Privacy Policy for PathwayEd

Last updated: July 26, 2025

1. Introduction

PathwayEd ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application (the "App") that helps users find school catchment areas and educational information in Australia.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Location Information

We collect location data to provide you with relevant school catchment information and nearby educational facilities. This includes:

• Your device's GPS location (when you grant permission)
• IP address-based location approximation
• Manually entered addresses or postcodes

2.2 Search and Usage Data

We may collect information about how you use our App, including:

• Schools and areas you search for
• Favorites and saved school lists
• App usage patterns and preferences
• Device information (type, operating system, unique device identifiers)

2.3 Personal Information

If you choose to create an account or contact us, we may collect:

• Email address
• Name (if provided)
• User preferences and settings
• Communication records with our support team

2.4 Educational Data

We access publicly available educational data including:

• School performance information from ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority)
• NSW Department of Education data
• School location and catchment boundary information
• Property market data related to school zones

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information to:

• Provide accurate school catchment information based on your location
• Display relevant schools and educational facilities near you
• Generate AI-powered school comparisons and recommendations
• Save your preferences and favorite schools
• Improve our App's functionality and user experience
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
• Analyze usage patterns to enhance our services
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share information in the following circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in:

• Cloud hosting and data storage (AWS, Google Cloud)
• Analytics and app performance monitoring
• AI services for school comparisons (Anthropic Claude API)
• Map and location services

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to:

• Legal process or government requests
• Protection of our rights and property
• Public safety concerns

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication mechanisms
• Regular security assessments
• Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis

6. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. Specifically:

• Account information: Until you delete your account
• Usage data: Up to 2 years for analytics purposes
• Location data: Not stored permanently; used for real-time queries only
• Support communications: Up to 3 years

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt-out: Disable location services or delete your account at any time
• Data Portability: Request your data in a portable format

8. Children's Privacy

Our App is designed to help families find educational opportunities and may be used by parents and guardians on behalf of children. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

9. Third-Party Services

Our App may contain links to third-party websites or integrate with third-party services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to these external services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our App.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the updated Privacy Policy in our App
• Updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
• Sending an email notification (if you have provided an email address)

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be processed and stored in countries other than Australia, including the United States, where our cloud service providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

12. Australian Privacy Principles

As an Australian-based service, we comply with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This includes ensuring the security of personal information and providing individuals with access to their personal information.

14. Effective Date

This Privacy Policy is effective as of July 26, 2025, and applies to all information collected by PathwayEd from that date forward.