Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Valedictorian ("we", "our", or "us"). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains clearly and transparently how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you use our application.

Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with these terms, please stop using the application.

2. Types of Data We Collect

Personal information you give us directly:

• Name and email address — when you create an account
• Essay and writing content — text you submit for analysis, feedback, translation, or practice
• Payment details — handled entirely by our payment processor; we never see or store your card number

Information collected automatically:

• Device identifiers — browser type, operating system, device type
• IP address — used to determine approximate location for legal compliance
• Usage data — pages visited, features used, session duration, and interaction patterns
• Session cookies — small files stored in your browser to keep you logged in (see Section 6)

Permissions we may request:

• We do not request access to your camera, microphone, contacts, or device location
• We request only the minimum browser permissions needed to operate the app (e.g., clipboard access for copy features)

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect your data through the following methods:

• In-app forms: when you register, submit an essay, or request a translation
• Background collection: usage and device data are collected automatically as you navigate the app
• Session cookies: set by our platform to keep your session active
• Third-party services: our payment processor collects billing information directly on their secure page

4. Why We Collect Your Data

We only collect data for specific, legitimate purposes:

• Account creation & service provision: to create your account and deliver AI-powered essay feedback, translation, and writing practice
• Payment processing: to manage your subscription and verify payment status
• Personalization: to remember your preferences such as language and grade level
• Transactional emails: to send receipts, practice reminders, and important service notices you have opted into
• Analytics & improvement: to understand how the app is used so we can fix issues and improve features
• Legal compliance: to meet our obligations under applicable law

We do not sell your data or use your essays to train AI models without your explicit consent.

5. Disclosure to Third Parties

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We share data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Payment processors: to securely handle subscription billing (they are bound by their own strict privacy and security standards)
• Cloud hosting & infrastructure providers: to store and serve the application (bound by confidentiality agreements)
• AI/LLM providers: essay content is sent to an AI model to generate feedback; this is processed according to the provider's data processing agreement
• Legal authorities: if required by law, court order, or valid legal process
• Business transfers: in the event of a merger or acquisition, with advance notice provided to you

6. Cookies & Tracking

We use essential session cookies only — these are strictly necessary to keep you logged in and maintain your session. We do not use:

• Advertising or retargeting cookies
• Third-party analytics tracking cookies (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Social media tracking pixels

You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though this will prevent you from staying logged in.

7. Overseas Disclosure

Our services and infrastructure may be hosted in or operated from countries other than your own (including the United States and European Union countries). When your data is transferred internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent protections, in compliance with GDPR and other applicable laws.

8. Data Security

We take your data security seriously. Our measures include:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS) for all connections
• Secure authentication and session management
• Access controls limiting who can view personal data
• Payment data handled exclusively by PCI-DSS compliant processors — we never store card details

No method of internet transmission is 100% secure. While we use best-practice protections, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your personal data for the following periods:

• Account data (name, email): retained while your account is active
• Essay history & feedback: retained while your account is active so you can access your history
• Payment records: retained as required by financial and legal obligations (typically 7 years)
• Usage/analytics data: retained in aggregated or anonymized form indefinitely

When you delete your account, your personal data and essay history are permanently deleted within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location (including under GDPR, CCPA, and similar laws), you have the following rights:

• Access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: request we fix any inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion ("right to be forgotten"): request we delete your personal data
• Portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Objection: object to processing based on our legitimate interests
• Restriction: request we limit how we process your data in certain circumstances
• Withdraw consent: at any time, where processing is based on your consent

To exercise any right, contact us at the email in Section 12. We will respond within 30 days.

11. Children's Privacy

Valedictorian is designed as an educational writing tool intended for middle school students and above (generally ages 11+). However, we do not have technical mechanisms to verify a user's age at registration.

Children under 13 (COPPA): If you are under 13 years old, please do not use this app without a parent or guardian's knowledge and consent. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided personal data without parental consent, we will delete that information promptly.

For parents and guardians: If you believe your child under 13 has created an account or submitted personal information without your consent, please contact us at support@valedictorian.app and we will delete the account and associated data within 30 days.

Students ages 13–17: We encourage parents and guardians to review this Privacy Policy with their teens. The content submitted (essays, writing practice) is used solely to provide feedback and is not shared publicly or used for advertising.

We recommend that school or institutional use of Valedictorian by students under 18 be arranged with parental notification.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do:

• We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
• For significant changes, we will notify you by email or by a prominent notice within the app
• You can always review the latest version at /privacy-policy

Your continued use of the app after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please reach out to us:

We aim to respond to all privacy-related requests within 30 days.