Effective and last updated:
Google sign-in is used to identify your learner account. Your classroom records stay private unless you explicitly share selected information in the community. Optional photos, store connections and narration are your choice. You can remove learning data in Settings or contact us about your information.
Who is responsible for your information
Earny is the ecommerce agency and learning platform run by Victor Soko in Johannesburg, South Africa. In this policy, “Earny”, “we” and “us” refer to the operator of earny.co.za and the Earny masterclass. Earny is responsible for deciding why and how the personal information described here is used. This notice covers earny.co.za, www.earny.co.za and the same Earny service at earny-studio.notsoko.chatgpt.site.
For privacy questions, access, correction or deletion requests, contact Victor Soko at info@earny.co.za with the subject “Privacy request”. For talent and collaboration enquiries, use talent@earny.co.za. Please do not email passwords, identity documents or customer lists unless we have arranged a necessary, secure way to receive them.
Information we collect and why
| Source / category | Information | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Google or email sign-in | Account identifier, name, email address, email-verification status, sign-in provider and authentication tokens. Google/Firebase may also hold your Google profile picture as part of the sign-in profile. | Create and identify your account, verify sign-in, maintain a session and prevent unauthorised access. See the Google-specific section below. |
| Learner onboarding and Settings | Your chosen name, ecommerce experience, goal, daily study time, optional store website, reporting currency, narration speed and selected voice name, language and identifier. | Personalise your learning plan and remember your preferences across visits and devices. |
| Classroom activity | Lesson-view dates, completed lessons, saved lessons, private notes, quiz answers, marks, feedback, attempt dates, best scores and earned badges. | Restore your work, grade assessments, show feedback and track progress towards course completion. |
| Optional profile photo | The image you choose to upload and its storage reference, format and update date. | Show your account photo within your classroom and, if you join the community, to signed-in community members. The upload flow resizes the image in your browser before sending it. We do not use it for facial recognition. |
| Sales tracker | Dates, order counts, revenue and currency that you enter; if connected, a Shopify store domain, encrypted access token and imported daily sales totals. | Display your own sales history. Sales data is not made public or used as a verified claim about your business results. |
| Inner Circle and enquiries | A mentorship brief you choose to save; contact details, business context and messages you send by email or through a booking service. Talent enquiries may include a CV or portfolio you provide. | Keep your brief, answer enquiries, arrange meetings, evaluate collaboration opportunities and deliver agreed services. Saving a brief in the classroom does not send an email or create a paid membership. |
| Technical and security data | Hosting and authentication providers process connection information such as IP address, browser/user-agent information, request times and security or error events. | Deliver pages, authenticate requests, diagnose failures and protect accounts and the service. These operational records are separate from advertising analytics. |
Sign-in details and a basic learner profile are needed for a saved classroom. You can browse public pages without an account. Profile photos, notes, sales entries, store URLs, mentorship briefs, Shopify connections and audio playback are optional. Do not put payment-card details, customer personal information or sensitive personal information into notes or free-text fields.
Google sign-in: access, use, storage and sharing
When you choose “Continue with Google”, Firebase Authentication performs Google sign-in. The app requests basic identity permissions only: openid, email and profile. These identify you and provide your name, email address, verified-email status and basic profile information, which can include your profile-picture URL. Earny uses the name, verified email and account identifier to recognise you and open the correct classroom. The current classroom photo feature uses a separate image you upload; it does not automatically copy your Google picture into Earny’s photo storage.
We do not request access to Gmail messages, Google Drive files, contacts, calendars, YouTube content or other Google account content. We do not see your Google password. If you choose email/password registration instead, the password goes directly to Firebase Authentication; Earny’s application database does not store that password.
Google/Firebase stores the sign-in account. The Firebase browser SDK stores authentication state on your device and sends a short-lived ID token to Earny. Earny verifies that token and uses a secure, HTTP-only session cookie that expires within one hour and can be renewed while you remain signed in. Our learner database associates your records with a Firebase identifier, or an explicitly linked existing learner identifier. Google identity data is processed by our authentication and hosting providers only as needed for these features, account support, security and legal obligations. It is not published to other learners.
Earny follows the Google API Services User Data Policy, including applicable Limited Use requirements. We use Google account data for the sign-in and account features explained here. We do not sell it, use it for advertising or retargeting, transfer it to data brokers, use it for credit decisions, or send it to AI models for training. Human access is limited to a specific support request you authorise, necessary security investigation or legal obligations. We will seek any required additional permission before accessing new Google data or using it for a new purpose.
You can remove Earny’s Google connection through your Google Account connections. Removing access stops future Google authorisation; it does not itself erase previously saved Earny records or necessarily end an existing Firebase session. Sign out of Earny as well, and use the deletion options below if you want your records removed.
Other sign-ins, Shopify and lesson voices
- Existing ChatGPT sign-in: our hosting sign-in service supplies an account identifier, email and available name. Earny does not request access to your ChatGPT conversations. Linking it to a Google or email login requires you to sign in to both and expressly confirm the link; matching email addresses do not automatically merge accounts.
- Shopify: this optional feature requires availability of the integration and your separate authorisation. It requests
read_orders. It reads recent order dates, test/cancellation/payment status, order amounts and currency to calculate daily totals. It stores the shop domain, an encrypted access token and aggregate totals, not customer names, emails, addresses or payment-card details. Adding a store URL during onboarding does not grant Shopify access. Disconnect in Sales tracker to remove the stored connection and imported totals; also uninstall/revoke the app in Shopify to revoke platform access. Manually entered sales remain until you delete them. - Lesson narration: pressing Listen or a voice preview sends lesson or preview text to your browser’s speech service. Some voices run on your device; others may use the browser or operating-system provider’s online speech service. Their availability and processing depend on your device. Earny does not record your microphone, create a voice clone or save an audio recording of you. You can read all lesson text without narration. Your chosen voice and speed are saved as preferences.
Community, notifications and private messages
Joining the Earny community is optional and requires a separate sharing confirmation. Once you join, other signed-in community members can see your chosen display name, bio, account photo and admin badge where applicable. Posts, attached images and replies follow the audience chosen for each post: everyone in Earny (signed-in community members) or accepted friends only. Your sign-in email, private notes, full sales tracker and individual assessment answers are not published to members. A community display name is not identity verification; an Admin badge identifies an account authorised by Earny.
We store community profiles, unique usernames, optional headlines, locations and website links, follower relationships, audience and profile-sharing preferences, posts, image descriptions and storage references, replies, likes, friend requests and acceptance status, blocks, message content and read times, notifications, reports and moderation records in the site database. These records power the feed, connections, messaging, safety controls and in-app notifications. Notifications update while the classroom is open; this feature does not send email alerts or browser-push messages.
Usernames, optional headlines, locations and website links are shown to signed-in members when you add them. We do not fill location or website fields from private classroom records. Following and follower lists are member-visible. Following is one-way, can be undone and adds eligible posts to the Following feed; it does not grant messaging or friends-only access. Blocking removes follows in both directions.
For new community profiles, activity calendars default to accepted friends. Existing profiles keep their saved audience. You can choose Only me, accepted friends or everyone in Earny in Profile settings. Earned badge displays still start at Only me. Activity displays daily counts and streaks using South African time. Counts include distinct lessons viewed and distinct quizzes passed per day, posts and replies, including counts from a member’s friends-only contributions when that member chooses a wider calendar audience. The calendar does not reveal lesson names, scores, private message contents or sales amounts. Existing passed quizzes and current posts or replies may contribute historical dates; lesson-view tracking begins with the activity feature. Removed community contributions no longer count. Learning activity records remain with the classroom until learning data is deleted. Badge display shows the award and date, while individual answers remain private.
Onboarding records your experience, goal, focus, preferred lesson format, session time and weekly target. These answers select suggested lessons and a personal activity goal. Recommendations do not use your email domain or sign-in provider to infer ability, alter pricing or waive assessment requirements. Update preferences in Settings. A weekly target does not subscribe you to reminders.
Profile wins collections and sales overviews default to Only me. You can independently opt in to share each with accepted friends or everyone in Earny, and change your choice in Community → My profile & privacy. A sales overview shows live all-time revenue, order counts and date ranges grouped by currency from your tracker, without individual entries or customer information. It updates when tracker data changes. The wins collection groups win and milestone posts; each post’s own audience still applies. Hiding the collection does not hide posts you separately shared in the feed. Change their audiences or delete them separately. Removing a friendship revokes friends-only access; blocking also hides the profile and content from both members.
You can upload up to four images per post and add image descriptions. The normal upload interface resizes and re-encodes images in your browser before transmission, which removes embedded camera metadata from the prepared image. The resulting image files are stored in private object storage, with ownership and post references in the database. Image requests check the current post audience; there are no public image links. Only upload content you have permission to share and remove personal or customer details first. We do not use these images for facial recognition. Changing a post’s audience also changes access to its images and replies. Deleting a post, leaving the community or deleting your learning data removes its attached images from active storage. Your account photo remains available to your private classroom if you only leave the community.
A sales-progress post is created only after you select entries, review the preview and choose to post. The shared snapshot contains revenue, order count, currency, date range and whether the source was a Shopify import or learner-entered/mixed data. It does not contain customer details. It is a fixed copy: changing or deleting a tracker entry does not change an existing post. Delete the post separately if you no longer want that snapshot shared. Figures are not independently verified and revenue is not profit.
Direct messages require an accepted friendship. They are visible through the app to the participants, stored on Earny’s servers and are not end-to-end encrypted. Admin screens do not offer general browsing of private conversations; reporting a message makes that selected message and your explanation available to admins. Necessary authorised security or legal access may also apply. Blocking removes the friendship and prevents messages and visibility of each other’s community content, but cannot erase screenshots or information someone already saw.
Authorised admins can see learner names, join dates, completion counts, community status, recent posts and their images, reports and moderation history. Friends-only posts and images remain available to authorised admins for moderation. Profile sales overviews do not have an admin visibility override. They can hide content, pause community access and resolve reports. Administrative access is checked against verified sign-in identities on the server. Moderation actions record the administrator, target, reason and date; an admin badge cannot be selected in profile settings.
Community records remain while you use these features, until you delete the relevant post or leave the community, or until we remove content for moderation or a lawful requirement. Leaving the community deletes your profile, posts, replies, likes, connections, follows, blocks, notifications and messages sent or received by the account from active app storage, while preserving your private classroom. Deleting all learning data also removes these community records. Reports made by other people and moderation audit records may be kept as needed to address abuse, disputes or legal obligations. Provider backup schedules still apply. Contact info@earny.co.za to ask about a retained record, withdraw optional sharing or challenge a moderation decision.
Who receives information
We do not sell personal information or share learner records for third-party advertising. Access by people working for Earny is limited to what is needed for an agreed service, authorised support, security or a legal requirement. The following services participate when you use the relevant features:
- Google / Firebase Authentication: sign-in, authentication state, email verification, password reset and account-security processing. Firebase privacy information and Google Privacy Policy.
- OpenAI / ChatGPT Sites and Cloudflare infrastructure: website delivery and server processing. Learner records are stored in the site’s Cloudflare D1 database; uploaded photos are stored in private R2 object storage. Existing ChatGPT login also uses the hosting authentication service. OpenAI privacy information and Cloudflare privacy information.
- Calendly: receives the contact and booking information you submit after following our external booking link. It is not embedded on Earny’s pages. Calendly privacy notice.
- Shopify: processes the optional store authorisation and sales requests described above. Shopify privacy information.
- Your email and speech providers: deliver messages you choose to send and, where applicable, process narration through your device. Their own notices apply to their services.
A service provider may also process information for its own security or legal obligations under its terms. We may disclose information where legally required or necessary to investigate misuse and protect rights. If Earny’s ownership changes, affected users will be informed, and Google-data transfers will require any consent demanded by Google’s policy. We do not make private notes or assessment results publicly searchable. Community members can see the profile, photo and posts you choose to share after joining.
Storage, security and international processing
Information is processed through cloud services that may operate outside South Africa, including in the United States and other countries where the named providers operate. We do not promise South Africa-only storage. Cross-border processing must have an applicable lawful basis and appropriate protections under POPIA, including relevant provider data-processing terms where applicable.
Earny uses HTTPS, signed-token checks, authenticated access to learner records and photos, request-origin checks for changes, and encrypted Shopify access tokens. Site database and object-storage protections are provided by the hosting infrastructure. Access to operational accounts must be restricted to authorised people. No system can guarantee absolute security; report suspected misuse to info@earny.co.za. Where a security incident requires notification, we will notify affected people and the relevant authority as required by law.
How long information is kept
| Record | Retention and removal |
|---|---|
| Classroom profile and learning records | Kept while you maintain your learner profile so you can return to your work. There is currently no automatic expiry for an inactive classroom. “Delete my learning data” removes these records from active app storage when the request succeeds. |
| Uploaded photo | Kept until replaced, removed in Settings or deleted with your learning data. The active stored image is removed by the deletion operation. |
| Shopify connection and imported totals | Kept until disconnected, replaced by a later sync, or deleted with your learning data. A pending authorisation state is valid for 10 minutes; obsolete states are cleared by subsequent connection attempts or learning-data deletion. |
| Firebase identity and an optional login-link record | Kept separately from learning records until the sign-in account/link is removed. Deleting learning data alone leaves these in place. Ask us to close your Earny sign-in account and remove its link if you want both removed. Firebase states that after account deletion it removes associated authentication data from live and backup systems within 180 days. |
| Enquiries, talent messages and service records | Kept for the enquiry, relationship or project and any necessary follow-up, accounting, dispute or legal obligation. Retention depends on the record and applicable legal requirement; ask us for the period and reason applicable to your record. We remove information when no longer needed for those purposes. |
| Security logs and provider backups | Subject to the relevant service’s security and backup retention schedules, rather than the classroom delete button. Firebase reports that logged IP addresses are retained for a few weeks. Residual backup copies are not used to restore a deleted classroom for ordinary use; legal preservation may apply to a specific record. |
If we must retain a specific record despite a deletion request, we will explain the reason and applicable retention criteria unless the law prevents us from doing so. We do not claim that deleting a profile instantly deletes every provider backup or a separate business invoice.
Access, correction, deletion and complaints
- View and correct: update your profile and preferences in Classroom → Settings. Review your notes, sales, grades and badges in the relevant classroom tabs. Email us to request access to or a copy of personal information that is not available there.
- Delete classroom data: choose Classroom → Settings → “Delete my learning data” and confirm. This removes your learner profile, photo, notes, bookmarks, progress, assessments, badges, sales entries, saved brief and stored Shopify connection, community profile, posts, replies, likes, friendships, follows, blocks, notifications, learning activity records and messages sent or received by that account from active Earny app storage and signs you out. It cannot be undone through the classroom.
- Close the sign-in account as well: email info@earny.co.za from your account email with “Delete my Earny account”. Tell us whether you want learning records, the Firebase sign-in account and any old/new login link removed. We verify ownership before acting. This does not delete your underlying Google, ChatGPT or Shopify account. You may contact us without signing in if you have lost access.
- Other choices: you may ask for correction, object to processing where applicable, withdraw consent for optional processing, or request deletion where the law provides it. Withdrawing consent does not undo lawful processing already completed. We do not enrol you in advertising emails solely because you sign in; you may object to direct marketing at any time.
- Request process: describe the request and relevant account email. We may ask for proportionate proof of account ownership, but never your password. We aim to acknowledge requests within 5 business days and resolve them within 30 calendar days, or explain the reason and next steps if more time is legally permitted. Applicable statutory deadlines take priority.
You may raise a complaint with South Africa’s Information Regulator or email POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za. You do not have to give up regulatory remedies to contact Earny.
Processing grounds, assessments and age
We process necessary account and service information to provide the service you request and carry out an agreement; use consent for optional permissions where required; and rely on applicable legal obligations and legitimate interests, such as preventing abuse and responding to enquiries, where permitted. We balance those interests against your rights. The site is intended for adults aged 18 or older and is not directed at children. If you believe a child has provided information, contact us so we can investigate and address it.
Quizzes are marked automatically against lesson answer keys to show scores, feedback and badges. These are learning results, not credit, employment or admissions decisions. If you think a score is wrong, email us with the lesson, question and issue for review.
Cookies and changes to this notice
Read our Cookie policy for sign-in cookies and browser storage. The current Earny app does not load advertising pixels or Google Analytics. The Firebase configuration includes a measurement identifier, but an identifier alone does not enable Analytics and the app does not initialise it.
We update the date above when this notice changes. Material changes will be explained through a relevant site notice or account communication. If a new use of Google data or other optional processing requires fresh consent, we will request it before that processing begins. Related documents: Terms of service and Cancellations & refunds.