Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Ward Guard ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our school child pickup verification system.

Ward Guard is a digital platform designed to ensure the safe and secure pickup of students from educational institutions. We understand the sensitive nature of the information we handle, particularly regarding children, and we take our responsibility seriously.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Student Information

• Full name
• Date of birth
• Grade/class information
• Student photograph (for identification purposes)
• Emergency contact information

2.2 Parent/Guardian Information

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Photograph (for verification purposes)
• Relationship to student
• Unique pickup codes
• Biometric authentication data (if enabled)

2.3 School Administrator Information

• Name and contact details
• School affiliation
• Role and permissions
• Login credentials (encrypted)

2.4 Pickup Transaction Data

• Date and time of pickup requests
• Verification photos taken at pickup
• Pickup codes used
• Dispatcher/staff member who processed the pickup
• Pickup status and completion records

2.5 Technical Information

• IP address
• Device information
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Usage data and analytics
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

3.1 Primary Services

• Verify the identity of authorized pickup persons
• Process and record student pickup transactions
• Send notifications to parents/guardians about pickup status
• Maintain attendance and pickup history records
• Enable secure communication between schools and parents

3.2 Safety and Security

• Prevent unauthorized pickups
• Investigate security incidents
• Comply with legal obligations and law enforcement requests
• Protect against fraud and abuse

3.3 Service Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our platform
• Develop new features and functionality
• Provide customer support
• Send important service updates and notifications

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

4.1 With Schools

Student and parent information is shared with the educational institution(s) where the student is enrolled for the purpose of facilitating safe pickups.

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or to:

• Comply with legal processes
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Ward Guard, our users, or the public
• Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service
• Respond to emergency situations involving child safety

5. Children's Privacy

Ward Guard is designed to protect children's safety. We comply with applicable children's privacy laws, including COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) and similar regulations.

• We collect children's information only through schools with proper parental consent
• Children's data is used solely for pickup verification and safety purposes
• We implement enhanced security measures for children's information
• Parents have the right to review, update, or delete their child's information
• We do not use children's information for marketing purposes

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Access Controls: Role-based access with multi-factor authentication
• Secure Storage: Data stored in secure, compliant cloud infrastructure
• Regular Audits: Security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Staff Training: All personnel trained on data protection practices
• Incident Response: Procedures in place for security breach notification

While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but continuously work to enhance our security measures.

7. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

7.1 Access and Portability

You can request a copy of your personal information in a structured, commonly used format.

7.2 Correction

You can update or correct inaccurate information through your account settings or by contacting your school administrator.

7.3 Deletion

You can request deletion of your information, subject to legal retention requirements and legitimate business needs.

7.4 Objection and Restriction

You can object to certain processing activities or request restriction of processing in specific circumstances.

7.5 Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent at any time (note: this may affect service availability).

To exercise these rights, please contact us at info@Wardguard.app or through your school administrator.

8. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide our services and comply with legal obligations:

• Active Accounts: Information retained while the account is active and the student is enrolled
• Pickup Records: Maintained for 7 years for safety and legal compliance
• Verification Photos: Retained for 90 days unless required for investigation
• Inactive Accounts: Deleted after 2 years of inactivity, unless legally required to retain
• Backup Data: Securely deleted from backups within 90 days of account deletion

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on our website
• Sending email notifications to registered users
• Displaying a prominent notice in the application

Your continued use of Ward Guard after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact Us

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