Privacy Policy

Version 1.0 | Effective Date: February 7, 2026 | Last Updated: February 7, 2026

1. Introduction

Welcome to CanKnowPiano ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website and services at canknowpiano.com (the "Platform").

By using our Platform, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information from Piano Teachers

When you register as a piano teacher on our Platform, we collect:

Account Information:

Name (first and last)
Email address
Telephone number
Password (encrypted)

Professional Information:

Teaching specializations
Date you started teaching
Age groups you teach
Musical genres you teach
Certification details
Years of teaching experience

Location Information and Public Visibility:

We collect your complete address for verification, service area calculation, and connecting you with local students. However, we protect your privacy by limiting what location information appears on your public profile:

Publicly displayed on your teacher profile:

Street name only (e.g., "Geneva Str") - not the full street address with house number
Neighborhood or local area (e.g., "Glendale Ave")
Cross streets (e.g., "California Ave/Glendale Ave")
City, state, and ZIP code
Approximate location coordinates (used for map display and may be visible in page source)

NOT publicly displayed (kept private):

Full street address with house/building number
Apartment or unit number

Note: Your complete street address is only shared with students after they successfully book and pay for a lesson, and only if the lesson location is at your studio or student's home.

2.2 Information from Students

When you book a lesson, we collect:

Name, email, and telephone number
Lesson preferences (duration, date, time, location)
Lesson location address (for in-home lessons)
Payment information (securely processed through Stripe - we do not store your card number)

How We Share Student Information:

When you book a lesson, your contact information and lesson details are shared with your selected teacher to facilitate the service:

Teachers receive: Your name, email, phone number, and lesson preferences
For in-home lessons: Teachers also receive your lesson location address
This information sharing is necessary for the teacher to contact you and conduct the lesson

2.3 Technical and Legal Compliance Data

Automatically Collected Information

When you register as a teacher and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, we automatically collect and store the following technical information:

IP Address:

Your device's Internet Protocol (IP) address, which identifies your device's location on the internet.

Example: 192.168.1.1 (IPv4) or 2001:0db8:85a3:0000:0000:8a2e:0370:7334 (IPv6)

Browser Information (User Agent):

Information about your web browser type, version, and operating system.

Example: "Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) Chrome/120.0.0.0"

Timestamp:

The exact date and time you accepted our terms and policies.

Why We Collect This Information:

Legal Compliance: Proof that you accepted our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy
Security & Fraud Prevention: Detect suspicious activity and protect against unauthorized access
Account Verification: Verify the authenticity of account registrations
Dispute Resolution: Provide evidence in case of disagreements or legal matters
Regulatory Requirements: Comply with data protection laws and regulations

How We Store This Information:

This technical data is stored securely in our database alongside your account information. It is encrypted in transit and at rest using industry-standard security protocols.

How Long We Keep This Information:

We retain this data for the duration of your active account and for 7 years after account closure or deletion to comply with legal and regulatory requirements, including tax laws and dispute resolution needs.

3. How We Use Your Information

Create and manage teacher profiles
Process lesson bookings and payments
Send booking confirmations and notifications
Verify agreement acceptance and maintain legal compliance records
Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
Improve Platform functionality and security
Comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information.

We share information with:

Service Providers: Stripe (payments), Cloudinary (images), Google Maps, Resend (email), Railway (database hosting)
Other Users: Teacher profiles are public; student contact information is shared with teachers after booking to facilitate the lesson service
Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or government regulation
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets

Insurance Providers: We do not share your information with insurance providers. Teachers are independently responsible for obtaining their own business liability insurance.

Note: Your IP address and browser information are stored for legal compliance and security purposes only. We do not share this technical data with third parties except when required by law or to protect our legal rights.

5. Data Security

We protect your information using:

Password encryption (bcrypt with salt)
Secure authentication tokens (JWT)
SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
Encrypted database storage
Limited access controls and role-based permissions
Regular security audits and monitoring

While we implement strong security measures, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but commit to protecting your data using industry best practices.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access: Request a copy of all personal information we have about you, including your IP address and browser information from account registration
Correct: Update or correct inaccurate information in your profile
Delete: Request deletion of your account and associated data (subject to legal retention requirements)
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time
Data Portability: Request your data in a portable format
Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where consent is the legal basis

Important Note on Legal Compliance Data:

While you have the right to request deletion of your account, we must retain certain legal compliance records (including IP address, browser information, and agreement acceptance timestamps) for 7 years after account closure to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. This retention period is necessary for tax purposes, fraud prevention, and potential legal disputes.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at canknowpiano@outlook.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to maintain your login session, remember preferences, and improve user experience.

Types of Cookies We Use:

Essential Cookies: Required for authentication and core platform functionality
Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how you use the platform

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may limit your ability to use some features of our Platform.

8. Data Retention

Active Accounts: We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services.

Closed Accounts: After account closure, we retain certain information for a maximum of 7 years for legal compliance, including:

Legal agreement acceptance records (IP address, browser info, timestamps)
Transaction records for tax and financial reporting
Data necessary for fraud prevention and dispute resolution

Marketing Data: If you opt out of marketing emails, we retain your email address to honor your opt-out preference.

9. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights:

Email: canknowpiano@outlook.com

Website: canknowpiano.com/contact

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a notice on our Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Our Privacy Commitment:

• We will never sell your personal data
• We use industry-standard security and encryption
• You control your information and can request access or deletion
• We collect technical data for legal compliance and security
• We retain legal records for 7 years after account closure