Privacy Policy

1. Scope and operator

This Privacy Policy applies to the ABZ Learning website at abzlearning.com, its games, educator and student account features, classroom assignments, feedback forms, and other online services that link to this policy (collectively, the “Service”).

ABZ Learning is the operator of the Service. In this policy, “ABZ Learning,” “ABZ,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to ABZ Learning. Questions and privacy requests may be sent to abzonlinelearning@gmail.com.

This policy does not govern a third-party website or service that has its own privacy policy, even when ABZ links to or embeds that service.

2. Information we collect

Information educators and other adults provide

• Account information: teacher name or display name, email address, Firebase account identifier, authentication information, class code, and profile or role information.
• Classroom information: student rosters, student display names, profile icons, picture-password selections, assignments, assignment notes, assigned skills and grades, and classroom relationships.
• Communications: name, email address, message, game name, and other information submitted through a contact or feedback form. An email address is optional on the game feedback form unless a reply is requested.
• Email preferences: whether an adult opts into ABZ newsletters, product updates, and teaching tips, together with the preference's timestamp, source, and version.
• Content and settings: custom question sets, saved choices, account settings, or other material an educator chooses to create or save where those features are available.

Information students provide or generate

• Student profile information: student name or display name, gamer tag, profile icon or avatar, class code, teacher relationship, internal student identifier, picture-password selections, and an email address for student accounts that use email login.
• Learning and gameplay information: assigned activity, selected grade or skill, responses, correct and incorrect answers, attempts, accuracy, score, completion status, time or duration, streaks, and submission timestamps.
• Rewards and customization: point balances, digital collectibles, inventory, redemptions, and saved profile or virtual-room choices where those features are available.
• Student-created content: drawings, typed responses, or other activity content if a game or classroom feature asks the student to create it.
• Voice data: ABZ activities do not record, upload, or store children’s voices. The unreleased Assessment recording workflow is disabled and is outside the current independent-review and classroom-pilot scope.

Information collected automatically

• Device and connection data: IP address, browser and device type, operating system, language, screen and viewport size, referring page, and general connection information.
• Usage data: pages and games opened, clicks, feature use, session and page duration, game events, errors, assignment context, and approximate timestamps.
• Identifiers and storage: cookie identifiers, an anonymous player identifier, analytics identifiers, and information stored in local storage or session storage to keep a user signed in, remember a student or teacher session, preserve settings, or prevent duplicate processing.

Sources of information

We receive information directly from users; from a parent, educator, school, or district that creates or manages a student account; automatically from the browser or device; and from service providers that help us operate, secure, analyze, or support the Service.

3. Students, families, and school use

ABZ Learning serves students, educators, and families. Our student learning areas include activities designed for children under 13. Other areas support educators, school and district staff, parents and guardians, tutors, homeschool instructors, and other adults. We treat ABZ as covered by the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (“COPPA”) and apply children's privacy protections to student learning areas and to any user we know or treat as being under 13.

Learning areas and tools for adults

• Student learning areas: the games library and individual game pages, interactive storybooks, student-facing classroom aids such as alphabet flashcards, phonetic blending cards, and online Elkonin boxes, the student portal and student login, assignment play, student gameplay results, and the ZPoints card shop.
• Educator and family areas: the educator dashboard, educator login and account management, roster and assignment creation, the blog and professional-learning articles, research and content-standards pages, curriculum-alignment pages, the About and Founder pages, and contact and feedback forms intended for adults.

We do not ask general visitors for a birth date before showing public pages. Instead, we apply children's privacy protections by section: student learning areas are operated under COPPA rules for every visitor, regardless of that visitor's actual age, and information tied to a student account is always handled under the school and parent rules below. Where a section is used by both children and adults, we apply the more protective treatment.

Children under 13 may use account-based or classroom features only with authorization from a parent or legal guardian, or through a school that is permitted to act on the parent's behalf for the educational context. A child should not create an independent student account without parent or guardian permission.

School-managed accounts

When a school, district, or educator creates student profiles or assigns activities, the school is responsible for having the authority required to provide that information and authorize the educational use of the Service. ABZ uses school-provided student information to deliver the requested educational service, show assignments, record results, provide teacher reports, support the classroom, secure the Service, and meet legal obligations. We do not use student names, class codes, assignment results, or picture passwords to build advertising profiles.

If student information is part of an education record protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”), the school remains responsible for its FERPA obligations. To the extent ABZ receives such information under a valid school arrangement, ABZ will use and disclose it only to provide the school-authorized service, as directed by the school, and as otherwise permitted or required by law.

Parent and guardian rights

A parent or legal guardian may ask to review, correct, or delete personal information collected from a child; refuse further collection or use; or ask us to close the child's account. Email abzonlinelearning@gmail.com with the subject “Child Privacy Request.” We may take reasonable steps to verify the requester's identity and authority before acting.

A school or educator may also request access, correction, export, or deletion for school-managed student information. We may direct a parent to the school when the school controls the education record or is best positioned to verify the request.

4. How we use information

We use information to:

• create and maintain educator, classroom, and student accounts;
• authenticate users and keep account sessions working;
• deliver games, assignments, feedback, scoring, progress, and teacher reports;
• personalize grade, skill, difficulty, accessibility, and gameplay settings;
• respond to support questions, feedback, and privacy requests;
• send newsletters, product updates, and teaching tips to adults who opt in, and manage their communication preferences;
• measure performance, diagnose errors, secure accounts, prevent abuse, and improve the Service;
• understand which games and features are useful and develop new educational content;
• display, measure, and manage advertising on public portions of the Service;
• enforce our Terms of Service and protect users, ABZ, and others; and
• comply with law and establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Where a law requires a legal basis, we rely as applicable on consent; performance of a contract or requested service; legitimate interests such as operating, securing, and improving the Service; and compliance with legal obligations. Where school authorization is used for a child, the use is limited to the educational context authorized by the school.

5. How we disclose information

We may disclose information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers and integrations: vendors that provide hosting, databases, authentication, analytics, forms, content delivery, embedded games, media, advertising, security, and technical support. Service providers acting on ABZ's behalf process information subject to their agreements and applicable law. Some advertising, media, and other integrations also collect browser information under their own privacy policies, as described in Sections 6 and 11.
• Educators, schools, parents, and students: teachers may view their students' profiles, assignments, responses, scores, and progress. Students may view their own assignments and results. A school or authorized parent may receive information connected to the student it manages.
• Legal and safety reasons: when reasonably necessary to comply with law or legal process; protect the rights, safety, or security of users, ABZ, or others; investigate fraud or abuse; or enforce our terms.
• Business changes: in connection with a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or transfer of all or part of the Service, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal protections.
• With direction or consent: when an adult user, parent, school, or other authorized party directs us to disclose information or gives valid consent.
• Aggregated or de-identified information: information that reasonably cannot identify an individual may be used and disclosed for research, reporting, service improvement, or other lawful purposes.

ABZ does not sell personal information for money. Some privacy laws define “sale” or “sharing” more broadly to include certain advertising technology transfers. Public pages may use analytics and advertising providers that receive online identifiers and activity information, as described in the next section. We do not knowingly sell or share the personal information of children under 16 for cross-context behavioral advertising.

6. Analytics, advertising, and measurement

ABZ uses first-party analytics stored in Firebase to understand visits, game starts and completions, feature use, errors, and general site performance. These first-party systems may receive identifiers, device data, page activity, assignment context, grade or skill selection, gameplay events, and normalized terms deliberately entered in a game or resource search box. Search terms are length-limited and screened for common personal identifiers before storage; users should not type names, email addresses, phone numbers, account details, or other personal information into search boxes. We ask users not to place directly identifying information in custom content or feedback unless it is necessary.

Public portions of the Service may display advertising through Google AdSense. Optional Google Analytics measurement is limited to selected editorial pages for adults and loads only after an affirmative analytics-consent signal; it is disabled in learning and account areas and for recognized student sessions. We do not use Google Analytics advertising signals or ad-personalization features. Advertising and measurement providers may use cookies, local storage, IP addresses, device identifiers, and browsing activity according to their own policies.

Advertising settings differ between student learning areas and areas for adults:

• Student learning areas — game pages, interactive storybooks, student-facing classroom aids, the student portal, and the ZPoints card shop — use advertising settings intended to protect children's privacy. Advertising on these pages is limited to non-personalized, contextual ads. We do not permit interest-based or cross-context behavioral advertising, remarketing, or advertising identifiers used to build a profile on these pages.
• Areas for adults — the blog, research and standards pages, curriculum-alignment pages, the About and Founder pages, and educator account areas — may serve personalized advertising, subject to the user's location, consent choices, and browser settings.

Where personalized advertising is permitted, Google and other advertising vendors may use cookies to serve ads based on prior visits to ABZ or other websites. Google's advertising cookies enable Google and its partners to tailor ads using those visits. Adults can manage Google ad personalization through Google Ads Settings. Learn more about how Google uses information from partner sites. These provider controls do not replace any consent choices required on ABZ.

ABZ does not send student names, class codes, picture passwords, gamer tags, or individual assignment answers to advertising providers for their own advertising purposes. Blocking cookies or using an ad blocker may limit advertising and measurement but should not prevent access to the core game content.

7. Cookies, local storage, and similar technology

We and our providers use cookies, local storage, session storage, pixels, and similar technology for functions such as authentication, remembering student or teacher sessions, saving game settings, maintaining an anonymous player identifier, measuring use, preventing duplicate events, and supporting ads on public pages.

Browser settings can delete or block cookies and site storage. Doing so may sign users out, erase saved settings, or make student, teacher, assignment, and analytics features work incorrectly. A user can also clear ABZ's saved local data through the browser's site-data controls.

Clearing browser storage does not delete information already stored in ABZ accounts or databases. To request deletion of that information, follow the privacy-request instructions below.

We currently do not respond to every browser “Do Not Track” signal because there is no single accepted standard. Where applicable law requires recognition of an opt-out mechanism, we will process supported requests as required. Users may also contact us directly using the privacy-request information below.

8. Data retention and security

Retention

We keep information for the stated purposes below and delete it when that need ends. Archiving a student hides the profile and stops access; it is not immediate permanent deletion.

• Student profiles, assignments, results, and digital rewards: kept while needed for an active learning account. Accounts with no recorded activity for 365 days are reviewed for closure and archived. Archived student accounts and their associated records are scheduled for permanent deletion after a 30-day recovery period, with daily processing. An authorized deletion request can end that recovery period sooner.
• Raw ABZ activity and operational logs: retained for up to 120 days for service measurement, troubleshooting, and security, then removed in daily processing. This does not shorten the retention period for educational results that are part of an active student account.
• Support and contact messages: retained for up to 180 days after the matter is resolved, then deleted from ABZ-managed support systems. We retain only what is needed to handle an unresolved request.
• Privacy requests: we aim to acknowledge requests within five business days and complete verified deletion requests within 30 calendar days. If applicable law requires an earlier response, that deadline applies. We will explain any permitted extension or information that must be retained.

Information retained because of a specific legal obligation or active dispute is restricted to that purpose and reviewed every 90 days; it is deleted when the obligation ends. Aggregate statistics may be retained only if they no longer identify or can reasonably be linked to a person. Restoring a backup must not restore an account's permission to use the Service or cancel an outstanding deletion request. Provider backup and recovery copies follow the provider's documented deletion cycle; contact us for information about a particular request.

Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information. These include access controls and the security features of our hosting, authentication, and database providers. No website or storage system can guarantee absolute security. Users should protect account credentials and picture passwords, use appropriate devices, and notify us of suspected unauthorized access.

9. Your choices and privacy rights

Depending on the user's location and the law that applies, a user may have the right to:

• know or access personal information we maintain;
• correct inaccurate personal information;
• delete personal information;
• receive a portable copy of certain information;
• object to or restrict certain processing;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• opt out of certain sale, sharing, targeted advertising, or profiling; and
• appeal a decision on a privacy request where applicable.

To make a request, email abzonlinelearning@gmail.com with the subject “Privacy Rights Request.” Describe the account or student relationship involved and the right you want to exercise. We may need to verify identity, account access, parental authority, or school authority. Authorized agents must provide proof of authorization where required.

Adults may withdraw their email-update preference by emailing the same address with the subject “Unsubscribe.” Withdrawing from optional updates does not prevent necessary account, security, or service communications.

We will not discriminate against a user for exercising an applicable privacy right. Some information may be exempt, and some requests may be limited where we must preserve security, another person's rights, or records required by law.

10. Regional and U.S. state disclosures

U.S. state privacy categories

The table below describes categories of personal information ABZ may have collected in the previous 12 months. Whether a particular state law applies depends on its legal thresholds and exemptions.

We do not sell these categories for money. Online identifiers and public-page activity may be disclosed to advertising or measurement providers in ways some laws call “sharing” or “targeted advertising.” To request an applicable opt-out, email us with the subject “Do Not Sell or Share Request.”

International users

ABZ Learning operates in the United States, and information may be processed in the United States or other locations where our service providers operate. Those locations may have different data-protection laws. Where required, we rely on appropriate legal mechanisms for transfers. International users may contact their local data-protection authority, but we encourage contacting ABZ first so we can try to resolve the concern.

11. Third-party services and links

The Service currently uses or may load services from providers including:

• Google Firebase for authentication, databases, hosting-related functions, and gameplay or classroom records (Firebase privacy information);
• Google Analytics and Google AdSense for analytics, measurement, and advertising on public pages (Google partner-site privacy information);
• Formspree to process contact and game feedback submissions (Formspree Privacy Policy);
• Netlify-hosted experiences for certain embedded games;
• GIPHY and other media/CDN providers for GIFs, images, scripts, and game rewards; and
• Roblox for external Roblox experiences launched from ABZ.

These providers may collect information directly from the browser when embedded content or scripts load, even without a user opening a separate website. They operate under their own terms and privacy policies. ABZ remains responsible for its own selection and use of integrations and for obligations imposed on ABZ by applicable law. Parents and educators should review linked services before allowing a child to use them.

12. Policy changes and contact

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Service, our providers, or legal requirements change. We will post the revised policy here and update the effective date. If a change materially affects how previously collected children's or school-provided information is used, we will provide any additional notice or seek any consent required by law.