Dexter Privacy Policy
Effective date: 7/3/2026 | Last updated: 8/21/2026
This Privacy Policy explains how (“Dexter,” “we,” “us”) collects, uses, shares, and protects information when a student uses the Dexter application (the “Service”). Dexter is an academic-coaching tool that connects to a student’s Canvas learning management system (“Canvas”) account, with the student’s permission, to help them keep track of coursework and prepare for it.
Most of the information Dexter handles is student education records governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). When Dexter is used through an agreement with a college or university (an “Institution”), we act as a “school official” with a legitimate educational interest and process education records only under the Institution’s direction. Where this Policy and a signed agreement with an Institution conflict, the agreement controls.
1. Information we collect
Information from Canvas. When a student connects their Canvas account, Dexter reads — on a read-only basis — information needed to provide the Service, which may include:
Identity and enrollment: name, Canvas user identifier, institution identifier, institutional email or login, and the courses in which the student is enrolled.
Coursework: assignments, quizzes and exams, due dates, grades and submission status, syllabi, course materials, announcements, and calendar events.
Messages: metadata about Canvas inbox messages and announcements (for example, sender role and subject) so the Service can surface relevant items.
Dexter does not receive or store the student’s Canvas password. Access is granted through Canvas’s OAuth authorization, and the Service requests read-only permissions.
Information the student provides. Preferences and settings, notification choices, in-app chat messages, and questions or requests the student sends to the in-app assistant (“Dexter”).
Information collected automatically. Basic technical and usage information needed to operate and secure the Service, such as device and session identifiers, log data, and diagnostic events. Dexter does not use advertising trackers.
2. How we use information
We use the information above only to provide and improve the Service, including to:
show upcoming assignments, quizzes, and deadlines and help the student plan for them;
flag when an item a student marked as submitted has not been confirmed by Canvas;
help the student prepare for assessments and answer questions grounded in the student’s own course materials;
send notifications the student has enabled; and
maintain the security, integrity, and reliability of the Service.
We do not use student education records for advertising, and we do not sell student data. See Section 4 for how the assistant uses data with AI providers.
3. Legal basis and FERPA
When the Service is provided under an agreement with an Institution, Dexter processes education records as a “school official” performing a service the Institution would otherwise perform, under the Institution’s direct control, consistent with FERPA (34 CFR § 99.31(a)(1)(i)(B)). We use education records only for the purposes authorized by the Institution and do not re-disclose them except as directed by the Institution or as permitted by FERPA.
4. How the assistant (Dexter) uses data with AI providers
To answer a student’s questions and generate coaching content, Dexter sends relevant course context - drawn from the student’s own connected materials - to third-party artificial-intelligence providers that generate responses. We use these providers under business/API terms that do not permit the provider to use the submitted content to train its models and that apply zero or limited retention. A current list of AI providers is available in the Dexter AI Data-Handling Statement and on request. Student data is not used to train Dexter’s or any provider’s general-purpose models.
5. How we share information
We share information only as needed to run the Service:
Service providers (subprocessors). We use Google Cloud Platform / Firebase to host the Service and store data, and AI providers as described in Section 4. These providers are bound by their own data-protection terms and may use the data only to provide services to Dexter.
The Institution. We share information with the student’s Institution as set out in our agreement with the Institution.
Legal requirements. We may disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or security of users or the Service.
We do not sell student data and do not share it for third-party advertising.
6. Data retention and deletion
We retain information for as long as the student’s account is active and as needed to provide the Service. A student may disconnect Canvas or delete their account at any time. On account deletion, Canvas disconnection, or termination of the Institution agreement, we delete the associated data within 14 days, except where retention is required by law. A copy of a student’s data can be provided on request.
7. How we protect information
We use administrative and technical safeguards appropriate to the data, including encryption in transit (TLS 1.2+), encryption at rest (AES-256 via Google Cloud), read-only Canvas access with tokens held in a server-side vault, per-user data isolation with server-enforced identity checks, and access controls limiting production data to authorized personnel. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to protect information consistent with the sensitivity of student education records.
8. Data location
Dexter stores and processes data in the United States (Google Cloud region us-central1).
9. Students’ choices and rights
Students can review and update preferences in the app, disconnect Canvas, and request access to or deletion of their data. Where Dexter is used under an Institution agreement, requests to access, correct, or delete education records may be directed to the Institution, and we will support the Institution in responding.
10. Children
Dexter is intended for college and university students and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
11. Changes to this Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, notify the Institution or students.
12. Contact us
Questions about this Policy or a student’s data can be sent to Info@dexterweb.io. Mailing address:
Dexter LLC
5506 Lakeview Dr
Unit L
Kirkland, 98033, WA.