CLEAR, PRIVATE, FAMILY-LED

Privacy policy

Last updated: 21 September 2026

This notice explains the current private Castra School family app and its optional Google Drive storage connection. For questions or requests, contact the operator at ryanjohncase@gmail.com.

The public demo

The interactive demo uses a fictional Explorer profile and hand-written sample activities. It has no connection to a family host, real learning records or Google Drive. It does not request a login, camera, microphone, location or file access. Demo choices stay in page memory and reset when the page is refreshed or closed; they are not saved or uploaded. The demo has no analytics or advertising scripts. Hosting requests are processed by Cloudflare as described below.

The information you choose to keep

The family app stores profiles, lesson activity, progress, planning, journals, learning-support notes and media that family members choose to record. These records are kept on the configured family host computer. This public information website and its demo have no access to those records.

An adult controls the Google storage connection. Do not include other people's private information or images without appropriate permission. Children use the learning tools with their family's oversight; they do not need to connect their own Google account for this storage feature.

Google access: what we request and why

Castra requests only https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.file. This permission is limited to files created or selected for use with the app, not unrestricted access to the entire Google Drive. The current integration creates its own evidence and recovery folders; it does not browse unrelated files.

Castra checks the connected account's email address to confirm the intended storage owner. It stores that email address and connection credentials on the host so it can upload in the background after the owner enables uploads. Castra never asks for or stores the Google password.

When enabled, Castra sends newly saved scanner, studio and learning-evidence media to Google Drive. An adult can also choose to upload a whole-record .castra recovery backup, containing the host's learning records and saved media. Existing media is not bulk-uploaded just by enabling the connection.

The integration reads the metadata of its own uploaded files, including ownership, folder, size and checksum, to verify the copies. The permission allows file management, but this version does not automatically delete Google Drive copies or originals.

How information is used and shared

Google data is used only to provide the requested family evidence storage, connection checks and recovery copies. It is not sold, used for advertising or used to train AI models.

Uploads go to the Google account authorised by the host owner, using that account's available storage. Evidence and recovery archives are kept in separate folders. Castra does not automatically share these folders, publish records or invite other people. Any later sharing must be arranged separately by the owner. People with access to the host computer, family app or folders may be able to see the records their access permits.

Google processes stored files under its own privacy policy. Castra's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.

Storage, security and retention

The Google connection credentials remain in a private configuration directory on the host, not in ordinary family backup archives or on connected phones. This configuration is not an encrypted credential vault; protect the host account and device. Traffic to Google uses HTTPS. Remote access to this family's app uses its separate Cloudflare sign-in protection.

Local originals, recovery snapshots and Drive copies remain until the owner removes them. There is no automatic retention or deletion schedule in this version. Removing something in one location does not necessarily remove its copies in other locations or older backups. The phone or tablet's original gallery files are not deleted by Castra.

Pause uploads in Grown-ups → Photos & evidence → Google account setup. You can revoke Google access through your Google Account connections. Pausing or revoking access stops future transfers but does not delete existing copies. Use Drive to manage its copies and contact the host operator about local records, backups or the retained connection configuration.

Other services and this website

Optional app functions such as maps, weather and nature identification can contact the providers shown for those features. Review their notices and requested permissions separately. The Google Drive permission does not grant those providers access to Drive.

This information site is hosted by Cloudflare. We do not add advertising trackers, analytics scripts or data-collection forms to these pages. Hosting and security services may process IP addresses and other technical request data under Cloudflare's privacy policy. Sending a support email shares the information in that message with the operator and their email provider.

Questions and changes

Contact ryanjohncase@gmail.com about access, corrections, deletion requests or concerns. This notice will be updated when the app's data practices change. The date above identifies this version.