Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use the Respond app (“Respond”, “we”, “us”, or “our”). It is designed to be clear and practical for teachers, students, and other users.

1. Who we are and how to contact us

Respond is operated by Respond App. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle data, you can contact us at joe@respond-app.co.uk.

2. What information we collect

We collect:

• Account information – such as your name (or username), email address, role (e.g. teacher / student), and password (stored in hashed form).
• Uploaded content – documents, images, text and other materials you or your organisation upload so Respond can analyse and generate feedback.
• Usage data – logs of when you sign in, which actions you take in the app, and technical information such as IP address, browser type, approximate location, and error logs.
• Payment information – if you buy credits or subscriptions, limited billing information is collected via our payment provider (such as Stripe). We do not store full card details on our servers.

3. How we use your information

We use information to:

• Provide the Respond service, including generating feedback on uploaded work using AI models.
• Operate, maintain, secure, and troubleshoot the platform.
• Monitor usage to prevent abuse, ensure fair use of credits, and protect the service and other users.
• Send you essential communications about your account, security, and important service updates.

Use of uploaded content for product improvement

Uploaded documents and related feedback are primarily used to provide the service to you. In addition, we may use your content to improve Respond (for example, to refine prompts, test workflows, or evaluate new features) only where this is permitted under our Terms and where you or your organisation have given appropriate permission or instructions.

In practice, this means we may:

• Review a small sample of uploads and outputs when investigating bugs or support tickets.
• Use anonymised or aggregated data (for example, statistics about question types or marking volumes) for analytics and product decisions.
• Run internal tests or quality checks using de‑identified copies of documents, where feasible.

You can opt out of non-essential use of your uploaded documents for product development at any time by contacting us at joe@respond-app.co.uk, or by using any dedicated settings we make available in your account in future.

4. Legal bases for processing (where applicable)

Where data protection law (such as the UK GDPR) applies, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

• Contract – to provide the Respond service to you and fulfil our agreement with you or your organisation.
• Legitimate interests – to secure the platform, understand service usage, prevent abuse, and improve Respond in a proportionate and privacy‑respecting way.
• Consent – for certain optional uses (for example, using uploaded content for broader research and development beyond your immediate use of the service), where we ask you to actively opt in.
• Legal obligations – to comply with laws and respond to lawful requests from authorities.

5. How we share information

We may share information with:

• Service providers – such as hosting providers, email delivery services, analytics tools, and payment processors, who process data on our behalf under appropriate contracts.
• AI model providers – for example, API providers we use to generate feedback based on your uploaded content. We aim to choose providers that offer strong security and data protection commitments and do not use your data to train their own models without appropriate safeguards.
• Organisation administrators – if you use Respond as part of a school, college, or organisation, certain account and usage information may be visible to administrators in your organisation.
• Authorities or third parties – where required by law, to protect our rights or the safety of users, or in relation to a business transaction (such as a merger or acquisition).

We do not sell your personal information.

6. International transfers

Respond may process data using infrastructure or service providers located in other countries. When we transfer personal data internationally, we take appropriate steps to protect it (for example, by using standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards where required by law).

7. Data retention

We retain information for as long as needed to provide the service and for legitimate business, security, and legal purposes. Retention periods vary depending on the type of data and our relationship with you (for example, whether you are an individual user or part of an institution).

In general:

• Account information is kept while your account is active and for a reasonable period afterwards for record‑keeping, audits, and dispute resolution.
• Uploaded documents may be stored while your account remains active so you can reuse them, unless your organisation’s policy or our agreement says otherwise.
• Logs and analytics data may be kept for a limited period to monitor service health, security, and usage trends.

We may anonymise information so it can no longer be linked to you, in which case we may keep it for longer for research or statistical purposes.

8. Your rights

Depending on your location and local law, you may have rights over your personal data, such as the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal and contractual constraints.
• Object to or restrict certain types of processing.
• Withdraw consent where we rely on consent.
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format where applicable.

You can exercise these rights by contacting us at joe@respond-app.co.uk. We may need to verify your identity before responding.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data, including encrypted connections, access controls, and logging. However, no online service can be completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please choose a strong password and keep your login details confidential.

10. Use by children and students

Respond is often used in educational settings. Where students use the service under the supervision of a teacher or institution, it is the responsibility of that institution to ensure appropriate consents and notices are in place under applicable law.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our service, technology, or legal requirements. If we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify you (for example, via email or in‑app notices). The “last updated” date will always indicate the current version.

Last updated:

If you have any questions or concerns about this policy, please contact us at joe@respond-app.co.uk.