Privacy Policy for Kids Games & Activities
Effective Date: August 12, 2026
At ByteWhales ("we," "our," or "us"), we are committed to protecting the privacy of our users, especially children. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you use our mobile application, SmartKids Learning Hub (the "App").
Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. The App is designed for children (ages 2–8) and their parents or guardians. By accessing or using the App, you (as a parent or guardian) 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 or use the App.
1. Important Notice Regarding Children's Privacy
We take children's privacy extremely seriously. The App is designed to be fully compliant with:
COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) in the United States.
GDPR-K (General Data Protection Regulation for children) in the European Union.
Apple App Store Kids Category Guidelines (Section 1.3 and 5.1.4).
Google Play Families Policy.
Key Safeguards:
No Child Personal Data Collection: We do not knowingly collect, store, or solicit personally identifiable information (PII) from children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction).
Parental Gate: Access to settings, external links, in-app purchases, and parent dashboards is secured behind a parental gate (e.g., adult verification math challenge or passcode) to prevent children from accessing features intended only for adults.
2. Zero Tracking, Zero Advertising & No Location Collection
To ensure a safe environment for children, we enforce strict data usage restrictions:
Zero Tracking: We do not track children or parents. We do not collect or transmit unique advertising identifiers (such as Apple's IDFA or Google's GAID/AAID). We do not build marketing profiles, perform behavioral tracking, or share any user data with third-party data brokers.
Zero Advertising: The App has no third-party advertising SDKs and displays no behavioral, targeted, or third-party ads.
No Location Collection: The App does not access, request, collect, or share the device's precise or coarse geographical location.
3. Information We Collect
We collect information in a variety of ways depending on the features used. All personal data collection is restricted strictly to adult parents or guardians.
A. Information Provided by Parents/Guardians (Adult Accounts)
Account Registration: To track learning progress across devices, parents can choose to create an account via Firebase Authentication. We collect the parent's email address, display name, password hash, and an optional profile photo (if uploaded).
Anonymous Guest Mode: Parents can opt to use the App in "Guest" mode. Under Guest mode, no personal information (like email or name) is collected, and progress is saved locally on the device or via temporary anonymous identifiers.
Learning Progress & Stats: To populate the Parent Dashboard, we store non-personal progress data, including completed lessons, streak info (daily streaks, longest streak), earned rewards (stars, coins, badges), drawing/coloring board saves, and progress reports. This progress data is stored anonymously and is not linked to any real-world identity of the child.
Account Registration: To track learning progress across devices, parents can choose to create an account via Firebase Authentication. We collect the parent's email address, display name, password hash, and an optional profile photo (if uploaded).
Anonymous Guest Mode: Parents can opt to use the App in "Guest" mode. Under Guest mode, no personal information (like email or name) is collected, and progress is saved locally on the device or via temporary anonymous identifiers.
Learning Progress & Stats: To populate the Parent Dashboard, we store non-personal progress data, including completed lessons, streak info (daily streaks, longest streak), earned rewards (stars, coins, badges), drawing/coloring board saves, and progress reports. This progress data is stored anonymously and is not linked to any real-world identity of the child.
B. Device and Usage Data
To maintain application performance, security, and stability, we automatically collect certain non-personal device information:
Device Details: Mobile device model, operating system version, and IP address.
Usage Statistics: We track feature interaction, page views, time spent in learning modules, and completed quizzes. No advertising identifiers are collected.
C. Device Permissions
To provide the App's core educational functionalities, we request access to the following device features:
Microphone / Speech Recognition: Used locally on the device for early phonics, letter sounds, and word pronunciation practice. We do not record, store, or transmit your child's voice or audio files. All voice processing is performed entirely on-device in real-time.
Camera and Photo Library (Image Picker): Used solely for parents or children to upload a profile picture or for saving a child's coloring/paint projects directly to the device's local photo storage.
Notifications: We request permission to send notifications to parents about weekly learning reports, daily streaks, and educational reminders.
4. Third-Party Service Providers (Privacy-Compliant Configurations)
We utilize trusted third-party services to host our databases, monitor app performance, and process billing. We configure all third-party SDKs in a strict privacy-compliant mode:
Firebase (Google LLC):
Authentication: Used to securely sign in parents/guardians.
Realtime Database & Storage: Used to synchronize learning progress, settings, and profile images.
Analytics: Used to analyze performance and track app usability. We configure Firebase to disable advertising identifiers and personal data collection.
Remote Config & App Check: Used to customize configurations and verify app security.
Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy
Mixpanel (Mixpanel, Inc.):
Used to understand user behavior and engagement flows. Mixpanel is configured in full compliance with child privacy regulations to ensure no personal identifiers or advertising IDs are tracked.
Privacy Policy: Mixpanel Privacy Policy
YouTube API Services (Google LLC):
Used inside the "Kids Video Learning Hub" to play educational videos via an embedded player. We use the privacy-enhanced mode of YouTube to play videos inside the App without tracking child viewing behavior.
Privacy Policy: Google Privacy Policy
Apple App Store In-App Purchases (StoreKit) & Google Play Billing:
Used to process premium subscriptions ("Kids Plus Membership"). All billing details and transactions are handled securely by Apple and Google. We do not collect or store credit card or billing details.
Privacy Policies: Apple Privacy Policy / Google Privacy Policy
5. How We Use the Information
We use the collected information to:
Securely create, manage, and authenticate parent accounts.
Sync and maintain learning progress, statistics, and rewards across devices.
Deliver core learning activities (phonics, voice pronunciation, coloring board saving).
Provide parents with detailed reports on learning progress through the Parent Dashboard.
Process premium membership purchases and manage subscriptions.
Provide customer support and respond to parental inquiries.
Improve App stability, features, and educational content.
6. How We Share Information
We do not sell, rent, trade, lease, or share personal data with third-party data brokers or marketing networks. We may disclose information only in the following scenarios:
With Service Providers: We share details with our backend and analytics partners (Firebase, Mixpanel) to host and operate the App.
Compliance with Laws: We may disclose information where required by law, subpoena, or in response to valid requests by public authorities.
Business Transfers: If ByteWhales is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, user account records may be transferred.
7. Data Security
We implement robust technical and organizational security measures to protect parent account and progress data. However, please be aware that no electronic transmission or storage method is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Data Retention and Account Deletion
We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy.
Account Deletion: Parents have the right to request the deletion of their account and all associated data at any time. To do so, navigate to Settings in the App and tap the Delete Account button, or contact us directly at the email provided below. Upon triggering account deletion, we immediately and permanently delete your account authentication records, profile information, and associated progress/streak data from our Firebase systems.
9. GDPR, CCPA, and COPPA Rights
Depending on your location, you (as a parent or guardian) have specific rights regarding the personal information we hold:
The right to access, update, or delete the account information we have on you.
The right of rectification if the information is inaccurate or incomplete.
The right to object or restrict our processing of your data.
The right to withdraw consent at any time.
The right to review and request deletion of any data collected from your child (should any be collected accidentally).
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the App and updating the "Effective Date" at the top of this page. You are advised to review this page periodically for any changes.
11. Contact Us
If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
By email: bytewhalesapple@gmail.com