Privacy
In short: You do not need an account to use the free pages, and ParrotBack shows no advertising. If you buy a course, we create an account for you (your email and a password) so that you can log in. We count visits with one statistics service, StatCounter (details below).
Visitor statistics (StatCounter) and cookies
To learn which pages are useful, ParrotBack counts visits using StatCounter (statcounter.com). StatCounter records anonymous visit data such as the page viewed, your approximate location (from your IP address), browser and device type, and the website you came from, and it sets a cookie to recognise returning visitors. This is the only cookie on the free pages. You can block it in your browser settings or with a tracker-blocking extension, and the site works the same without it. See StatCounter’s privacy policy for how it handles the data.
Your account (paying customers)
When you buy a course, we create an account for you. We store your email address (your username), a scrambled (hashed) version of your password, which courses you bought, and when your access starts and ends. We do not store your card details; PayPal handles those. If you log in, the site sets a login cookie so that you stay signed in, and, if you choose Spanish, a small cookie that remembers your language. These cookies are needed for the members’ area to work and are not used for advertising or tracking. To protect accounts from password guessing we briefly keep the IP address of failed login attempts (about 15 minutes).
You can change your password after logging in. If you would like your account removed from the members’ area, write to us. The cookies are stored in your own browser, so you can remove them yourself in your browser settings; this does not delete your account.
On your device only
- Study progress (the spaced-repetition deck) is saved in your browser’s local storage. It never leaves your device. Clear your browser data to remove it.
- Microphone: if you press “Say it back” or “Record”, your browser asks permission first. The recording is analysed in your browser to draw a waveform and is not uploaded.
- Phrase cards and reels are created in your browser. A shared link contains only the language, the phrase id, a style and the name you typed.
Payments
If you buy a course, you pay on PayPal’s own pages; ParrotBack never sees your card number. PayPal tells us your name, the email address on your PayPal account and the details of the payment. We use them only to create your account, to send you your access details and to answer questions about your order.
On the server
The free pages are static files; the members’ area runs on our web server and database. Like any web host, our hosting provider keeps standard technical logs (such as IP address and page requested) for security and reliability.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Get in touch.