Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 13, 2025

Effective Date: June 13, 2025

Welcome to MushOh.io! We are excited to help your young scientist explore the world around them. This Privacy Policy explains how MYCOHIO LTD dba MUSH OHIO ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects personal information through our website, https://mushoh.io, and related services (the "Platform").

Because our Platform is designed for youth and children, we are fully committed to complying with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). This policy is designed to be clear and transparent for parents and legal guardians ("Parents").

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in two main categories: information from Parents and information from your child ("Child" or "User").

A. Information We Collect from Parents

To create an account and use the Platform, we require a Parent to provide certain information to us. This includes:

  • Account Information: Your first name, last name, and email address to create and manage the family account.
  • Purchase Information: If you purchase a kit, our payment processor will collect payment information to complete the transaction. We do not store your full credit card number.
  • Consent Verification: We will ask you to verify your consent for your Child to use the Platform, which may involve responding to a confirmation email (the "email-plus" method).

B. Information We Collect from Your Child (With Your Consent)

After a Parent creates an account and provides consent, we may collect the following information from a Child's use of the Platform.

  • Profile Information: A first name or username for your Child. We encourage the use of non-identifying usernames.
  • User-Generated Content (UGC): Information your Child adds to document their experiments, which can include:
    • Observations and notes about their experiments.
    • **Photographs:** Photos of science experiments, such as petri dishes or sample sources. Our Terms of Service strictly prohibit uploading photos that contain recognizable human faces or other personally identifying information. Photos are subject to moderation.
  • Progress Data: Information about which kits have been started, experiments completed, and badges earned.
  • Automatically Collected Data: We use necessary cookies and similar technologies to operate the platform, such as keeping the user logged in. This may include IP address, browser type, and usage data (pages viewed, etc.). You can learn more in our Cookie Policy.
2. How We Use This Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To Provide Our Service: To set up and maintain accounts, track experiment progress, award badges, and allow users to view their past work.
  • To Create Features: To automatically generate a time-lapse GIF of petri dish photos for viewing within the user's account.
  • Communication: For Parents, to send account-related information, security notices, and updates about our Platform. We will not send marketing communications to your Child.
  • Sharing (With Explicit Consent): If a Parent provides explicit, opt-in consent for a specific observation, we will make that observation (including notes and photos) public. This is disabled by default.
  • Platform Improvement: To understand usage patterns, improve our services, and fix bugs.
  • Teacher Nominations: If you nominate a teacher, we use the provided contact information for the sole purpose of sending a one-time invitation to that teacher to learn more about our program.
3. Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell your or your Child's personal information. We only share information in the following limited circumstances:

  • With Your Explicit Consent: As described above, specific user-generated content may be shared publicly only if a Parent gives separate, opt-in consent for that specific item.
  • Service Providers: We use third-party vendors to help us operate our Platform, such as cloud hosting with Amazon Web Services (AWS). These vendors are contractually obligated to protect the confidentiality and security of the data.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or other legal process.
4. Parental Rights and Controls

As a Parent, you have full control over your Child's personal information. At any time, you have the right to:

  • Review the personal information we have collected from your Child.
  • Request to have your Child's personal information deleted from our records.
  • Refuse to permit the further collection or use of your Child's information.
  • Revoke your consent.

You can exercise these rights by contacting us directly at the email address provided below. To protect your privacy and security, we will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or making corrections.

5. Children's Privacy (Our Commitment to COPPA)

This entire policy is designed to be compliant with COPPA. Our Platform is directed to children under the age of 13, and we do not collect personal information from a child without first obtaining Verifiable Parental Consent. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information without proper consent, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

6. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we collect, use, or share your Child's personal information, we will notify the Parent by email and obtain new consent if required by law.

7. Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your parental rights, please contact our privacy team:

  • Email: privacy@mushoh.io
  • Mailing Address: Mush Ohio - 11230 Cleveland Ave NW, Unit 642, Uniontown, OH 44685
  • Phone: +1-216-672-6654