1. Introduction

ParentLens ("we," "our," or "us") provides a parental monitoring service that helps parents oversee their children's interactions with AI chatbots. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect information when you use our website (parentlens.ai), dashboard, and browser extension (collectively, the "Service").

We are committed to complying with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and other applicable data protection laws.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

Name and email address
Authentication credentials (a bcrypt password hash, or your Google account identity if you sign in with Google)
Plan and subscription status (billing is processed by Stripe; we never see or store card numbers)

2.2 Child Profile Information

Parents provide:

Child's first name (or nickname)
Child's age

We do not collect children's email addresses, photos, or other personal identifiers.

2.3 Conversation Data

The browser extension reads conversations on supported AI chatbot sites and checks them for risk signals on the child's device. What happens next depends on the extension's setting:

Standard (default): Only messages that trigger a risk signal, plus up to 3 messages before and after each one for context, are sent to our servers. Our servers check those excerpts again and store only the flagged messages and their context. Messages that do not trigger a risk signal are not stored.
Privacy Mode (optional): No message text is sent. Only the risk level, matched safety categories, a short summary, the matched keywords, the platform, and the number of messages are sent.

Extension versions before 1.1.4 sent whole batches of messages rather than excerpts. Our servers discard the unflagged messages in those batches as soon as they are analyzed. On October 17, 2026 we deleted all previously stored messages that were not flagged or within the context of a flagged message.

We also store:

Risk assessments: Risk level, risk score, matched safety categories, and a short summary.
Alerts and guidance: The alerts shown to you and the suggested talking points generated for them.
Conversation metadata: Platform, start time, and message counts, used for your dashboard and daily summary emails.

Full conversation transcripts are never stored. Flagged excerpts are visible to the parent in the flagged conversation viewer on paid plans.

2.4 Feedback

If you answer our in-app feedback survey, we store your answers with your account and email a copy to our team so we can read it.

2.5 Cookies and Analytics

Session cookie: Keeps you signed in to the dashboard.
Beta cookie: If you open our friends-and-family beta link, a cookie named pl_beta is stored for up to 30 days so your free trial is applied at checkout.
Google Analytics: Our website uses Google Analytics, which sets cookies and collects pages visited, browser type, approximate location, and IP address to help us understand site usage. The browser extension does not use Google Analytics.

3. How We Use Information

Check conversations for safety risks using keyword matching and, on paid plans, AI analysis
Generate alerts, risk assessments, and talking points for parents
Show flagged excerpts and activity on the parent dashboard
Send alert emails and daily summary emails
Process payments and manage subscriptions and free trials
Improve the accuracy of our risk detection
Communicate with you about your account and service updates

4. COPPA Compliance

ParentLens is a tool designed for parents. We do not market to or provide accounts to children under 13. The Service is accessed and controlled entirely by the parent or guardian.

Only parents create accounts and configure monitoring
Conversation data is collected under the authority and consent of the parent/guardian
Children do not interact with ParentLens directly
We collect minimal child information (first name and age only)
Parents can delete a child's profile and all of that child's data at any time through the dashboard
We do not sell or share children's conversation data with third parties for marketing

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell personal information. We share data only with these service providers, for the purposes listed:

OpenAI: On paid plans, flagged excerpts and the child's age are sent to OpenAI's API for deeper risk analysis, and alert summaries and daily activity counts are sent to generate talking points and digest text. Children's names are replaced with placeholders before anything is sent. Messages that were not flagged are never sent to OpenAI.
Stripe: Payment processing (name, email, billing details)
Resend: Delivers our emails (your email address and the content of alert, summary, and account emails, plus copies of feedback survey answers sent to our team)
Google Analytics: Website usage analytics, as described in section 2.5
Hosting providers: Our service infrastructure (Vercel, Neon PostgreSQL)
Law enforcement: If required by law or if we believe a child is in imminent danger

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (TLS), secure password hashing (bcrypt), and JWT-based authentication. Conversation data is stored in encrypted databases. Access to production systems is restricted to authorized personnel.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

Account data is retained while your account is active
Flagged excerpts, assessments, and alerts are kept until you delete the child profile or your account. Your plan's history limit controls how far back you can view them in the dashboard.
Deleting a child profile permanently removes that child's conversations, excerpts, and assessments
To delete your account, email us (see section 13). All associated data (children, conversations, alerts, feedback) is then permanently removed
We retain anonymized, aggregated analytics data for service improvement

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your data and your children's flagged excerpts through the dashboard
Delete child profiles and all associated conversation data
Delete your account and all data
Request a copy of your data
Turn on Privacy Mode in the extension so no message text leaves your child's device

California residents have additional rights under the CCPA. Contact us to exercise these rights.

9. Third-Party Platforms

The ParentLens browser extension works on third-party AI chatbot platforms: ChatGPT (OpenAI), Claude (Anthropic), Gemini (Google), Character.ai, Microsoft Copilot, and Perplexity. These platforms have their own Terms of Service and privacy policies. ParentLens is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of them. Use of the extension is at the parent's discretion and responsibility.

10. Browser Extension

The ParentLens browser extension operates on supported AI chatbot websites only. It does not:

Access browsing history, bookmarks, or other browser data
Monitor any websites other than supported AI chatbot platforms
Log keystrokes or read form inputs outside the chat conversation itself
Run when not on a supported AI chat page

11. Chrome Web Store User Data Policy

The use of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance.

13. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, data deletion requests, or COPPA inquiries:

Email: privacy@parentlens.ai