Privacy Policy
Last Updated: October 31, 2025
Guide Care, Inc. (“Alongside”, “we” or “us”) respects and is committed to protecting your, the end user or parent/legal guardian of the end user (“you” or “your”), privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose information about individuals when individuals access and use our website located at www.alongside.care (the “Site”), when the Site is used to navigate to third-party platforms, or where users access, download and use the Alongside mobile application (the “App”). The Site, our web-based platform and the App are, collectively, the “Services.” This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and disclose personal information. This Privacy Policy also describes how we collect, use and disclose the personal information of students and children (including children under the age of 13) who use our App or access portions of the Services that require registration (“Child Personal Information”).
Please note that, unless we define a term in this Privacy Policy, all capitalized terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms of Use. Therefore, please make sure that You have read and understand our Terms of Use.
Please note that, unless we define a term in this Privacy Policy, all capitalized terms used in this Privacy Policy have the same meanings as in our Terms of Use. Therefore, please make sure that You have read and understand our Terms of Use.
CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We may change this Privacy Policy from time to time to address new technologies, regulatory requirements, or for other purposes. We will provide notice to you if these changes are significant and, where required by law, we will obtain your consent. Notice may be made by posting a notice on the Services, by notifying you by email using the email address you last provided, or by other means that are consistent with applicable law.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy from time to time, to stay informed about our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information through the Services. If you don't agree with any changes to this Privacy Policy, you may terminate your account. By continuing to use the Services after the revised Privacy Policy has become effective, you acknowledge that you accept and agree to the current version of the Privacy Policy.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy from time to time, to stay informed about our collection, use, and disclosure of personal information through the Services. If you don't agree with any changes to this Privacy Policy, you may terminate your account. By continuing to use the Services after the revised Privacy Policy has become effective, you acknowledge that you accept and agree to the current version of the Privacy Policy.
PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT
Personal information means any information that may be used to identify an individual, including, but not limited to, an individual’s name, email address, a home, postal or other physical address, phone number, and online contact information (including a screen or user name, geolocation information sufficient to identify street name and name or city or town, or persistent identifiers that can be used to identify a user). Child Personal Information means any personal information that we collect about a student or about a user under the age of 18.
Information You Provide to Us Directly (Without Registration). We collect personal information from individuals who visit the Site (and do not register to use the Service), and from individuals who register to use our Services (through the Site or the App). Individuals who do not register to use the Services may provide us with personal information directly when they fill out forms on our site, request information about our products and services, register to attend an event or webinar, make purchases from us online (e.g., our swag shop), chat with us through the features of our Site, schedule a meeting or a consultation, join a web-based call with us, or otherwise email or interact with us.
Information You Provide to Us Directly (With Registration). A user (whether a child or an adult) must create an account within the Services in order to use our registration-based Service. Where the user is an adult parent/legal guardian, the parent/legal guardian must first create a parent account and then provide access to their child to allow their child to register to create an account within the Services. When either a parent or a child creates an account, they submit personal information to us through the Services, we will collect the personal information described in this Section. The kinds of personal information, which includes Child Personal Information, that You may provide us when using the Services include:
Information You Provide to Us Directly (Without Registration). We collect personal information from individuals who visit the Site (and do not register to use the Service), and from individuals who register to use our Services (through the Site or the App). Individuals who do not register to use the Services may provide us with personal information directly when they fill out forms on our site, request information about our products and services, register to attend an event or webinar, make purchases from us online (e.g., our swag shop), chat with us through the features of our Site, schedule a meeting or a consultation, join a web-based call with us, or otherwise email or interact with us.
Information You Provide to Us Directly (With Registration). A user (whether a child or an adult) must create an account within the Services in order to use our registration-based Service. Where the user is an adult parent/legal guardian, the parent/legal guardian must first create a parent account and then provide access to their child to allow their child to register to create an account within the Services. When either a parent or a child creates an account, they submit personal information to us through the Services, we will collect the personal information described in this Section. The kinds of personal information, which includes Child Personal Information, that You may provide us when using the Services include:
Integrated Services. We also allow users to register to use the Services through third-party integrated service (“Integrated Service”), such as Google, MS365, Clever, Classlink or direct integration with a SIS, portal or product dashboard. Where an Integrated Service is made available, we may collect personal information about the individual (including Child Personal Information) that is already associated with their Integrated Service account (including student record information).
Cookies and Tracking Technology. We collect information automatically when you visit our Site or access and use our Services through a variety of technologies, including cookies, pixels, tags, and Web beacons. We use such tracking technologies to enable certain functions of the Services, to store your preferences, to report usage and performance statistics of the Services, to monitor the effectiveness of our advertising, and to ensure functionality of the Services.
We do not use cookies to serve third-party advertisements, nor to target children with behavioral advertising. We do use cookies to serve advertisements to schools and parents who may be interested in using our App. If you would like to delete cookies or instruct your web browser to delete or refuse cookies, please visit the help pages of your web browser. Please note, however, that if you delete cookies or refuse to accept them, you might not be able to use all of the features of the Services, you may not be able to store your preferences, and some of our pages might not display properly.
Some third-party services providers (e.g., Integrated Services) use their own cookies. This Privacy Policy covers only our use of cookies and does not include use of cookies by such third parties.
Information Related to Your Use of the Services. When you interact with our Services we collect Your IP address (the Internet address of your computer) and other information about your activity and devices, such as your browser type and operating system, session information, feature interaction, content interaction metrics, search queries, network information, geolocation (course only), referral source, language preferences and similar kinds of data. We collect this information through the use of cookies and tracking technology referred to above.
Information Sent by Your Mobile Device. If you access and use our Services via mobile device (including downloading and using the App), we collect certain information that your mobile device sends when you use our Services, such as device ID, user settings and the operating system of your device, app performance metrics, mobile app version, app permissions granted to us, Bluetooth status, information about your use of the App, and other similar kinds of information. You understand that, by logging onto the Services on your mobile device, information pertaining to your use of our Services may be stored to Your mobile device. We are not responsible for any unauthorized access by any third party to such information on Your mobile device.
HOW WE USE PERSONAL INFORMATION
Use of Personal Information Without Registering (No Known Child Personal Information)
When you visit our Site, or otherwise interact with us without registering for an account, we use the personal information we collect from you to:
When you visit our Site, or otherwise interact with us without registering for an account, we use the personal information we collect from you to:
Use of Personal Information With Registration
When you register to use our Services, we use the personal information we collect from you (including Child Personal Information) to:
When you register to use our Services, we use the personal information we collect from you (including Child Personal Information) to:
SMS Messaging
When safety alert messages are triggered, the content of the alert (including your name and the triggering information) is sent via SMS to designated parent/legal guardian or school personnel for response. We do not send marketing or promotional text messages to users. All SMS communications are directly related to your use of our Services and your safety.
While you can opt out of general SMS communications, safety alert messages related to Severe Issues are sent for your protection and the protection of others. If you opt out of SMS entirely, these critical safety communications may be sent through other available channels.
SMS message content and metadata are retained by our service provider Twilio for 400 days from the date sent, after which they are automatically deleted. You may request earlier deletion of your SMS data by contacting us at privacy@alongside.care.
When safety alert messages are triggered, the content of the alert (including your name and the triggering information) is sent via SMS to designated parent/legal guardian or school personnel for response. We do not send marketing or promotional text messages to users. All SMS communications are directly related to your use of our Services and your safety.
While you can opt out of general SMS communications, safety alert messages related to Severe Issues are sent for your protection and the protection of others. If you opt out of SMS entirely, these critical safety communications may be sent through other available channels.
SMS message content and metadata are retained by our service provider Twilio for 400 days from the date sent, after which they are automatically deleted. You may request earlier deletion of your SMS data by contacting us at privacy@alongside.care.
THE CATEGORIES OF THIRD PARTIES THAT WE DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION TO
Service Providers and Vendors.
We engage service providers to help us operate, secure, and improve the Services. These providers have access to personal information (and, in some cases Student Personal Information) and are contractually bound to use it only for specified purposes. This category includes:
We engage service providers to help us operate, secure, and improve the Services. These providers have access to personal information (and, in some cases Student Personal Information) and are contractually bound to use it only for specified purposes. This category includes:
We do not sell personal information, including Child Personal Information, to third parties. We do not share Child Personal Information with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
CHILD ONLINE PRIVACY PROTECTION ACT COMPLIANCE ("COPPA")
Protecting the privacy of young children is especially important to us. We describe our practices with respect to the collection, use, and disclosure of Child Personal Information of users who are under 13 years of age (“Child Users”) in this section.
We only collect personal information through the Services (registration is required) from a Child User where their parent/legal guardian has provided us with verifiable parental consent (in accordance with applicable law) or the school has agreed to provide consent on behalf of the child’s parent/legal guardian for that Child User to use the Services and to disclose personal information to us. Please note that parents/legal guardians can consent to our collection and use of Child User personal information without consenting to the disclosure of such Child User personal information.
If you are a user under 13 years of age, please do not send any personal information about yourself to us unless your parent/legal guardian has provided you with an access code to access and use the Services, or your school has provided this prior consent. Similarly, please do not send any personal information other than what we request from you in connection with your registration and use Services as a registered user.
If we learn that we have collected personal information from a Child User without obtaining verifiable parental/legal guardian consent, or if we learn that Child User has provided us personal information beyond what we request from them, we will delete such personal information as quickly as possible. If you believe that a Child User may have provided us personal information in violation of this paragraph, please contact us at privacy@alongside.care.
If you are the parent or legal guardian of a Child User and want to learn more about the Service(s) your Child User is participating in, please contact us if the Child User obtained access to the Services through a parental/legal guardian’s registration, or contact the Child User’s’ school if the Child User was provided access through their school. As parent or legal guardian of a Child User, you can also request to review the direct notice provided by Us to the Child User’s school, as required by COPPA, by contacting the Child User’s school.
We only collect personal information through the Services (registration is required) from a Child User where their parent/legal guardian has provided us with verifiable parental consent (in accordance with applicable law) or the school has agreed to provide consent on behalf of the child’s parent/legal guardian for that Child User to use the Services and to disclose personal information to us. Please note that parents/legal guardians can consent to our collection and use of Child User personal information without consenting to the disclosure of such Child User personal information.
If you are a user under 13 years of age, please do not send any personal information about yourself to us unless your parent/legal guardian has provided you with an access code to access and use the Services, or your school has provided this prior consent. Similarly, please do not send any personal information other than what we request from you in connection with your registration and use Services as a registered user.
If we learn that we have collected personal information from a Child User without obtaining verifiable parental/legal guardian consent, or if we learn that Child User has provided us personal information beyond what we request from them, we will delete such personal information as quickly as possible. If you believe that a Child User may have provided us personal information in violation of this paragraph, please contact us at privacy@alongside.care.
If you are the parent or legal guardian of a Child User and want to learn more about the Service(s) your Child User is participating in, please contact us if the Child User obtained access to the Services through a parental/legal guardian’s registration, or contact the Child User’s’ school if the Child User was provided access through their school. As parent or legal guardian of a Child User, you can also request to review the direct notice provided by Us to the Child User’s school, as required by COPPA, by contacting the Child User’s school.
DATA RETENTION AND DELETION; ACCOUNT TERMINATION
Generally, we retain personal information collected online from you for only as long as is reasonably necessary to fulfill the purpose for which such personal information was collected, or as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.
We have specific deletion practices with respect to accounts within the Services.
You may delete your account within the Services at any time. If you choose to delete your account, your account will be active until the end of the subscription period and then automatically deleted 60 days after the termination of your subscription period. When we will delete your account, we delete all data, including all personal information in your account, using reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to, or use of, such information in connection with its deletion. Alternatively, we may choose to deidentify your data so that it no longer identifies you or any individual.
We will retain a Child User’s personal information for as long as the Child User’s account is active. We define “inactive” as no logins have occurred within the past 24 months. If the account is inactive, we will delete or deidentify all data, including all personal data, within 60 days of the date in which the account became inactive
If you wish to access, review, modify or delete any of the personal information that you have provided to us, such as your name or email address, or you are the parent or legal guardian of a Child User and wish to access, review, or delete such Child User’s personal information that has been collected by us, please contact us at privacy@alongside.care for assistance.
Additionally, if access the Services through your school, once you graduate from the school that purchased our Services and no longer wish to use the Services or it has been 24 months since you accessed Our Services, we will delete your account and all of your data, or deidentify that data.
You (or a parent/legal guardian) may request deletion of your data or your entire account at any time by contacting us at privacy@alongside.care.
Please note that copies of information that you have updated, modified or deleted may remain viewable in cached and archived pages of the Services for a period of time not to exceed 90 days.
We have specific deletion practices with respect to accounts within the Services.
You may delete your account within the Services at any time. If you choose to delete your account, your account will be active until the end of the subscription period and then automatically deleted 60 days after the termination of your subscription period. When we will delete your account, we delete all data, including all personal information in your account, using reasonable measures to protect against unauthorized access to, or use of, such information in connection with its deletion. Alternatively, we may choose to deidentify your data so that it no longer identifies you or any individual.
We will retain a Child User’s personal information for as long as the Child User’s account is active. We define “inactive” as no logins have occurred within the past 24 months. If the account is inactive, we will delete or deidentify all data, including all personal data, within 60 days of the date in which the account became inactive
If you wish to access, review, modify or delete any of the personal information that you have provided to us, such as your name or email address, or you are the parent or legal guardian of a Child User and wish to access, review, or delete such Child User’s personal information that has been collected by us, please contact us at privacy@alongside.care for assistance.
Additionally, if access the Services through your school, once you graduate from the school that purchased our Services and no longer wish to use the Services or it has been 24 months since you accessed Our Services, we will delete your account and all of your data, or deidentify that data.
You (or a parent/legal guardian) may request deletion of your data or your entire account at any time by contacting us at privacy@alongside.care.
Please note that copies of information that you have updated, modified or deleted may remain viewable in cached and archived pages of the Services for a period of time not to exceed 90 days.
YOUR CHOICES AND OPT-OUTS
Email Communications
We may periodically send school administrators and school counselors free newsletters and emails that directly promote our Services. If you receive such promotional communications from us in your role as a school administrator or school counselor you will have the opportunity to “opt-out” of future communications from us (either through an account or by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in the e-mail).
Separate from the promotional communications sent to school administrators and school counselors, we may need to send you certain operational or transactional communications regarding the Services and you will not be able to opt out of those communications (e.g., communications regarding updates to our Terms of Use or this Privacy Policy).
Cookies and Tracking Technology
You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to delete or refuse cookies. Visit your browser’s help pages for specific instructions on cookie management. Note that if you delete or refuse cookies, some features of the Services may not function properly, you may not be able to store your preferences, and some pages may not display properly
We may periodically send school administrators and school counselors free newsletters and emails that directly promote our Services. If you receive such promotional communications from us in your role as a school administrator or school counselor you will have the opportunity to “opt-out” of future communications from us (either through an account or by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in the e-mail).
Separate from the promotional communications sent to school administrators and school counselors, we may need to send you certain operational or transactional communications regarding the Services and you will not be able to opt out of those communications (e.g., communications regarding updates to our Terms of Use or this Privacy Policy).
Cookies and Tracking Technology
You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to delete or refuse cookies. Visit your browser’s help pages for specific instructions on cookie management. Note that if you delete or refuse cookies, some features of the Services may not function properly, you may not be able to store your preferences, and some pages may not display properly
DATA SECURITY
We safeguard personal information with physical, electronic, and managerial procedures. In certain areas of our Services, we use industry-standard SSL-encryption to enhance the security of data transmissions. While we strive to protect personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of personal information that we process.
If we become aware of a systems security breach by an unauthorized party or that any personal information was used for an unauthorized purpose, we will comply with relevant state and other data breach laws. The notification will include: date of the breach, the types of information subject to the breach, general description of what occurred, and steps we are taking to address the breach.
If we become aware of a systems security breach by an unauthorized party or that any personal information was used for an unauthorized purpose, we will comply with relevant state and other data breach laws. The notification will include: date of the breach, the types of information subject to the breach, general description of what occurred, and steps we are taking to address the breach.
RESPONDING TO DO NOT TRACK SIGNALS
Our Site does not have the capability to respond to “Do Not Track” signals received from various web browsers. However, Alongside does not track users across apps or websites.
QUESTIONS OR SUGGESTIONS
If you have questions or concerns about our collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, please email Us at privacy@alongside.care. You may also contact us by writing to Guide Care, Inc., 301 Union St, Unit 21867, Seattle, WA 98111, or by calling (206) 222-1776.
SCHEDULE OF OUR THIRD PARTY SERVICE PROVIDERS
Name of Service Provider with link to Privacy Policy
What is the Service Provider used for?
What information is shared with the Service Provider?
Hosts our services and database.
The information we collect and use to provide the Services is hosted on Amazon Web Services. Such information is encrypted in motion using industry standard controls and at rest using industry-standard AES-256 encryption.
Helps provide specific chat interactions.
User messages in chat are sent to Anthropic without user identification. These messages are not stored by Anthropic.
CleverIdentity provider that allows students and staff to sign into Alongside.
We receive identifiers for the User’s district, school, and user ID in Clever. In addition, we receive information about the User that is explicitly shared with us by the User’s school district; these include: email address, role at the school, first and last name, grade, and birth date. When a User initiates a login to Alongside, we receive an authentication token which we send to Clever to complete the login request. We do not receive the User’s password, and we do not send any information to Clever.
Generates summary and chat session titles.
User messages in chat are sent to Google Gemini without user identification. These messages are not stored by Google.
Identity provider to sign into Alongside. Currently for Student login authentication using their Google credentials.
We receive authentication token and student email address, but not account passwords; we do not share personal information back with Google for this service.
Identity provider to sign into Alongside. Currently for Student login authentication using their Microsoft credentials.
We receive authentication token and student email address, but not account passwords; we do not share personal information back with Microsoft for this service.
Provides data on product usage.
Alongside-assigned user ID, Alongside-assigned school ID, and user’s birth year.
Send mobile and web push notifications
User’s first name. Only used for users 13+.
Helps provide specific chat interactions.
User messages in chat are sent to OpenAI without user identification. These messages are not stored by OpenAI.
Monitors the performance of our Services.
Alongside-assigned user ID.
Stores user feedback provided while using the App.
Alongside-assigned user ID, Alongside-assigned school ID, and feedback provided by user in the App.
Logs bugs and errors.
Alongside-assigned user ID and user’s IP address.
SendGrid (part of Twilio)
Sends emails to school support personnel when users send meeting requests or chat summaries or has a Severe Issue.
User’s first name and last name, along with email metadata (subject line, date sent) and content. Email content is not stored and metadata is only stored for 30 days.
Sends Severe Issue alerts to internal employees.
Alongside-assigned user ID, Alongside-assigned school ID.
Sends SMS alerts
User's first and last name, email address, and text message content, along with SMS metadata (destination phone number, date and time sent). Data and metadata is stored for 400 days.
User research surveys
Alongside-assigned user ID, Alongside-assigned school ID, user answers to surveys