ScholarlyEcho serves learners as young as 7. Every team member, tutor, and partner is bound by our Child Safety Standards. Zero tolerance for any behaviour that endangers or exploits a child — no exceptions.
Immediate Safeguarding Concern?
Email safeguarding@scholarlyecho.com — reviewed within 4 hours. For emergencies, contact your local child protection services immediately.
Our Commitment to Children
Child-First Design
ScholarlyEcho was built with children as the primary consideration. Every feature, content piece, and interaction is reviewed through the lens of child safety, age-appropriateness, and dignity. We serve learners as young as 7, and take that responsibility with the utmost seriousness.
No Advertising to Minors
We do not show advertisements to any user under 18. We do not allow behavioural profiling of minors, and we do not use children's data for commercial purposes of any kind.
Safe Learning Environment
All live sessions are recorded, monitored, and subject to our Code of Conduct. Tutors undergo background checks before joining the platform. Sessions with minors are never conducted one-on-one without parental-visible links.
COPPA & GDPR-K Compliance
COPPA (USA)
We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act for all learners under 13 in the United States. We collect only the minimum necessary personal information and require verifiable parental consent before enrollment.
GDPR (EU/UK)
For learners in the European Union and United Kingdom, we comply with GDPR and the UK GDPR. Parents and guardians may exercise data rights — access, correction, deletion — on behalf of their child at any time.
Parental Consent
Before any learner under 13 can access the platform, a parent or guardian must complete our consent flow, which includes reviewing our Privacy Policy and Child Safety Policy and providing a verified contact email.
Content Moderation
Curriculum Review
All curriculum content is age-graded and reviewed by our editorial team. Content rated for older learners is gated behind age-verified accounts. No mature, violent, or inappropriate content is permitted anywhere on the platform.
Community & Project Submissions
Learner-submitted projects, comments, and forum posts are moderated before public display. Automated filters flag potentially harmful content, and human reviewers make final decisions. Projects are reviewed within 24 hours of submission.
AI-Generated Content
Where AI tools are used in curriculum (e.g., AI Developer level), outputs are sandboxed and reviewed. We do not expose children to open-ended, unfiltered AI chat interfaces.
Tutor & Staff Standards
Background Checks
All tutors and staff who interact with minors are required to pass DBS / criminal background checks before they can teach on the platform. Checks are renewed every two years.
Safeguarding Training
Every tutor completes our safeguarding training programme before their first session. Training covers recognising abuse, appropriate communication boundaries, mandatory reporting obligations, and our escalation procedures.
Code of Conduct
Tutors must adhere to a strict Code of Conduct. Any breach — including inappropriate communication, sharing personal contact details with students, or meeting students outside sanctioned sessions — results in immediate suspension and investigation.
Data Protection for Minors
Minimal Data Collection
For learners under 13, we collect only: first name, date of birth (for age placement), parent/guardian email, and learning progress. We do not collect photos, location, school name, or social profiles.
No Third-Party Sharing
We never share a child's personal data with third parties for marketing, analytics resale, or any commercial purpose. Operational service providers (e.g., Zoom for sessions) receive only what is technically required and are bound by strict DPAs.
Data Retention
When a minor's account is closed or deleted, all personal data is purged within 30 days, including from backups. Learning progress data may be retained in anonymised, aggregated form for research purposes.
Reporting & Response
How to Report a Concern
If you witness or suspect any safeguarding concern — whether involving a tutor, another learner, or platform content — report it immediately via the in-platform "Report" button or by emailing safeguarding@scholarlyecho.com.
Our Response Process
All safeguarding reports are reviewed by our Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) within 4 hours during business hours. Where there is risk to a child, we escalate to relevant authorities in the child's jurisdiction immediately.
Mandatory Reporting
We are a mandatory reporter. Where we identify credible risk of harm to a child — whether on or off platform — we will notify the appropriate child protection authorities without delay, even if this means disclosing data.
Contact Our Safeguarding Team
For child safety reports, concerns, or parental queries, contact our Designated Safeguarding Lead at safeguarding@scholarlyecho.com. For general enquiries: ScholarlyEcho Inc., Maryland, United States.
Contact Us