Privacy Policy

StageReader helps graduates RSVP for convocation and supports accurate name pronunciation during the ceremony. We take privacy seriously and design this service to collect the minimum information needed to do the job.

Who is responsible for your information: your college or university remains the custodian of your student information. StageReader (operated by PhotoVisions, an Ontario, Canada company) processes that information on your institution's behalf, under its direction, solely to deliver convocation services.

What we collect

• Institution code and User ID (to locate your record)
• PIN (used to sign in; stored securely as a one-way hash, never in plaintext)
• Name (first, middle, and last, as provided by your institution)
• Email address (provided by your institution; used for invitations and ceremony communications)
• Faculty, program, and credential (if provided by your institution)
• RSVP (attending / not attending), guest count (up to the limit set by your institution), and guest names (if attending)
• Accessibility needs (optional, for you or a guest): the type of accommodation, any details you choose to share, and a contact for your guest where needed. This information is used only to arrange seating and accommodations, and is visible only to authorized ceremony staff.
• Photo/video acknowledgement (where your institution requires one, we record that you acknowledged it, and when)
• Optional phonetic spelling of your name, and the pronunciation versions you generate while refining it
• Optional audio recording of you saying your name, used as a pronunciation guide so your announcement can be perfected
• Your announcement audio: the AI-generated pronunciation of your name that you preview and approve

We also collect standard server logs (IP address, browser type, timestamps) for security monitoring and audit purposes.

AI voice generation

StageReader creates each graduate's name announcement using a leading professional speech-synthesis service. Only the text needed to speak your name (your name and any phonetic spelling you provide) is sent for this purpose. You hear the result before ceremony day, can refine it, and nothing is used at the ceremony without your approval. StageReader does not use your information to train AI models, and generated recordings are stored encrypted on our Canadian servers.

How we use it

• To plan seating, attendance, guest lists, and accessibility accommodations for the ceremony
• To create, and let you preview and approve, the pronunciation of your name for announcement and display during convocation
• To send you ceremony invitations, reminders, and confirmations on your institution's behalf
• To provide authorized administrators with exports (CSV + recordings) for ceremony operations
• To maintain audit logs for security and compliance purposes

Your information is used solely for convocation planning and ceremony execution. We do not sell your data, and we do not use it for advertising or any unrelated purpose.

Service providers

StageReader uses a small number of specialist service providers, each receiving only the minimum information needed for its function and only to provide that service:

• A professional speech-synthesis provider: receives the text of your name and any phonetic spelling, to generate your announcement audio.
• Established email delivery providers: receive your name and email address to deliver ceremony invitations, reminders, and confirmations.

These providers may process information in the United States, where it is subject to that jurisdiction's laws. We disclose the identities of our service providers to institutions as part of security and privacy reviews. Beyond these providers, StageReader does not share personal data with third parties. When SSO is configured, authentication is handled by your institution's identity provider, and StageReader receives only the minimum attributes needed to identify and authorize your account.

Security

StageReader is built with security as a core design principle. The following measures are in place to protect your data:

• Encryption in transit: all connections use HTTPS (TLS) to protect data between your device and our servers.
• Encryption at rest: audio recordings are encrypted server-side using AES-256-GCM before storage. Encryption keys are stored outside the web-accessible directory.
• Credential protection: all PINs and passwords are stored as one-way, salted hashes using industry-standard algorithms. Plaintext credentials are never stored.
• Session hardening: sessions are configured with HTTP-only and secure cookie flags, strict mode enforcement, and cookie-only transport to prevent session hijacking.
• CSRF protection: all forms are protected with cryptographically random tokens to prevent cross-site request forgery.
• Rate limiting: login endpoints enforce attempt limits with automatic lockout to guard against brute-force attacks.
• Input validation: all user input is sanitized and validated. Database queries use parameterized prepared statements to prevent SQL injection. Output is escaped to prevent cross-site scripting (XSS).
• Role-based access control: administrator and presenter accounts are scoped by role and institution, ensuring users can only access data they are authorized to see.
• Single sign-on (SSO): institutions may configure SAML 2.0 single sign-on through their identity provider (e.g. Microsoft Entra ID), enabling centralized authentication and account management.
• Audit logging: security-relevant events, including logins, failed attempts, data exports, and administrative actions, are logged with timestamps, IP addresses, and actor details for accountability and incident response.

Data location

StageReader is hosted on Canadian servers, and your information is stored in Canada. The limited elements described under Service Providers (name text for audio generation; name and email address for email delivery) may be processed outside Canada by those providers. If your institution requires additional data residency confirmations, please contact us.

Cookies

StageReader uses only essential session cookies required to keep you signed in. We do not use advertising cookies, analytics trackers, or any third-party tracking.

Retention

Data is retained only as long as needed for convocation planning and execution, after which it may be archived or deleted according to institutional requirements. Institutions may request deletion of their data at any time, and we support institutions in honouring deletion requests from their graduates.

Your rights

You may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal information. Because your institution is the custodian of your student record, the fastest route is your institution's convocation office; StageReader supports institutions in fulfilling these requests promptly. You may also contact us directly using the address below.

If something goes wrong

In the event of a security breach affecting personal information, StageReader will notify the affected institutions without undue delay and support them in meeting their notification obligations, in accordance with Canadian privacy law.

Contact

For questions about your RSVP or access, please contact your institution's convocation office.
For questions about this privacy policy or StageReader's data practices, contact our privacy contact at support@stagereader.ca.

Last updated: 2026-07-26  •  Back to StageReader