COPPA Compliance Statement

1. What is COPPA?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a U.S. federal law that protects the privacy of children under 13 years of age. COPPA requires websites and online services to obtain verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or disclosing personal information from children.

Ausmo AAC is designed to help children with communication difficulties, and we take our responsibility to protect children's privacy very seriously.

2. Our Commitment to Children's Privacy

• We never knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent
• We limit data collection to what is necessary for app functionality
• We provide parents with control over their child's information
• We use industry-standard security measures to protect children's data
• We comply with all applicable children's privacy laws worldwide

3. Information We Collect from Children

3.1 With Parental Consent

We may collect the following information from children under 13 only with verifiable parental consent:

• Account Information: Child's first name (no last name required)
• Communication Data: Custom images, audio recordings, and communication boards
• Usage Data: App usage patterns to improve functionality
• Support Data: Information provided when seeking help or support

3.2 Without Parental Consent

We may collect limited information without parental consent only for:

• Internal Operations: App functionality and security
• Support: Responding to a one-time request for support
• Safety: Protecting the safety of a child
• Legal Compliance: Complying with legal requirements

4. How We Obtain Parental Consent

4.1 Verifiable Consent Methods

We use the following methods to obtain verifiable parental consent:

• Email Verification: Parent receives email with verification link
• Phone Verification: Parent receives SMS with verification code
• Credit Card Verification: Small charge to verify parent identity
• Video Call: Live video verification with parent
• Government ID: Verification using government-issued identification

4.2 Consent Process

1. Parent creates account and provides contact information
2. Parent receives verification request via chosen method
3. Parent completes verification process
4. Parent reviews and accepts our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service
5. Parent provides specific consent for child's account creation
6. Child's account is activated with parental oversight

5. How We Use Children's Information

We use children's personal information only for the following purposes:

• Service Provision: To provide AAC communication services
• Personalization: To customize the app experience for the child
• Support: To provide technical support and assistance
• Safety: To protect the child and other users
• Improvement: To improve our services (using anonymized data)

6. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not share, sell, or rent children's personal information to third parties, except:

• Service Providers: Trusted partners who help us operate the app (under strict confidentiality agreements)
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect the child's safety
• Parental Request: When specifically requested by the parent
• Business Transfer: In case of merger or acquisition (with continued protection)

7. Parental Rights and Controls

7.1 Parental Rights

Parents have the following rights regarding their child's information:

• Review: Request to see what information we have collected about their child
• Delete: Request deletion of their child's personal information
• Modify: Request correction of inaccurate information
• Refuse: Refuse further collection or use of their child's information
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time

7.2 How to Exercise Rights

Parents can exercise their rights by:

• Logging into their parent account dashboard
• Using our Data Rights Request Form
• Contacting us directly at coppa@ausmoapp.com
• Calling our COPPA compliance hotline: +1 (555) 123-COPPA

8. Data Security and Retention

8.1 Security Measures

We implement enhanced security measures for children's data:

• End-to-end encryption for all communications
• Secure data storage with access controls
• Regular security audits and assessments
• Staff training on children's privacy protection
• Incident response procedures for data breaches

8.2 Data Retention

We retain children's personal information only as long as necessary:

• Active Accounts: Until account deletion or 2 years of inactivity
• Deleted Accounts: 30 days for recovery purposes, then permanent deletion
• Support Data: 1 year after resolution
• Legal Requirements: As required by applicable law

9. International Compliance

In addition to COPPA, we comply with other children's privacy laws worldwide:

• GDPR (EU): Enhanced protection for children under 16
• PIPEDA (Canada): Privacy protection for minors
• LGPD (Brazil): Children's data protection requirements
• PIPL (China): Special protection for minors under 14
• POPIA (South Africa): Protection of children's personal information

10. Contact Information

11. Updates to This Statement

We may update this COPPA Compliance Statement from time to time. We will notify parents of material changes and may require renewed consent for continued data collection.