🔒 The short version: We don't collect personal data. Your child's name and progress stay on your device. Writing samples sent for AI feedback are processed anonymously and never stored. We don't use cookies for tracking, sell data, or show ads.
Who We Are
Brightstar (brightstarprep.com) is a free educational platform for Australian primary students, built by an independent parent developer. We are not a company — we're a solo project created to help kids practise Maths, English, and prepare for NAPLAN.
What Data We Collect
Data stored on your device (localStorage)
All of the following is stored locally in your browser and never sent to any server:
- Your child's name and avatar selection
- Practice progress, scores, and streak data
- Mistake review queue
- Writing submission history (date, prompt, word count, band)
- Per-topic performance data (for Smart Practice)
- AI writing daily usage count
This data never leaves your device. If you clear your browser data, it is permanently deleted. We have no access to it.
Data sent to our servers
None. Brightstar has no user accounts, no database, no server-side storage, and no login system. We do not collect email addresses, passwords, names, or any personal information on our servers.
Exception: AI Writing Feedback
When your child uses the AI Writing Feedback feature and clicks "Get AI Feedback", the following happens:
- The essay text is sent to a secure Netlify serverless function (our hosting provider)
- The function forwards the essay to Anthropic's API (Claude) to generate feedback
- The feedback is returned to your child's browser
- The essay text is not stored by our function, by Netlify, or by Anthropic
Under Anthropic's API data policy, content submitted through their API is not used to train AI models and is not stored after processing. No personal information (name, school, location) is included in the API request — only the essay text, the writing prompt, and the year level.
Exception: Email signup (optional)
If you voluntarily enter your email address in the newsletter signup form, your email is submitted via Netlify Forms. We use this only to send occasional updates about new features. We never share, sell, or transfer email addresses to third parties. You can unsubscribe at any time by contacting us.
Analytics
We use Google Analytics (GA4) to understand how people use the site — which pages are visited, how long sessions last, and which features are used. Google Analytics uses cookies and collects anonymised usage data. It does not collect personal information. You can opt out of Google Analytics by using a browser extension or ad blocker.
Children's Privacy
Brightstar is designed for use by children under the supervision of a parent or guardian. We take children's privacy seriously:
- We do not require or collect any personal information from children
- The child's name entered during onboarding is stored only in the browser's localStorage on the device — it is never sent to any server
- AI writing feedback processes essay text only — no names, ages, or identifying information is transmitted
- We do not use behavioural advertising or targeted ads of any kind
- We do not have social features, chat, or any way for children to interact with other users
Third-Party Services
- Netlify — Hosts our website and serverless functions. Netlify Privacy Policy
- Anthropic — Provides AI writing feedback via their Claude API. Anthropic Privacy Policy. API usage data is not used for model training.
- Google Analytics — Anonymised usage analytics. Google Privacy Policy
- Netlify Forms — Processes optional email signups. Data stored on Netlify's servers.
Data Security
All connections to brightstarprep.com use HTTPS encryption. The Anthropic API key used for AI writing feedback is stored as a server-side environment variable and is never exposed in browser code. Essay text is transmitted over HTTPS and processed in memory — it is not written to disk or logged.
Your Rights
- Delete your data: Clear your browser's localStorage for brightstarprep.com to remove all locally stored data instantly
- Opt out of analytics: Use a browser ad blocker or the Google Analytics opt-out extension
- Unsubscribe from emails: Contact us at brightstarprep1@gmail.com
- Ask questions: Contact us at any time — we're happy to explain how anything works
Terms of Use
Free to use
Brightstar is provided free of charge. There are no subscriptions, premium tiers, or hidden costs.
Educational purpose only
Brightstar is designed as a supplementary practice tool. It is not a replacement for classroom teaching. AI writing feedback is generated by artificial intelligence and should be treated as practice guidance, not an official NAPLAN assessment.
Content accuracy
We make every effort to ensure questions and content are accurate and aligned to the Australian Curriculum v9.0. However, we are not affiliated with ACARA or any education authority. NAPLAN is administered by ACARA — Brightstar is an independent practice tool.
AI-generated feedback disclaimer
Writing feedback is generated by Claude (Anthropic) and may not perfectly match the scoring of a trained human marker. It is intended as a learning aid for practice purposes only. Scores and bands are estimates, not official NAPLAN results.
Availability
We aim to keep Brightstar available at all times, but we cannot guarantee uninterrupted service. The AI writing feature depends on third-party services (Anthropic, Netlify) and may occasionally be unavailable.
No warranty
Brightstar is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from use of the platform.
Contact
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how Brightstar handles data, please contact us:
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Continued use of Brightstar after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.