Children's Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 24, 2025

1. Scope & Applicability

This policy applies exclusively to children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of consent in your jurisdiction). Our standard Privacy Policy governs data practices for adults. Where data handling differs for minors, this policy takes legal precedence.

2. Information We Collect from Children

We adhere to the principle of data minimization. We only collect information strictly necessary to provide a safe, functional, and age-appropriate experience. Data may include:

• Directly Provided Information: Username, display name, avatar selection, and in-app preferences. This is only collected after verifiable parental consent is obtained.
• Automatically Collected Data: Device type, operating system, anonymized IP address, and limited usage analytics used solely for safety monitoring, bug fixing, and service stability.
• Communication Data: Messages sent through moderated, in-app channels. All communications are scanned by automated safety filters and reviewed by human moderators to ensure compliance with child safety standards.

We do not collect Social Security numbers, precise geolocation, photographs, video recordings, or financial information from children without explicit, documented parental consent.

3. How We Use Children's Information

Data collected from children is used exclusively for the following purposes:

• Providing, maintaining, and improving safe access to our digital services.
• Enforcing community guidelines, age restrictions, and safety protocols.
• Communicating with parents/guardians regarding account status, safety alerts, or consent verification.
• Preventing fraudulent activity, unauthorized access, or harmful interactions.

4. Parental Consent & Verification

Before collecting any personal information from a child under 13, we require verifiable parental consent. Our verification methods may include:

• Valid credit card or payment method verification (with $0 authorization hold)
• Government-issued ID verification through a certified third-party compliance service
• Completion of a cognitive/knowledge-based quiz designed to confirm adult status
• Email verification linked to a verified adult account

If we cannot successfully verify parental consent, we will block registration and not proceed with data collection.

5. Parental Rights & Controls

Parents and legal guardians retain full rights over their child's data. You may:

• Review the personal information we hold about your child
• Request immediate deletion or anonymization of their data
• Refuse further collection or use of their information
• Modify privacy settings, age restrictions, or account access levels
• Revoke consent at any time (note: revocation may limit or terminate service access)

6. Data Sharing & Third-Party Services

We do not sell, trade, rent, or commercially share children's personal information. Limited data may be shared with trusted third-party service providers strictly for:

• Platform hosting, cloud storage, and infrastructure security
• Age verification and parental consent processing
• Legal compliance and regulatory reporting
• Customer support and safety moderation

All third parties are contractually obligated to handle children's data in full compliance with COPPA and applicable privacy laws. We prohibit behavioral advertising, cross-site tracking, and data monetization on any child-facing features.

7. Data Security Measures

We implement industry-leading technical and organizational safeguards to protect children's information, including:

• End-to-end encryption for data in transit and at rest
• Regular penetration testing and third-party security audits
• Strict role-based access controls limiting employee exposure to child data
• Automated threat detection and incident response protocols

8. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain children's personal information only for as long as necessary to provide our services, maintain safety logs, or comply with legal obligations. Upon parental request, account closure, or when retention is no longer legally required, we will securely delete or permanently anonymize the child's data within 30 days.

9. Regional Rights (GDPR-K, CCPA/CPRA)

In jurisdictions such as the European Economic Area, UK, and California, children and parents may have additional statutory rights, including the right to access, correct, restrict processing, data portability, and objection to automated decision-making. Requests can be submitted via our Privacy Team contact below.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in technology, our services, or legal requirements. Material changes will be communicated directly to registered parent accounts via email. Continued use of our services following updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Information