Privacy Policy — Scout It Out

1. INTRODUCTION AND SCOPE Scout It Out ("we," "us," "our," "the Company") is committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of your children. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, share, and protect information when you use the Scout It Out mobile application and related services ("Service"). This Policy applies to all users, including parents, guardians, and children who use the Service under parental supervision. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. COPPA COMPLIANCE — CHILDREN'S PRIVACY

2.1 Children Under 13 Scout It Out complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq. We do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under the age of 13 without verifiable parental consent.
2.2 Parental Consent Child profiles are created by and managed by the parent or guardian account holder. By creating a child profile, the parent or guardian provides verifiable consent for the limited collection of information necessary to provide the Service to that child.
2.3 What We Collect About Children For child profiles, we collect only: - First name or nickname (as provided by parent) - Age or date of birth - Emotional check-in responses - Journal entries (stored encrypted, accessible only to the child and parent) - Checklist and schedule interactions - Optional avatar/profile customization choices
2.4 How We Use Children's Data Children's data is used solely to: - Provide the child-facing features of the Service - Enable safety monitoring and alerts to parents - Facilitate co-parenting coordination We do NOT use children's data for advertising, profiling, or any commercial purpose beyond providing the Service.
2.5 Parental Rights Under COPPA Parents and guardians have the right to: - Review the personal information collected from their child - Request correction or deletion of their child's data - Revoke consent and request deletion of the child's profile at any time - Refuse to allow further collection or use of their child's information To exercise these rights, contact us through the App.

3. INFORMATION WE COLLECT

3.1 Information You Provide - Account information: name, email address, profile photo - Family setup: family name, co-parent information - Child profiles: name, age, avatar, schedule, emotional data - Communications: messages between co-parents - Uploaded files and photos shared within the family
3.2 Information Collected Automatically - Device information: device type, operating system, app version - Usage data: features used, session duration, in-app interactions - Log data: error reports, performance data - Push notification tokens (for alerts and reminders)
3.3 Information We Do NOT Collect We do not collect: - Social Security numbers or government IDs - Financial account information (unless payment processing is added, handled by a third-party processor) - Location data beyond what you voluntarily enter as a home or exchange address - Biometric data

4. HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION We use collected information to: - Provide, operate, maintain, and improve the Service - Process and manage family accounts and co-parent connections - Send push notifications, reminders, and alerts - Perform safety monitoring on child-generated content - Analyze usage patterns to improve features (using anonymized or aggregated data) - Respond to support requests - Comply with legal obligations - Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or safety threats We do NOT use your information for: - Behavioral advertising or ad targeting - Sale of personal data to third parties - Building consumer profiles for external commercial use

5. CHILD EMOTIONAL DATA AND MENTAL HEALTH PRIVACY

5.1 Sensitive Nature of Data We recognize that emotional check-ins, journal entries, and wellness data are highly sensitive, particularly for children. This data is handled with the highest level of care.
5.2 Storage and Encryption All child emotional and journal data is encrypted at rest and in transit using industry-standard encryption protocols.
5.3 Safety Screening Child-generated content may be processed by automated safety systems to detect indicators of crisis, self-harm, abuse, or urgent distress. When such indicators are detected, alerts are sent to the parent/guardian account. This processing is a protective function, not surveillance.
5.4 Therapist and Professional Access This App does not share data with therapists, counselors, or mental health providers unless you explicitly export or share such data yourself. We encourage families to share relevant information with their child's treatment providers at their own discretion.
5.5 Not a Clinical Record Data stored in this App does not constitute a clinical health record and is not governed by HIPAA. However, we voluntarily apply HIPAA-aligned data security principles as best practice.

6. DATA USE IN CUSTODY AND LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

6.1 Data Neutrality Scout It Out does not take sides in custody disputes. We process data neutrally and do not make judgments about parenting fitness or child well-being.
6.2 Legal Requests and Subpoenas We may be required to disclose user data in response to: - Valid court orders or subpoenas - Requests from law enforcement in connection with criminal investigations - Legal process related to child safety We will notify affected users of legal requests to the extent permitted by law. We will comply with the minimum disclosure required to satisfy the legal obligation.
6.3 Parent-Generated Data in Custody Disputes Parent co-parenting communications, messages, calendar records, and Scout Flag reports may be used in custody proceedings. These are parent-authored or system-generated records reflecting adult communication and coordination efforts. We encourage appropriate legal review of such data with a family law attorney.
6.4 Child Data Protection in Custody Disputes We strongly and firmly caution against using children's emotional check-ins, journal entries, or app data as evidence in custody proceedings. Such data: - Reflects a child's momentary self-expression and is not a clinical assessment - May not accurately represent a child's overall well-being - Can be deeply damaging to a child's sense of safety, trust, and emotional security if weaponized in adult disputes - Is protected by child privacy laws and Scout It Out's safeguarding policies We will not voluntarily disclose child emotional or journal data except in response to a valid court order. We encourage courts, attorneys, and parents to consider the child's best interests and seek professional guidance (therapists, child psychologists, court-appointed evaluators) rather than relying on app-generated emotional data.
6.5 User-Exported Data Users may export or screenshot their OWN parent-generated data and communications. Child emotional data and journal entries CANNOT be exported by parents through normal app features. Users remain bound by applicable court orders regarding data use and remain subject to all laws protecting children's privacy and emotional records.

7. HOW WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION

7.1 With Co-Parents Information shared between co-parent accounts is visible to both parties as part of the co-parenting coordination features.
7.2 Service Providers We may share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Service (e.g., cloud hosting, push notification services, analytics). These providers are contractually bound to use data only for the specified purpose and to maintain appropriate security.
7.3 Legal Obligations We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of users or the public.
7.4 Business Transfers In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction. Users will be notified of any such change and given the option to delete their account.
7.5 We Do Not Sell Data We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information or your children's information to any third party for commercial or marketing purposes.

8. DATA SECURITY We implement industry-standard security measures including: - Encryption of data at rest (AES-256) and in transit (TLS 1.2+) - Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel only - Regular security assessments - Secure software development practices No system can guarantee 100% security. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law.

9. DATA RETENTION - Active account data is retained while your account is active. - Upon account deletion, personal data is permanently deleted within 30 days. - Anonymized or aggregated data may be retained indefinitely for analytics. - Data subject to a legal hold or pending legal proceeding may be retained beyond standard retention periods as required by law. - Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days after deletion for disaster recovery purposes.

10. YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights including:

10.1 General Rights (All Users) - Access: Request a copy of your personal data - Correction: Request corrections to inaccurate data - Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data - Portability: Request your data in a portable format - Objection: Object to certain data processing activities
10.2 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA) California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete, and the right to opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information).
10.3 European/UK Residents (GDPR/UK GDPR) If you are located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, you have rights under GDPR including the right to erasure, right to restriction of processing, and right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.
10.4 How to Exercise Your Rights Contact us through the App's support channel. We will respond within 30 days (or as required by applicable law).

11. PUSH NOTIFICATIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS We may send push notifications for: - Emotional check-in alerts and urgent safety alerts - Medication reminders - Schedule and transition reminders - Co-parent messages - App updates You can manage notification preferences within the App or through your device settings. Disabling safety alerts is not recommended, as these protect child well-being.

12. THIRD-PARTY LINKS AND SERVICES The App may contain links to third-party resources (e.g., crisis hotlines, mental health resources). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites or services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third parties you interact with.

13. INTERNATIONAL DATA TRANSFERS If you use the Service from outside the United States, your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. By using the Service, you consent to such transfer.

14. APPLE AND GOOGLE PRIVACY REQUIREMENTS

14.1 Apple App Store — App Privacy Nutrition Label In accordance with Apple's privacy requirements, our App Privacy Nutrition Label discloses the data types we collect. Users may review this label in the App Store listing.
14.2 Google Play — Data Safety Section In accordance with Google Play's data safety requirements, we have disclosed our data collection, sharing, and security practices in the Google Play Data Safety section.
14.3 Platform-Required Disclosures We comply with all platform-required privacy disclosures and update them as our practices evolve.
14.4 TRADEMARK AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY PRIVACY Scout It Out® is a registered trademark of Scout It Out, Inc. All rights reserved. We protect the Scout It Out name, logo, and branding through trademark law. Use of our trademark is governed by our Terms of Use. If you observe unauthorized use of the Scout It Out trademark or suspect trademark misuse by users or third parties, please report it to us immediately. We monitor for and take action against trademark violations to protect both our brand and users from confusion or fraudulent activity.

15. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via in-app notification. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy reflects the most recent revision. Continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

16. CONTACT AND DATA REQUESTS For privacy questions, data access requests, deletion requests, or to report a concern: Contact us through the App's support channel. To report trademark misuse or intellectual property violations: Contact us immediately through the App's support channel. For urgent child safety matters, contact emergency services immediately. National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453 Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: 988