1. Scope and account access
KidLoop Rides is operated by Li Chen. For privacy questions or requests, email chenli0741@gmail.com.
Kid Loop is an account-based service used by adults. Accounts are provided by a participating school, after-school program or transportation organization. That organization manages its operational records and determines who is authorized to access them. This policy covers the Kid Loop app and website; the organization may also provide its own privacy notice.
2. Information we collect
- Account and contact information: names, email addresses, telephone numbers, account identifiers, roles and links between parents and children. Passwords are stored as salted hashes, rather than readable passwords.
- Student information: names, ages, grades, classrooms, schools, after-school programs, family contacts, optional student photos and notes supplied by authorized users.
- Transportation records: pickup and drop-off addresses, schedules, routes, driver and vehicle details, attendance, absence requests, parent instructions, pickup and arrival times, and status-change history.
- Operation location: when you perform a pickup or drop-off status action, the app may request and store the device location, accuracy, capture time and permission or failure status with the action record. This is an operation snapshot, not continuous or background GPS tracking. Location failure does not prevent the action.
- Technical information: session identifiers, language and login preferences, and information processed when connecting to the service, such as IP addresses, browser or device information and server error logs.
Information comes from account holders, authorized organizational staff and use of the service. Please do not include unnecessary sensitive information in free-text notes.
3. How information is used
We use information to authenticate users, show the correct child's schedule, organize transportation, identify students at handoff, communicate daily instructions, record ride status, maintain operational history, respond to requests and protect the service from misuse.
Student photos are used for visual identification by authorized people. The optional driver photo-assisted pickup feature is useful only when a parent has provided a usable student photo as a reference. Face detection and comparison with authorized reference photos take place on the device. Captured or selected pickup-check images and face embeddings are processed temporarily in memory and are not uploaded to our backend or an external AI service by this feature. Closing or completing the scan releases its processing state. Candidate matches require driver review and confirmation; they do not automatically confirm pickup. Student profile photos uploaded separately remain stored by the service until removed under its retention process. Address-based maps display pickup and drop-off locations; the current app does not continuously track a child's or driver's GPS location.
4. Who can access information
Information is available to authorized organizational administrators, assigned drivers and linked parents according to their roles. Parents can access the children explicitly linked to their accounts. Assigned drivers can access the information relevant to their trips.
Hosting, database and file-storage providers process information needed to operate the service. Kid Loop uses Vercel hosting and private photo storage, along with a hosted PostgreSQL database. When a map or linked resource is loaded, its provider, such as Google Maps, may receive the requested address and technical connection information and apply its own privacy terms.
Information may also be disclosed when required by law or necessary to investigate misuse, protect safety or respond to a valid legal request. The current app does not include advertising or advertising-tracking SDKs.
5. Photos and device permissions
When you choose to add a profile or student photo, the app may request camera or photo access. Only the photo you select or capture for upload is sent to the service. You can deny or revoke permission in your device settings and continue using features that do not require a photo. Revoking device permission does not delete a previously uploaded image.
Camera and photo access may also be used for the optional on-device pickup check described above. That check does not upload its captured or selected image as a student profile photo. Microphone permission may be requested when you use voice input. You can deny these permissions and use the available manual or typed workflows. Location access can be revoked in device settings; revocation does not erase previously recorded locations.
6. Cookies and session preferences
Kid Loop uses cookies to maintain sign-in sessions and language preferences. If you choose “remember me,” a session can last up to 30 days; otherwise the server session lasts no more than 12 hours. A saved email hint may remain for up to 180 days. Signing out revokes the current session. The app does not store your readable password in cookies or local storage.
7. Retention and security
Account and transportation records are retained while needed to provide the service and maintain the organization's operational history, including applicable recordkeeping and dispute-resolution needs. Archiving or deactivating a record may hide it from normal use without deleting it. Kid Loop does not apply a single automatic deletion period to all student and transportation records.
Deletion requests are reviewed with the organization responsible for the records. Some records may need to be retained for legal or operational reasons, and backup copies may remain until they are replaced through the provider's backup cycle. We use role-based access controls, password hashing and protected sessions. No online service can guarantee absolute security.
8. Your choices and privacy requests
Privacy contact: Li Chen — chenli0741@gmail.com. You may email this address directly to request access, correction, photo removal, account deletion, deletion of a child's records, or withdrawal of consent. We may need to verify your identity and coordinate with the organization responsible for the records before completing the request.
You can update information available in your account and, as a linked parent, supported fields for your children. To request access, correction, removal of a photo, account deletion, deletion of a child's records, or withdrawal of permission for future processing, contact the school, after-school program or transportation organization that provided your Kid Loop account using its established contact channel.
Ask for the administrator responsible for Kid Loop accounts and state that your request concerns “KidLoop Rides privacy.” The administrator can verify your relationship to the account or child and coordinate the request with the service operator. Provide only the details needed to identify the relevant account; never send your password. Removing information needed for transportation may prevent continued use of that service.
9. Children's information
Kid Loop is intended for parents, authorized drivers and staff, not for children to create independent accounts. Children's information is supplied and managed by parents, guardians or authorized organizations for transportation coordination. If you believe a child's information has been entered without appropriate authorization, contact the responsible organization through the process above so the information can be reviewed and addressed.
10. Optional AI scheduling and voice input
When configured and used, smart scheduling sends your submitted instructions and relevant school, driver, vehicle, route and term information to OpenAI for interpretation. Voice transcription sends the audio you submit to OpenAI and returns editable text. Information you include in an instruction or recording may therefore be processed by that provider. Avoid unnecessary student or family details. Scheduling conversations, proposals and AI usage records may be stored to support review and operational history. These cloud features are separate from on-device photo-assisted pickup. Provider processing and retention are governed by the applicable service terms; we do not promise that all AI processing stays on the device.
11. Processing locations and updates
Information may be processed in the countries where Kid Loop's service providers operate, which may differ from your location. This policy may be updated when features or practices change. The effective date above identifies the current version. Material changes will be described in an updated notice.
Connected Gmail sending
When this optional feature is enabled, a company administrator may authorize a Google account to send company invitations through Gmail. We request permission to identify the verified email address and send messages; we do not request access to read the inbox. The connected address, Google account identifier and encrypted authorization credentials are stored for the company. Authorized company administrators can use that connection to send invitations. Recipients and message contents are transmitted to Google for sending; replies remain in the connected mailbox.
Sending records contain sender, recipient, timestamps, outcome and provider message identifiers, not a copy of the message body. Gmail authorization information is not used for advertising or AI model training. KidLoop's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
You can disconnect in company settings to delete this company's active stored credential and stop future sends. Messages already in progress may still complete. You may also revoke the application's access in your Google account; this can affect other company connections using the same Google account. Sending and audit records remain subject to the retention and deletion process described in this policy; backups follow the service's backup lifecycle.
Driver notifications and Google Calendar
Drivers may allow native iPhone notifications. KidLoop stores an Apple device token linked to the signed-in driver and uses that driver's assigned schedule to send a 9:00 a.m. summary only on days with rides and a reminder one hour before each ride. Signing out disables the device binding. Apple processes delivery; notification text contains the ride time and route name, without student names.
A driver may optionally authorize a Google account to sync personal ride events. The Google email does not need to match the KidLoop login. We request permission to identify the selected Google account and create, update and remove calendar events; we do not request email access or unrelated calendar data. KidLoop stores the selected email, Google account identifier, encrypted refresh credential and provider event identifiers. Synced events include the date, time, route, stops and student count. Disconnecting stops future sync; events already written to Google Calendar remain unless the driver deletes them there.
Notification and Google authorization data are not used for advertising or AI model training. Google API data is handled under the Google API Services User Data Policy, including Limited Use requirements.