Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

WriteBand ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our IELTS preparation platform at writeband.com (the "Service").

By using WriteBand, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Register for an account (email address, full name)
• Subscribe to our Premium plan (payment information via Stripe)
• Complete practice tasks (your written responses, answers to questions)
• Contact our support team (email correspondence)
• Update your account settings (profile information, preferences)

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you use WriteBand, we automatically collect certain information:

• Device information (browser type, operating system, device identifiers)
• Usage data (pages visited, features used, time spent on tasks)
• IP address and approximate location
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies
• Performance analytics (task completion rates, scores, progress)

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Payment information from Stripe (transaction details, payment method)
• Authentication data from Supabase (login events, session management)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Provide the Service: Create and manage your account, deliver practice tasks, grade your writing with AI, track your progress
• Process payments: Handle subscription billing, refunds, and payment disputes via Stripe
• Improve our platform: Analyze usage patterns, optimize features, fix bugs, enhance user experience
• Communicate with you: Send account notifications, respond to support requests, provide updates about the Service
• Personalize content: Recommend tasks based on your performance, adjust difficulty levels
• Security and fraud prevention: Protect against unauthorized access, abuse, and malicious activity
• Legal compliance: Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Marketing (with consent): Send promotional emails about new features or content (you can opt out anytime)

4. Third-Party Services

WriteBand integrates with the following third-party services that may collect and process your information:

4.1 Stripe (Payment Processing)

We use Stripe to process payments securely. When you subscribe to Premium, Stripe collects your payment card information, billing address, and transaction details. We do not store your full payment card information on our servers.

Stripe's privacy policy: https://stripe.com/privacy

4.2 OpenAI (AI Grading)

We use OpenAI's GPT-4 API to grade your writing task submissions. When you submit a writing task, your essay is sent to OpenAI for analysis and feedback generation. OpenAI may process this content according to their API data usage policies.

OpenAI's privacy policy: https://openai.com/privacy

4.3 Supabase (Infrastructure)

We use Supabase for authentication, database storage, and file hosting. Your account information, task attempts, and progress data are stored securely on Supabase servers with encryption at rest and in transit.

Supabase privacy policy: https://supabase.com/privacy

4.4 Vercel (Hosting)

Our platform is hosted on Vercel's infrastructure. Vercel may collect usage analytics and performance metrics to ensure reliable service delivery.

Vercel privacy policy: https://vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: With third-party vendors who perform services on our behalf (payment processing, AI grading, hosting)
• Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, property, or safety
• Business transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (you will be notified)
• With your consent: When you explicitly authorize us to share your information

We do NOT share your practice task submissions or writing essays publicly or with other users. Your learning data remains private.

6. Data Security

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

• Encryption of data in transit using HTTPS/TLS
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Secure authentication with password hashing
• Regular security audits and monitoring
• Restricted access to personal data (admins only for support purposes)
• Secure payment processing through PCI-compliant Stripe

While we take reasonable measures to protect your information, no internet transmission is 100% secure. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account password.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

WriteBand uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience:

7.1 Essential Cookies

Required for the Service to function properly:

• Authentication cookies (keep you logged in)
• Security cookies (prevent fraud and abuse)
• Session cookies (remember your preferences during a session)

7.2 Analytics Cookies

Help us understand how users interact with the platform to improve our Service. These may include:

• Page views and navigation patterns
• Feature usage statistics
• Performance metrics

7.3 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

8. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

8.1 General Rights

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information in your account settings
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Withdraw consent: Opt out of marketing communications at any time

8.2 GDPR Rights (EU/EEA Users)

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to restriction: Restrict how we process your data in certain circumstances
• Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to lodge a complaint: File a complaint with your local data protection authority

8.3 CCPA Rights (California Users)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under CCPA:

• Know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Delete personal information held by us
• Opt out of sale of personal information (we do not sell your data)
• Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

8.4 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at privacy@writeband.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

9. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy:

• Account data: Retained while your account is active, plus 90 days after account deletion (for recovery purposes)
• Task attempts and progress: Retained while your account is active, deleted when you delete your account
• Payment records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes
• Support communications: Retained for 2 years for quality assurance
• Analytics data: Anonymized and retained indefinitely for service improvement

After the retention period expires, we securely delete or anonymize your information.

10. International Data Transfers

WriteBand operates globally, and your information may be transferred to and stored in countries outside your jurisdiction, including the United States. These countries may have different data protection laws than your country.

We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information during international transfers, including:

• Standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission
• Compliance with EU-U.S. and Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield frameworks (where applicable)
• Encryption and security measures during transfer

11. Children's Privacy

WriteBand is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@writeband.com, and we will delete such information.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last updated" date
• Sending an email notification to your registered email address
• Displaying a prominent notice on the platform

Your continued use of WriteBand after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

13. Contact Information

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

Email: privacy@writeband.com
Support: support@writeband.com
Website: https://writeband.com

For data protection inquiries specifically related to GDPR, you may contact our Data Protection Officer at dpo@writeband.com.

14. Summary

In summary, WriteBand:

• Collects information necessary to provide excellent IELTS preparation
• Uses your data to improve your learning experience
• Does NOT sell your personal information to third parties
• Keeps your practice submissions private
• Uses industry-standard security measures
• Respects your privacy rights under GDPR, CCPA, and other regulations
• Is transparent about our data practices

We are committed to protecting your privacy while helping you achieve your IELTS goals.