Privacy Policy
Last updated 13 October 2026
This policy explains what personal data SignBuddy collects, why, who we share it with and your rights. It applies to the SignBuddy app and the weekly progress emails sent through it. It is written for everyone who uses SignBuddy, including users aged 13 to 17.
The short version
- You need to be 13 or over and have an account to use SignBuddy.
- We keep your email, your age check and your learning progress so the app works.
- We do not sell your data, show you ads or track your location.
- Parent emails only go out if you invite someone and they agree.
- You can delete your account in Settings > Account > Delete my account.
- You can ask us for a copy of your data at any time by emailing reply@newdriverprogramme.com.
1. Who we are
SignBuddy is run by New Driver Programme LTD, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 09981078, with its registered office at 3 Weekley Wood Close, Kettering, Northamptonshire, NN14 1UQ, United Kingdom ("we", "us", "our").
We are the controller of your personal data under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.
You can contact us about your data at reply@newdriverprogramme.com or by post to the address above.
2. The data we collect
You need an account to use SignBuddy. We collect the following.
| Type | What it includes | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|
| Account details | Email address, first and last name, password (stored encrypted, we cannot read it) | You, when you sign up |
| Age | Year of birth, so we can check you are 13 or over | You, when you sign up |
| Learning progress | Answers, flashcard and mock test results, readiness score, Daily Sign activity, Collection, coins, badges and streaks | Created as you use the app |
| Your theory test | Your theory test date and whether you passed, if you choose to tell us | You, in the app |
| Rewards | Perks you claim and the coupon codes given to you | Created as you use the app |
| Your choices | Whether you opted in to marketing emails, and a record of when you gave or withdrew consent | You, in the app |
| Parent sharing | Email address of anyone you invite, whether they confirmed, and whether they have stopped the emails | You, and the person you invite |
| Technical data | App version, whether you use iOS or Android, and a short record of in-app events, such as when the app asked you to rate it | Your device, through the app |
| Support messages | Anything you send us, and our replies | You, when you contact us |
We do not collect your location, contacts, photos or payment details. We do not use advertising identifiers and we do not show ads.
When you share a mock test result, the app creates an image on your device. We do not see where you send it.
3. How we use your data and our legal basis
UK data protection law says we must have a lawful basis for each use of your data.
| What we do | Lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Create and run your account, save your progress, run the Daily Sign, flashcards, mock tests and rewards | Contract: we need it to provide the app under our Terms |
| Check you are old enough to use SignBuddy | Legal obligation and legitimate interests (keeping the app suitable for its users) |
| Send weekly progress emails to people you invite | Consent: the person you invite confirms before we send anything |
| Send you service messages, such as changes to the Terms or this policy | Contract and legitimate interests |
| Send reminder notifications, such as streak reminders | Consent: you turn these on or off in your device settings or the app |
| Use your theory test date to check in with you after your test and show the right cards on Home | Legitimate interests: making the app more useful around your test. You do not have to give a date |
| Fix bugs, prevent cheating and misuse, keep the app secure | Legitimate interests: keeping SignBuddy working and fair |
| Answer your questions and complaints | Legitimate interests and legal obligation |
| Keep records we must keep by law, and deal with legal claims | Legal obligation and legitimate interests |
We will only send you marketing emails, for example about RouteBuddy, if you have opted in. You can opt out at any time using the link in the email or by contacting us.
Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have checked that our interests are not outweighed by yours, taking extra care for users under 18. You can object to this use at any time.
4. Children and young people
You must be 13 or over to use SignBuddy. If we learn that someone under 13 has created an account, we will delete it and its data.
We follow the ICO's Age Appropriate Design Code (the Children's Code) for users under 18. This means:
- privacy settings are high by default;
- parent sharing and notifications are off until you turn them on;
- we do not profile you for marketing or show you ads;
- we do not sell your data;
- we do not use your data in ways that are harmful to your wellbeing;
- we explain things in plain language.
If you are under 18, we suggest you talk to a parent or guardian about using SignBuddy.
5. Parent sharing
You can invite people, such as a parent, to get a weekly email about your progress.
- When you invite someone, we use their name and email address to send one email asking them to confirm.
- If they do not confirm within 14 days, we delete their details.
- The weekly email shows your first name, practice streak, days practised, road signs mastered and mock test scores. It does not show your password or your other contacts.
- You can stop sharing in Settings at any time. The person you invited can stop the emails using the link in any email.
- When sharing stops, we delete their details within 30 days, apart from a record that they opted out, which we keep so we do not email them again.
6. Who we share your data with
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with:
| Who | Why | Where they process it |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase | Storing your account and progress | Ireland (EU) |
| Resend | Sending account and parent sharing emails | United States |
| Vercel | Hosting the road sign content and the pages parents use to confirm or stop emails | United States |
| Expo | Delivering app updates, which means it receives your device's IP address and app version | United States |
| Apple and Google | Delivering the app, and signing you in if you use Sign in with Apple or Google | Various |
These companies act on our instructions under written contracts and cannot use your data for their own purposes.
We may also share data if the law requires it, to protect someone's safety, or if our business or SignBuddy is sold or transferred. If that happens, the new owner must use your data in line with this policy.
Transfers outside the UK. Where a provider processes data outside the UK, we make sure it is protected by UK adequacy regulations, the ICO's International Data Transfer Agreement or the UK Addendum to the EU Standard Contractual Clauses. Contact us for details.
7. How long we keep your data
| Data | How long |
|---|---|
| Account details and learning progress | Until you delete your account, or 24 months after you last used the app. We will email you before deleting an inactive account. |
| Parent sharing details | See section 5 |
| Support messages | 2 years after the last message |
| Backups | Overwritten within 7 days |
Deleting your account. You can delete your account at any time in Settings > Account > Delete my account. We delete your account, progress, coins and rewards straight away from the live app and from backups within 7 days. This cannot be undone.
8. Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have the right to:
- get a copy of the personal data we hold about you;
- have wrong or incomplete data corrected;
- have your data deleted;
- limit how we use your data;
- object to us using your data based on legitimate interests;
- receive data you gave us in a machine-readable format and have it sent to another organisation;
- withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
Getting a copy of your data. There is no download option in the app. Email reply@newdriverprogramme.com from the address linked to your account and we will send you a copy. We reply to all rights requests within one month, free of charge. We may need to confirm your identity first.
Complaints. If you are unhappy with how we use your data, please contact us first at reply@newdriverprogramme.com. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint or on 0303 123 1113.
9. Security
We use encryption in transit and at rest, access controls and regular reviews to protect your data. No system is completely secure. If a breach puts you at high risk, we will tell you without undue delay.
10. Automated decisions
Your readiness score and mock test results are worked out automatically from your answers. They are a guide to your revision only and have no legal or similarly significant effect on you. We do not make any other automated decisions about you.
11. Device permissions and app storage
The app asks for notification permission only if you turn on reminders. It stores some data on your device so it works offline and keeps you signed in.
12. Changes to this policy
We will update this policy when we change how we use your data. We will tell you in the app before material changes take effect. The date at the top shows when it last changed.
SignBuddy is run by New Driver Programme LTD, registered in England and Wales, company number 09981078.