Privacy Policy

Introduction

Teacher Assistant ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and what rights you have in relation to it.

This policy applies to all users of the Teacher Assistant website at teacher-assistant.center and the Teacher Assistant PowerPoint Add-in and Google Slides integration.

Data Controller

The data controller responsible for your personal data is:

Data We Collect

No account required

The PowerPoint Add-in works without an account or sign-in. We do not ask add-in users for their name or email address.

Early-access sign-up data

If you sign up for early access on our website, we collect your name, email address, the language you teach and your answers to the optional onboarding questions.

Content data

To generate lesson materials, the add-in sends us your requests (for example "make slides on the present perfect"), your settings (teaching language, CEFR level, age group), the size of your slides, and — when you edit a slide or game — the content of that slide or game. Generated slides are sent back to your add-in; we do not keep a copy of them.

Games you create are kept on our server so that students can open them through the QR code on the slide. Anyone with the link or QR code can open a game. Games are removed when our server restarts.

Documents you upload

If you attach a document (a PDF "book") in the add-in, we turn it into searchable text so that your slides and games can use its content:

• The PDF is sent to Microsoft Azure AI Document Intelligence (EU region) to recognise its text, which is needed for scanned books. Microsoft deletes the file and the result after processing.
• The recognised text, and images of the pages for improving the layout, are sent to our AI provider, OpenAI. The text is stored there and indexed. If text recognition is not available, the PDF itself is sent to OpenAI instead.
• Our server keeps the PDF only while it is being processed.

The stored text is deleted automatically 29 days after upload, and its search index is deleted 3 days after it was last used. During those 29 days, if someone uploads exactly the same file again (recognised by a fingerprint of its content, not by its name), they receive the already-converted text instead of a new conversion. To limit abuse, we count new uploads per IP address per day; these counts are kept only in our server's memory and reset daily. Please only upload documents you have the right to use, and do not upload documents containing personal data about your students.

Request logs and feedback

To find and fix problems with generated content, each add-in request and the AI's answer (shortened to 2,000 characters) is sent to us as a log message by email. Feedback you give in the add-in (ratings and comments) is sent the same way. These logs do not include your name or email address.

Data stored on your device

The add-in saves your settings, whether you have seen the "What's new" dialog, and how often you have given feedback in your browser's local storage on your own device. This data is not sent to us, and you can clear it by clearing the Office add-in cache.

Technical data

We automatically collect standard server log data including IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URLs, and timestamps. This data is used for security monitoring and technical diagnostics.

Communication data

If you contact us via email or our contact form, we retain your name, email address, and the content of your message in order to respond to your enquiry.

How We Use Your Data

We use the data we collect to:

• Provide and operate the Teacher Assistant service
• Generate lesson materials based on your inputs and uploaded documents
• Improve the quality and accuracy of generated content
• Respond to support requests and enquiries
• Contact people who signed up for early access about the service
• Analyse usage patterns to prioritise product improvements
• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for advertising purposes.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Contract performance — processing necessary to provide the service you use
• Legitimate interests — service improvement, security monitoring, and fraud prevention
• Consent — for analytics and non-essential cookies, where you have given explicit consent
• Legal obligation — where we are required to process data by applicable law

Cookies

We use cookies to operate the service and, with your consent, to analyse usage. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

Essential cookies

Required for the website to function, such as remembering your cookie choices. They cannot be disabled. The PowerPoint Add-in does not set cookies.

Analytics cookies

Used to understand how visitors use the site. We use anonymised analytics data to improve the product. These are only set with your consent.

Marketing cookies

Used to deliver relevant content and measure the effectiveness of our communications. These are only set with your explicit consent.

You can manage your cookie preferences at any time via the Cookie Settings link in the footer.

Sharing Your Data

We share your data only where necessary to operate the service:

• OpenAI (AI provider) — your requests, settings, slide content you ask to edit, and uploaded documents are sent to OpenAI's API to generate content. Under OpenAI's API terms this data is not used to train their models. OpenAI may keep it for up to 30 days, for abuse monitoring and so that a conversation can continue.
• Microsoft Azure (text recognition) — uploaded documents are sent to Azure AI Document Intelligence in the EU to recognise their text; Microsoft deletes them after processing and does not use them to train models
• Render (hosting) — hosts the add-in and our server
• Google (Gmail) — delivers request logs, feedback and contact form messages to our inbox
• Legal authorities — where required by applicable law or court order

All third-party processors are required to maintain appropriate technical and organisational security measures. Microsoft Azure processes uploaded documents in the European Union. OpenAI, Render and Google may process data outside the European Union, including in the United States, under the safeguards set out in their data processing terms.

Data Retention

• Uploaded documents — the PDF is kept on our server only while it is processed; Microsoft Azure deletes it after text recognition; the converted text is deleted 29 days after upload (and may be reused for an identical upload until then); its search index is deleted 3 days after it was last used
• Upload counts per IP address — kept in server memory only, reset daily
• Games — kept until our server restarts
• Request logs and feedback — up to 90 days
• Data held by OpenAI — up to 30 days
• Server logs — up to 90 days, for security and diagnostic purposes
• Early-access sign-ups — until you ask us to delete them
• Contact form submissions — up to 24 months

We delete data earlier on request, except where we are required to retain it by law.

Your Rights

Under the GDPR you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access — request a copy of the data we hold about you
• Right to rectification — request correction of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restriction — request that we limit how we process your data
• Right to data portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent — withdraw consent at any time where processing is consent-based

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at info@wortkraftmaster.org. We will respond within 30 days.

Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These include encrypted data transmission (HTTPS) and access controls.

No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children's Privacy

Teacher Assistant is intended for use by adult language teachers and educators. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 16. Students who open a game through a QR code are not asked for any personal data, and the game page does not store anything on their device. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such data, please contact us immediately.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will notify you by email or by placing a prominent notice on our website. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

Continued use of the service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

For any questions about this Privacy Policy or to exercise your data rights, contact us at:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your rights have been violated.