Data Collection and Control
Educational technology platforms collect vast amounts of student data. T.A.L.A. is designed so that students maintain control over their information.
What Data Does T.A.L.A. Collect?
Essential Data
- Student identity (name, email, national ID if required)
- Institutional affiliation (university, program)
- Exam access history (when documents were accessed)
- Assessment responses (exam answers and submissions)
System Data
- Device information for security purposes
- Network data for anomaly detection
- Usage metrics for platform optimization
What T.A.L.A. Does NOT Collect
- Video surveillance or facial recognition data
- Keystroke logs or mouse movement tracking
- Audio recordings unless explicitly authorized
- Access to personal files on student devices
- Biometric data without consent
Data Encryption
End-to-End Encryption
All student data is encrypted using AES-256-GCM before transmission. Encryption keys are held by institutions, not T.A.L.A.
Encryption at Rest
Data stored on T.A.L.A. servers is encrypted. Even if servers are compromised, attackers cannot access unencrypted information.
Data Access and Control
Student Rights
Under GDPR and similar regulations, students have the right to:
- Access: Request all data we hold about them
- Correction: Update inaccurate information
- Deletion: Request complete data removal
- Portability: Download their data in standard formats
Data Minimization
We practice strict data minimization:
- Collect only data necessary for stated purposes
- Do not perform data fusion or enrichment from external sources
- Delete data when it is no longer needed
- Anonymize data for analytics and research
Third Party Sharing
Limited Sharing
T.A.L.A. shares student data only with:
- Educational Institution: The university or school managing the exam
- Service Providers: Third parties processing data on our behalf under strict contracts
- Legal Authorities: Only when required by law and after exhausting legal remedies
We never sell student data to advertisers, data brokers, or commercial entities.
Data Retention
Retention Schedules
Different data types are retained for different periods:
- Assessment responses: 7 years (compliance with educational archival standards)
- Access logs: 3 years (audit trail and legal hold)
- System logs: 90 days (debugging and security monitoring)
- Account information: Until student graduation plus 2 years
Data Breach Response
If data is compromised:
- We immediately notify affected students and institutions
- We coordinate with legal counsel and regulators
- We provide credit monitoring and identity protection services
- We conduct thorough investigation to understand the breach
- We implement measures to prevent recurrence
Student Transparency
Students can access their T.A.L.A. privacy dashboard to:
- See what data we hold about them
- Review access logs
- Download their data
- Delete their account and associated data
- Adjust privacy preferences
The Philosophy
Student data is not a commodity. It is entrusted to educational institutions and technology providers. T.A.L.A. treats this trust as sacred and implements systems that put genuine student control at the center of our design.