Privacy Policy

1. Overview

HomeworkPal (the "Application"), provided by Open Stock Alert (the "Developer"), is a student-focused educational application. It allows users to record voice memos, upload them to their Google Drive, and attach them to their own Google Classroom assignments. The app may also download assignment-related files (such as PDFs) for the student’s personal academic use.

We take privacy and data protection seriously and are committed to using the minimum data necessary to provide the core functionality of the Application.

2. Information the Application Accesses

When a user signs in with Google, HomeworkPal accesses the following data only after explicit user consent. This data is processed locally within the app and on Google's servers, and may be temporarily cached on the Developer's servers for performance (see Section 5).

a. Basic Account Information (Required for Sign-in)

• User Identifier (ID): Used to identify the user and manage sessions.
• Name and Email Address: Used to display the logged-in user's account within the app and establish communication channels with Google.

b. Google Classroom Data (Required for Core Functionality)

• The student’s own assignment information (title, instructions, due date).
• The student’s own submission status.
• Attached materials related to that assignment (e.g., PDFs).

The Application does NOT access: Other students’ submissions, Grades, teacher-only content, Class rosters, or private messages/comments.

c. Google Drive Data (Required for Core Functionality)

• Audio files created by the app (voice memos).
• Files explicitly attached to assignments (e.g., PDFs shared by the teacher).

The Application does NOT acquire the following: Personal photos, emails, or unrelated files not created by the app or attached to assignments.

3. How the Application Uses the Information

The data accessed is used only for the following purposes:

• Service Provision: To allow the user to record, upload, and attach a voice memo to the correct Google Classroom assignment.
• Functionality: To display assignment details so the user can select the correct one.
• Educational Use: To download assignment-related PDFs or learning materials for the student's personal academic use.

The primary data accessed is not used by the Developer for advertising, profiling, or marketing purposes.

4. Data Sharing, Analytics, and Tracking 📊

a. Data Sharing (Excluding Advertising)

HomeworkPal does not sell, rent, or share the user's Google Classroom or Google Drive content with any third parties outside of the necessary exchange with Google to provide the core service.

• Data is only exchanged directly between: User → Google → HomeworkPal → Google.

b. Advertising, Analytics, and Tracking (AdMob Disclosure)

The Application includes advertising served by Google AdMob. By using the Application, you consent to the collection and use of information by Google AdMob, solely for the purpose of serving and optimizing advertisements.

• Information Collected by AdMob: AdMob may collect certain non-personally identifiable information, including:
  • Device Identifiers (e.g., Advertising ID)
  • Device Information (e.g., operating system, device model)
  • Location Information (derived from IP address for regional targeting)
  • Usage Data (e.g., frequency of use, time spent in the app)
• Purpose: This data is collected to display, analyze, and optimize advertisements, including the delivery of **personalized ads**.
• User Control Over Personalized Ads: Users can control or opt-out of personalized advertising through their device settings (e.g., "Limit Ad Tracking" on iOS or "Opt out of Ads Personalization" on Android).
• No Third-Party Analytics: The Developer does not collect or transmit any proprietary usage statistics or crash reports to external third-party analytics providers.

5. Data Storage and Retention

a. Data Location

• Voice recordings remain in the user’s own Google Drive.
• Assignment files remain inside Google Classroom / Google Drive.
• Temporary local files (if any) are automatically deleted from the user's device after the intended use is complete.

b. Server-Side Caching (Performance Data)

To ensure the Application provides a fast and efficient experience, certain minimal assignment details accessed from Google Classroom may be temporarily cached on the Developer's secure servers.

• Data Cached: Read-only assignment metadata (e.g., assignment ID, title, due date) and file references are stored in this temporary cache. This cache does not store private user content, grades, or personal documents.
• Purpose: Exclusively for Application performance and responsiveness.
• Retention: Cached data is temporary and is automatically deleted within 24 hours or immediately upon the user signing out of the Application.

c. User Content Control

The Developer does not maintain permanent copies of the user's Google Classroom or Google Drive content. All content uploaded by the user (like voice memos) is stored directly in the user's own Google Drive. As the primary user content is not stored on our servers, no retention policy is needed for permanent user content. The user is in full control of their content via their Google Account.

6. Children’s Privacy (COPPA/FERPA Compliance)

HomeworkPal is designed for student use and is classified as an educational tool. We are committed to complying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

• Admob and COPPA: The Developer is responsible for configuring AdMob to serve only non-personalized ads to any users identified as children or where the app is primarily aimed at children (e.g., in a school context) to comply with COPPA.
• No Personal Information Collection: We do not collect any personal information beyond what is strictly necessary for the student to sign in and use the educational functionality.
• No Tracking: No tracking is performed across apps or websites beyond the standard data collected by AdMob for non-personalized ad delivery, if applicable.
• Parental/School Access: Parents or schools may request a review, modification, or permanent deletion of any data associated with a child’s account at any time by contacting the Developer (see Section 10).

7. User Control & Revoking Access

Users are in full control of the data access permissions granted to HomeworkPal.

Users may revoke the app’s access at any time by visiting their Google Account settings: https://myaccount.google.com/permissions

Once revoked, HomeworkPal can no longer access Google Classroom or Google Drive data.

8. Security and Required Permissions

HomeworkPal uses secure authentication (Google OAuth 2.0) and encrypted communication (HTTPS). The Application requests only the minimum required Google permissions to perform its core functions:

• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.email
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/userinfo.profile
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly (for reading assignment files)
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file (for uploading user voice memos)
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.coursework.me
• https://www.googleapis.com/auth/classroom.courses.readonly

9. Changes to This Policy

If this Privacy Policy is updated, the new version will be posted on this page with a revised Effective Date. Users will always be informed of any significant changes affecting how data is used.

10. Contact Us

For questions, privacy-related requests (e.g., data review/deletion requests), or inquiries about the Developer's data practices, please contact:
Developer: Open Stock Alert
Email: openstockalert@gmail.com