Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 2025

Storytime PODs Pty Ltd (ABN: 93 165 833 983)
Operator of www.lote4kids.com and the LOTE4Kids App

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

Storytime PODs Pty Ltd (“we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect information across the LOTE4Kids website and mobile application.

Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth)
EU GDPR and UK GDPR
PIPEDA in Canada
FERPA and COPPA in the United States
EdTech TrustEd Apps Data Privacy Rubric standards for educational technology

contact@storytimepods.com.au
3/6 Riddell Parade, Elsternwick, Victoria 3185, Australia

2. Educational Context and Institutional Use

LOTE4Kids is accessed through subscriptions by public libraries, school districts, and educational or healthcare institutions. Storytime PODs Pty Ltd is the data controller and owner of all data collected through the platform, including usage, access and institutional metadata.

All data collected is strictly limited to what is necessary for service delivery, support and improvement. Importantly, the data is non-personal, anonymized and aggregated and is never used to identify individual users. We do not collect personal information from students or children.

3. Data We Collect

We prioritize data minimization. The data we collect is non-personal and unidentifiable, collected solely to support functionality and reporting.

Data Type	Purpose	Retention	Shared With
Library Barcode or Access Code	Login routing, usage reporting	While subscribed	Subscribing institution only
IP Address	Security and geo-routing	12 months	Not shared
Usage Analytics (non-PII)	Platform improvement	Aggregated only	Not shared
Admin Contact Info	Setup, support, communication	Until unsubscribed	Internal only
Device/Browser Metadata	Diagnostics and optimization	12 months	Not shared

We do not collect:

Names, emails, or addresses of students or patrons
Payment card or billing details (handled by Stripe)
GPS-based geolocation data

If an institution or user does not provide the required information (institution barcode/access code details and authorised staff contact information), Storytime PODs is unable to complete the onboarding process and the service cannot be activated or used. For institutional staff accounts, a valid email address is required for account management and password recovery purposes. Other account fields (such as first name and surname) are used for display purposes only; the use of preferred names or pseudonyms is not prohibited.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use anonymized, aggregate data to:

Provide and maintain platform access
Respond to support requests
Communicate with authorized institution staff
Provide institutions with non-personal, aggregate usage reports
Fulfil legal and contractual obligations

We do not sell, profile, or use data for advertising. All data remains under the ownership and control of Storytime PODs Pty Ltd in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

5. Cookies and Website Tracking

LOTE4Kids uses cookies and internal website click tracking (non-PII) to:

Analyze platform usage and improve performance
Optimize features and content accessibility
Prevent spam and unauthorized access

You can disable cookies via your browser settings, though some features may be limited.

6. Data Hosting and International Transfers

All data is securely hosted by SiteGround, with servers located in:

Australia
United States
Other regions with adequate legal safeguards

International data transfers follow GDPR compliance measures, including the use of Standard Contractual Clauses.

7. Security Measures

We maintain strong technical and organizational security standards to protect data:

TLS 1.3 encryption for data in transit
sha256RSA encryption for data at rest
Secure access and audit controls
Daily encrypted backups
Privacy-by-design development practices

8. User and Institutional Rights

Authorized institutions may:

Request access to data related to their usage
Request correction or deletion of institutional contact data
Request a formal Data Protection Agreement (DPA)

Under GDPR/UK GDPR, individual users also have the right to:

Access and correct personal data (if any exists)
Request deletion or data portability
Restrict or object to processing
File a complaint with a supervisory authority

Requests may require identity or authorization verification.

9. FERPA and COPPA Compliance (U.S.)

LOTE4Kids does not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

When used in educational settings:

The platform operates under FERPA-compliant agreements
Storytime PODs acts as a school official with a legitimate educational interest
No personally identifiable information (PII) is collected from students or patrons

10. Payment and Financial Information

We do not store or process credit card data. All transactions are handled by Stripe, a PCI-DSS-compliant third-party payment processor.

11. Third-Party Services

We only engage subprocessors that meet privacy and security standards. We do not share data with third parties for marketing.

Current subprocessors include:

SiteGround – Cloud hosting infrastructure
Stripe – Payment processing
Internal website click tracking – Engagement analytics (non-PII)
Microsoft Power BI – Aggregate reporting via secure staff portal

All subprocessors are bound by contract and operate under strict data protection agreements.

12. Data Retention and Deletion

Anonymous usage data: retained for up to 18 months
Library barcodes, access codes and admin contact: retained during subscription
Data deletion: available upon verified request

To request deletion or anonymization, please email: contact@storytimepods.com.au

13. Breach Notification and Incident Response

In the event of a data breach:

We will notify affected institutions and regulatory authorities as required
We follow all applicable breach notification laws in the U.S., EU, UK, Canada, and Australia

14. Complaints and Inquiries

We take privacy seriously and investigate all legitimate concerns. Privacy complaints are received by our Head of Operations and immediately escalated to the management team. The individual who submitted the complaint will receive written acknowledgement within 1 business day, including a timeline for investigation and resolution. The individual is kept informed throughout the process. The Head of Operations and the management team develop a resolution plan, which is actioned by the development team where technical remediation is required.

Contact: contact@storytimepods.com.au

15. Changes to This Policy

We may revise this policy from time to time. Updates will be posted at:
www.lote4kids.com/privacy-policy

We recommend reviewing the policy periodically to stay informed.

Last Updated: May 2025