Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

K-12Buddy ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy and security of our users, especially children under 13 years of age. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our educational platform.

We comply with all applicable data protection laws including:

COPPA - Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (USA)
FERPA - Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (USA)
GDPR - General Data Protection Regulation (EU)
PIPEDA - Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada)
CCPA - California Consumer Privacy Act

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide

Parent/Guardian information: Name, email, phone number
Student information: First name, grade level, age (no last names for children under 13)
Educational data: Subjects of interest, learning goals, quiz responses
Account credentials: Username and encrypted password
Payment information: Processed securely through Stripe (we don't store card details)

Information Collected Automatically

Usage data: Pages visited, features used, time spent
Device information: Browser type, operating system (no device IDs for children)
IP address: For security and geographic customization (anonymized for children)
Cookies: Essential cookies only for children under 13

Note for Children Under 13: We collect minimal information and always require parental consent. We never collect more than necessary for educational purposes.

3. How We Use Information

We use collected information solely for educational purposes:

Provide personalized learning experiences
Track educational progress and generate reports for parents
Respond to questions and provide homework help
Send important account and safety notifications
Improve our educational content and platform
Ensure platform safety and prevent misuse
Comply with legal obligations

We Never: Sell student data, use data for advertising, create marketing profiles, or share data with third parties for non-educational purposes.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We share information only in these limited circumstances:

With Parents/Guardians: Full access to their child's account and data
Service Providers: Trusted partners who help operate our platform (under strict contracts)
Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect safety
Business Transfers: If K-12Buddy is acquired (with continued privacy protection)
With Consent: Only with explicit parental consent for children

All third parties are required to maintain the confidentiality and security of student data and can only use it to provide services to K-12Buddy.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures:

Encryption

256-bit SSL encryption for all data transfers and AES encryption for stored data

Secure Hosting

SOC 2 certified data centers with 24/7 monitoring

Access Controls

Role-based access with multi-factor authentication for staff

Regular Audits

Annual security audits and penetration testing

6. Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)

We take special precautions to protect children under 13:

We require verifiable parental consent before collecting any information
Parents can review, update, or delete their child's information at any time
We collect only information necessary for educational purposes
No behavioral advertising or tracking
No social features that allow children to publicly share information
Automatic deletion of unnecessary data

Parental Rights Include:

• Access to all child's data
• Correct inaccurate information
• Delete child's account and data
• Refuse further data collection
• Receive notices of any data breaches

7. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you have the following rights:

All Users

• Access your personal information
• Correct inaccurate data
• Delete your account
• Export your data
• Opt-out of non-essential processing

EU Residents (GDPR)

• Right to be forgotten
• Data portability
• Restrict processing
• Object to processing
• Lodge complaints with supervisory authorities

California Residents (CCPA)

• Know what personal information is collected
• Know if information is sold or disclosed
• Say no to the sale of personal information
• Equal service and price regardless of privacy choices

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@k12buddy.com or use the controls in your account settings.

8. Data Retention

We retain data only as long as necessary:

Data Type	Retention Period
Active Account Data	Duration of account + 30 days
Educational Records	As required by FERPA (typically 3 years)
Deleted Account Data	30 days (for recovery), then permanently deleted
Backup Data	90 days rolling backups
Basic Plan Storage	30 days for user-generated content

Parents can request immediate deletion of their child's data at any time.

9. International Users

K-12Buddy operates globally and processes data in the United States. By using our service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the U.S.

For EU users, we use Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission for data transfers. We also participate in the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.

Canadian users are protected under PIPEDA, and we ensure all data handling meets Canadian privacy standards.

10. Contact Information

For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights:

Data Protection Officer

K-12Buddy Privacy Team

Email: privacy@k12buddy.com

Phone: 1-800-K12-BUDDY

Address: 123 Education Way, Learning City, CA 90210

We respond to all privacy requests within 30 days (or sooner if required by applicable law).

K-12Buddy

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