Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to CollegeWard ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and services.

By using CollegeWard, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the application.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Personal Information

When you register for an account, we collect:

• Email address
• Display name (optional)
• Profile picture (optional)
• Authentication data (managed securely through Firebase Authentication)

2.2 Study Content

To provide our services, we process:

• Notes and documents you upload (PDFs, images, text files)
• Flashcards and quizzes generated from your content
• Chat conversations with our AI tutor
• Study progress and performance data

2.3 Usage Data

We automatically collect:

• Device information (device type, operating system)
• App usage statistics (study time, features used)
• Error logs and crash reports (for app improvement)
• IP address (for security and fraud prevention)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services
• Process and analyze your study materials using AI
• Generate personalized flashcards and quizzes
• Power the AI tutor functionality
• Track your learning progress and provide analytics
• Send important updates about your account or our services
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security issues
• Comply with legal obligations

4. AI Processing and Third-Party Services

CollegeWard uses artificial intelligence to process your study materials. This processing may involve:

• OpenAI/Anthropic: For AI tutoring responses and content generation
• Firebase (Google): For authentication, database, and cloud storage
• Sentry: For error tracking and performance monitoring

These services have their own privacy policies and handle data according to their terms. We only share the minimum data necessary to provide our services.

5. Data Storage and Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Secure authentication through Firebase
• Regular security assessments
• Access controls and authentication for our systems

Your data is stored on secure cloud servers. While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time.

Upon account deletion, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where we are required to retain certain information for legal or legitimate business purposes.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal data
• Export: Export your study data in a portable format
• Opt-out: Opt-out of promotional communications
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing where applicable

To exercise these rights, please contact us at privacy@collegeward.app.

8. Children's Privacy

CollegeWard is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

12. Consent

By using CollegeWard, you consent to our Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.