Effective Date: March 2nd, 2026
1. Introduction
ZED Software ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of students, educators, and parents. This policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard personal information within our platform, specifically focusing on the protections required for K-12 students.
2. Compliance with Student Privacy Laws
We designed our platform to comply with major student privacy regulations:
- COPPA: We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent or notice to the school.
- FERPA: we act as a "school official" under FERPA's direct control, ensuring that student education records are used only for authorized educational purposes.
3. Information We Collect
- Student Data: We limit collection to the minimum necessary for the service (e.g., first name, grade level, and school-assigned ID). We do not collect student biometric data or GPS location.
- Payment Data: For paid subscriptions, all payment processing is handled by Braintree (a PayPal service). We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers.
- Usage Data: We collect non-identifiable data (browser type, time spent in-app) to improve the learning experience.
4. How We Use Information
Student information is used strictly to:
- Provide and maintain the educational service.
- Allow teachers and parents to monitor student progress.
- Provide technical support.
We do not sell student data to third parties, and we do not use student data for behavioral advertising or marketing.
5. Data Security
We maintain a comprehensive security program to protect student data, including:
- Encryption: Data is encrypted at rest and in transit using SSL/TLS (HTTPS). User data is stored in AES-256 encrypted databases.
- Access Control: Access to student data is restricted to authorized employees who require it to perform their jobs. Access to our administrative backend requires Multi-Factor Authentication.
- Data Minimization: We only retain student data for as long as the account is active or as required by the school.
6. Parent and Student Rights
Parents or legal guardians have the right to:
- Review the personal information collected from their child.
- Request the deletion of their child’s information.
- Refuse further collection of information.
To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@zed-software.com.
7. Data Breach Notification
In the event of a verified data breach, we will notify affected schools and/or parents within 72 hours of discovery, in accordance with applicable state and federal laws.