Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy and Notice (referred to herein as “Privacy Policy”) explains how Outschool, Inc., ("Outschool," "we," "us,” “our”) collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you use Services as defined in the Key Terms section below.  

By using our Services, you agree to our Terms of Services and consent to our processing of information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Services. Please also keep in mind that our website(s) and application(s) may contain links to other website(s) not owned or controlled by us and we are not responsible for the privacy practices of those website(s). We encourage you to be aware when you leave our website(s) or application(s) to read the terms of use and privacy notices of other website(s) that may collect your personal information.  

If you are a parent or guardian of a child, please review the Children Information section below.  

If you are a United States resident or a data subject in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, see the following sections at the end of this Privacy Policy or click on the relevant link below:

• Additional Disclosures for United States Residents
• Additional Disclosures for Data Subjects in the European Economic Area, Switzerland, and United Kingdom

Please review the sections below, and if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us as set out in the Contact Us section below.

We use key terms in our Privacy Policy that you should know as you read the information.

• Customers include Learners and their Parents, Educators, and Partners
  • Learners are the minors (generally, 18 years and younger) who participate in Outschool activities
  • Parents are the parents or legal guardians of the Learners
  • Educators are independent contractors - either individuals or organizations - who offer classes through Outschool's platform
  • Partners are companies (third parties) that we work with, such as schools, technology vendors, employers, or non-profit organizations, and who are not “educators”
• Services refer to our online marketplace for education and engagement through Outschool's platform, including our website(s), application(s), device(s), and other products and offerings, such as classes and activities
  • Classes means the courses developed/taught by Educators, whether individuals or organizations
  • Activities means the groups, challenges, and other types of engagement through or with Outschool in which any Customer may participate, whether paid or free
• Personal Information/Data means information linked or reasonably linkable to an identified or identifiable individual

A. Note to Parents

As part of our commitment to protecting children's (typically those under 13 or the age indicated by law) personal information, we comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA"), the general consumer data privacy and advertising limitation laws of United States, and The General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR"), in addition to other applicable global regulations. We also assist schools in meeting their obligations pursuant to the Family Educational Rights Privacy Act ("FERPA").  

B. Collection, Use, and Sharing of Children's Information

For those users that indicate they are children, we offer limited features on our website(s) or in our application(s) to block and/or restrict children's data collection or sharing from children or prevent them from interacting with adults. As part of the parental consent process, Parents have the choice of consenting to our collection and internal use of their children’s personal information while opting to prohibit us from disclosing that information to third parties, except to the extent such disclosure is reasonably necessary and integral to our Services.  

Subject to our compliance with applicable laws, we may collect Personal Information from children for any of the purposes as set forth in this Privacy Policy and may use, disclose, and otherwise process such information as set forth in this Privacy Policy. If we learn or have reason to suspect that we have collected information from a child in violation of applicable laws, we will promptly delete it. We retain children’s personal information only as long as is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected and delete such information using reasonable measures to protect against its unauthorized access or use. Refer to the Information Collection, Information Use, and Disclosure of Information sections below for further details on how we process personal information.  

C. Parental Rights and Consents

We empower Parents of children with registered accounts with us to exercise their legal rights pursuant to legislation such as COPPA. A Parent, at any time, may: (i) manage their child's access to the Services through their parent account; (ii) review or correct their child's personal information through; and/or, (iii) discontinue further collection, use, or disclosure of their child's personal information. Parents may also request the deletion of their child's information by contacting us to delete their account, as set out in the Contact Us section below. We comply with COPPA and GDPR by requiring parental consent when collecting personal information from children. We verify the identity of the individual giving consent through a combination of authentication methods, including but not limited to credit card verification. Additionally, we may ask further questions or take additional steps to verify the identity of Parents before responding to a request to review or delete their child's information or a request to refuse further collection from children.   For more information, please see our Children's Privacy Notice and Learner's Privacy Guide.

A. Information You Provide‍

We collect information you provide directly via the use of the Services. The data we collect may include data (whether alone or in combination) that identifies you personally. The categories of information we have collected in the last twelve (12) months include the following:

• Account Data. When you join Outschool, we ask for credentials (usernames, passwords, personal credentials, and similar security information used for authentication and account access) and profile information, including name or publicly posted name from a linked account (such as Facebook, Google, or Apple), email address, phone number, and postal address. We collect information about your interests, favorites, and preferences, such as the Classes and Activities you can or wish to be involved with (as an Educator or as a Parent or Learner) and keep a history of your Classes and Activities. Learners will submit a video recording for verification to activate their account and participate in Classes. All live Classes are recorded, and cameras are required to be on for at least a portion of the Activity for the safety of all Learners. Where necessary, an account may require a separate contract to be in place.
• Content Data. We collect information about the: (i) Classes, Activities, or other Services for which you or a Learner engage in; (ii) information you share, such as uploaded drawings or photos, video and audio, and the history of activity in and with Outschool; and (iii) feedback you send us and Class or Educator reviews you write, or questions and information you provide to customer support. We also collect the content of your messages and communications as necessary to provide you with the Services you use. For example, if you chat with another user through the Services, we need to collect the content of that chat to display it to you and the other user as you direct.
• Demographic Data. In some cases, such as when you register or participate in optional surveys or quizzes, we collect demographic information such as your age, birth date, gender, pronouns, household income, and country.
• Payment Data. If you make purchases, we use third-party payment processors (e.g., Stripe, Apple Pay, Google Pay) to collect data necessary to process your payment, such as your name, payment instrument, billing address, transaction numbers, and information about the Services purchased. Outschool does not store nor process this data. If we make payments to you (via Paypal), we collect your financial account information, if necessary, payment details, and information about our payments, such as the reason or history. We also use payment information to detect or prevent fraud.
• Referral Data. We collect data about your referrals if you provide others with your referral code(s) and invite others to join the Services.
• Promotion Data. To participate in some of our sweepstakes, contests, or other promotions ("Promotions"), you may be asked to provide an email address or screen name so that we can let you know if you won a prize. We may also request your name and home address to send you products or information by regular mail. Additionally, if you win a prize that requires tax reporting, we may collect your Social Security Number or Taxpayer Identification Number via a W9 form or other necessary tax documentation, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
• Online Survey Data. To improve the user experience of our Services, we may employ online surveys that ask visitors to volunteer information about themselves and provide us feedback about why they visit our Services, suggestions for improvement, and enable us to provide better recommendations within the Services.
• Customer Support Data. When you contact customer support, you may be asked to provide us with information such as your name, telephone number, address, and email address. We collect this information as part of our customer support efforts, including through chatbots via Intercom. This information is used to confirm your identity, respond to your inquiries or comments, serve as internal training, and assist us in providing better services.
• Sensitive Data. "Sensitive data" has different meanings depending on the context and jurisdiction. In some jurisdictions, information from a child may be considered sensitive information itself. Such sensitive data is handled with the utmost care and processed only when necessary, with explicit consent, or as required by law. You or a Learner may voluntarily provide sensitive information, such as racial or ethnic origin, financial information, health or disability information included in forms, messages, or with a complaint or concern. Such data will not be used for other purposes, including marketing purposes, unless we have received your explicit parental consent. You may later opt out of these uses by changing your preferences by going to your or your learner's profile (as applicable). Learners may also be enrolled in special classes offered to learners with disabilities, and Educators may volunteer their disabilities within a class. Educators and Learners are otherwise not allowed to have discussions that may elicit or result in the sharing of sensitive information. Where they do learn sensitive information, they are not permitted to share that outside Outschool or use it in an inappropriate way.
  • Fraud. If we suspect that a Learner is over the age of 18 (or in some cases, 21 years of age, for Learners specifically engaged through ESA state programs) or misrepresenting their identity, for the safety of other Learners, we may request proof of appropriate age or identity, such as a video clip or the Learner's birth certificate, passport, or driver's license. This documentation may contain sensitive data such as full date of birth, place of birth, and government ID numbers. We only retain the information necessary, such as date of birth.
  • Background Check Information. Educators and potential employees must provide information as part of our background check process, including criminal history information, professional education and qualifications, work history, references, and teaching abilities. We provide separate notices and consent forms before performing background checks.
  • Health Data. Some data we collect may be considered "health data" under certain jurisdictions, as that term is broadly defined. Such data is covered under our Consumer Health Data Privacy Notice.

Whatever the activity, we will only collect information to the extent reasonably necessary to fulfill your requests and our legitimate business objectives. If you do not want to submit certain information when requested, you may not be able to access certain areas of our Services or take advantage of certain features of our Services.  

B. Information Collected Automatically

‍We automatically collect information when you use our Services. The categories of information we have automatically collected in the last twelve (12) months include the following:

• Service Use Data. We collect data about the features you use, the products or services you view and purchase, the time of day you browse, and information regarding your interaction with the Services. This also includes your usage information, such as search terms, items you click on, error messages, and the web pages you visit.
• Device, Connectivity, and Configuration Data. We collect data about the type of device or browser you use, location derived from your IP address, your device's operating software, regional and language settings, push notification settings, mobile device identifiers, and other similar information.
• Video Data. Our Services allow you and Learners to activate the camera on your devices to participate in Classes, Activities, and engage with other Learners and Educators. Some information collected is for Learner safety, such as video evidence that the person in the Class and/or Activity other than the Educator is a child. You may be denied access to Classes and/or Activities if you refuse to provide a video. You can participate without providing any identified voluntary information, but you must provide the required information to use the Services. We may also use the information provided to us to prevent fraud. In general, we use this information to provide the Services, customer support, and to improve our platform and Services. We will not use the video data for any other purpose or share or disclose the video data with anyone outside of our Services, except where necessary for us to comply with our legal obligations, to protect our rights or those of anyone else, or where otherwise instructed by you.

We use a variety of technologies, both existing and emerging, to collect this data ("Tracking Technologies"), including the following:

• Log Files. Log files record website activity and gather statistics about web users' browsing habits. These entries help us determine (among other things) how many and how often users have visited our Services, which pages they've visited, and other similar data. We also use log file entries for our internal marketing and demographic studies to continually improve the Services.
• Cookies or Browser Cookies. Cookies are pieces of information placed on your device when you visit a website that act as a unique tag to identify your browser. We use "cookies" to enhance your experience of our Services and to help us understand how you interact with our Services. For example, a cookie may allow us to remember certain things based on your IP address, such as the time and duration of your visits, how you navigated through our content, and where you exited a particular site. For information about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Notice Page. We do not knowingly track children or collect data from third-party ad trackers on Learners.
• Session Recordings. Session recordings capture your interactions with websites you visit, including taps, scrolling, clicks, mouse movements, keystrokes, and other types of interactive actions. We may use session recordings to understand how you navigate and use our Services and to improve your experience on our Services.
• Do Not Track Signals. Your browser settings may allow you to automatically transmit a “Do Not Track” (“DNT”) signal to online services you visit. Note, however, that there is no industry consensus as to what site and app operators should do with regard to these signals. Accordingly, we currently do not monitor or take action with respect to DNT signals.
• Clear GIFs. Clear GIFs, sometimes called "pixel tags" or "web beacons," are file objects, usually a graphic image such as a transparent one-pixel-by-one-pixel GIF, that are placed on a web page, advertisement, or in an email message. The GIF may tell us the IP address of the device that fetched our page, the URL of the page the GIF is on, the time the page was viewed, the type of browser used, and it can also identify a previously set cookie value, and how and where a user accessed a website. We may use this information to count visitors across our Services and understand how they navigate and use our Services.
• Location-Identifying Technologies. GPS, WiFi, Bluetooth, and other location-aware technologies may be used to determine your device's location, sometimes precisely. Location data may be used for purposes such as verifying your device's location and delivering or restricting relevant content and advertising based on that location.
• Voice Processing Technologies. Voice processing technologies collect audio through the microphone on your device to effectuate an instruction or request by you. We will only collect audio with your consent. We will only maintain the audio long enough to complete your instruction or request and then immediately delete it. We may use non-audio data associated with the collection for additional purposes such as data analytics and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
• App-Specific Technologies. Our apps include app-specific technologies, such as SDKs and APIs provided by third parties. An SDK is code embedded in an app that sends information about your use to a server and is, in effect, the app version of a GIF. The information collected through such technologies often includes your mobile Ad ID.

For further information on how we use Tracking Technologies and your rights and choices regarding them, see the Technology Integrations & Social Media and Your Rights & Choices sections below.

C. Information from Other Sources

‍We also obtain information about you from Customers or potential Customers, Partners, other third-party sources, or vendors. The categories of third-party sources from which we have collected information in the last twelve (12) months include the following:

• Information from Partners. Outschool partners with other organizations, such as schools, non-profits, and employers, to provide services. In general, these Partners would provide your information to us for you to participate in Classes or Activities in which they have control (such as schools) or where they are offering the Services to you as a joint effort. Partners will likely provide you with specific information when the relationship is set up, especially if they have control over the Classes or Activities. If so, you need to look at their privacy notices for how they handle your information. We also partner with technology companies to provide services jointly. In some cases, you need to create an account with the partner to use their services, and when you link your account there with your account with us, they may provide us with your information.
• Information from Vendors. We may sometimes purchase (or lease) data from third parties for certain reasons. We don't know how these third parties get your data, but it is generally through advertising services or other companies you have used who are able to share your information. We rely on these third parties to represent that they legally obtained your data.  We do not sell that information but may share some information with our vendors. For example, if we buy a mailing list of parents in a certain area, we will share those addresses with a vendor who may print and mail the postcards. The data we get may be just on a group of people where we provide characteristics we want, or we may provide the names (not on Learners) to get more information on them, such as addresses for marketing materials or for reporting an event to the local agencies.
• Information from Other Third Parties. At times, you may log in to our Services using a linked account, such as Facebook, Apple, or Google. We make sure that you are able to do this, but it does mean you may be providing us with more information about you. You should check the privacy notices of these providers to see what they share with us. We may also get information from third parties if you use them in Classes or Activities. We try to control the use of third-party tools, but we are not perfect.
• Information We Create or Generate. We infer new information from other data we collect, including using automated means to generate information about your likely interests, preferences, or other characteristics ("Inferences"). For example, we infer the class subjects your family may be interested in from searches you may perform. We may also infer your general geographic location (such as city, state, and country) based on your IP address. Where we obtain information from sources other than you, such as through partners, employers, third parties, or social media, we may combine these sources to have one extensive view of individuals engaged with Outschool. For example, you may have accounts through your school or employer, and also directly with Outschool.

We will retain your Personal Information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy and retain and use it to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, regulatory investigations, or enforce our legal agreements and policies.  

We will also retain your usage information of the Services for internal analysis purposes. Usage information is generally retained for a shorter period, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of the Services, or we are legally obligated to retain this data for longer periods.

We offer parts of our Services through various websites, locations, platforms, and services operated, owned, or controlled by separate entities. In addition to this, we integrate technologies owned or controlled by third parties into our Services to enhance your experience. Some examples include:

• Links. Our Services include links to websites, platforms, and other services we do not operate or control (e.g., Zoom, Facebook).
• Social Media. We engage with our community on social media through diverse interactions. We might follow your accounts or invite you to follow ours, create groups for dynamic exchanges, and sometimes request your social media handles for advertising. Additionally, we may share your public posts or comments and use them as part of our internal discussions or direct follow-ups with you. This engagement allows us to provide you with exclusive content, tailor your experience with our Services, and keep you informed about the latest news and special offers. If you reference our Services in your social media posts, such as by using a hashtag associated with Outschool, we may feature your content in connection with our Services. You have control over the information you share through your social media privacy settings, and we encourage you to review these settings and policies to understand how your information is being used.

We leverage analytics tools like Google Analytics to understand service usage and compile statistical reports. These insights help us optimize our Services and personalize your experience. Alongside analytics, we collaborate with advertising agencies and networks to display ads for our Services on other websites. As part of this process, we may use Tracking Technologies, which could track activities over time and across services for the purpose of delivering relevant ads and content. This is known as Interest-based Advertising.  

To further refine our advertising efforts, we employ audience matching services that enable us to connect with users who have visited our services or are identified in our databases. This involves uploading a customer list to a technology service or integrating a pixel (e.g., Facebook, Google, TikTok pixels),  into our Services to match data points between our information and theirs.

We may use children’s personal information for these third-party marketing purposes only with separate, explicit parental consent. We do not use children’s personal information for Interest-based Advertising unless required consent is obtained. Parents may withdraw consent or opt out of third-party marketing uses at any time within the Learner profile or as set out in the Contact Us section below.  

We also use your contact information to communicate with you about Classes and Activities, always respecting your preferences regarding marketing communications. Educators may also use your contact information to communicate with you through our platform for the same purpose. If you prefer not to receive marketing materials, you can request that your information be excluded from such efforts. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing emails, we will continue to provide you with essential information related to Classes, Activities, and respond to your inquiries.  

For more details on the tracking technologies we use, your privacy rights, and how to manage your preferences, see the Information Collected Automatically and Your Rights & Choices sections below.

We are based in the United States. Our service providers are located and process personal information in various countries, primarily the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom (where most of our Educators are from). Our third-party analytics and advertising vendors are located in the same countries but may also include local vendors for the European Union, United Kingdom, South Korea, and Japan. We also have support services in Kenya, Africa. This may not be a complete list; not all personal information may go to each country listed. If you are accessing the Services from outside the United States, please be aware that information collected through the Services may be transferred across borders, and from your country or jurisdiction to other countries or jurisdictions around the world, including the United States. Note that data protection laws in the United States and other jurisdictions may differ from those of your country of residence. By using the Services, you expressly consent to the transfer to and from, processing, usage, sharing, and storage of your information, including Personal Information, in the United States and other jurisdictions where Outschool conducts business or provides services. If your data is collected in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we will transfer your Personal Data subject to appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, ensuring an adequate level of data protection.

A. Jurisdictional Rights

‍In addition to the rights and choices below, where permitted under applicable data protection laws, you may have multiple privacy rights based on your jurisdiction with respect to the Personal Information we process about you:

• request confirmation that we are processing your Personal Information;
• request a copy of Personal Information we hold about you;
• request that we update Personal Information we hold about you or correct such data that is inaccurate or incomplete;
• request that we delete the Personal Information we hold about you;
• restrict the way in which we use your Personal Information (e.g., if we have no legal right to keep using it) or limit our use of your Personal Information (e.g., if your Personal Information is inaccurate or unlawfully held);
• request information about categories of third parties with whom we have shared your Personal Information, and, where required by applicable law, details regarding such disclosures, including disclosures made for direct marketing purposes;
• restrict third-party processing of your Personal Information;
• object to our processing of your Personal Information on grounds relating to your particular situation or if we process your Personal Information for direct marketing purposes, you can object at any time to the processing of your Personal Information for such marketing;
• withdraw the consent that you have given us to process your Personal Information; and
• lodge a complaint with the relevant data protection authority regarding our processing of your Personal Information.

To exercise these rights, submit your request via our online Data Subject Request Portal. As required by law, we will verify your identity before responding to your request. We may ask you to provide sufficient information to reasonably confirm you are the individual whose personal information we collected or an authorized agent. We may limit our response to your rights as permitted by applicable law. Any additional data collected for verification will be retained for legal purposes (e.g., proof of the identity of the requester) in accordance with this Privacy Policy.  

B. Exercising Your Rights

• Access and Control.  If you have a registered account, you may at any time review or update your Personal Information by logging into your account and navigating the Account Settings tab within your profile.
• Opt Out of Third-Party Disclosure. In certain jurisdictions and for certain third-party sharing of Personal information about you or your Learner as specified above, you may have the right to opt out of the disclosure of such information. To exercise these opt out rights, toggle third-party disclosures to “off” at any time within the Settings page.
• Specific Instructions for Parent(s) or Legal Guardian(s). If you’re a Parent or Legal Guardian and want to delete information about your child, please submit your request via our online Data Subject Request Portal. Be aware that deleting your account may affect all associated Learners. If you do not specify a specific Learner in your request, all will be deleted, and once deleted, the information cannot be reinstated.

C. Posted Content

‍You own your Personal Information and created content. While you retain copyright ownership over such content when shared with us and/or posted on the platform, you grant us a limited license to use this content for the purposes outlined in this Policy and in accordance with our Terms of Service.

We take industry-standard security measures to protect the personal information that we collect from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. However, the Internet cannot be guaranteed to be entirely secure, and we cannot ensure the security of any content or information you provide to us. You are also responsible for helping protect the security of your account credentials. For instance, never give out your password, and make sure to safeguard your username, password, and personal credentials used to access Outschool, so that other people will not have access to your personal information. Please do not use the username and password you use with us with other services.  

You can manage your profile settings to take control of your account, where you can choose to use a password to switch from the Learner Space to the Parent Space, giving you the power to manage who has access to your account.

Outschool complies with applicable country, state and other applicable privacy laws where it provides its services. This includes but is not limited to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), state laws including but not limited to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which has been updated by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (ColoPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Utah (UCPA), Texas (TDPSA), and other applicable federal and state laws in the United States; the European Union’s GDPR and related laws in non-European Union jurisdictions in which we do business (UK and Switzerland), Australia, Canada, and other applicable national laws and regulations.  

Each of these sets of regulations and standards is hereby incorporated by reference with respect to any mandatory compliance elements.  

This Privacy Policy is deemed and shall be read and construed to include all mandatory elements of these laws and regulations, and any conflict between this Privacy Policy and required elements of any applicable regulations shall be read in favor of those laws and regulations.

We reserve the right to update and amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting of the revised Privacy Policy. Please visit this page from time to time to check for changes. Your continued use of our Services indicates your consent to the Privacy Policy then posted. If necessary or there are material changes, we will provide notice or obtain consent regarding such changes if required by law.

If you have any questions or comments regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:  

‍Outschool, Inc.

‍2261 Market Street, #4545

San Francisco, CA 94114

United States

+1 (415) 968-1685  

Email: privacy@outschool.com

Please also see our supplemental notices for additional privacy-related information for the following:

• Additional Privacy Disclosures for United States Residents
• Additional Disclosures for European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom or Switzerland (“EEA+”)
• Children's Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Notice

If your area is not listed, please reach out to us if you would like additional information.