App Privacy Policy

GCTC Portal mobile application · Last updated: 26 July 2026

This policy explains exactly what the GCTC Portal Android app (“the app”, “we”, “our”) collects, why, where it goes, and what control you have. GCTC Portal shows campus announcements, examination results, placement updates, stories, an academic calendar and gallery content for students of Geethanjali College of Engineering and Technology.

In short: we collect the name and roll number you enter, a device identifier, basic device details, simple usage counts, any photo you choose to submit, and anonymous analytics and crash data. We do not sell your data, we do not show ads, and we do not ask for your contacts, location, files, microphone or camera roll.

1. What we collect

a) Details you enter when you set up the app

  • Your role (student, alumni, faculty or parent).
  • Your name.
  • For students and alumni, your roll number. From it we work out your course and year so the academic calendar and content can be relevant to you.
  • Your consent to this policy, with the date and time it was given.

We do not ask for your email address, phone number, password, address or date of birth.

b) Device and app information

So the app works reliably across phones and we can fix problems, we collect: device model and manufacturer, Android version, app version, screen size, language, time zone, network type (Wi-Fi or mobile), a device identifier (Android ID), an app-generated installation identifier, and a notification token that lets us deliver push notifications to your device.

c) How you use the app

We record simple counts such as number of app opens, stories viewed, and when you were last active. Anonymous analytics also records which screens are opened, which posts and links are tapped, searches made in the app, and similar interactions.

d) Photos you choose to submit

The photo submission feature is entirely optional. If you use it, the image, your caption, and your name, roll number and device identifier are stored so submissions can be reviewed and moderated before anything is published. Approved photos are stored with a shareable link so they can appear in the app. Only submit photos you have the right to share, and please do not submit anything private or sensitive.

e) Diagnostics and session recordings

We collect crash reports and performance diagnostics, and we record session replays of app screens (navigation and taps) to find and fix usability problems. Because a replay captures what is on the screen, it can include information such as your name and roll number where those are displayed. Replays are used only to improve and debug the app.

f) Stored only on your phone

Your bookmarks, reading history, day streak, badges, theme choice and cached content stay on your device and are not sent to us. Clearing app data or uninstalling removes them.

2. Why we collect it

  • To run the app: show the right content for your course and year, deliver notifications, and let you submit photos.
  • To keep it working: diagnose crashes and problems on specific devices or Android versions.
  • To improve it: understand which sections are actually used, in aggregate.
  • To keep it safe: review photo submissions and, if our guidelines are broken, restrict a device from submitting or from using the app.

We do not use your data for advertising or profiling, and we do not sell or rent it to anyone.

3. Where your data is stored and who can see it

  • Google Firebase (Firestore, Anonymous Authentication, Cloud Messaging, Crashlytics): your registration record, engagement counts, notification token and crash reports.
  • Google Drive and Google Sheets: submitted photos and the moderation log.
  • Google Analytics: anonymous usage events. Your name and roll number are never sent here.
  • PostHog (servers in the European Union): product analytics and the session replays described above.
  • Blogger: the campus content itself, which is public and needs nothing from you to read.

Access to your registration record is limited to the portal team and authorized college administrators. Our administration console requires a Google sign-in that has been explicitly authorized.

4. Advertising identifier

The app contains no advertising, and we do not show ads or run ad campaigns. Google Analytics includes an advertising identifier permission as part of its standard library; where that identifier is collected it is used only for analytics, never to target advertising to you.

5. Notifications

The app subscribes to campus notification topics so announcements, results and placement updates reach you. Some notifications may be sent to a specific device or a chosen group of devices using the notification token described above. You can turn notifications off at any time in your phone's system settings for the app, per category, without losing access to any other feature.

6. How long we keep it

Your registration record and engagement counts are kept while the app is in use by your device, and until you ask us to delete them. Submitted photos and their moderation log are kept for campus record keeping. Analytics and crash data are kept according to the retention settings of the services listed above. Uninstalling the app removes everything stored on your phone, but does not by itself delete the record held on our side, because that record is linked to your device identifier rather than to a login.

7. Your choices and your rights

  • See or correct your details: you can update your name and role in the app at any time, or write to us.
  • Delete your data: email us and we will delete your registration record, engagement counts and any photos you submitted. Please write from an address we can verify, or include your roll number so we can identify the right record.
  • Stop notifications: turn them off in your phone's settings for the app.
  • Stop everything: uninstall the app, and optionally ask us to delete your record as above.

8. Security

All data is sent over encrypted connections (HTTPS). Server access is restricted to authorized accounts, and administrative actions are logged. No system is perfectly secure, so please avoid submitting anything you would not want reviewed by the portal team.

9. Children

The app is intended for college students and staff and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information, write to us and we will remove it.

10. Changes to this policy

If we change what we collect or how we use it, we will update this page and the “last updated” date above. Significant changes will be announced in the app.

11. Contact

For any privacy question, correction or deletion request, email portal@gctc.in. We aim to respond within a few working days.

GCTC Portal is a student-built app for the Geethanjali campus community.