Privacy Policy

Welcome to MyLessonStudio! We know privacy policies can be dense, so we've worked hard to make ours clear and straightforward. This policy explains how we handle your information when you use our service at mylessonstudio.ca.

The Short Version: We collect only what we need to provide you with great lesson planning tools, we're transparent about how we use it, we don't sell your data, and you're always in control. Most importantly, we don't send personal information to Artificial Intelligence (AI) providers.

Who We Are: JLN Education ("we," "us," or "our") operates MyLessonStudio. We're educators and technologists who care deeply about both great teaching tools and your privacy.

By using MyLessonStudio, you're agreeing to this Privacy Policy. If something here doesn't work for you, please reach out to us at contact@mylessonstudio.ca before using MyLessonStudio—we're happy to answer questions.

1. What Information We Collect

We believe in collecting only what we need to make MyLessonStudio work well for you. Here's what we gather and why:

1.1 Information You Give Us

When you create your MyLessonStudio account, we ask for:

1.1.1 About School Board Information (Optional Field)

You might notice we ask for your school board affiliation during registration. This is completely optional—you can select "Prefer not to say" or leave it blank and still use every feature of MyLessonStudio.

Why we ask: We use this information only for understanding our user community:

• Seeing which provinces and regions are adopting digital lesson planning
• Creating aggregate statistics like "X% of our users are from Ontario boards"
• Understanding educational technology trends across Canada
• Tailoring provincial curriculum resources based on demand

What we DON'T do with this information:

• ❌ We don't contact your school board about your account
• ❌ We don't share your individual information with your board
• ❌ We don't have partnerships or contracts with school boards
• ❌ We don't verify your employment
• ❌ We don't give your board access to your account or content

Your privacy is protected:

• School board data is only used in aggregate form (no individual identification)
• It's de-identified before any analysis
• Never sold or shared with third parties
• Never used to contact your employer

Bottom line: This optional field helps us understand our community, but leaving it blank doesn't affect your experience at all.

1.1.2 About Province Information (Required)

Unlike school board information, we do need to know your province—but for a good reason that directly benefits you:

Why it matters:

• Curriculum alignment: We show you Ontario standards if you're in Ontario, BC standards if you're in BC, and so on
• Relevant resources: Provincial education systems differ, so we provide resources appropriate to your context
• Better service: Understanding regional distribution helps us prioritize which provincial curricula to support and enhance

How we use it:

• Delivering province-specific curriculum content to you
• Generating aggregate statistics (like "40% of our users are from Ontario") with no individual identification
• Prioritizing feature development based on regional needs

Your control:

• All province data is stored securely in Canada
• Never sold to third parties
• You can change your province anytime in account settings
• Used only for service delivery and de-identified analytics

1.2 Information We Collect Automatically

Like most online services, MyLessonStudio automatically collects some technical information to keep everything running smoothly and securely:

Device and Usage Information:

• Device type, browser, and operating system – helps us ensure MyLessonStudio works well for you
• IP address – for security and fraud prevention
• Pages you visit and features you use – helps us understand what's working and what needs improvement
• Time spent on the Service – shows us which features are most valuable
• Access times and error logs – helps us fix bugs and improve performance

Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies (small data files) to remember your preferences and keep you logged in. See Section 7 for more details and how to control them.

1.3 Student Information—An Important Note

1.4 Student Overview Information (Optional – Aggregate Only)

You may optionally create "Student Overview" profiles to help AI features suggest appropriate teaching strategies for your class composition.

What We Collect:

• Total number of students in your class
• Aggregate counts of learning needs (e.g., "Some students need extra time")
• Class-level proficiency distributions (e.g., "Few students below grade level")
• General accommodation requirements (presence/absence or ranges)

What We Do NOT Collect:

• ❌ Individual student names or identifiers
• ❌ Links between specific students and their needs
• ❌ Individual student records or profiles
• ❌ Any personally identifiable student information

Example of How This Works:

This aggregate data cannot identify which specific students have which needs.
Why This Matters: This aggregate approach means the data is NOT personal information under privacy law because it cannot be used to identify individual students. This protects student privacy while still enabling AI to suggest appropriate differentiation strategies.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to make MyLessonStudio helpful, secure, and continuously improving. Here's how:

2.1 Providing the Service You Signed Up For

• Creating and managing your account
• Giving you access to all MyLessonStudio features
• Processing your subscription payments
• Storing and organizing your lesson plans
• Providing province-appropriate curriculum resources
• Generating AI-powered teaching suggestions based on your lesson content and optional class context

2.2 Making MyLessonStudio Better

• Understanding how educators use different features
• Identifying what's working well and what needs improvement
• Developing new tools based on how teachers actually plan lessons
• Fixing bugs and improving performance
• Personalizing your experience based on your preferences

2.3 Communicating With You

Service-related messages (these are essential):

• Account confirmations and password resets
• Important updates about the Service
• Responses to your support requests
• Billing notifications

Optional communications (only with your permission):

• Tips for getting the most out of MyLessonStudio
• Updates about new features you might find useful
• Educational resources and newsletters
• Special offers

You're in control: You can opt out of optional communications anytime through your account settings or by clicking "unsubscribe" in any email.

2.4 Research and Analytics

We may use anonymized, aggregated data to:

• Analyze trends in lesson planning approaches
• Understand how educators use technology
• Share insights about educational practices (always in aggregate form, never identifying individuals)
• Publish findings in company newsletters, blog posts, or reports

For example, we might share:

• "Teachers spend an average of 45 minutes planning a lesson"
• "80% of educators use collaborative planning features."

We would never share: "Jane Smith from Toronto District School Board spent 2 hours on her math lesson."

2.5 Use of Data to Train and Improve Our AI Models

To ensure our AI remains accurate, safe, and helpful, we may use certain user-generated content to train and improve our models—but only in ways that respect your privacy and comply with Canadian privacy laws.

Key points:

• We do not use your identifiable personal information to train our AI.
• Before any data is used for model improvement, it is anonymized or de-identified so that it cannot reasonably be linked back to you.
• We may use lesson content, prompts, or interactions (after removing identifiable details) to help the system understand patterns in teaching, improve accuracy, reduce errors, and better support educators.

You control whether your data is used for training:

• Default Setting: Opt-Out – By default, your anonymized data is not used for model training. You must actively choose to participate.
• To Opt In: You can choose to contribute your anonymized data to help improve our AI models by enabling this option in your Profile settings.
• To Opt Out (or Stay Opted Out): Your data will not be used for training. This is the default setting. If you previously opted in and change your mind, you can opt out anytime through your Profile settings.

We do not use or access any student personal information. MyLessonStudio is not designed for inputting student data, and we strongly discourage entering student names or identifying details.
Data is never sold, rented, or shared for advertising. AI-related improvements are used strictly to enhance MyLessonStudio's features and performance.

Important: If you opt in to training, you retain full ownership of your intellectual property. You grant us a limited license to use your anonymized content only for training MyLessonStudio's custom models. We do not acquire any ownership rights to your lesson plans or content.

2.6 Legal and Security Purposes

We may use your information for:

• Complying with laws and regulations
• Protecting against fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Enforcing our Terms of Service
• Responding to legal requests
• Keeping the Service safe for everyone

3. Artificial Intelligence Features—Transparency You Can Trust

MyLessonStudio uses AI to help you create better lesson plans faster. We know AI raises privacy questions, so we're completely transparent about how it works and what happens to your data.

3.1 Our AI-Powered Features

AI helps you with:

• Lesson Plan Generator – creates lesson drafts based on your specifications
• Content Suggestions – recommends activities, assessments, and learning objectives
• Curriculum Alignment – matches your plans to provincial standards
• Smart Auto-Complete – provides intelligent text suggestions as you write
• Resource Recommendations – suggests relevant educational materials

Important: AI is your assistant, not your replacement. You remain the professional educator making final decisions about what's best for your students.

3.2 Our AI Service Provider and What We Send

To provide AI features, we partner with a trusted AI infrastructure provider:

• AI Infrastructure Provider: Google AI Studio (Gemini API)
• Privacy Policy: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms
• Additional Information: https://cloud.google.com/terms/cloud-privacy-notice

Key protections:

• Google does NOT use customer data to train AI models
• SOC 2, ISO 27001, and ISO 42001 certified for security
• FedRAMP High authorized
• GDPR and HIPAA compliant data handling
• Data governed by Google Cloud Data Processing Addendum (CDPA)

What We Send to Google:

• The specific lesson content you ask AI to help with
• Your prompts and instructions to the AI
• Educational context: subject area, grade level, curriculum standards
• Your province code (e.g., "ON", "BC")
• Optional aggregate class context (if you've created a Student Overview)

What We Do NOT Send:

• ❌ Your name or personal identifiers
• ❌ Your email address
• ❌ Your user ID or account information
• ❌ Your school board name
• ❌ Account credentials or payment information
• ❌ Lesson plans you haven't specifically requested AI help with
• ❌ Any other personal information about you
• ❌ Student names or identifiable student information

Important: We do not send personal information about you to our AI provider. Only educational content and aggregate class context are processed.

3.3 Class Context Information Sent to AI (Aggregate Only)

If you've created an optional Student Overview, AI features receive aggregate, non-identifiable information about your class to provide more appropriate suggestions:

{
  "prompt": "Create a Grade 5 math lesson on fractions",
  "grade": 5,
  "subject": "Math",
  "province": "ON",
  "class_context": {
    "total_students": 24,
    "visual_learners": "few (<5)",
    "extra_time_needed": "some (25-50%)",
    "below_grade_level": "some (25-50%)",
    "ell_students": "few (<5)",
    "students_with_ieps": "few (5-25%)"
  }
}

Why This Is Not Personal Information:

Because we use suppression and ranges, the data cannot identify individual students. For example:

• "Few (<5) students need visual supports" could mean 1, 2, 3, or 4 students—and you cannot determine which specific students
• "Some (25–50%) below grade level" in a class of 24 means 6–12 students—but which ones is unknown

This aggregate approach means the data is not "personal information" under privacy laws like PIPEDA and MFIPPA because it's not "about an identifiable individual."

3.4 How AI Features Work (Step by Step)

Understanding the process helps you feel confident about privacy:

1. You're in control – You click "Generate with AI" or choose an AI feature.
2. We prepare your request – Your lesson content and optional class context are packaged (with no personal identifiers).
3. Secure transmission – Data is encrypted and sent to Google's secure API.
4. AI processes your request – Google routes your request to the appropriate AI model and generates suggestions in real-time.
5. Temporary operational storage – Google may temporarily store your request for debugging and service quality purposes.
6. You receive suggestions – AI-generated content comes back to you through MyLessonStudio.
7. You decide – Use, modify, or discard the suggestions—you're always in charge.
8. Automatic deletion – After the limited operational period, Google automatically deletes temporarily stored data.

The key points:

• Google processes only educational content and aggregate class context
• No personal information about you or identifiable student information is included
• Temporary storage is subject to strong security standards (see Section 3.2)
• Data is automatically deleted after the operational period

3.5 Your Content Is Not Used for AI Training

Google's Base Models – Never Train on Your Data:

• Google does NOT use your data to train their base AI models.
• This applies to all MyLessonStudio users.
• Google's policy: customer data submitted via API is not used for model training.
• Your content is processed only to provide you with real-time suggestions.

MyLessonStudio's Custom Models – Opt-In Only:

We may develop custom fine-tuned models to better serve educators. For complete details on this optional program, see Section 2.5.

• Default: Your data is NOT used for our fine-tuning.
• You must explicitly opt in to contribute.
• You retain full ownership of your intellectual property.
• You can change your preference anytime in Profile settings.

3.6 AI Content Disclaimer—Your Professional Judgment Matters

AI is a powerful tool, but it's not perfect. Here's what you should know:

AI can sometimes:

• Make factual errors or inaccuracies
• Generate culturally inappropriate content
• Reflect biases from its training data
• Misunderstand your specific curriculum context
• Produce content that's not quite right for your particular students
• Miss nuance in your requests

You're the professional, so you're responsible for:

• Reviewing all AI-generated content carefully before using it
• Fact-checking information, dates, and claims
• Ensuring age-appropriateness and cultural sensitivity
• Adapting content to your specific teaching context and students' needs
• Verifying curriculum alignment with your provincial standards
• Following your school's policies about AI-generated content
• Exercising professional judgment—AI assists you; it doesn't replace your expertise

Remember: AI-generated content is provided as suggestions only, not as professional educational advice. You retain full responsibility for all content you use with your students.

3.7 For Educators in Public Institutions

If you work for a public school board or educational institution subject to privacy regulations (like MFIPPA in Ontario or FIPPA in BC):

Good news: MyLessonStudio is designed with your compliance needs in mind through our privacy-by-design approach.

Our Privacy-First Architecture:

Why This Matters for MFIPPA/FIPPA Compliance:

MFIPPA and FIPPA restrict the storage and processing of "personal information" outside Canada. Personal information means "recorded information about an identifiable individual."

Our data is not personal information because:

• Lesson content is about subject matter and pedagogy, not identifiable people
• Province code ("ON") doesn't identify individuals
• Aggregate class context uses suppression and ranges that prevent identification
• "Few (<5) students need visual supports" cannot identify which specific students

Result: Because we don't process personal information through AI features, MFIPPA/FIPPA cross-border restrictions don't apply to this data.

Your Responsibilities:

To maintain this privacy protection, you must:

• ✅ Never include student names in lesson plans or AI prompts
• ✅ Never include your own name or identifying information in AI prompts
• ✅ Never reference specific identifiable students (e.g., "my student with red hair who has ADHD")
• ✅ Never include IEP details for identifiable individual students
• ✅ Do focus on teaching strategies for types of learners, not individual students
• ✅ Do use Student Overview for aggregate context (system automatically protects privacy)

Examples:

Best Practices:

• Review your institution's policies on using educational technology tools
• Check if your board has specific AI usage guidelines
• Consult your IT department if you have questions
• Remember: MyLessonStudio is for lesson planning (educational content), not student tracking (personal information)

Our commitment: We're transparent about our data practices so you can make informed decisions about using our Service in compliance with your professional obligations.

3.8 Data Processing Location for AI Features

When you use AI features, your educational content and optional aggregate class context are processed by Google AI Studio, which may include locations in the United States and other Google Cloud regions.

Your core data stays in Canada:

• Your account information (name, email, password)
• Stored lesson plans
• User profile and preferences
• Payment information
• All personally identifiable information

3.9 Your Control Over AI Features

You have complete control over when and how AI is used:

• Opt-in by feature – AI only works when you explicitly choose to use it
• No automatic processing – We don't run AI on your lesson plans without your request
• Choose what to share – You decide which content gets AI assistance
• Accept or reject – Use, modify, or discard any AI suggestions
• Student Overview optional – You can use AI without creating a Student Overview

3.10 Transparency and Updates

If we add new AI services:

• We'll update this Privacy Policy
• You'll receive an email if changes significantly affect data handling
• We'll provide information about new providers' privacy practices

Questions about AI? Contact us at:

• Email: contact@mylessonstudio.ca
• Subject line: "AI Services Question"
• Response time: See Section 8.8 for detailed timeframes

3.11 Why We Chose Google AI Studio

We selected Google AI Studio as our AI infrastructure provider because they:

• Provide enterprise-grade AI access with strong privacy protections
• Don't use customer data for AI model training
• Maintain top-tier security certifications (see Section 3.2)
• Comply with major privacy regulations (GDPR, HIPAA)
• Offer transparent data handling policies
• Enable us to provide powerful AI features while protecting your privacy

Google's role: Google provides the infrastructure and API access to AI language models. They ensure:

• Secure data transmission
• Reliable AI model access
• Professional-grade service quality
• Privacy-compliant processing

Learn more about Google AI Studio:

• Privacy Policy: https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/terms
• Data Processing Details: https://cloud.google.com/terms/cloud-privacy-notice

4. How We Share Your Information

The most important thing: We do not sell your personal information. Period.

We only share your information in specific, limited circumstances—and we're transparent about each one:

4.1 Service Providers We Work With

To operate MyLessonStudio, we partner with trusted companies that help us provide the Service:

Types of service providers:

• Payment processors (to handle billing securely)
• Data hosting and storage providers (to keep your lesson plans safe and stored in Canada)
• Analytics services (to understand how to improve the Service)
• Customer support tools (to help you when you need assistance)
• Email services (to send you communications)
• AI infrastructure providers (Google AI Studio – to provide AI-powered features, as detailed in Section 3)

Your protection: All service providers are contractually required to:

• Protect your information
• Use it only for the specific purposes we authorize
• Follow applicable privacy laws
• Maintain appropriate security measures

4.2 When the Law Requires It

We may need to disclose information to comply with legal obligations:

• Court orders or legal processes
• Government or regulatory requests
• Investigations of fraud or security issues
• Protection of our rights, property, or safety
• Prevention of harm to others

We carefully review all legal requests and only share what's legally required.

4.3 Business Transfers and Mergers

If MyLessonStudio (operated by JLN Education) is involved in a business transaction like a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the acquiring organization.

Your protections during business transfers:

You'll know in advance

• We'll notify you at least 30 days before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy
• Notice sent via email and posted in your account dashboard
• Clear explanation of what's changing

What information may transfer

• Your account information (name, email, province, role)
• Your lesson plans and content
• Usage data and preferences
• Payment history (but not payment credentials)

Privacy protections continue

Any organization acquiring MyLessonStudio must:

• Honor the privacy commitments in this Policy for data collected before the transfer
• Comply with Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA and provincial regulations)
• Maintain security safeguards for your information
• Notify you of any material privacy practice changes

Your choices before transfer

During the transition

• Limited disclosure only for necessary due diligence
• Strict confidentiality agreements for parties reviewing data
• All security measures remain in effect
• We'll never sell your information as a standalone asset

If we can't continue operating

In the unlikely event of bankruptcy or dissolution:

• User data treated as a protected customer asset
• We'll make reasonable efforts to notify you and provide data export opportunities
• Personal information won't be sold separately from the Service
• If the Service can't be transferred, we'll delete user data in accordance with privacy laws

Contact during transitions

• Our Privacy Officer remains available: contact@mylessonstudio.ca
• We'll provide the acquiring organization's privacy officer contact
• Direct questions to either party

Your rights after transfer

• You keep all privacy rights under Canadian law
• New organization must provide updated privacy contact information
• You can close your account anytime if you disagree with new practices

What we will NOT do:

• ❌ Sell your information to data brokers or marketers
• ❌ Transfer data without user notice
• ❌ Allow new uses inconsistent with this Policy without your consent
• ❌ Transfer to organizations that can't meet Canadian privacy law requirements

International transfers in business transactions:

If a transfer would move your information outside Canada:

• We'll explicitly notify you of the destination country
• We'll ensure adequate privacy protections (like standard contractual clauses)
• You'll have the opportunity to object or close your account first
• We'll comply with PIPEDA requirements for cross-border transfers

Questions about business transfers? Reach out at contact@mylessonstudio.ca – we'll respond within 15 business days.

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information for any other purpose when you give us explicit permission to do so.

5. Keeping Your Information Secure

Security is fundamental to how we operate MyLessonStudio. We implement strong protections to safeguard your personal information.

Being realistic about security: We work hard to protect your information using industry-standard security measures. However, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially reasonable means to protect your information, we can't guarantee absolute security.

What you can do:

• Use a strong, unique password for your MyLessonStudio account
• Don't share your login credentials
• Log out when using shared computers
• Keep your email account secure (it's how we verify your identity)
• Report any suspicious activity to us immediately

6. How Long We Keep Your Information

We retain your information only as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, unless the law requires us to keep it longer.

6.1 Active Account Data

While your account is active, we keep your information to:

• Provide continuous access to the Service
• Maintain your lesson plans and content
• Support your ongoing use of MyLessonStudio features
• Fulfill our commitments to you

6.2 Inactive Account Data

If you stop using MyLessonStudio but don't close your account, it becomes "inactive." We retain inactive account data for as long as necessary to:

• Allow you to return and resume using the Service anytime
• Preserve your lesson plans and educational content
• Maintain records for security and fraud prevention
• Comply with legal, accounting, and regulatory requirements

What "as long as necessary" means: We periodically review inactive accounts and may retain them indefinitely unless:

• You request deletion of your account and data
• We determine the data is no longer needed for legitimate business purposes
• Legal retention requirements expire
• We're required by law to delete the information

Important: Your inactive account and all associated data remain accessible to you. You can log in anytime to access, export, or delete your information.

6.3 Deleted Account Data

When you request account deletion or we delete your account:

• You have 30 days to export your data after account closure
• Most personal information is deleted within 90 days
• Some information may be retained longer where required by law or legitimate business needs
• Backup systems may retain data for a limited additional period for disaster recovery

6.4 Lesson Plans and Educational Content

Your lesson plans and content are retained:

• Active accounts: For as long as you maintain your account
• Inactive accounts: For as long as necessary (as described above)
• Deleted accounts: 30-day export window, then permanently deleted within 90 days of closure

You control your content: Delete individual lesson plans or all content anytime through account settings, even if your account stays active.

6.5 Usage and Log Data

Technical logs and usage data are retained for as long as necessary for:

• Security monitoring and incident response
• Service improvement and analytics
• Fraud prevention
• Legal compliance

This data is generally kept for a reasonable period, then deleted or anonymized.

6.6 Payment and Financial Records

Payment and billing information is retained for as long as necessary to:

• Process transactions and refunds
• Comply with tax and financial regulations (typically 7 years as required by Canadian tax law)
• Resolve disputes
• Prevent fraud

Note: We don't store complete credit card numbers. Payment processing is handled by third-party processors with their own retention policies.

6.7 Legal and Regulatory Retention

Some information must be kept longer to comply with:

• Tax laws and regulations
• Accounting standards
• Legal holds or litigation requirements
• Regulatory investigations
• Financial auditing requirements

In these cases, we retain data only as long as legally required.

6.8 Anonymized and Aggregated Data

We may retain anonymized or aggregated data indefinitely for:

• Analytics and research
• Service improvement
• Industry reporting
• Statistical analysis

This data can't be used to identify you personally and isn't subject to deletion requests.

6.9 Requesting Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal information anytime by:

• Closing your account through account settings, or
• Contacting our Privacy Officer at contact@mylessonstudio.ca

Important notes about deletion:

• Some information may need to be retained for legal or regulatory reasons even after you request deletion
• You have 30 days after account closure to export your data
• Deleted data may persist in backup systems for a limited time
• Once deleted, your lesson plans and content cannot be recovered

Recommendation: Export your data before requesting deletion.

Response time: We'll acknowledge deletion requests within 5 business days and complete deletion within 90 days (except information we're legally required to retain).

6.10 Data Retention Summary

*Usage logs may be retained longer for security and fraud prevention, but are typically deleted or anonymized within a reasonable period.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Cookies are small data files that help websites remember your preferences and keep you logged in. MyLessonStudio uses cookies to make your experience better.

7.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Essential Cookies (Necessary for the Service to work):

• Keep you logged in
• Remember your security preferences
• Enable core functionality

Performance Cookies (Help us understand usage):

• Show us which features are most popular
• Help identify technical issues
• Let us know how people navigate the Service

Functional Cookies (Remember your preferences):

• Save your display settings
• Remember your language preference
• Store your curriculum selections

Marketing Cookies (Only with your consent):

• Show relevant content and offers
• Measure effectiveness of communications

7.2 Your Cookie Choices

You control cookies through your browser settings. You can:

• Block all cookies
• Accept only certain cookies
• Delete cookies after each session
• Receive notifications before cookies are set

Important: Disabling essential cookies may limit your ability to use some MyLessonStudio features.

Managing cookies: Most browsers let you control cookies through Settings or Preferences. Look for options under "Privacy" or "Security."

8. Your Privacy Rights

You have important rights regarding your personal information. Here's what you can do:

8.1 Access and Portability

What you can do:

• Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Take your data with you to another service

What we'll provide when you request data export:

• All your lesson plans and content
• Your account information and settings
• Student Overview data (if created)
• Data in common formats (PDF, DOCX)

How to request: Email contact@mylessonstudio.ca with subject line "Data Access Request".

8.2 Correction

What you can do:

• Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Update incomplete information

How to do it:

• Most information can be updated directly in your account settings
• For other corrections, reach out at contact@mylessonstudio.ca

8.3 Deletion

What you can do:

• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Close your account and have your data removed

How to do it:

• Use the "Close Account" option in account settings, or
• Email contact@mylessonstudio.ca with subject line "Account Deletion Request"

Timeline: See Section 8.8 for response timeframes.

8.4 Restriction

What you can do:

• Request that we limit how we process your information
• Object to certain types of processing

How to request: Send an email to contact@mylessonstudio.ca.

8.5 Objection

What you can do:

• Object to our processing of your information for certain purposes
• Opt out of marketing communications

How to do it:

• Click "Unsubscribe" in any marketing email, or
• Adjust preferences in your account settings, or
• Contact contact@mylessonstudio.ca

8.6 Withdraw Consent

What you can do:

• Withdraw your consent for any processing based on consent
• Change your mind about optional communications

How to do it:

• Adjust settings in your account, or
• Email: contact@mylessonstudio.ca

Note: Withdrawing consent doesn't affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

8.7 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any privacy right:

• Contact our Privacy Officer at contact@mylessonstudio.ca
• Include your name and email address associated with your account
• Clearly describe which right you want to exercise
• We may need to verify your identity before processing your request

No fees: We don't charge for exercising your privacy rights (unless your request is clearly unfounded or excessive).

8.8 Response Timeframes

We're committed to responding promptly to your privacy requests:

Standard Privacy Rights Requests (30 days)

• Access requests (data export)
• Correction requests
• Restriction requests
• Objection requests
• General privacy inquiries
• Response: Within 30 days of receiving your request

Account Deletion Requests (Expedited)

• Acknowledgment: Within 5 business days
• 30-day export window after account closure
• Completion: Within 90 days (except legally required retention)

Complex Technical Inquiries (15 business days)

• AI services questions
• Security-related technical questions
• Questions requiring engineering review

If we need more time for any request, we'll let you know why and when you can expect a complete response.

9. International Data Transfers

MyLessonStudio operates primarily in Canada, but some data processing occurs internationally.

What this means:

Your account data stays in Canada:

• Account information (name, email, password)
• Stored lesson plans
• User profile and preferences
• Payment information
• All personally identifiable information

AI processing occurs internationally:

When you use AI features, your educational content and optional aggregate class context are temporarily processed by Google AI Studio, which may include the United States and other Google Cloud regions. This processing:

• Is necessary to provide AI suggestions and content generation
• Involves only educational content and aggregate class data (no personal information about you or identifiable student data)
• Is temporary (real-time processing for suggestion generation)
• May involve limited temporary storage for operational purposes
• Is protected by Google's enterprise-grade security (see Section 3.2)
• Does not involve AI model training on your data

Why this is permissible: Privacy laws like PIPEDA and MFIPPA restrict cross-border transfers of "personal information." The educational content and aggregate class context we send to AI providers is not personal information because:

• It doesn't identify you as an individual
• It doesn't identify specific students
• Aggregate class data uses suppression and ranges that prevent identification
• Therefore, cross-border data residency restrictions don't apply to this data.

For Canadian users: Your core data is stored and processed in Canada, subject to Canadian privacy laws. Only AI processing requests (educational content) are sent temporarily to international servers.

If you're located outside Canada:

• Information you provide may be transferred to Canada
• By using MyLessonStudio, you consent to this transfer
• We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place regardless of where data is processed

Our commitment: Regardless of where your data is processed, we:

• Apply the privacy protections described in this Policy
• Comply with applicable privacy laws
• Ensure appropriate security safeguards
• Never transfer data unless adequate protections are in place

10. 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.

When we make changes:

• We'll post the new Privacy Policy on this page
• We'll update the "Last Updated" date at the top
• For material changes, we'll notify you by email
• For significant changes, we may also post a prominent notice in your account dashboard

Your continued use of MyLessonStudio after changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

We encourage you to review this Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

11. Contact Information

We're here to answer your privacy questions and concerns.

We want to hear from you if:

• You have questions about this Privacy Policy
• You want to exercise your privacy rights
• You have concerns about how your information is handled
• You need help with privacy settings
• You want to report a potential security issue

12. Your Rights Under Privacy Laws

MyLessonStudio complies with privacy laws that protect you. Here's what this means:

12.1 Canadian Privacy Laws (PIPEDA)

We comply with Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and applicable provincial privacy laws, including Quebec's Law 25.

Your rights under PIPEDA:

• Know what personal information we collect
• Access your personal information
• Challenge the accuracy of your information
• Withdraw consent (subject to legal or contractual restrictions)
• File a complaint with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

How to file a complaint:

If you believe we've violated your privacy rights, you can:

• Contact us first at contact@mylessonstudio.ca and we'll work to resolve your concern
• File a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada:
  • Website: www.priv.gc.ca
  • Phone: 1-800-282-1376
  • Mail: 30 Victoria Street, Gatineau, QC K1A 1H3

12.2 US Privacy Laws

For users in the United States, we comply with applicable federal and state privacy laws:

FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act)

• Protects the privacy of student education records
• We comply with FERPA requirements for educational records

COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)

• Protects children under 13
• We don't knowingly collect information from children under 13

State-specific laws:

• We comply with state privacy laws including California's CCPA where applicable
• See Section 15 for California-specific rights

12.3 GDPR (For European Users)

If you're located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal information in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Our legal bases for processing:

• Consent – where you've given explicit consent
• Contract – to fulfill our contractual obligations to you
• Legal obligation – to comply with legal requirements
• Legitimate interests – for our business operations, provided they don't override your rights

Your GDPR rights: all rights described in Section 8, plus additional GDPR-specific protections.

13. Third-Party Links

MyLessonStudio may contain links to other websites, services, or resources.

What you should know:

• We don't control third-party sites
• We're not responsible for their content or privacy practices
• This Privacy Policy doesn't apply to third-party sites
• We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit

Why we include links:

• To provide helpful educational resources
• To reference curriculum documents
• To connect you with teaching tools and materials

Your responsibility: Review the privacy policies of third-party sites before providing them with your information.

14. Data Breach Notification

We take data security seriously, but despite our best efforts, security incidents can occur.

If a data breach happens:

We'll investigate immediately

• Determine what information was affected
• Assess the risk to users
• Take steps to contain and remediate the breach

We'll notify you if required

• Without undue delay if there's real risk of significant harm
• Via email to your registered email address
• With clear information about what happened

We'll report to authorities

• Notify the Privacy Commissioner of Canada as required by law
• Report to other relevant regulatory authorities
• Comply with all breach notification requirements

We'll help you protect yourself

• Provide information about the nature of the breach
• Explain what steps we're taking
• Suggest actions you can take to protect yourself
• Offer support and resources

We'll prevent future incidents

• Analyze what went wrong
• Implement additional safeguards
• Update security measures
• Learn and improve

Breach records: We maintain records of all data breaches for 24 months as required by PIPEDA.

Report a security concern: If you suspect a security issue, please contact us immediately at contact@mylessonstudio.ca with the subject line "Security Concern."

15. Your California Privacy Rights

If you're a California resident, you have specific rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Your CCPA Rights:

How to Exercise Your CCPA Rights:

Contact us:

• Email: contact@mylessonstudio.ca
• Subject line: "California Privacy Rights Request"
• Include: Your name, email, and specific request

Verification: We may need to verify your identity before processing your request to protect your privacy.

Response time: We'll respond within 45 days (may extend by an additional 45 days if needed, with notice).

No charge: We don't charge for exercising your CCPA rights.

16. Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers have a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals websites you don't want your online activities tracked.

Current status: Our Service does not currently respond to Do Not Track signals.

Why: There's no industry-wide standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals.

Future: We'll continue monitoring developments in this area and may implement DNT features in the future.

Your privacy options: Even without DNT response, you can:

• Control cookies through your browser settings (Section 7)
• Opt out of optional communications
• Exercise all privacy rights described in Section 8

Final Thoughts

Privacy isn't just about legal compliance—it's about trust. As educators ourselves, we understand the importance of protecting your professional work and personal information.

Our commitment to you:

• We'll be transparent about our data practices
• We'll give you control over your information
• We'll protect your data with strong security measures
• We'll continuously improve our privacy practices
• We'll respond promptly to your questions and concerns

Your part:

• Review your privacy settings regularly
• Keep your account secure
• Reach out if something doesn't seem right
• Help us serve you better by sharing feedback

Questions or concerns? We're always here to help. Contact our Privacy Officer at contact@mylessonstudio.ca.

Thank you for trusting MyLessonStudio with your lesson planning needs.