Legal
Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal data the TechOn mobile app and website collect, why, how long we keep it, and the choices you have.
1. Who we are
TechOn is a technology company based in Tanzania. We publish technology news, courses, podcasts and a developer community, and we build software for clients. TechOn is the controller of the personal data described here. You can reach us at techontz@gmail.com.
2. Data we collect
You can browse news, courses, podcasts, products and services without an account. We only collect personal data when you create an account, post, enrol or contact us.
| Category | What | Required? |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Name, email address, password (stored only as a one-way hash) | Yes, to create an account |
| Profile | Profile photo, headline, bio, phone number, country | Optional |
| Content you post | Community posts, comments, images you attach, and reports you file about other content | Optional |
| Learning activity | Courses you enrol in, lesson progress, completed courses, saved (bookmarked) items | Created as you use the app |
| Enquiries | Name, email, phone, company, budget and message when you request a quote for a service | Optional |
| Purchases | Item purchased, amount, currency, status and the payment provider's reference. Card or mobile-money details are entered with the payment provider and never reach our servers. | Only if you buy |
| Device & technical | Device platform, app version, a notification token if you allow notifications, IP address and request timestamps used for security and rate limiting, and the time you were last active | Collected automatically |
We do not use advertising SDKs, third-party analytics, or cross-app tracking, and we do not collect your precise location, contacts, or call logs.
3. How we use it
- Provide the service — sign you in, show your profile, deliver courses you are enrolled in, save your progress and bookmarks, and publish what you post.
- Communicate with you — account emails (verification, password reset), replies to your enquiries, and in-app notifications about replies, courses and announcements.
- Keep the platform safe — prevent abuse and fraud, rate-limit requests, protect premium content, and review reported content.
- Process payments — record orders and confirm access to what you bought.
- Meet legal obligations — for example, keeping financial records required by tax law.
We rely on performing our contract with you, our legitimate interest in running a safe service, your consent (for optional data and notifications, which you can withdraw at any time), and legal obligations, as permitted by Tanzania's Personal Data Protection Act, 2022 and other applicable law.
4. Who we share it with
We do not sell your personal data or share it for advertising. We share it only with:
- Other users — your name, profile photo, headline and anything you post in the community are visible to other users.
- Service providers who process data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations: our hosting and storage provider, our email delivery provider, and the payment provider when you make a purchase.
- Authorities where the law requires it, or to protect the rights and safety of our users or TechOn.
All data is encrypted in transit using HTTPS (TLS).
5. Device permissions
- Photos / camera — only when you choose a profile photo or attach an image to a community post. The app never accesses your photos in the background.
- Notifications — optional; used for replies, course updates and announcements.
- Internet — required to load content.
Your sign-in token is stored in your device's secure storage (iOS Keychain / Android Keystore). Content is cached on your device to speed up the app and is removed when you uninstall it.
6. How long we keep it
- Account, profile, posts, comments, bookmarks and learning progress — until you delete your account.
- Service enquiries — for as long as needed to respond and follow up, then deleted.
- Order and payment records — for the period required by tax and accounting law. After account deletion they are detached from your identity.
- Security logs — kept for a limited period, then deleted.
7. Deleting your account
You can delete your account and associated data at any time:
- In the app: Profile → Settings → Delete my account.
- On the web: https://api.techon.co.tz/delete-account
Deletion is immediate. We delete your profile, photo, bookmarks, community posts and comments, notification tokens and active sessions, and anonymise your account record. Order records are retained only as required by law, without your name or email. See the account deletion page for full details.
8. Security
Passwords are hashed and never stored in readable form. Access tokens expire and are revoked when you sign out, change your password or delete your account. Premium video is held in private storage and is only playable through short-lived signed links. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and will notify you and the relevant authority of a breach where the law requires it.
9. Your rights
You can access and correct your data in the app (Profile → Edit profile), delete your account at any time, withdraw consent for optional data, and ask us for a copy of your data or to restrict or object to processing. Email techontz@gmail.com from your registered address and we will respond within 30 days. You may also complain to the Personal Data Protection Commission of Tanzania.
10. Children
TechOn is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their personal data. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app changes. We will change the effective date above and, for significant changes, tell you in the app before they take effect.
12. Contact
TechOn — techontz@gmail.com — https://techon.co.tz