Privacy Policy
Last Updated: November 24, 2025
COPPA & FERPA Compliant
Our Commitment to Privacy
OctopusWorlds is committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of children. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Our platform is free and does not require registration or login to access educational content.
Information We Collect
For All Users (No Registration Required)
You can access all educational content on OctopusWorlds without providing any personal information. We do not require:
- Registration or account creation
- Email addresses
- Names or personal identifiers
- Payment information for free content
Automatically Collected Information
Like most websites, we automatically collect certain technical information:
- Usage Analytics: We use Google Analytics to understand how our site is used (page views, time spent, etc.). This data is anonymized and aggregated.
- Cookies: We use cookies for analytics and site functionality. See our Cookie Policy below.
- IP Addresses: Collected automatically by our hosting provider for security and technical purposes.
Children's Privacy (COPPA Compliance)
OctopusWorlds is designed for students ages 10+. We comply with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act).
Our Approach:
- We do NOT collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent
- Teachers may create accounts on behalf of students with school/parent permission
- We collect only: username, email (for login), and learning progress data
- We do NOT share student data with third parties
- We do NOT serve behavioral advertising to students
Parents/Guardians Rights:
Parents/guardians have the right to:
- Review their child's data
- Request deletion of their child's data
- Refuse further collection of their child's data
If You Are a Parent or Guardian:
If you believe your child has provided personal information to us, please contact us immediately. We will delete such information promptly upon verification.
Contact: privacy@octopusworlds.com
Educational Use (FERPA Compliance)
OctopusWorlds is designed for educational use. We do not:
- Collect student educational records
- Require student identifiers
- Share student information with third parties
- Create profiles of individual students
Teachers and schools can use our platform without providing student information.
Cookies and Tracking
We use cookies for the following purposes:
- Analytics: Google Analytics cookies to understand site usage (anonymized)
- Functionality: Cookies to remember preferences (if any)
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect site functionality.
Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services:
- Google Analytics: For website analytics (anonymized data)
- YouTube: Embedded videos (subject to YouTube's privacy policy)
- Stripe: For optional donations (only if you choose to support us)
These services have their own privacy policies. We encourage you to review them.
Data Retention
Data Retention Policy:
- Active accounts: Data stored indefinitely to maintain learning progress
- Inactive accounts (1 year): Data may be anonymized
- Deleted accounts: All personal data removed within 30 days
- Analytics data: Retained according to Google Analytics policies (typically 26 months)
- Server logs: Retained for security purposes (typically 90 days)
- Payment information: Handled by Stripe and subject to their retention policies
Data We Collect
For learning purposes, we collect:
- Game scores and accuracy
- Species learned and mastery level
- Time spent on activities
- Progress through curriculum
This data is used solely to:
- Track individual learning progress
- Provide spaced repetition recommendations
- Generate reports for teachers (if in a classroom)
- Improve our educational content
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access our platform without providing personal information
- Use all educational content for free
- Control cookies through your browser settings
- Contact us with privacy concerns
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last Updated" date at the top indicates when changes were made. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
Summary
OctopusWorlds is free, open, and privacy-respecting:
- ✅ No registration required
- ✅ No personal information collected
- ✅ COPPA compliant
- ✅ FERPA compliant
- ✅ Free educational content for everyone