Introduction

Thank you for choosing DP Braille, a mobile application dedicated to teaching Braille, developed by the Faculty of Information Science and Technology (FTSM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM). This Privacy Policy outlines our unwavering commitment to safeguarding your privacy and details the measures we take regarding the handling of information related to your use of the DP Braille application.

By installing, accessing, or utilizing DP Braille, you signify your understanding and explicit consent to the practices described in this policy. We encourage you to read this policy carefully to understand how your information is handled, especially concerning third-party services.

1. Definitions

To ensure clarity, the following terms are used throughout this Privacy Policy:

• "DP Braille," "the App," "We," "Us," "Our": Refers to the DP Braille mobile application and its developers, the Faculty of Information Science and Technology (FTSM), Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

• "You," "Your," "User": Refers to the individual accessing or using the DP Braille application.

• "Personal Data": Any information that relates to an identified or identifiable natural person. An identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as a name, an identification number, location data, an online identifier or to one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural or social identity of that natural person.

• "Non-Personal Data": Information that cannot be used to identify you personally, such as aggregated usage statistics, technical device information, or anonymized crash reports.

• "Third-Party Services": External services or tools provided by entities other than DP Braille (e.g., Google Firebase, Sentry) that are integrated into the App to provide specific functionalities like analytics or crash reporting.

2. Our Unwavering Commitment: No Direct Personal Data Collection by DP Braille

At DP Braille, user privacy is our foundational principle. We are steadfast in our commitment that DP Braille does not directly collect, store, process, or transmit any Personal Data from its users. This means we do not ask for, nor do we store, information such as your name, email address, phone number, physical location, unique device identifiers (beyond what third parties may collect), or any other data that could directly identify you.

Our application is meticulously designed to offer a seamless, secure, and private Braille learning experience without compromising individual privacy.

3. Information Handled by Third-Party Services

While DP Braille itself does not collect Personal Data, we integrate and rely on carefully selected Third-Party Services to enhance app functionality, optimize performance, and ensure stability. These services may collect certain types of Non-Personal Data directly from your device when you use DP Braille.

Please review the privacy policies of these third-party providers for a comprehensive understanding of their data handling practices, as these are governed by their respective terms and not by DP Braille:

• Google Analytics for Firebase (Firebase Analytics):

  • Purpose: We utilize Firebase Analytics to gain aggregated and anonymized insights into how our application is used. This helps us understand user engagement with Braille lessons, identify popular features, track lesson completion rates, and detect areas for improvement. The goal is to continuously enhance the app's educational content, features, and overall user experience.

  • Types of Non-Personal Data Collected (Examples): Firebase Analytics collects non-personally identifiable information which may include:

    • Device Information: Device model, operating system version, device language settings, app version, screen resolution, mobile network information (e.g., carrier, connection type).

    • Usage Data: Number of sessions, session duration, screens viewed, specific in-app events (e.g., "lesson started," "quiz completed," "button tapped"), first open date, app updates, and app removal.

    • Geographic Information: Aggregated and anonymized data at the country, region, or city level (derived from IP address, but not used to identify individuals or their precise location).

    • Firebase Installation ID: A unique, pseudo-anonymous identifier generated by Firebase for each app installation, used to distinguish unique app instances for analytics purposes. This ID is not linked to your personal identity.

  • Nature of Collection: This data is collected directly by Google's Firebase SDK, processed, aggregated, and anonymized by Google. It provides us with statistical reports and trends, but does not enable us to identify individual users.

  • Privacy Policy: [Link to Firebase Analytics Privacy Policy – usually part of Google's Privacy Policy] (e.g., https://policies.google.com/privacy)

• Firebase Crashlytics:

  • Purpose: Firebase Crashlytics is integrated to monitor app stability, diagnose and resolve crashes, and identify bugs efficiently. This ensures a more reliable and stable application for all users.

  • Types of Non-Personal Data Collected (Examples): When a crash or error occurs, Crashlytics collects technical data related to the incident, which may include:

    • Crash Traces (Stack Traces): Detailed reports showing the sequence of function calls that led to the crash, helping us pinpoint the exact location of the error in the code.

    • Device State Information: Device model, operating system version, app version, CPU architecture, amount of free RAM and disk space at the time of the crash.

    • Non-Identifying Unique Crash Identifiers: Pseudo-anonymous identifiers to group similar crashes.

  • Nature of Collection: This data is collected directly by Google's Firebase SDK solely for debugging, performance monitoring, and quality improvement purposes. It is not used to identify individual users.

  • Privacy Policy: [Link to Firebase Crashlytics Privacy Policy – usually part of Google's Privacy Policy] (e.g., https://policies.google.com/privacy)

• Sentry:

  • Purpose: We utilize Sentry for comprehensive error monitoring and crash reporting. This allows us to proactively identify, diagnose, and resolve errors and crashes within the application, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted user experience.

  • Types of Non-Personal Data Collected (Examples): Sentry collects technical error data which may include:

    • Error Details: Type of error, stack traces, message, and context surrounding the error (e.g., app version, build number).

    • Device Information: Device model, operating system version, app version, device orientation.

    • Event Context: Breadcrumbs (a trail of events leading up to an error, like screen navigations or button clicks, typically stripped of any identifying information).

    • IP Address: Sentry collects IP addresses to determine the geographic location (city/country) of errors for aggregation, but these are typically anonymized or truncated by Sentry and not used to identify individual users.

  • Nature of Collection: This data is collected directly by the Sentry SDK from your device. While Sentry allows for custom user identifiers, DP Braille does not configure Sentry to collect any Personal Data that could identify you. The information collected is used solely for the purpose of improving app stability and debugging.

  • Privacy Policy: [Link to Sentry Privacy Policy] (e.g., https://sentry.io/privacy/)

Disclaimer regarding Third-Party Data: DP Braille does not control the data collected by these third-party services. Their data handling practices, including collection, processing, storage, and retention, are governed by their own privacy policies. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policies of Google (for Firebase services) and Sentry to understand their specific data handling practices.

4. App Permissions

DP Braille may request certain permissions on your device to enable specific functionalities within the App. These permissions are requested by your operating system (e.g., Android, iOS) and are used solely for the intended purpose within the App's features. DP Braille does not collect or store any data associated with these permissions.

• Bluetooth (for "Bluetooth" screen functionality): The App may request Bluetooth permission to enable connectivity with external Braille devices or other Bluetooth-enabled peripherals, as intended by the "Bluetooth" feature of the App. This permission is essential for the functionality of the Bluetooth screen.

You can manage or revoke these permissions at any time through your device's operating system settings.

5. Children's Privacy

DP Braille is an educational application designed to be accessible and beneficial for users of all ages, including children. We are committed to protecting the privacy of children and adhere to applicable laws and regulations concerning children's online privacy.

• No Direct Personal Data Collection from Children: As stated in Section 2, DP Braille does not directly collect any Personal Data from any user, including children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age in your jurisdiction).

• Third-Party Data: The Non-Personal Data (technical and usage data) collected by integrated Third-Party Services (Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and Sentry) is aggregated and anonymized. This data is not used to identify individual children, build profiles of children, or for any behavioral advertising targeting children.

• We strongly encourage parents and legal guardians to supervise their children's online activities and to review the privacy policies of any third-party services used within applications that their children access.

6. Your Rights (Data Subject Rights)

While DP Braille does not directly collect, process, or store your Personal Data, we acknowledge and respect the fundamental data protection rights of individuals. Since DP Braille does not process or store your Personal Data, these rights are not directly exercisable with DP Braille itself.

• Right to Access, Rectification, Erasure, Restriction, Portability, and Objection: If you have concerns about data processed by our Third-Party Services, you should refer to their respective privacy policies for information on how to exercise any applicable data subject rights they may offer.

• Contact Us: For any general privacy inquiries or concerns related to DP Braille's practices as outlined in this policy, please use the contact information provided in Section 9.

7. Data Security

Security is a top priority for DP Braille. Although we do not directly collect user data, we implement robust measures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the application and to safeguard against unauthorized access or breaches of any technical data processed by third-party services.

• We employ industry-standard security practices in the development and deployment of DP Braille.

• We rely on the advanced security infrastructures and practices of our Third-Party Service providers (e.g., Google for Firebase, and Sentry). These providers are responsible for protecting the data they collect in accordance with their own security policies and industry best practices. For detailed insights into their data security procedures, please refer to their privacy policies linked in Section 3.

8. Data Retention and Deletion

In strict adherence to our commitment to privacy and non-collection of user data:

• DP Braille does not engage in the direct collection or retention of any Personal Data. Therefore, no data retention or deletion policy is applicable to data collected by DP Braille itself.

• For information collected by the Third-Party Services (Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and Sentry), data retention and deletion are governed by their respective privacy policies. We encourage you to review their policies for details on how long they retain the Non-Personal Data they collect.

9. Privacy Policy Accessibility and Non-Editable Format

Transparency is paramount. This Privacy Policy is made accessible through multiple channels to ensure that you can easily review our practices at any time:

• Within the DP Braille application itself.

• Online at: https://sites.google.com/view/dpbraille-privacy-policy

To uphold the accuracy, consistency, and reliability of our privacy policy, it is presented in a non-editable format. This guarantees that users receive current and verifiable information about our data practices directly from FTSM UKM.

10. Comprehensive Disclosure

DP Braille is committed to providing an exhaustive understanding of how information related to your use of the App is managed:

• No Access, Collection, Use, or Sharing of Personal or Sensitive User Data by DP Braille: We unequivocally state that DP Braille does not access, collect, use, or share any Personal Data or sensitive user data.

• Third-Party Data Collection: As detailed in Section 3, Third-Party Services (such as Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and Sentry) may collect certain Non-Personal Data directly from your device, including device details, usage patterns, and crash reports. These practices strictly adhere to the respective privacy policies of those services, which are linked for your reference.

11. Updates to This Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy may undergo periodic updates by FTSM UKM to align with changes in our practices, technological advancements, or legal requirements.

• We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time.

• Any changes will be effective immediately upon posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website and within the application.

• Users are encouraged to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect their privacy. Your continued use of DP Braille after any modifications to this Privacy Policy will constitute your acknowledgment of the modifications and your consent to abide and be bound by the modified Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

For any privacy inquiries, concerns, questions, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or your use of DP Braille, please do not hesitate to contact FTSM UKM:

Faculty of Information Science and Technology (FTSM),
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM),
Email: dahlilaputri@ukm.edu.my

We value open communication and are dedicated to addressing your privacy-related matters with utmost professionalism and efficiency.

13. Governing Law

This Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of Malaysia, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.