Privacy Policy

KnowStage ("we", "our", "us") is a webinar and event discovery platform operated by Vineyard Reality Technologies LTD, a company incorporated in Ghana (Registration No. CS123456789), with its registered office at Accra, Ghana.

KnowStage is accessible at knowstage.com. We are the data controller for the personal information you provide to us when using our platform.

For any privacy-related questions or requests, please contact our Data Protection Officer at: privacy@knowstage.com

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal data collected through:

• The KnowStage website and web application
• KnowStage mobile applications (current and future)
• Our APIs and integrations
• Communications you have with us via email, chat, or support channels

This policy does not apply to third-party websites, products, or services that may be linked from our platform. We encourage you to review their respective privacy policies.

We collect data that you provide directly, data generated through your use of our services, and data we receive from third parties.

3.1 Data You Provide

3.2 Data Generated Automatically

• Usage data: pages visited, events registered for or hosted, features used, time spent on the platform
• Device & connection data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, referring URL
• Session data: session identifiers stored as first-party cookies to keep you signed in
• Log data: server-side request logs retained for security and debugging purposes

3.3 Data From Third Parties

• OAuth providers (Google, GitHub, etc.): when you sign in via a third-party provider, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture from that provider, subject to the permissions you grant
• Paystack: payment confirmation and subscription status signals to validate your billing plan

We process your personal data on the following legal bases under the Ghana Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Account management: to create, authenticate, and maintain your account
• Platform delivery: to provide event discovery, RSVP, hosting, speaker profiles, and all other platform features
• Communications: to send you registration confirmations, event reminders, billing receipts, and important service notices
• Product improvement: to understand how users interact with KnowStage so we can build better features, using aggregated and anonymised data only
• Security & integrity: to detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorised access
• Legal compliance: to meet our obligations under Ghanaian law and any applicable international regulations
• Customer support: to respond to your questions and resolve issues

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share data only in the following circumstances:

6.1 Service Providers (Sub-processors)

All sub-processors are contractually bound by Data Processing Agreements (DPAs) that require them to protect your data to standards at least equivalent to those described in this policy.

6.2 Public Platform Data

Information you choose to make public on KnowStage — such as your display name, profile photo, speaker bio, and public event listings — may be visible to other users and indexed by search engines. You control the visibility of your profile in your account settings.

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your data if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental authority, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of KnowStage, our users, or the public.

6.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity. We will notify you by email and/or prominent notice on the platform prior to any such transfer becoming effective.

KnowStage is operated from Ghana. Our infrastructure providers (Vercel, Neon, Resend) may process your data in the United States or other countries. Where personal data is transferred outside Ghana, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions where applicable.

We retain your personal data for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide the services. Specifically:

• Active accounts: data is retained for the duration of your account
• Deleted accounts: we delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days of a verified deletion request, except where we are required by law to retain certain records
• Billing records: invoices and payment history are retained for up to 7 years for tax and accounting compliance
• Security logs: server and access logs are retained for up to 90 days for security monitoring
• Backup data: residual copies in encrypted backups may persist for up to 60 days after deletion

You may request immediate account deletion via Settings → Danger Zone or by emailing privacy@knowstage.com.

Under the Ghana Data Protection Act (Act 843) and applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights:

To exercise any of these rights, email us at privacy@knowstage.com with your request. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission of Ghana.

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data:

• All data in transit is encrypted using TLS 1.2 or higher
• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt and never stored in plain text
• OAuth tokens and sensitive credentials are encrypted at rest
• Access to production databases is restricted to authorised personnel only
• We conduct regular security reviews and dependency audits
• Payment card data is never processed or stored on our servers

Despite these measures, no system is completely secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it responsibly to security@knowstage.com.

KnowStage is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If we become aware that we have inadvertently collected such data, we will delete it promptly. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with their data, please contact us at privacy@knowstage.com.

For detailed information about the cookies we use, please read our Cookies Policy. In summary:

• We use a single first-party session cookie to keep you signed in
• We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies
• Our analytics are privacy-respecting and do not require consent under GDPR

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Send a notification to the email address associated with your account
• Display a prominent banner on the platform for at least 14 days

Your continued use of KnowStage after changes take effect constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. If you disagree with the changes, you may close your account before the effective date.

For any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact: