RaisedHand
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Data Safety

This page sets out exactly what data the RaisedHand app collects, what is shared with anyone else, and what we do to protect it. It is the plain-language version of the Data safety section on our Google Play listing, and it says the same thing our Privacy Policy says.

Last updated: 5 August 2026

Before you publish: this page must match the Data safety form in Play Console line for line. If you change one, change the other and the Privacy Policy in the same release — a mismatch is one of the most common reasons an app gets rejected or pulled.

1. Data the app collects

“Required” means the app cannot work without it. “Optional” means you choose whether to provide it.

Data collected by RaisedHand, why, and whether it is required
Data type Why we collect it Required?
Phone number Account management — sending the one-time PIN that signs you in, and recognising your account next time. Never shown to other users and never given to advertisers. Required
Name (your display name) App functionality — it is the name shown on your questions and answers. Required
Photos (your avatar) App functionality — your profile picture. Optional
Grade, and school App functionality and personalisation — routing your questions to students studying the same work. School is optional. Grade required, school optional
User-generated content — questions, answers, comments, votes, bookmarks App functionality — this is the service itself. Required to post
Photos, videos and files (attachments) App functionality — the photo, PDF or video attached to a question or answer. Optional
In-app messages — direct chat messages App functionality — delivering messages between registered users. Optional
App interactions Personalisation and fraud prevention — which subjects and grades you browse and who you follow, used to build your “For You” feed and to detect abuse. Required
Crash logs and diagnostics App functionality — finding and fixing bugs. Required
Push notification token App functionality — telling your device when your question has been answered. Required
Advertising ID / device identifier Advertising — serving and measuring the ads that keep RaisedHand free. See sharing below. Required

2. Data shared with third parties

Under Google Play’s definitions, giving data to a company that only processes it on our instructions — our hosting provider, for example — counts as processing, not sharing. Passing data to a company that uses it for its own purposes counts as sharing. Here is both, so nothing is hidden behind a definition.

Third parties that receive RaisedHand data
Who What they receive Role
Supabase Your account details and everything you post — they host the database and file storage. Processor, on our instructions. Not “shared” under Play’s definition. Privacy policy
Google Firebase — Cloud Messaging Your push notification token and the notification content. Processor, on our instructions. Privacy information
Google Firebase — Crashlytics Device model, OS version, app version and crash details. Processor, on our instructions. Privacy information
Google AdMob Advertising identifier, IP address and ad interaction data. Shared — declared as shared for advertising in our Data safety form. Google advertising policy

We do not sell personal information. We never give advertisers your phone number, display name, grade, school or anything you have posted.

Advertising limits because our audience includes minors

Every ad request is tagged as non-personalised and child-directed / under the age of consent, and no ads are shown before a user completes sign-in. Ads are not targeted using a profile of your interests or behaviour.

3. Data we do not collect

Being explicit about this matters as much as the list above. RaisedHand does not collect:

  • precise or approximate location;
  • your contacts or your calendar;
  • health or fitness information;
  • your ID number or any government identifier;
  • payment, banking or financial information — the app is free and takes no payments;
  • SMS, call logs, browsing history outside the app, or installed app inventory;
  • audio recordings or your microphone.

4. Security practices

  • Data is encrypted in transit. Traffic between the app and our servers uses TLS.
  • Data is encrypted at rest by our hosting provider.
  • Access is restricted. Database rules limit what any signed-in account can read or change, and access to production data is limited to the people who need it to run the service.
  • You can request deletion. See the next section.

We have not had an independent security review, and we are not going to claim one. If a breach affects your personal information we will notify you and the Information Regulator, as POPIA requires.

5. Deleting your data

You can delete your account and personal data from inside the app at Profile → Settings → Delete Account, or by asking us at kagiso.thobane.73@gmail.com. You do not need to sign in to make the request.

Our Account & Data Deletion page sets out exactly what is deleted, what is kept in anonymised form and why, and how long each part takes. Requests are completed within 30 days.

6. Children and teens

RaisedHand is for students aged 13 and over. Anyone aged 13–17 needs a parent or guardian’s permission. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 13, and we delete such accounts when we find them.

A parent or guardian can ask to see, correct or delete their child’s data — see Children and teens in the Privacy Policy.

7. Questions

If anything on this page is unclear, or you think it does not match what the app actually does, please tell us — that is a bug worth fixing: kagiso.thobane.73@gmail.com.