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1. Introduction

FurCause ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of children and their families. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you use the FurCause mobile application (the "App") and our website at furcause.org (collectively, the "Services").

FurCause is a mission-driven project dedicated to teaching children ages 4–12 about animal behavior, empathy, and responsible care of animals. We take the privacy of children seriously and comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") and applicable United States federal and state privacy laws.

By using our Services, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Services immediately.

2. Who We Are

FurCause is operated as a mission-driven project based in Georgia, United States. Our Services are available to users in the United States only.

3. COPPA Compliance — Children's Privacy

FurCause is designed for use by children ages 4–12 under the direct supervision and with the verifiable consent of a parent or legal guardian.

3.1 Parental Consent

We require verifiable parental consent before collecting any personal information from a child. Parents must create an account and provide explicit consent before a child profile can be created. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without prior parental consent.

3.2 What We Collect From Children

With parental consent, we collect only the minimum information necessary to provide the Service:

• Child's first name (provided by parent)
• Age range (provided by parent, e.g., 4–6, 7–9, 10–12)
• Selected mascot/companion character
• Lesson progress, XP points, and completed topics
• Parent-set PIN for parental controls

We do not collect a child's last name, photograph, precise location, phone number, or any other personally identifiable information beyond what is listed above.

3.3 What We Collect From Parents

When a parent creates an account, we collect:

• First name
• Email address
• Password (encrypted and never stored in plain text)
• Account creation date

3.4 Parental Rights Under COPPA

As a parent or legal guardian, you have the right to:

• Review the personal information we have collected about your child
• Request deletion of your child's personal information
• Refuse further collection or use of your child's information
• Revoke your consent at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@furcause.org. We will respond within 30 days.

4. How We Use Information

We use the information we collect solely to:

• Create and manage parent and child accounts
• Provide, operate, and improve the FurCause learning experience
• Save and sync lesson progress across sessions
• Display progress and conversation tips to parents on the dashboard
• Send account-related emails (password reset, account notifications)
• Collect email addresses from interested parties via furcause.org for launch notifications

We do not use children's information for advertising, marketing, or any commercial purpose. FurCause does not display advertisements.

5. How We Store Information

All data is stored securely using Google Firebase (Firestore Database and Firebase Authentication), a cloud infrastructure service operated by Google LLC. Data is stored on Google's servers in the United States.

Firebase is COPPA-compliant and adheres to Google's privacy and security standards. For more information on Google's data practices, visit policies.google.com/privacy.

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

6. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, rent, or otherwise share personal information with third parties except in the following limited circumstances:

• Service Providers: We use Google Firebase to store and process data. Google processes data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to valid legal process.
• Protection of Rights: We may disclose information to protect the safety, rights, or property of FurCause, our users, or the public.

We do not share children's personal information with any third party for marketing, advertising, or any commercial purpose under any circumstances.

7. Data Retention

• Parent accounts and associated child profiles are retained until the parent requests deletion.
• Waitlist email addresses collected via furcause.org are retained until the user unsubscribes or requests deletion.
• Upon account deletion, we will remove all associated personal information within 30 days.

To request deletion of your account and all associated data, contact us at hello@furcause.org.

8. Security

We use industry-standard security measures including:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS)
• Firebase Authentication with secure password hashing
• Firestore security rules restricting data access to authorized users only
• Parental PIN protection for child mode access

Despite these measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Third-Party Links and Services

The App may contain references to third-party organizations such as animal shelters. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those organizations. We encourage parents to review the privacy policies of any third-party services before allowing their child to interact with them.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the Effective Date at the top of this policy and, where appropriate, by sending an email notification to the address associated with your account.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us: