To understand aggregate usage trends so we can improve the platform. Where we do this, we use aggregated or de-identified data wherever practical.
• To comply with our legal, tax, and regulatory obligations.

We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use your data for third-party advertising.

4. Legal basis for processing

Where UK GDPR / EU GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases:

• Contract: processing needed to create your account and provide the Service you signed up for.
• Legitimate interests: keeping the Service secure, preventing fraud/abuse, and improving our courses and features, balanced against your rights.
• Legal obligation: retaining payment and tax records as required by law.
• Consent: for optional communications (e.g. marketing emails), which you can withdraw at any time.

5. Who we share data with

We share personal data only with service providers who process it on our behalf, under contractual confidentiality and data-protection obligations, to help us run the Service:

Provider	Purpose
Stripe	Payment processing for course purchases and AI credit top-ups.
Azure OpenAI / OpenAI	Powers the AI mentor and AI content features (see Section 6).
Google (Sign in with Google)	Optional social sign-in, if you choose to use it.
OneCompiler	Runs code you submit to the in-browser code compiler/playground.
Cloud hosting & email delivery providers	Hosting the application and database, and sending transactional emails.

We may also disclose information where required by law, to protect our rights or the safety of our users, or as part of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (in which case we will notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy).

6. AI mentor & AI-generated content

When you ask our AI mentor a question, request a hint, or use an AI-powered feature (e.g. code explanation, quiz generation), the relevant text (and any code you include) is sent to our AI provider (Azure OpenAI / OpenAI) to generate a response. Please avoid submitting sensitive personal data, secrets, or proprietary code you do not have the right to share.

AI responses are generated automatically and may occasionally be inaccurate or incomplete — see Section 12 of our Terms and Conditions for the full disclaimer.

7. Cookies

We use a small number of cookies that are strictly necessary for the Service to work:

• Authentication cookie: keeps you signed in between visits.
• Anti-forgery token: protects your account from cross-site request forgery.
• Preference cookies: remember simple settings, such as your preferred lesson-explanation style or theme.

We do not currently use third-party advertising or analytics cookies. If this changes, we will update this policy and, where required, ask for your consent.

8. Data retention

We keep your personal data for as long as your account is active, and for a reasonable period afterwards in case you wish to reactivate it. Payment records are kept for as long as required by applicable tax and accounting law. If you ask us to delete your account (Section 11), we will delete or anonymise your personal data, except where we must keep it to comply with a legal obligation, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements.

9. Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data, including encrypted password storage, access controls, and encrypted transport (HTTPS) for data in transit. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your information and to respond quickly if an issue arises.

10. International transfers

Some of our service providers (Section 5) may process data outside the United Kingdom, including in the United States or the European Economic Area. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision, to ensure your data continues to receive an appropriate level of protection.

11. Your rights

Subject to applicable law (including UK GDPR), you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you;
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• Request erasure of your data ("right to be forgotten");
• Restrict or object to certain processing;
• Receive a portable copy of the data you provided to us;
• Withdraw consent at any time, where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any of these rights, email info@nodmekacademy.com. We will respond within one month, as required by law. You can manage much of your profile and account data directly from your account settings.

12. Children's privacy

The Service is intended for users aged 13 and over. If you are under 18, you should have your parent or guardian's permission to use the Service. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13; if we become aware that we have, we will delete it promptly. Parents or guardians who believe their child has provided us with personal data can contact us at info@nodmekacademy.com.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. We will post the updated policy on this page with a new "Last updated" date, and, where changes are material, we will provide additional notice (e.g. by email).

14. Contact & complaints

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, contact us at:

US Gatewaylist Ltd (trading as NodMek Academy)
Renewal Trust Business Centre, Unit 16, 3 Hawksworth Street, Nottingham, NG3 2EG, United Kingdom
Email: info@nodmekacademy.com  |  Phone: +44 7466 312615

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.