MedStudy Room & Real-Time Policy
This policy explains how the real-time collaborative study room (MedStudy Room) works, what data it uses, and the rules that apply inside rooms. It complements the Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy, and the Acceptable Use Policy.
What the Study Room Is
The MedStudy Room is a free, real-time study feature that lets a small group of students study together: a shared focus timer, live presence, text chat, and file sharing. It is an educational utility, not a medical service, not a consultation platform, and not a place for any real clinical matter.
Peer-to-Peer Architecture — No MedHall Server
Rooms run entirely in your browser using WebRTC peer-to-peer technology. The room creator becomes the leader (host) and relays traffic; every other member connects directly to the leader over an encrypted data channel. MedHall operates no room server, no relay server, and no database: it cannot see, store, monitor, or retrieve room messages, member names, or shared files. The only third-party involvement is the PeerJS public cloud signaling service, which briefly handles connection metadata (see the Third-Party Services page).
Data That Stays on Your Device
To let you resume a room after a refresh or a closed tab, your browser keeps a session snapshot in localStorage on your device: your chosen name, the room code, the member list, messages, and room settings. File binary content is never written to storage — only file names, types, and sizes. This snapshot is deleted when the room ends (leader closes it, the focus timer completes, or it times out), when you leave permanently, or when you clear your browser data. Nothing in the snapshot is sent to MedHall.
Room Codes, Passwords, and Privacy
Each room has a short public code that members type to join. Rooms are either public (anyone with the code can join) or private (joining requires a password chosen by the creator). The password is hashed with SHA-256 in the creator's and joiner's browsers; the plaintext password is never transmitted, stored, or known to MedHall. The room code itself is not a security boundary: anyone you share it with can join a public room. Use private rooms for anything sensitive, and never share personal or patient data in any room.
Room Leader Powers and Moderation
The room creator is the leader. The leader can: lock or unlock the chat, lock or unlock file sharing, mute a member, block a member from sharing files, assign or remove admins, remove a member from the room, close the room for everyone, and start the shared focus session. If the leader leaves, the oldest online member automatically becomes the new leader. These are community-moderation powers for a peer-to-peer environment; they are not legal authority, and MedHall does not exercise them on its own.
Chat and File Sharing
Chat messages and files (up to 15 MB each) travel peer-to-peer between the participants' browsers, relayed through the leader's browser while the room is live. They are not stored by MedHall and not written to device storage. The leader may lock the chat or file sharing at any time. An automatic profanity filter blocks common abusive words. You are responsible for everything you send, and you must have the right to share any file you send.
Focus Sessions
The leader can start a shared focus session (1–240 minutes). Once started, a focus session cannot be cancelled or extended; when the timer completes, the room ends for everyone and all local room data is deleted. Focus sessions are a study-organization tool, not a medical or psychological service.
No Recording or Monitoring by MedHall
MedHall does not record, transcribe, monitor, listen to, or store room activity. The room has no server that could capture anything. The only copies of room content that exist are the session snapshots on the participants' own devices and whatever remains in browser memory while the room is live.
Your Responsibilities
You are responsible for: the name you choose and the topic you set; everything you write and every file you share; keeping room codes and passwords private; complying with your university's academic rules; not entering identifiable or confidential patient or personal information; and treating other participants with respect. You accept that other participants may be strangers, that peer-to-peer content is not verified by MedHall, and that any file you share can be seen by everyone in the room.
Prohibited Conduct
The conduct rules in the Acceptable Use Policy apply inside rooms: no harassment, hate, abuse, impersonation, spam, sharing others' personal data, sharing files you do not own, recording others without consent, or unlawful activity. Violations may lead to being muted, restricted, or removed by the leader, and to MedHall restricting features where legally permitted.
Minors
The Study Room is intended for medical students and adult healthcare learners. If you are below the applicable minimum age in your jurisdiction, do not use the room, and do not enter any personal information, unless a parent or guardian is involved and consents as required by applicable law. If you believe a minor has used the room or submitted personal information, contact the legal email.
Disclaimer and Liability
The Study Room is provided free, "as is," for educational use. MedHall gives no guarantee of availability, correctness, or safety of room content, and is not liable for anything said, shared, or done in a room, for the identity or behavior of participants, for the loss or misuse of a room code or password, or for the content of files shared by users. The Terms of Use, including the limitation of liability, apply in full. Nothing in this policy limits liability that cannot legally be limited.
Contact
For questions about the Study Room, its data handling, moderation, or this policy, contact: ahmeddelwaan@gmail.com.