Privacy Policy

Last updated: December 19, 2025

At AcePal, we are committed to protecting the privacy and safety of our users, especially children. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use AcePal, our AI-powered educational assistant designed to provide learning hints and guidance rather than direct answers.

We take special care in handling children’s data and comply with applicable privacy laws including COPPA (Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act). By using AcePal, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Important Information for Parents and Guardians

AcePal is designed as an educational tool to help children learn through AI-powered hints and guidance. We understand the importance of protecting children’s privacy and have implemented strict measures to ensure their safety online.

Age Requirements:

Children under 13 require parental consent to use AcePal
Parents can create supervised accounts for their children
We do not collect unnecessary personal information from children

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

Account means a unique account created to access AcePal’s educational features and track learning progress.
AcePal or Service refers to our AI-powered educational assistant platform that provides learning hints and guidance.
Company (referred to as “AcePal”, “we”, “us” or “our”) refers to the creators and operators of the AcePal educational platform.
Child or Children refers to users under the age of 13, who require special privacy protections under COPPA.
Educational Content refers to the study questions, hints, guidance, and learning materials processed through our AI system.
Parent refers to a parent or legal guardian of a child using AcePal.
Personal Data means any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual or child.
Study Session refers to an interaction between a user and AcePal’s AI system for educational purposes.
Usage Data refers to anonymized data about how the Service is used, which helps us improve the educational experience.

What Information We Collect

Information You Provide

For Children (Under 13):

First name only (for personalized learning experience)
Grade level or age range (to provide age-appropriate content)
Study subjects and topics (to generate relevant hints)
Learning preferences (with parental consent)

For Parents/Guardians:

Email address (for account management and communication)
Relationship to child (parent/guardian verification)
Consent records for children’s accounts

For Students (13 and older):

Name and email address (for account creation)
Educational level and subjects of interest
Study questions and topics submitted for AI assistance

Educational Data We Process

Study questions and homework problems submitted for hints
Learning progress and improvement patterns
Subjects and topics where students seek guidance
Frequency and duration of study sessions
Effectiveness of different hint types (anonymized)

Important: We never store the actual homework answers or completed assignments. AcePal only processes questions to provide educational hints and guidance.

Automatically Collected Information

We collect minimal technical information necessary to provide the service:

Device type and browser information (for compatibility)
General location (country/region level only, for content localization)
Session duration and frequency (to improve the learning experience)
Technical logs for service functionality and security

How We Protect Children’s Privacy

COPPA Compliance

AcePal complies with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA):

Parental Consent: We obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting personal information from children under 13
Limited Collection: We only collect information necessary for the educational service
No Behavioral Advertising: We do not use children’s information for advertising or marketing
Parental Access: Parents can review, modify, or delete their child’s information at any time
Safe Environment: Our AI is designed specifically for educational guidance, not entertainment or social interaction

Cookies and Tracking

We use minimal cookies and tracking technologies:

Essential Cookies: Required for login, session management, and basic functionality
Learning Progress Cookies: Store study preferences and progress (with consent)
Security Cookies: Protect against unauthorized access and ensure account safety

For Children’s Accounts:

We use only essential cookies necessary for the educational service
No advertising or behavioral tracking cookies
Parents can disable non-essential cookies through account settings

Cookie Control:

You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings
Disabling essential cookies may limit some features but won’t prevent basic hint functionality
We clearly identify which cookies are necessary vs. optional

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect solely for educational purposes and service improvement:

Educational Services

Provide Learning Hints: Generate age-appropriate hints and guidance for study questions
Personalized Learning: Adapt hint styles and difficulty to individual learning needs
Progress Tracking: Monitor learning improvement to provide better educational support
Subject Expertise: Develop better AI responses for different academic subjects
Safety Monitoring: Ensure all AI interactions remain educational and appropriate

Account Management

User Authentication: Verify user identity and manage secure access
Parental Controls: Enable parents to monitor and control their children’s usage
Communication: Send important updates about service changes or educational features
Support Services: Respond to help requests and technical issues

Service Improvement

Educational Effectiveness: Analyze (anonymized) data to improve hint quality and learning outcomes
Technical Performance: Monitor system functionality and fix technical issues
Content Development: Create better educational content based on common study topics
Safety Enhancements: Continuously improve child safety and privacy protections

What We DON’T Do

No Advertising: We never use personal information for advertising or marketing to children
No Selling Data: We never sell or rent personal information to third parties
No Social Features: AcePal doesn’t include social networking or chat features with other users
No Homework Completion: We don’t store or complete actual homework assignments

We have strict limits on when and how we share information:

Limited Service Providers

We may share minimal information with trusted service providers who help us operate AcePal:

Cloud Hosting: Secure servers that store account information and learning progress
AI Technology Partners: Companies that help power our educational AI (with strict data protection agreements)
Security Services: Providers that help protect against cyber threats and ensure platform safety
Customer Support: Tools that help us respond to user questions and technical issues

Important: All service providers must:

Sign strict data protection agreements
Use information only for providing the specific service to AcePal
Meet or exceed our privacy and security standards
Never use data for their own purposes or share it further

Legal Requirements

We may disclose information only when legally required:

Court orders or legal subpoenas
Protection of children’s safety from immediate harm
Prevention of fraud or abuse of our service
Compliance with applicable privacy laws (COPPA, GDPR, etc.)

Parental Access

Parents of children under 13 have full control:

Review all information collected about their child
Request corrections or updates to information
Delete their child’s account and all associated data
Receive copies of all information we have about their child

No Marketing Lists: We never share information with advertisers or marketing companies
No Social Platforms: Student information is never shared with social media or other platforms
No Academic Records: We don’t share information with schools or educational institutions without explicit consent
No Public Forums: Student questions and learning progress are never made public

Data Retention and Storage

How Long We Keep Information

Children’s Accounts (Under 13):

Active account information: Retained while the account is active and with ongoing parental consent
Learning progress data: Kept for up to 2 years to track educational improvement
Study session data: Anonymized after 30 days, deleted entirely after 1 year
Account deleted upon parental request or when child turns 13 (converted to regular account with renewed consent)

Student Accounts (13+):

Account information: Retained while account is active
Learning progress: Kept for educational continuity unless user requests deletion
Study questions: Processed for hints but not permanently stored
Inactive accounts: Automatically deleted after 3 years of inactivity

Technical and Security Data:

Server logs: 90 days for security and technical troubleshooting
Anonymized usage analytics: Up to 5 years for service improvement
Security incident data: As required by law for investigation purposes

Secure Data Storage

All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest
Servers are located in secure, certified data centers
Regular security audits and penetration testing
Automatic backups with encryption for data recovery
Access limited to essential personnel with background checks

International Data Transfers

Data Location and Transfers

AcePal is committed to protecting your information regardless of where it is processed:

Primary Storage: Data is primarily stored in secure facilities in the United States
Service Providers: Some trusted partners may process data in other countries with adequate privacy protections
Transfer Safeguards: All international transfers use appropriate safeguards such as:
- Standard Contractual Clauses approved by privacy authorities
- Adequacy decisions from relevant privacy regulators
- Additional security measures and encryption

Protection Standards

When data is transferred internationally, we ensure:

Recipient countries have adequate privacy laws or we implement additional safeguards
All service providers sign strict data protection agreements
Technical and organizational security measures meet or exceed original protection levels
Parents can request information about where their child’s data is processed

For EU users, we comply with GDPR requirements for international data transfers.

Your Rights and Control Over Your Data

For Parents of Children Under 13

Parents have complete control over their child’s information:

Review: Request a copy of all information collected about your child
Correct: Update or correct any inaccurate information
Delete: Request immediate deletion of your child’s account and all data
Restrict: Limit what information can be collected or how it’s used
Withdraw Consent: Revoke permission for data collection at any time
Data Portability: Receive your child’s data in a portable format

How to Exercise Parental Rights:

Log into your parent account dashboard
Email us with your request and account verification
Call our support line during business hours
We will respond to all requests within 72 hours

For Students 13 and Older

You have the right to:

Access: View all personal information we have collected
Correct: Update your account information and learning preferences
Delete: Request account deletion with immediate data removal
Data Export: Download your learning progress and account data
Opt-Out: Stop collection of certain types of information

Easy Account Management

Account Settings: Update privacy preferences through your dashboard
Learning Control: Choose what subjects and data to share for hints
Communication Preferences: Control what emails and notifications you receive
Immediate Deletion: Delete your account instantly through settings
Data Download: Export all your information with one click

Business Changes and Legal Requirements

If AcePal Changes Ownership

In the unlikely event of a business sale, merger, or acquisition:

Advance Notice: We will provide at least 30 days notice before any data transfer
Same Protections: Any new owner must agree to honor this Privacy Policy
Opt-Out Option: Users can delete their accounts before any transfer occurs
Enhanced Protection for Children: Special COPPA protections apply to children’s data transfers
Regulatory Approval: Any transfer involving children’s data requires regulatory compliance review

Legal Disclosures

We may disclose information only in limited circumstances:

Child Safety: If we believe a child is in immediate physical danger Legal Orders: Valid court orders or subpoenas (we will challenge overly broad requests) Fraud Prevention: To investigate suspected fraud or abuse of our educational service National Security: Only when legally required and to the minimum extent necessary

Our Commitment:

We will notify users of legal requests unless prohibited by law
We challenge requests that seem excessive or inappropriate
We provide only the minimum information required by law
We maintain detailed records of all legal disclosures for transparency

Data Security and Protection

Our Security Measures

We implement comprehensive security to protect your information:

Technical Safeguards:

End-to-end encryption for all data transmission
Advanced encryption (AES-256) for stored data
Multi-factor authentication for account access
Regular security updates and patches
Intrusion detection and prevention systems
Secure backup systems with encryption

Access Controls:

Strict employee access controls with need-to-know basis
Background checks for all staff with data access
Regular security training for all team members
Audit logs of all data access and changes
Automatic session timeouts for inactive accounts

Infrastructure Security:

Certified secure data centers with physical security
Regular third-party security audits and penetration testing
Compliance with industry security standards (SOC 2, ISO 27001)
24/7 security monitoring and incident response team
Disaster recovery and business continuity plans

What You Can Do

Protect Your Account:

Use strong, unique passwords
Enable two-factor authentication
Log out when finished, especially on shared devices
Never share login credentials
Report suspicious activity immediately

For Parents:

Regularly review your child’s account activity
Set up account alerts for important changes
Monitor which devices your child uses to access AcePal
Teach children about online safety and privacy

While we implement strong security measures, no online service is 100% secure. We continuously work to improve our security and will notify users promptly of any security incidents that may affect their data.

Special Protections for Children

COPPA Compliance and Child Safety

AcePal is designed with children’s safety as our top priority:

Age Verification Process:

We verify ages during account creation
Children under 13 cannot create accounts without parental consent
We use reliable age verification methods to ensure compliance
Parents must verify their identity before granting consent

Enhanced Privacy for Children:

Minimal data collection - only what’s necessary for educational hints
No advertising or marketing to children
No behavioral profiling or targeted content
No social features or communication with other users
Regular deletion of unnecessary data

Parental Oversight:

Parents receive regular reports on their child’s activity
Complete control over account settings and privacy preferences
Ability to pause or restrict service at any time
Immediate notification of any account changes or issues

Educational Focus:

All AI interactions are educational and age-appropriate
Content filtering to ensure appropriate study material
No entertainment features that might distract from learning
Clear boundaries on what types of questions the AI will help with

Safety Monitoring:

All interactions are monitored for safety and appropriateness
Automatic detection of inappropriate content or behavior
Immediate alerts for any safety concerns
Regular review of AI responses to ensure educational value

If we discover that we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13 without proper parental consent, we will immediately delete that information and contact the parent.

Third-Party Services and Links

Educational Resources

AcePal may provide links to educational resources and websites:

Curated Educational Links:

We carefully select educational resources that align with our values
All linked sites are reviewed for age-appropriate content
We provide clear warnings when linking to external sites
Parents can disable external links in their child’s account settings

No Responsibility for Third Parties:

We cannot control the privacy practices of external websites
Each site has its own privacy policy and terms of service
We encourage parents and students to review privacy policies before visiting linked sites
External sites may have different age restrictions and data collection practices

Service Integrations

AI Technology Partners:

We use trusted AI services to power our educational hints
All partners sign strict data protection agreements
Student questions are processed securely and not stored by partners
We regularly audit our partners’ privacy and security practices

Analytics and Performance:

We use privacy-focused analytics that don’t track individual users
Only aggregated, anonymized data is used for service improvement
No personal information is shared with analytics providers
Parents can opt out of analytics for their child’s account

Changes to This Privacy Policy

How We Handle Privacy Policy Updates

We may need to update this Privacy Policy occasionally to reflect new features, legal requirements, or improved privacy practices:

Notification Process:

30 Days Advance Notice: We will provide at least 30 days notice before significant changes take effect
Multiple Channels: Notifications will be sent via email, account dashboard alerts, and website announcements
Plain Language: All changes will be explained in clear, understandable terms
Highlighting Changes: We will clearly mark what has changed and why

Special Protections for Children:

Parental Notification: Parents will receive direct notification of any changes affecting children’s accounts
New Consent Required: Material changes may require renewed parental consent
Opt-Out Period: Parents have 30 days to review changes and opt out if desired
No Retroactive Changes: New policies will not apply retroactively to existing data

Your Choices:

Continued Use: Using AcePal after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy
Opt-Out Option: You can delete your account before changes take effect if you disagree
Partial Acceptance: Some changes may allow you to opt out of specific features while keeping your account
Questions Welcome: Contact us with any questions about privacy policy changes

Version Control:

We maintain previous versions of our Privacy Policy for reference
The “Last Updated” date at the top shows when the current version became effective
Major version changes will be archived and available upon request

Contact Us

Get Help with Privacy Questions

We’re here to help with any questions about your privacy or your child’s privacy:

Privacy Officer Contact:

Email: [email protected]
Subject Line: Use “Privacy Inquiry” for faster processing
Response Time: We respond to all privacy questions within 48 hours
Languages: Support available in English and Spanish

Parent Support:

Dedicated Parent Line: For parents of children under 13
Email: [email protected]
Priority Support: Parent privacy requests get priority handling
Account Assistance: Help with parental controls and consent management

General Contact Information:

Customer Support: [email protected]
Business Hours: Monday-Friday, 9 AM - 6 PM EST
Emergency Contact: For urgent safety concerns, call our 24/7 safety hotline

Mailing Address: AcePal Privacy Team
[Your Business Address]
[City, State ZIP Code]

What to Include in Your Message:

Your name and relationship to the account (parent, student, etc.)
Account email address (for verification)
Specific privacy question or request
Preferred response method

Regulatory Contacts

If you have concerns about our privacy practices that we cannot resolve:

FTC COPPA Enforcement: For children’s privacy concerns
State Attorney General: For state privacy law issues
Data Protection Authorities: For international privacy rights

We are committed to resolving all privacy concerns quickly and transparently. Your privacy and your children’s safety are our highest priorities.