Privacy Policy

How GradeUS.ai collects, uses, and protects your information.

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: April 5, 2026 | Version 1.0

GradeUS.ai ("Company", "we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the GradeUS platform (the "Service"). Please read this policy carefully. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described herein.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Personal Information: When you create an account or are invited to the platform, we collect:

  • Full name and email address
  • Institutional affiliation and department
  • Profile photograph (if provided via Google OAuth)
  • Role designation (professor, student, or administrator)
  • Security questions and hashed answers for account recovery

1.2 Academic Data: In the course of using the Service, we collect and process:

  • Course information (names, codes, semesters, descriptions)
  • Examination and assignment materials (questions, rubrics, solutions)
  • Student submissions (uploaded documents, extracted text, responses)
  • Grades, scores, performance analytics, and AI-generated feedback
  • Discussion posts, direct messages, and meeting records

1.3 Usage Data: We automatically collect:

  • AI usage logs (actions performed, models used, token consumption)
  • Login timestamps, session duration, and feature usage patterns
  • Device information, browser type, and IP address
  • Interaction data with AI chat and grading features

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide and operate the Service: Process student submissions, generate AI-assisted grades and feedback, facilitate course management, and enable communication features.
  • AI Processing: Analyze submitted documents using OCR and AI models to extract text, evaluate answers, generate grading reports, and detect potential anomalies in submissions.
  • Improve the Service: Analyze usage patterns to enhance platform features, improve AI model accuracy, and optimize user experience.
  • Communication: Send notifications about grades, assignments, meetings, and platform updates via email and in-app notifications.
  • Security: Detect and prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and other security threats.
  • Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

3. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

  • Within the Platform: Professors can view their students' submissions, grades, and enrollment data. Students can view their own grades and feedback. Administrators can access platform-wide data for management purposes.
  • AI Evaluation Services: We transmit data to third-party AI evaluation services for processing. This data is transmitted securely and is subject to the providers' data processing agreements.
  • Cloud Infrastructure: Your data is stored and processed using cloud services (e.g., Google Cloud Platform, Vercel) that maintain industry-standard security certifications.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or governmental authority, or when we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights or the safety of users.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information and academic data for the duration of your active account. Upon account termination:

  • Personal information is deleted within 30 days of account deletion request.
  • Academic records (grades, submissions) may be retained for up to 7 years to comply with educational record-keeping requirements.
  • AI usage logs are anonymized after 12 months and retained in aggregate form for analytics.
  • Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days before automatic deletion.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest (AES-256).
  • Secure password hashing using bcrypt with salting.
  • JWT-based authentication with secure session management.
  • Role-based access controls ensuring users only access authorized data.
  • Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
  • Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention requirements.
  • Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
  • Objection: Object to the processing of your personal information for certain purposes.
  • Restriction: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@gradeus.ai. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

7. FERPA Compliance

GradeUS.ai is designed to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). We act as a "school official" with a "legitimate educational interest" when processing student education records on behalf of educational institutions. We do not use education records for any purpose other than providing the Service to the contracting institution.

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking pixels. Our analytics are limited to platform usage patterns necessary for service improvement.

9. Children's Privacy

GradeUS.ai is designed for use by higher education institutions and is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will promptly delete it.

10. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. These countries may have different data protection laws. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in compliance with applicable data protection regulations.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by email or through the platform. The "Effective Date" at the top of this policy indicates when it was last revised. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

GradeUS.ai — Privacy Team
Email: info@gradeus.ai
Website: https://gradeus.ai