TraceBuds

TraceBuds (the "App") is a gamified educational app designed to help children practice handwriting and fine motor skills in a safe, private, and engaging environment. Because TraceBuds is designed specifically for children under the "Made for Kids" category, we hold ourselves to the highest standards of data privacy.

This Privacy Policy describes how TraceBuds handles information. Please read it carefully to understand our commitment to your family's privacy.

1. Our Core Privacy Philosophy

TraceBuds does not collect, transmit, or share any personal information from its users. The App operates 100% offline and runs entirely on your device. We do not maintain any external databases, we do not require account registration, and we do not transmit any user data to external servers.

2. Information Stored Locally on Your Device

To personalize the learning experience and display progress reports to parents or educators, the App stores the following data locally within your iPad's secure application sandbox:

• Child's Profile Name (Optional): Entered by the parent or guardian during onboarding to personalize the in-app experience (e.g., word-tracing levels).
• Child's Age: Entered during onboarding to automatically set age-appropriate curriculum difficulty (e.g., lines, shapes, or uppercase/lowercase letters).
• Session Progress & Performance Metrics: Tracing accuracy scores, star ratings, stroke speeds, hand tremor estimates, session duration, and the coordinates of tracing paths. This data is used solely to generate the local progress reports visible in the "Reports" tab. To minimize local storage footprint and protect privacy, the App retains only the 50 most recent sessions. Older sessions are automatically and permanently deleted.
• Parent Security Credentials: If a parent configures a 4-digit Parent PIN and a security recovery question/answer, these are stored strictly on the device. The PIN and security answer are immediately hashed (using secure SHA-256 encryption) and saved in the iOS Keychain. The raw digits/answers are never stored.

None of this information is ever uploaded to a server or shared with any third party.

3. Real-Time Sensor Processing (Apple Pencil)

TraceBuds utilizes Apple Pencil and touch screen inputs to calculate fine motor metrics (such as writing pressure, pencil tilt/altitude, and stroke rotation angles).

• This sensor data is processed locally and in real-time to adjust the brush stroke rendering, regulate line width, and triggers force-feedback controls.
• Summarized indicators (average pressure and average tilt angle) are saved locally for the parent reports.
• Raw, continuous sensor coordinate logs are never saved, tracked, or transmitted outside the local device.

4. No Third-Party Advertising, Analytics, or Tracking

To maintain a safe environment for children:

• No Ads: TraceBuds does not contain any third-party advertisements or ad networks.
• No Analytics SDKs: The App does not include any third-party behavioral analytics, crash logging, or tracking SDKs (such as Google Analytics, Firebase, Mixpanel, or Facebook SDK).
• No Tracking: We do not track your child's activities across other apps or websites.

5. Compliance with Children's Privacy Statutes

COPPA Compliance (United States)

TraceBuds is fully compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Because the App operates entirely locally on the user's device and does not collect, share, or transmit any personal information online, we do not collect or store online contact information or persistent identifiers from children under the age of 13.

GDPR-K / GDPR Compliance (European Union)

TraceBuds complies with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and specific guidelines for children (GDPR-K). As a fully offline app, all processing (such as profile configuration and session history) takes place locally on the user’s device. Processing this local data is required to provide the core service (educational tracing feedback and progress reports) and does not involve online transmission or server-side tracking.

6. How Parents Can Manage Their Data

Because all data is stored locally, you have complete control over it:

• Modification: You can edit the child's name and age at any time by entering the Parent Gate and opening Settings.
• Deletion: You can permanently delete all child profiles, tracing progress, and stored reports at any time by uninstalling the App from your iPad.

7. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. Any updates will be reflected on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Because the App does not collect contact information, we encourage parents to review this policy periodically.