Pip and the Brain Explorers – Privacy Policy
Last updated: 11/03/2026
Pip and the Brain Explorers is an application developed as part of a research study funded by the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) and carried out by researchers at King’s College London. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate touchscreen tasks that measure cognitive processes in young children.
This Privacy Policy explains how information is collected, used, stored, and shared when you or your child use the Pip and the Brain Explorers mobile application or associated website.
The application is designed for children aged 3–6 years. Because the app is used by children, parental or guardian consent is required before any data is collected or recorded.
Our app collects cognitive performance data (health data) from children as part of an approved research study. Our access and use of this data is governed by the following four principles:
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Direct User Benefit All cognitive data collected is directly tied to providing a clear benefit: enabling children aged 3–6 to participate in approved scientific research designed to advance understanding of early cognitive development in neurodivergent children. No data is collected beyond what is necessary for this purpose.
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Minimal Data Access We only request permissions and collect data types that are strictly necessary to support the cognitive research tasks within the app. We do not request broader access than is required for our approved research use cases.
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Comprehensive Privacy Policy This policy clearly explains what cognitive data is collected, how it is used, stored and shared (including with any third parties), and our data retention and deletion policies.
- Parental Consent
Before a child can use the application, a parent or legal guardian must provide consent. During this process, the parent or guardian is asked to provide their name to confirm consent for participation in the research study.
This consent is stored digitally by the research team as a record that permission has been granted for the child to participate in the study and for the research data to be collected.
Children cannot use the application until parental consent has been provided.
- Information We Collect
We collect limited information necessary to conduct the research study and maintain the functionality of the application. This application does not request any special Android permissions. Interaction data such as response times and tap inputs are recorded as standard app functionality, solely within the context of the approved research study. No health sensor data (such as heart rate or step count) is accessed.
a. Parent or Guardian Information
When providing consent, the parent or guardian may provide:
- Parent or guardian name (to document consent) This information is used solely to record consent for participation in the study.
b. Research and Gameplay Data
When the child uses the application, the app automatically records gameplay and interaction data related to the cognitive tasks within the app. This may include:
- task completion times
- response times to tasks
- gameplay performance and outcomes
- progress through activities
- timestamps of interactions This information is linked only to a unique participant ID code. The ID code is used so the research team can analyze results without identifying the child.
No information collected through the application is used to personally identify the child.
c. Device and Technical Information
To ensure the application functions properly and to help maintain the service, the application may automatically collect limited technical information about the device being used, such as:
- device identifiers or installation identifiers
- device type or model
- operating system version
- application version
- basic diagnostic information This information is used only for research data management, troubleshooting, security, and improving the application.
- How We Use the Information
The information collected through the application is used for the following purposes:
- conducting scientific research on children’s cognitive processes
- analysing how children perform on different tasks within the application
- improving the design and functionality of the application
- troubleshooting technical issues and maintaining the app
- producing anonymised research reports and academic publications Any research findings will be reported only in aggregated or anonymised form, meaning that individual children cannot be identified.
- Information Sharing
We do not sell or use data for advertising purposes.
Information collected through the application may be shared only in the following circumstances:
Research collaboration
De-identified or aggregated data may be shared with researchers at King’s College London or collaborating research institutions for scientific research purposes.
Research publications
Results may be published in academic journals, conference presentations, or reports. These publications contain only aggregated or anonymised data.
Legal obligations
Information may be disclosed if required by applicable law, regulation, or legal process.
- Data Security
We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect the information collected through the application. Research data is stored securely and access is restricted to authorised members of the research team.
- Data Retention
Research data collected through the application may be retained for as long as necessary to support scientific research, validation of research findings, and academic publication.
All stored research data is de-identified and associated only with a participant ID code.
- Withdrawing Your Data
Parents or guardians may request the removal of their child’s research data at any time.
To request deletion of your data, please contact us and provide the participant ID code associated with the data.
Contact email:
pip.brainexplorers@kcl.ac.uk
- Your Data Protection Rights
Under applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), parents or guardians may have the right to:
- request access to the data associated with their child’s participant ID
- request correction of inaccurate information
- request restriction of data processing in certain circumstances
- request deletion of data where applicable Requests can be made by contacting the research team using the contact information below.
- Children’s Privacy
This application is designed for children aged 3–6 years participating in a research study.
The app does not collect personal identifying information about children. All gameplay and research data is stored only under a unique participant ID code.
A parent or guardian must provide consent before the child can use the application.
- Contact Information
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how data is collected and used in the Pip and the Brain Explorers application, please contact us at:
pip.brainexplorers@kcl.ac.uk
- Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to the application or to comply with legal or regulatory requirements. When changes are made, the updated policy will be posted with a revised “Last updated” date.