Data Deletion

Archive is for when you want to stop a learner’s access without permanently removing their learning history.

When you archive a learner:

• the learner can no longer access SparkQuest;
• the learner no longer occupies an active learner seat;
• their learning history is retained; and
• you can restore the learner later.

Archiving is reversible.

Choose Archive when you may want the learner to return to SparkQuest in future.

You can permanently delete an individual learner without deleting your own Parent account or other learners in your family.

Permanent learner deletion is irreversible.

Before SparkQuest accepts the deletion, you must be signed in as the Parent or guardian who manages that learner and complete the required authentication check.

Once permanent deletion is completed, SparkQuest removes the learner’s associated information covered by the deletion process, including:

• learner profile information;
• learning and progress information;
• SparkQuest product data associated with the learner;
• Spark PIN and Spark Pass access information;
• learner sessions; and
• applicable stored learner files.

After permanent deletion has completed, the learner cannot be restored.

If you want to preserve the learner’s history for possible future use, choose Archive instead.

Parents can also request deletion of their entire SparkQuest family account.

This applies to:

• your Parent account; and
• all learner profiles connected to your family account.

You can start this process from your Parent account settings using: Delete my account.

SparkQuest requires a recent authentication check before accepting a family-account deletion request.

Once the deletion request has been securely confirmed, SparkQuest immediately restricts normal use of the family account.

This includes:

• disabling learner access;
• preventing normal learner-account changes;
• restricting normal family-account activity; and
• stopping outbound WhatsApp communication associated with the account.

Your account then enters a 30-day cooling-off period.

This gives you time to change your mind before permanent deletion begins.

Yes.

You can cancel the deletion request during the cooling-off period after securely authenticating again.

Where appropriate, SparkQuest restores the relevant account and learner-access settings to the state they were in before the deletion request.

A Spark Pass or other credential that had already been independently revoked or disabled before the deletion request will not be recreated simply because the account deletion was cancelled.

Once the cooling-off period has ended, SparkQuest may begin the permanent deletion process.

Once permanent deletion has begun, the request can no longer be cancelled.

The deletion process removes the Parent account and associated learners from the active SparkQuest systems covered by our deletion process.

This includes the relevant:

• Parent account information;
• learner profiles;
• learning and progress information;
• learner access credentials and sessions;
• applicable stored files; and
• active family-account configuration.

Associated Parent authentication access is also removed as part of the completed family-account deletion process.

If your SparkQuest account uses WhatsApp, family-account deletion stops outbound WhatsApp communication associated with the account.

Relevant WhatsApp information is then severed, redacted or anonymised through SparkQuest’s data-lifecycle processes where applicable.

SparkQuest also applies ordinary retention periods to WhatsApp information.

For more detail about those periods, please see our Privacy Policy.

Permanent deletion is designed to remove personal information from the active SparkQuest systems covered by the deletion process.

However, limited information may remain where it has been:

• genuinely anonymised;
• de-identified;
• de-linked from your account; or
• retained in a restricted form where reasonably necessary for legal, accounting, security or legitimate recordkeeping purposes.

For example, limited historical subscription information may need to survive in de-identified form for legitimate accounting or recordkeeping purposes.

Limited security or audit records may also remain where reasonably necessary to protect SparkQuest, investigate incidents or meet applicable obligations.

We do not retain identifiable learner information merely because an anonymous historical record needs to be preserved.

Self-service deletion through your Parent account is the normal deletion process.

If you cannot access your account and therefore cannot use the self-service controls, contact SparkQuest for assistance.

We may need to verify that you are authorised to act in relation to the account before assisting with an account or privacy request.

Privacy and account assistance: info@sparkquest.co.za.

Choosing not to receive WhatsApp communications does not delete your SparkQuest account.

Similarly, deleting your SparkQuest account is different from simply changing your communication preferences.

Parents can manage applicable communication preferences separately.

Depending on the circumstances, POPIA may give you rights relating to your personal information, including rights to request access, correction, deletion or destruction and to object to certain processing.

For a fuller explanation of how SparkQuest handles personal information, retention and privacy rights, please read our Privacy Policy.

If you have questions about deletion, privacy or account access, contact:

• SparkQuest (Pty) Ltd
• Cape Town, South Africa
• Email: info@sparkquest.co.za
• Website: sparkquest.co.za