Privacy &
your data.
How Unlock Sign collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information. Plain language, no surprises.
This Privacy Policy explains how Unlock Sign (operated by Kate Jennet Patterson, ABN 70 587 580 139) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal information. We are committed to handling your information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).
We use plain language throughout this document. If anything is unclear, please contact us.
Who we are.
Unlock Sign is a mobile and web app that helps people learn and practise Key Word Sign (KWS) — an Auslan-based signing system used alongside speech.
The app is operated by:
Kate Jennet Patterson
Trading as Unlock Sign
ABN: 70 587 580 139
Email: key@unlocksign.app
References to "we", "us", or "our" in this policy mean Unlock Sign.
What we collect.
We only collect information that is necessary to provide the app's features.
Information you provide directly:
- Email address — if you choose to link an account or join our waitlist
- Display name — if you choose to set one
- Crew name — if you create or join a Crew
Information we collect automatically when you use the app:
- Sign practice activity — which signs you have committed to, checked in on, and logged as used "in the wild"
- Points, streaks, and progress data
- Chest (lesson group) progress
- Subscription status (free or Unlock Sign Premium)
- Anonymous session identifier — assigned automatically; no account required to use the app
- Device type and operating system — for technical support purposes only
We do not collect:
- Video or audio recordings
- Photos from your device
- Location data
- Contacts or address book
- Sensitive information such as health or disability diagnoses
How we use it.
We use your information to:
- Operate and personalise your experience in the app
- Track your practice progress and award points
- Enable Crew features — sharing progress with members you have invited
- Process and manage your subscription (via RevenueCat)
- Send you transactional emails (such as account confirmation), if you have provided an email address
- Improve the app based on aggregated, de-identified usage patterns
- Respond to your support requests
We do not use your information for automated profiling or AI-powered decision-making that affects you. All core app features operate using scripted, deterministic logic.
We do not use your personal information for direct marketing without your consent.
How we store it.
All personal data is stored in Australia. We use Supabase (PostgreSQL database) hosted in the ap-southeast-2 (Sydney) AWS region. Your data does not leave Australia for storage purposes.
We apply reasonable technical and organisational security measures, including row-level security on all database tables and encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS) for all data in transit.
Anonymous session data that has not been linked to an email address may be deleted after 12 months of inactivity.
Overseas disclosure.
RevenueCat processes subscription and transaction data in the United States. Before disclosing your information to RevenueCat, we take reasonable steps to ensure they protect it in a way that is consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.
All other personal data is held and processed in Australia.
By using the app and choosing to subscribe, you acknowledge that transaction-related data may be processed overseas by RevenueCat in accordance with their Privacy Policy.
Crew features & shared info.
If you create or join a Crew, other Crew members can see:
- Your display name (if set)
- Your points total and practice activity within the shared Crew
You control who is in your Crew — only people you or your Captain have invited can see your Crew activity. You can leave a Crew at any time.
Children's privacy.
Unlock Sign is designed for use by adults — parents, carers, educators, family members, and support workers — who are building signing communities around people they care about.
The app is not directed at children and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided personal information without appropriate parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.
If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at key@unlocksign.app.
Your rights & choices.
Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Correct information that is inaccurate, out of date, or incomplete
- Request deletion of your account and associated personal data
- Withdraw consent for optional communications (such as marketing emails)
To exercise any of these rights, email us at key@unlocksign.app. We will respond within 30 days.
You may use the app without creating an account or providing an email address. If you use the app anonymously, we do not have a way to identify you, and we cannot fulfil access or deletion requests for anonymous sessions.
Cookies & tracking.
The web version of Unlock Sign uses browser storage (localStorage) to maintain your session between visits. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party tracking pixels.
We may collect basic, aggregated analytics (such as page view counts) to understand how the app is used. This data is de-identified and not linked to individual users.
Changes to this policy.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the date at the top of this page. If changes are significant, we will notify users within the app or by email (if you have provided one).
Continuing to use Unlock Sign after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Complaints.
If you have a concern about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us first and we will do our best to resolve it promptly.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):
- Website: oaic.gov.au
- Phone: 1300 363 992
- GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001