COPPA Compliance

Children's Online Privacy Protection Act Compliance

Last updated: August 8, 2025

Our Commitment to Children's Privacy

Sidekick is committed to protecting the privacy and safety of children who use our service. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and have designed our app with children's privacy as a fundamental principle.

Privacy by Design

Every feature in Sidekick has been designed with children's privacy and safety as the primary consideration.

What is COPPA?

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) is a United States federal law that protects the privacy of children under 13 years of age. COPPA requires websites and online services to:

  • Obtain parental consent before collecting personal information from children
  • Provide clear privacy notices about data collection practices
  • Allow parents to review and delete their child's information
  • Limit data collection to what's necessary for the service

How Sidekick Complies with COPPA

Parental Control

  • • Parents create and manage all child profiles
  • • PIN protection prevents unauthorized profile changes
  • • Parents control what information is stored for each child
  • • Children cannot create accounts or profiles independently

Minimal Data Collection

  • • We only collect data necessary for habit tracking and allowance management
  • • No collection of personal identifying information beyond names provided by the parent
  • • No location tracking or device access beyond what is required for iCloud sync
  • • No advertising or marketing to children

Secure Data Handling

  • • Data is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple when using iCloud (CloudKit)
  • • Sensitive data like the parent PIN and API keys remain on-device in iOS Keychain
  • • We do not operate ad networks or sell data
  • • Parents can export or delete data at any time from within the app

Limited Third-Party Processing

  • • For emoji suggestions on card names, we send only the card name text to an AI provider (Google Gemini or DeepSeek)
  • • No child profile details or usage history are sent to AI providers
  • • API keys are stored on-device in iOS Keychain

Transparent Practices

  • • Clear privacy notices in plain language
  • • Regular updates on privacy practices
  • • Easy access to support and questions

Parent Rights and Controls

As a parent or guardian using Sidekick, you have the following rights regarding your child's information:

Review & Access

View your family's usage history and export it from within the app.

Delete Data

Remove individual profiles or all family data at any time through the app settings.

Control Sync

Manage iCloud usage by disabling iCloud for Sidekick in iOS settings if desired.

Request Changes

Contact us to request changes to your child's information or privacy settings.

Age Verification

Sidekick requires parental setup and management for all child profiles. By creating a child profile, you confirm that:

  • • You are the parent or legal guardian of the child
  • • You have the authority to provide consent for data collection
  • • You understand and agree to our privacy practices
  • • You will supervise your child's use of the app

Questions or Concerns?

If you have any questions about our COPPA compliance, privacy practices, or would like to exercise your rights regarding your child's information, please contact us:

Email: privacy@sidekickfamily.app

Subject: COPPA Inquiry - [Your Request]

Updates to This Policy

We will notify parents of any material changes to our COPPA compliance practices through the app and via email. Continued use of the service after such notification constitutes acceptance of the updated practices.