(1) Terms of Service
1. Introduction
Welcome to Tinker Tales (“Service”). Tinker Tales was developed as part of an Emory University research project on AI education for children. This Service is an interactive storytelling game that allows children to collaborate with an AI system using NFC toys, a game board, and a mobile app. By allowing your child to use the Service, you, as a parent or legal guardian (“you”), agree to these Terms of Service. If you do not agree, please do not allow your child to use the Service.
2. Eligibility & Parental Consent
The Service is intended for children ages 5–8. Parental consent is required for any child under 13 in compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Parents or guardians are responsible for supervising their child’s use of the Service.
3. User Accounts
Children do not create their own accounts. Any accounts are created and managed by parents or guardians. Parents control access to saved stories and activity history.
4. Use of the Service
The Service is for educational and entertainment purposes only. The AI generates stories but does not provide professional advice (medical, legal, safety-related, etc.). Parents or guardians must ensure appropriate use of NFC toys, the board, and the mobile app.
5. Content & Story Data
Children may generate stories by scanning NFC toys or speaking to the AI. The stories may be stored temporarily so that parents or guardians can review them. We do not publicly share a child’s generated stories without parental consent.
6. Privacy & Data Collection
We collect limited data such as:
• Child’s interactions with NFC toys and the AI (e.g., story choices, speech input)
• Parent or guardian account details (email, consent confirmation)
No personal information (name, address, photo, etc.) is collected from children without verified parental consent. Please review our Privacy Policy for full details.
7. Prohibited Uses
Users may not:
• Attempt to reverse-engineer, hack, or interfere with the Service.
• Upload harmful or inappropriate content.
• Misuse the Service outside its intended educational purpose.
8. Intellectual Property
All software, AI systems, story prompts, designs, and game assets belong to Tinker Tales. Users retain rights to the stories they create, but by using the Service you grant us permission to use anonymized story data to improve the Service.
9. Modifications and Interruptions
We reserve the right to change, modify, or remove the contents of the Service at any time at our sole discretion without notice. We may also discontinue all or part of the Service without notice at any time. We cannot guarantee that the Service will be available at all times and we have no liability for any interruptions or downtime.
10. Corrections
There may be information in the Service that contains typographical errors, inaccuracies, or omissions. We reserve the right to correct such errors and to update information at any time without prior notice.
11. Disclaimer of Warranties
Your access to and use of the Service are at your own risk. The Service is provided “AS IS” and “AS AVAILABLE.” To the maximum extent permitted by law, Tinker Tales disclaims all warranties, express or implied, including merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, secure, or meet your expectations.
12. Limitation of Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Tinker Tales shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, revenues, or data arising out of or related to your use of the Service.
13. Governing Law and General Terms
These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the State of Georgia, without regard to conflict of law provisions. Any disputes shall be resolved exclusively in the courts located in Georgia. If any provision of these Terms is found invalid, the remaining provisions remain enforceable. Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right.
(2) Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
Tinker Tales (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of children and complying with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when your child uses the Tinker Tales Service.
2. What Information We Collect
We collect only the information that is reasonably necessary to provide and improve the Service, including:
• Child’s interactions with NFC toys and the AI (for example: story choices, voice input)
• Parent or guardian email for verifying consent and account management
We do NOT collect personal identifiers such as full name, address, photo, precise location, or other sensitive information from children without verified parental consent.
3. How We Use Information
We use the information we collect to:
• Enable interactive storytelling features and ensure proper functioning of the app
• Store and display stories for parents or guardians to review
• Communicate with parents or guardians (e.g., regarding consent or updates)
• Improve and maintain the Service (fix bugs, optimize performance)
We do NOT use children’s data for targeted marketing or advertising.
4. Legal Basis & Consent
Parental consent is required for children under 13 in compliance with COPPA. By providing your email and clicking consent, you verify you are the parent or guardian and permit data collection as described in this policy. You may withdraw consent at any time.
5. Data Sharing & Disclosure
We do not share children’s information with third parties except in limited cases:
• When required by law or legal process
• To protect the safety, rights, or property of users or the Service
• With service providers who perform services for us under confidentiality obligations
6. Data Retention
Information is stored only as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill the purposes described here. If parental consent is withdrawn, we will delete or anonymize all related data within a reasonable timeframe.
7. Your Rights (Parents or Guardians)
As a parent or guardian, you have the right to:
• Review what data has been collected about your child
• Ask for correction or deletion of data
• Withdraw consent and stop further data collection or use of data
8. Security of Information
We employ technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect data. However, no security system is perfect or impenetrable, and we cannot guarantee that unauthorized access or data breach will never occur.
9. Updates to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated to parents or guardians via email or in-app notification. It is recommended to review this Policy regularly.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your child’s data, please reach us at 📧 nayoung.choi@emory.edu.