Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Cody Priest ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use Beacon (beaconsped.org), an AI assistant for special education teachers.

Draft notice: This page is a working draft prepared for merchant onboarding and will be reviewed by legal counsel before final publication.

Who is responsible for your information

Cody Priest is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. We determine why and how your information is processed and are responsible for handling it in accordance with applicable data protection law.

What Beacon does not store

Beacon is designed to be stateless. We do not save, store, or log:

• The content of your chat messages;
• Any images, PDFs, Word documents, or text files you upload (documents are read in your browser and sent only for that single response);
• Any student information, IEP content, or case details you enter.

This content is transmitted in real time to our AI provider (Anthropic) to generate a response for that single exchange and is then discarded. There is no chat history database, no account system, and no way for us to retrieve a past conversation.

What minimal information is collected

Because Beacon is a paid subscription service, our payment processor Stripe collects and stores the following on our behalf:

• Email address — used at checkout to associate your subscription and send receipts.
• Billing information — payment method details are collected and processed directly by Stripe; we never see or store your full card number.
• Subscription status — whether your subscription is active, which plan you selected, and renewal dates.

Beacon (Cody Priest) is the merchant of record for all transactions and is responsible for the sale, applicable sales tax, invoices, and refunds. Stripe acts solely as our payment processor, storing billing and subscription data on our behalf. When you make a purchase, the personal data needed for the transaction is shared with Stripe under their Privacy Policy.

Technical and security telemetry

Our hosting and infrastructure providers collect standard web server and security telemetry (such as IP address, browser type, and approximate region) to keep the service running, prevent abuse, and maintain security. This data is not linked to chat content or student information.

How we use information

• Provide the service — to verify your subscription status and give you access to Beacon.
• Security and abuse prevention — to protect the service from misuse.
• Legal and tax compliance — to meet accounting and legal recordkeeping obligations.

Data retention

Chat content, uploaded images and documents, and student information are never retained. Subscription and billing records are kept for as long as your subscription is active and for the period required by tax and accounting law afterward. When personal data is no longer needed, it is deleted or anonymised.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, or delete your personal data; to restrict or object to its processing; to data portability; and to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information below.

Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures, including encryption in transit and access controls, to protect personal data. Stripe also maintains security controls over payment data.

International transfers

Some of our service providers (including Stripe and Anthropic) process data outside the UK/EEA. Where this occurs, transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards such as standard contractual clauses or adequacy decisions.

Cookies and browser storage

Beacon uses only essential browser storage (for example, a subscription unlock token and session counters). We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. You can clear this storage at any time in your browser settings.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your information? Contact Cody Priest at beaconspedsupport@gmail.com. Payment, invoice, and refund questions are handled by us directly at the same address.