Privacy
Policy

BlackNerd Studio Limited (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and your rights under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy applies to all products and services operated by BlackNerd Studio Limited, including the Prepwise application and this website (blacknerd.studio).

1. Who We Are

BlackNerd Studio Limited is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

• Company: BlackNerd Studio Limited
• Registered address: 20 Reginald Road, London, E7 9HS, United Kingdom
• Registration: Registered in England & Wales
• Contact: hello@blacknerd.studio

2. Data We Collect

Depending on which of our services you use, we may collect the following categories of personal data:

Account & Identity Data

• Name and email address (when you create an account)
• Authentication credentials (stored securely and never in plaintext)
• Account preferences and settings

Usage & Performance Data

• Practice session results, band scores, and feedback history
• In-app activity logs (features used, session duration)
• Device type, operating system, and app version
• Crash reports and error logs

Voice & Audio Data (Prepwise)

• Audio recordings of your speaking responses during practice sessions
• Transcriptions generated from your speech for scoring and feedback
• Voice data is processed to provide real-time AI examiner responses and band score assessments

Technical Data

• IP address and approximate location (country/region level)
• Browser type and version (for website visitors)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 8)

Communications Data

• Emails or messages you send us directly (e.g., support requests, early access registrations)

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Providing our services: to operate Prepwise, process your speaking sessions, generate AI feedback, and display your results
• Account management: to create and manage your account, authenticate you, and enable personalised features
• Improving our products: to analyse usage patterns and fix bugs (using anonymised or aggregated data where possible)
• Customer support: to respond to your queries and resolve technical issues
• Subscriptions & payments: to process in-app purchases and manage subscription billing
• Legal obligations: to comply with applicable laws and regulations
• Security: to detect fraud, abuse, or unauthorised access

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data:

• Contract: processing is necessary to provide the services you have signed up for
• Legitimate interests: to improve our products, maintain security, and communicate service-related updates
• Legal obligation: where required by UK law
• Consent: for any optional communications or non-essential data processing (you may withdraw consent at any time)

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with the following third-party service providers who process data on our behalf:

• AI processing providers: to power speech analysis and examiner simulation features (voice data may be transmitted to these providers; they are bound by data processing agreements)
• Cloud infrastructure: for hosting, storage, and database services
• Payment processors: Apple App Store and/or Google Play handle all payment transactions; we do not store your card details
• Analytics providers: to understand app usage (using anonymised or aggregated data)

All third-party providers are required to handle your data in accordance with applicable data protection law and our instructions.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only as long as necessary:

• Account data: retained for the duration of your account and deleted within 30 days of account closure
• Voice recordings: retained for the duration required to deliver feedback; you may delete individual session recordings from within the app at any time
• Session history & scores: retained while your account is active to provide progress tracking
• Communication records: retained for up to 3 years for support and legal purposes

7. Your Rights

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

• Right of access: to request a copy of the data we hold about you
• Right to rectification: to correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”)
• Right to restrict processing: to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
• Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object: to object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@blacknerd.studio. We will respond within 30 days. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

8. Cookies

Our website (blacknerd.studio) uses minimal, essential cookies required for the site to function. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. The Prepwise mobile app does not use browser cookies.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with their data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. International Transfers

Your data is primarily stored and processed within the United Kingdom and European Economic Area. Where data is transferred outside these regions (e.g., to AI processing providers), we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses or equivalent mechanisms.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice in the app or by email. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact us:

• Email: hello@blacknerd.studio
• Post: BlackNerd Studio Limited, 20 Reginald Road, London, E7 9HS, United Kingdom