Privacy Policy

1. Scope

This policy applies to information processed through the KnowMapped Service. It does not govern third-party websites, applications, or services that may be linked from KnowMapped or used independently of the Service.

Education Futures LLC operates KnowMapped and is responsible for the personal information described in this policy, except where another provider acts independently under its own terms and privacy policy.

2. Information we collect

Account information

When you create an account, we collect information needed to operate it, such as your name, email address, authentication information, account preferences, Professional access status, generation-credit balance, and related profile information.

Maps and user content

We store the maps and related content that you choose to save in KnowMapped. This may include map titles, descriptions, concepts, nodes, relationships, relationship descriptions, notes, layout information, visual settings, collaboration information, and generated content that becomes part of a map.

Map content may contain personal information if you or another user chooses to include it. You are responsible for ensuring that you have an appropriate basis for adding, sharing, or publishing personal information about other people.

Files submitted for AI generation

When you upload a file for AI-assisted map generation, Education Futures may temporarily process the file or extracted source material as needed to upload, extract, transmit, analyze, secure, and troubleshoot the generation request.

Education Futures does not store uploaded source files as part of your KnowMapped account after AI-assisted processing is completed.

Concepts, relationships, descriptions, summaries, limited provenance excerpts, and other output generated from submitted material may be stored if they become part of a saved map. The resulting map is treated as user content and remains available until you delete it or your account is deleted, subject to the limited retention described later in this policy.

Collaboration information

When you invite or collaborate with other users, we process information needed to provide those features. This may include invitations, account identifiers, map ownership, membership, permissions, and changes made to shared maps.

AI request and usage information

When you use AI-assisted generation, we may process the source material you submit, your instructions, generated responses, usage amounts, credit consumption, error information, and technical metadata needed to complete and account for the request.

Account acknowledgements and certifications

We may record when you accept required terms, make copyright or publishing certifications, acknowledge notices, or complete similar account or map actions.

These records may include your account identifier, the associated map or generation request, the version of the certification or acknowledgement presented to you, and the date and time of the action.

Payment and purchase information

Purchases may be processed by a third-party payment provider or merchant of record designated by KnowMapped. The provider may act as the merchant of record for the transaction.

We may receive limited information about a purchase, such as a customer identifier, product purchased, Professional access status, generation-credit purchase, billing country, invoice information, refund status, and transaction status. We do not ordinarily receive or store your complete payment-card number.

Copyright, DMCA, and legal-request information

If you submit or are involved in a copyright complaint, Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”) notice, counter-notice, account-enforcement matter, appeal, or related legal request, we may collect information needed to receive, evaluate, administer, and document the matter.

This information may include your name, mailing address, telephone number, email address, signature, statements or documents you submit, information identifying copyrighted material, affected map or account information, public URLs, correspondence, court-action information, administrator notes, and records of actions taken in response.

Content-moderation and report information

When a map is submitted for public access, or when someone reports a public map, we may process information needed to evaluate the map and administer the report. This may include the map and account identifiers, the public-facing map text, a content hash, automated moderation categories or scores, the report reason and description, an optional reporter email, administrator notes and decisions, appeal information, and records of actions taken.

Anonymous reports may be subject to rate limiting using a short-lived, rotating one-way hash derived from request and network information. We do not store a raw IP address in the moderation report solely for this purpose. A reporter’s identity or email is not disclosed to the map owner through the ordinary moderation workflow.

Website analytics

We use Matomo to understand broad patterns in how the website and Service are used. Our Matomo configuration is intended to reduce the precision of IP-address information stored for analytics purposes.

We do not use Matomo to build advertising profiles or track people across unrelated websites. Analytics may include general information such as pages viewed, approximate region, device or browser category, referral source, and time of access.

Infrastructure and security information

Our hosting, network, security, and infrastructure providers may process technical information when a request reaches the Service. This may include an IP address, browser information, requested URL, timestamp, response status, security signals, and diagnostic information.

This information may be processed separately from our privacy-reduced Matomo analytics. For example, Cloudflare may receive network request information in order to deliver content, detect abuse, protect the Service, and improve reliability.

Communications

We collect information you provide when you contact us, request support, report a problem, respond to a survey, submit a complaint or legal request, or otherwise communicate with Education Futures.

Cookies and local storage

KnowMapped may use cookies, local storage, session storage, and similar browser technologies when needed to operate the Service. These technologies may be used to maintain sessions, authenticate users, remember preferences, protect accounts, and support essential application functions.

We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site behavioral tracking. If we introduce optional technologies that require consent under applicable law, we will provide an appropriate choice before activating them.

3. How we use information

We use information to:

• Provide, operate, maintain, and improve KnowMapped.
• Create and manage accounts, maps, and product entitlements.
• Save and display the maps users choose to create.
• Enable collaboration, invitations, sharing, and publishing.
• Process AI-assisted generation requests.
• Account for generation-credit usage and product entitlements.
• Authenticate users and enforce access permissions.
• Process purchases, refunds, and changes to paid access.
• Measure aggregate website and product usage.
• Diagnose errors and respond to support requests.
• Protect the Service against fraud, abuse, and security threats.
• Enforce our Terms of Service and other policies.
• Screen maps submitted for public access, triage reports, conduct human review, administer appeals, and apply or reverse proportionate content or account restrictions.
• Receive, evaluate, administer, and document copyright complaints, DMCA notices, counter-notices, and related legal requests.
• Maintain records needed to administer copyright matters and enforce our repeat-infringer policy.
• Comply with legal obligations and valid legal requests.
• Communicate operational, billing, security, legal, and policy updates.

We may review account activity and, when reasonably necessary, associated content to investigate technical problems, respond to a support request, prevent abuse, address a security threat, administer a copyright or legal matter, comply with law, or enforce our Terms of Service.

We do not routinely inspect private maps without a legitimate operational, support, security, contractual, enforcement, or legal reason.

4. Legal bases for processing

Where the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or another jurisdiction requires us to identify a legal basis, we process personal information under one or more of the following bases:

• Performance of a contract: to create your account, provide the Service, save maps, provide purchased features or credits, and deliver features you request.
• Legitimate interests: to secure and improve the Service, prevent abuse, understand aggregate usage, provide support, administer our policies, protect our legal interests, and maintain reliable infrastructure.
• Legal obligations: to comply with tax, accounting, copyright, regulatory, court, law-enforcement, and other legal requirements.
• Consent: when we specifically ask for permission for an optional use that depends on consent.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect processing already completed before consent was withdrawn.

5. AI-assisted features

Information sent for processing

When you use an AI-assisted feature, relevant source material, prompts, instructions, and supporting context are transmitted to OpenAI for processing. OpenAI returns generated concepts, relationships, descriptions, summaries, or other output used to create or update a map.

Temporary source-file processing

Education Futures may temporarily hold or process source files for the time reasonably needed to upload, extract, transmit, analyze, secure, and troubleshoot an AI-assisted request.

Education Futures does not store uploaded source files as part of your KnowMapped account after AI-assisted processing is completed. Generated output may be stored when it becomes part of a map.

OpenAI processing

Source material sent to OpenAI is processed on systems operated or controlled by OpenAI. OpenAI may temporarily retain API inputs and outputs according to the applicable service configuration and its policies, including for service delivery, abuse prevention, security, and legal compliance.

OpenAI currently states that content submitted through its API and business services is not used to train its models by default unless the customer affirmatively opts in. Education Futures does not authorize OpenAI to use KnowMapped API inputs or outputs for model training.

Although Education Futures selects and configures the services used by KnowMapped, we do not directly control OpenAI’s systems or every aspect of OpenAI’s processing. Do not submit content to an AI-assisted feature unless you are comfortable having it transmitted to and processed by OpenAI.

Sensitive information

Do not submit material that you are not authorized to use or disclose. Unless Education Futures expressly agrees otherwise in writing, KnowMapped is not intended for protected health information, government-classified material, complete payment-card data, Social Security numbers, authentication credentials, or other highly regulated or exceptionally sensitive information.

AI output

AI-generated output may be inaccurate, incomplete, biased, or unsuitable for your intended purpose. You are responsible for reviewing and correcting generated material before relying on, publishing, exporting, or sharing it.

6. Content moderation and public-map screening

When screening occurs

When an owner asks to make a private map public, KnowMapped may send the text that would appear publicly to OpenAI’s moderation service. This may include the map title, concept titles and descriptions, and relationship labels, types, and descriptions. We do not send source uploads, source paths, private account information, billing information, reporter information, or unrelated legacy metadata for this screening.

KnowMapped does not continuously scan private maps, screen every edit, or automatically scan all existing public maps. A map may also be reviewed after a user report, an administrator review, or another legitimate safety or policy concern.

Automated signals and human review

Automated moderation is used to classify and prioritize possible safety concerns. It is not treated as a final finding that a user violated our policies. Ordinary classifier flags do not by themselves suspend or terminate an account. A narrow, high-risk result may temporarily hold publication while an authorized administrator reviews the map.

Educational, scientific, historical, journalistic, documentary, artistic, and critical discussion of sensitive subjects is not prohibited merely because it addresses those subjects. Context and the way content is presented matter.

If publication is held or a map is restricted, the owner may continue to access the map privately unless separate account action is necessary. Owners may request human review or appeal a moderation decision by contacting hello@knowmapped.com.

OpenAI processing for moderation

Public-facing text submitted for moderation is processed on systems operated or controlled by OpenAI. OpenAI may retain API content and related metadata according to the applicable service configuration, contracts, and policies, including for abuse prevention, security, and legal compliance. Education Futures does not authorize OpenAI to use KnowMapped API inputs or outputs for model training.

7. Public and collaborative content

Maps you publish may be viewed by anyone who can access their public location. Public content may be indexed, linked to, copied, quoted, downloaded, cached, archived, or redistributed by other people or services.

Do not publish personal, confidential, copyrighted, restricted, or sensitive information unless you have the authority and an appropriate basis to make it public.

Content shared with collaborators is available according to the permissions assigned to those collaborators. Depending on their role and the features available, collaborators may be able to view, edit, copy, export, or otherwise work with shared map content.

Map owners are responsible for managing collaborators, publication settings, and access permissions.

Maps restricted for legal or policy reasons

We may disable public access to a map in response to a copyright complaint, legal request, violation of our Terms of Service, or other enforcement matter. A restricted map may remain stored privately while the matter is reviewed or resolved.

When appropriate, we may preserve a limited internal snapshot or record of the affected map and related account information for legal compliance, dispute resolution, enforcement history, or administration of a notice or counter-notice.

8. Service providers and disclosure

We do not sell personal information. We do not disclose personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising or targeted advertising.

We rely on outside providers to operate parts of KnowMapped. Providers may change as the Service develops. Current or anticipated categories include:

• Cloudflare for network delivery, security, caching, and related infrastructure services.
• OpenAI for AI-assisted analysis, generation, and screening of text submitted for public-map moderation.
• A payment provider or merchant-of-record service for purchases, taxes, invoices, chargebacks, and refunds.
• Hosting, database, authentication, email, monitoring, backup, and technical-support providers.

These providers may process information as needed to perform services for Education Futures, comply with law, protect their systems, or carry out other activities described in their applicable contracts and privacy policies.

Other users and the public

We disclose map content and limited account information as needed to provide invitations, collaboration, attribution, map ownership, public publishing, and other sharing features that users choose to use.

Copyright notices and legal proceedings

Information submitted in a DMCA notice or counter-notice may need to be provided to the affected user, the person who submitted the original notice, legal representatives, courts, government authorities, or others when required or permitted by applicable law.

Because copyright notices and counter-notices are part of a legal process, information you provide in them should not be assumed to remain confidential.

Legal and safety reasons

We may disclose information when we reasonably believe it is necessary to comply with law, regulation, court order, or valid legal process; protect the rights, property, or safety of Education Futures, users, or others; investigate fraud or abuse; administer copyright or other legal requests; or enforce our agreements.

Business transactions

Information may be transferred in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or similar transaction, subject to applicable law.

At your direction

We may disclose information when you direct us to do so, publish content, invite a collaborator, use an integration, or otherwise request that information be shared.

9. Retention, export, and deletion

Uploaded source files

Education Futures does not store files uploaded solely for AI-assisted generation as part of your KnowMapped account after AI-assisted processing is completed. Files or extracted information may be processed temporarily as needed to complete, secure, or troubleshoot the request.

OpenAI or another processor may retain information for a period determined by its services, configuration, legal obligations, and applicable policies.

Maps and account data

We retain saved maps and account information while your account remains active and as needed to provide the Service.

You may delete individual maps through the Service. You may also delete your account using the account controls available in KnowMapped.

Deleting an account is intended to remove the account and maps owned by that account, subject to information that may need to be preserved temporarily or retained for backup, security, fraud prevention, financial, contractual, dispute-resolution, enforcement, or legal purposes.

Content-moderation records

We generally retain detailed moderation scores for up to 30 days after they are no longer needed for an active matter, compact clear-check records for up to 90 days, and resolved reports that did not result in enforcement for up to 180 days. Routine moderation operational records are generally retained for up to 90 days. Records documenting administrator enforcement decisions may be retained for up to two years or longer when reasonably necessary for an active appeal, security or legal investigation, preservation hold, dispute, or legal obligation.

We do not retain raw moderation-provider responses or duplicate copies of entire maps as ordinary moderation logs. Retention by OpenAI is governed separately by its applicable service configuration and policies.

Copyright and enforcement records

We may retain records relating to copyright complaints, DMCA notices, counter-notices, account enforcement, disputes, and legal requests for as long as reasonably necessary to administer those matters, establish and apply an enforcement history, protect legal rights, comply with legal obligations, or resolve disputes.

These records may be retained after the affected map or account has otherwise been deleted when continued retention is reasonably necessary for those purposes.

Certification and acknowledgement records

Records showing that you accepted terms, made a required copyright certification, or acknowledged a publication notice may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to document the action, administer the Service, enforce our agreements, or address a dispute or legal requirement.

Downloading map data

You may download map data through the sharing and export functions available for that map. Depending on the available features, exports may include KnowMapped's portable map format, structured data, or other supported formats.

The availability of an export may depend on your permissions for the map and the features included with your account.

Copies outside our control

Deleting a map or account does not remove copies that other users or third parties previously downloaded, copied, quoted, published, cached, archived, or otherwise stored outside KnowMapped.

Publicly accessible material may also remain temporarily in search-engine indexes, content-delivery caches, browser caches, archived pages, or other systems outside our direct control.

Aggregated information

We may retain aggregate statistics or information that has been deidentified so that it no longer reasonably identifies an individual.

10. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards intended to protect information against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, disclosure, or misuse.

No method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee that unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or other security incidents will never occur.

You are responsible for protecting your credentials, using a secure and unique password, maintaining control of your account, and promptly notifying us if you suspect unauthorized access.

11. Your choices and privacy rights

Controls available in KnowMapped

You can use the Service to:

• Review and update certain account information.
• Download map data in supported export formats.
• Change sharing and publication settings.
• Remove collaborators where your permissions allow it.
• Delete individual maps.
• Delete your account.

Legal privacy rights

Depending on where you live and whether applicable legal requirements are met, you may have the right to request access to, correction of, deletion of, restriction of, or a portable copy of certain personal information.

You may also have rights to object to certain processing, withdraw consent, or appeal a decision concerning a privacy request.

To exercise an applicable right, contact us at hello@knowmapped.com.

We may need to verify your identity and authority before completing a request. We may deny or limit a request where permitted by law, including when information must be retained for security, fraud prevention, financial, contractual, enforcement, dispute-resolution, or legal reasons.

We will respond to verified privacy requests within the period required by applicable law. Some privacy laws provide an initial response period of 45 days and permit additional time in certain circumstances.

If we deny an applicable privacy request, you may appeal by replying to our decision or emailing hello@knowmapped.comwith the subject line “Privacy Appeal.”

Where applicable law provides a right to appeal and requires additional recourse after an unsuccessful appeal, we will provide information about how to contact the appropriate regulator or other authority.

Because we do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising, KnowMapped does not currently provide a sale or targeted-advertising opt-out.

12. Children and educational use

KnowMapped is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 without legally sufficient authorization.

KnowMapped is not intended for independent account creation by children under 13. If an educational institution uses KnowMapped with students, the institution and Education Futures must each satisfy the privacy obligations that apply to their respective roles.

Where legally required, appropriate parental, guardian, school, or other legally sufficient authorization must be obtained before personal information from a child is collected or processed.

Education Futures does not treat a school’s authorization as relieving Education Futures of privacy, security, data-use, or retention obligations that apply directly to the Service under applicable law.

Schools, teachers, and institutions are responsible for determining whether their use of KnowMapped complies with obligations that apply to them concerning student records, institutional authority, parental notice or consent, and other educational requirements.

Contact us if you believe a child has provided personal information in violation of this section.

13. International processing and transfers

Education Futures is based in Minnesota, United States. Information may be processed in the United States and in other countries where our service providers operate.

Those countries may have privacy and data-protection laws that differ from the laws in your country of residence.

Where applicable law requires safeguards for an international transfer of personal information, we rely on legally recognized transfer mechanisms, contractual protections, provider commitments, or other measures appropriate to the transfer.

14. Account restrictions, legal holds, and preservation

We may restrict, suspend, or terminate accounts and may preserve, remove, restrict, or delete content as described in our Terms of Service.

This may occur in response to unlawful conduct, security threats, abuse, payment disputes, prolonged inactivity, copyright complaints, legal requirements, or violations of our agreements.

When a map is restricted because of a copyright complaint or another legal matter, we may preserve the map or a limited internal snapshot of it while disabling public access. We may retain related records for the period reasonably necessary to administer the matter, respond to a counter-notice or legal request, document enforcement actions, or protect our legal rights.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Service, our providers, our practices, or applicable legal requirements change.

We will post the revised policy and update the “Last updated” date. When required, we will provide additional notice of a material change.

16. Contact us

KnowMapped is operated by Education Futures LLC, a Minnesota limited liability company.

Privacy questions, requests, and appeals may be sent to hello@knowmapped.com.