Privacy Policy
Effective Date: March 6, 2026
Last Updated: March 6, 2026
Lexi Reading ("Lexi", "the App") is provided by The Window Seat (PTY) LTD ("we", "us", "our"). This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and protect information when you use the Lexi mobile application and our website at https://www.lexistudent.co.za.
Contact: support@lexistudent.co.za
Address: 42 Bridgetown Road, Tuzi Gazi Waterfront, Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, 3900, Republic of South Africa
1. Overview
Lexi is a reading assessment tool for parents, guardians, and teachers to evaluate and support early‑grade reading (Grades 1–5). Adults create and control the account, manage the subscription, and can delete the learner’s data at any time. Learners use the reading activities under adult supervision.
The App allows learners to record themselves reading aloud. The recording is sent to our secure servers, processed by our self‑hosted, automated speech and reading assessment system, and the results (accuracy, fluency, phrasing scores) are returned to the App. We collect only what is necessary to provide the reading assessment service.
2. Children's Privacy (COPPA & POPIA Compliance)
Lexi's primary users are children approximately ages 6–11. We comply with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the South African Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA), and Apple's App Store Guidelines for apps designed for children.
Adult‑Controlled Accounts:
- A parent, legal guardian, or authorised teacher ("adult") must create and control the account.
- Before account creation, the adult reviews our data practices and provides affirmative consent through the in‑app Parental Consent screen.
- After account creation, the adult completes a subscription purchase via app store in‑app purchases (e.g., Apple In‑App Purchases) as an additional layer of adult verification.
- Only after consent and subscription does the adult create a learner profile (first name or nickname, grade level, optional teacher code). No learner personal information is collected before these steps.
- Adults may review, correct, or delete the learner’s personal information at any time by contacting support@lexistudent.co.za or by using the "Delete Account" feature within the app.
- Adults may withdraw consent at any time, which will result in the deletion of the learner’s account and associated data.
Onboarding Flow (in order):
- Welcome — adult taps "Sign up"
- Parental Consent — adult reviews data practices, service providers, and rights; checks consent checkbox
- Create Account — adult enters email/password or uses Apple Sign‑In
- Subscription — adult purchases a subscription via Apple In‑App Purchases
- Learner Profile — only after consent and payment does the adult create a learner profile (first name or nickname, grade level, optional teacher code)
- Home — learner can now use reading activities under adult supervision
What we do NOT do with children's data:
- We do not serve advertisements of any kind.
- We do not use third‑party analytics or tracking SDKs.
- We do not create behavioural profiles of children.
- We do not sell, rent, or share children's personal information with third parties for commercial purposes.
- We do not use children's data for any purpose other than providing the reading assessment service.
3. What We Collect
| Data Type | Details | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Account information | Email address (provided by the adult), learner first name or nickname, grade level, optional teacher code | Account creation and personalisation |
| Authentication credentials | Password (hashed) or Apple Sign‑In token | Secure login |
| Voice recordings | Audio of the learner reading a passage aloud | Reading assessment — processed in real time and immediately deleted (see Section 5) |
| Reading performance data | Accuracy, fluency, phrasing, words per minute, misread words | Progress tracking and feedback |
| Subscription data | Plan, status, Apple transaction ID | Subscription management |
| User ID | A randomly generated unique identifier | Linking the learner's account to their data |
What we do NOT collect: Device advertising identifiers (IDFA), precise location data, contacts/photos, browsing history or cross‑app data.
4. How We Use Data
All data collected is used solely to:
- Provide the reading assessment service — analyse voice recordings, generate reading scores, and deliver feedback.
- Track reading progress — store scores over time so learners and parents can see improvement.
- Manage accounts and subscriptions — authenticate users and process subscriptions through Apple In‑App Purchases.
- Improve the service — we may use aggregated, non‑personally‑identifiable statistics (such as average accuracy scores across grade levels) to evaluate and improve our reading assessment algorithms in the future. Individual voice recordings and individual user data are never used for this purpose.
5. Voice Recording Handling
This is how voice recordings are processed:
- The learner records audio on their device while reading a passage.
- The audio is sent over an encrypted connection to our secure servers.
- The audio is processed by our self‑hosted, automated speech and reading assessment system. No audio is sent to external AI providers.
- Only the resulting reading scores are returned to the app and stored.
- The audio file is permanently deleted immediately after processing, including in error cases.
Voice recordings are never: Stored long‑term, backed up, shared with third parties, used for advertising or profiling, or retained beyond processing.
6. Service Providers (Data Processors)
We use trusted service providers to operate Lexi. Each receives only the minimum data necessary for its function:
| Provider Category | Purpose | Data Involved | Stored? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud infrastructure | Hosts backend services and databases | Temporary audio during processing (deleted immediately), passage text | Audio not stored; other data stored per retention |
| Authentication | User login and account management | Email address, authentication credentials | Yes — until account deletion |
| Database | Stores reading progress and subscription records | User ID, reading scores, subscription status | Yes — until account deletion |
| App store platform | In‑app purchase processing and subscription verification | Transaction and receipt data | Managed by platform |
We do not use third‑party analytics, advertising networks, crash‑reporting SDKs, or any external AI/speech recognition API.
7. Data Sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share personal information with third parties for their own commercial purposes. Data is shared only with the service providers listed above, and only as necessary to operate the app. These providers process data on our behalf and are contractually obligated to protect it. We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or to protect user safety.
8. International Data Transfers
Data may be processed and stored outside of South Africa (for example, in the United States or other jurisdictions) by our trusted cloud providers and platform partners. These transfers are necessary to provide the service. We rely on our providers' standard data protection commitments and security practices.
9. Data Retention
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Account information | Retained while the account is active. Deleted upon account deletion request. |
| Audio recordings | Not retained. Deleted immediately after processing (typically within seconds). |
| Reading performance data | Retained while the account is active. Deleted upon account deletion request. |
| Subscription records | Retained while the account is active. Deleted upon account deletion request. |
To request deletion of all data associated with an account, contact support@lexistudent.co.za or use the "Delete Account" feature in the app's settings.
10. Security
- All data transmitted between the app and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS.
- Data stored by our databases uses encryption at rest.
- Voice recordings exist only temporarily during processing and are deleted immediately.
- Access to server infrastructure is restricted to authorised personnel.
No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you become aware of a security issue, please contact us at support@lexistudent.co.za.
11. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you or your child.
- Correct inaccurate personal information.
- Delete personal information (including full account deletion).
- Withdraw consent for the processing of your child's data.
- Object to certain processing activities.
- Data portability — receive your data in a structured format.
Parents and guardians may exercise these rights on behalf of their children. To exercise any of these rights, contact: support@lexistudent.co.za. Under POPIA, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the South African Information Regulator.
12. App Store Disclosures
- Data collected: Contact information (email address, name), identifiers (user ID), user content (voice recordings — not stored), usage data (reading scores), and purchase history (subscription status).
- Data linked to the user: Email address, name, user ID, reading scores, subscription status.
- Data not linked to the user: Voice recordings — processed transiently and deleted immediately after processing.
- Data used to track the user: None. We do not track users across other apps or websites.
- Third‑party advertising: None. The app contains no advertisements.
- Third‑party analytics: None. The app contains no third‑party analytics SDKs.
13. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes that affect how we handle children's data, we will notify users through the app or by email. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
14. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, your child's data, or wish to exercise any of your rights:
Email: support@lexistudent.co.za
Address: The Window Seat (PTY) LTD, 42 Bridgetown Road, Tuzi Gazi Waterfront, Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, 3900, Republic of South Africa