This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect when you use The Sensei, why we collect it, who we share it with, and your rights. It is written in plain language and complies with India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act) and the IT Rules, 2021.
1. Who we are
The Sensei (thesensei.in) is a product of Boole, the brand name of Booleshop Private Limited, a company incorporated under the Companies Act, 2013.
Registered office: 1056, The Magic Faraway Tree, 33/2 Kanakapura Road, Talaghattapura, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, 560062.
Grievance and Data Protection contact: partners@booleshop.com
Under the DPDP Act, Booleshop Private Limited is the Data Fiduciary for personal data collected through The Sensei.
2. What we collect
We collect only the data needed to provide The Sensei.
- Phone number. Verified via WhatsApp OTP. Required to save your conversation history and let you return to it later.
- Profile information you share in chat. Your name (if provided), current qualification, career goal, budget range, timeline, and preferences. You choose what to share; nothing is mandatory.
- Chat history. The conversation between you and our AI counsellor, including which programmes were shortlisted.
- Technical data. Browser identifier (random ID stored in your browser), IP address (from server logs, retained for up to 30 days for abuse prevention), basic device information.
- Cookies and local storage. Strictly limited: an authentication session cookie (when you log in), a browser ID for anonymous conversation continuity, and a "remember me" preference.
We do not collect Aadhaar, PAN, government ID, financial account numbers (payments are handled by Razorpay; we never see card details), or any "Sensitive Personal Data or Information" as defined under IT Rules 2021.
3. Why we collect it
- To run the AI counsellor conversation and personalise your shortlist.
- To save your chat so you can come back to it.
- To send you OTPs for login (via WhatsApp).
- To prevent abuse and ensure the service is available.
- To improve The Sensei. Anonymised analytics on which programmes get queried, where students drop off, and so on. No individual identification.
4. Legal basis
We process your data under two DPDP Act grounds.
- Consent. For chat history, profile data, and phone number. You provide consent when you start the conversation and verify your phone.
- Legitimate use. For IP logs, abuse prevention, and basic security measures.
5. Who we share it with
We share specific, minimal data with the following third-party processors, purely to deliver the service.
- LLM providers (USA). Your chat messages are sent to one or more third-party large language model providers (located in the United States) to generate counsellor responses. Our providers contractually do not train their models on this data. We may change providers from time to time as the technology evolves.
- AiSensy (Triny Solutions Pvt Ltd, India). WhatsApp Business API provider. Receives your phone number and OTP code only.
- Razorpay Software Pvt Ltd (India). Payment processor for fee transactions on supported programmes. Receives name, contact, and amount; we never see your card or UPI details.
- Hosting infrastructure. Our servers are hosted in India.
- Amplitude Inc. (USA). Product analytics provider. Receives anonymised behavioural events (page views, chat interactions, programme selections, funnel milestones) so we can measure and improve the service. We never send your phone number, email, name, OTP code, government ID, or chat-message content. Analytics is enabled on thesensei.in. On partner-branded subdomains, analytics is sent to a separate partner-scoped project on the same provider so data stays partitioned by partner. If your browser sends the “Do Not Track” signal, no analytics events leave your device.
We also use Amplitude’s Session Replay to debug user-experience issues. A small random sample (~5%) of sessions is recorded. Replays exclude all form inputs (phone, email, OTP, name, chat-composer text) and your chat-message bubbles by default. Admin pages are never recorded. Replays are retained for 30 days and accessible only to our engineering team.
We do not sell your data. We do not share your phone number with partner universities or admissions counsellors. You decide when (and whether) to contact a university.
6. Cross-border data transfers
When you chat with The Sensei, your messages are sent to our LLM provider's servers in the United States for AI processing. We have a Data Processing Agreement in place with our provider that requires data protection equivalent to Indian standards. You consent to this transfer by using the service. The Indian government's "specifically notified countries" list (under Section 16 of the DPDP Act) governs permitted transfers, and we comply with this list as it evolves.
7. How long we keep your data
- Chat history. Kept for as long as your account is active. You can request deletion at any time.
- Verified phone number. Kept while your account exists. Deleted when you request account deletion.
- IP server logs. 30 days, then automatically purged.
- Anonymised analytics. Kept indefinitely, but contains no personal identifiers.
8. Your rights
Under the DPDP Act 2023, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you.
- Correct or update inaccurate data.
- Erase your data and close your account.
- Withdraw consent at any time (note: this may end your ability to use The Sensei).
- Nominate a person to exercise your rights in case you cannot.
- Lodge a grievance with us, and subsequently with the Data Protection Board of India if unresolved.
To exercise any of these rights, email partners@booleshop.com from the address or phone number associated with your account. We respond within 30 days.
9. Security
We follow reasonable security practices. These include encrypted connections (HTTPS), encrypted password storage where applicable, restricted access to production data, and regular security review. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, but we treat your data with the care we would want for our own.
10. Children
The Sensei is intended for users aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If we learn that a minor has provided us data without parental consent, we will delete it.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as our service evolves or regulations change. Material changes will be announced on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of The Sensei after changes constitutes acceptance.
12. Contact us
Privacy questions, grievances, or rights requests: partners@booleshop.com. Postal: Booleshop Private Limited, 1056, The Magic Faraway Tree, 33/2 Kanakapura Road, Talaghattapura, Bangalore, Karnataka 560062, India.