Privacy Policy

With the Pebbles app (hereinafter ‘App’), the Chair for ‘Developmental Psychology: Infancy and Childhood’ at the Department of Psychology and the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development of the University of Zurich (hereinafter ‘Chair for Developmental Psychology’) provides a development diary for parents (or any other caregivers) of children between 0 and 6 years. In addition to physical growth indicators, users of the App (hereinafter ‘User’) enter development phases in the areas of language, motor skills, cognition and social-emotional skills. The development phases and milestones are scientifically founded, and queried according to age. The User receives information about the developmental phases. They can also assign photos to the individual development phases and add their own comments and observations. The individually added content is only saved locally on the User’s device. 
The provision of the App requires extensive processing of User data by the Chair for Developmental Psychology. Most of this data relates to the User’s child/children (see section 3.3 Data collected via the App). This Privacy Policy for the Pebbles app (hereinafter ‘Pebbles Privacy Policy’) provides the User with detailed and transparent information on the nature, scope and purpose of the data collection and use of personal data by the Chair for Developmental Psychology when using the App. 

When registering for the App, the User expressly agrees to the data processing as set out in the Pebbles app Terms of Use and this Privacy Policy. The Chair for Developmental Psychology will continue to develop the App. The data processing by the Chair for Developmental Psychology may also change. The User will be notified of such changes in a suitable manner (by email or at the next login).

3.1 Data disclosure by the User during registration
Registration in the App is possible by entering an email address and password or by using a Google or Apple account. 
If the User chooses to register by email address and password, the corresponding information is processed on a server exclusively responsible for the registration process (see 3.3). This is done to ensure complete separation from the other App data. If the User logs in via a Google or Apple account, no email address or password will be transmitted to Google or Apple. Instead, the User logs directly into the system of the relevant provider and briefly leaves the App. If the login is successful and the User has confirmed to Google or Apple that they want to log in to the App with their Google or Apple account, the App system receives the corresponding confirmation from Google or Apple along with the email address that is stored with Google or Apple for login. In this case, however, the password is not transmitted to the App, as the corresponding verification is always handled by the external providers. The only information transmitted by the App to the external providers is the request to log in, the name of the user account in the App and the time of registration or login. Google and Apple never gain access to the content of the App or the personal and research data stored in it. 
In addition to the email address during login with a Google or Apple account and the password when logging in directly, we also store the selected language in order to send the activation message in the appropriate language. In all cases, the email address is stored separately from the collected research data on a separate web server (see 3.3) and is used to authorise the User.
3.2 Automatically collected data
The Chair for Developmental Psychology logs acceptance of the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy. The following information is also stored to enable registration: 

• Dates/times when an account was created, edited or deleted
• Dates/times when a user session was created and when it expires (manual log out or automatic log out after a predetermined period)
• Dates/times when a token to reset the password was created or used and when it expires 

Additionally, a server-side access log is recorded. This contains the user's IP address, the time of access, the requested resource (e.g., page path), the transmission protocol used, the HTTP status code, and the size of the response in bytes. These data are used exclusively to ensure technical operation, to detect malfunctions, and to protect against misuse. The access logs are automatically deleted after 6 months.

To ensure technical stability and for the purpose of troubleshooting, the app utilizes an error reporting system (GlitchTip), which is operated on a server within the University of Zurich's network. Error reporting is enabled by default; however, it can be deactivated by the user at any time in the app settings (opt-out). Within the scope of error reporting, only technical data required to identify and resolve software errors are collected. The following data are recorded:

• Error messages and stack traces (technical logs of the error sequence)
• App state at the time of the error (e.g., app version, build number)
• Device information (operating system, OS version, device model, screen resolution, available RAM)
• Recent actions and interactions within the Pebbles app user interface (automatically recorded navigation steps, UI interactions, console outputs, and network requests preceding the error)
• URL and query parameters of failed HTTP requests (no content, such as answers to questions) directed from the Pebbles app to the Pebbles servers

The transmission of personally identifiable information (PII) is deactivated. In particular, no email addresses, usernames, passwords, cookies, or HTTP request/response headers are transmitted. The recording of screen content (session replay) is also deactivated. No screenshots or screen recordings are created or transmitted.

The data collected as part of the error reporting process are automatically deleted after 6 months and are used exclusively to ensure technical operation and to improve the quality of the app.

Beyond this, no other data is collected automatically.

3.3 Data collected via the App
3.3.1 Data collected and stored on the Chair for Developmental Psychology server

If there is an active internet connection, research data (i.e. answers to questions) are immediately transferred from the User’s device to the University of Zurich servers. If there is no active internet connection, the data is stored in the App and transmitted at a later time. If the User enters the App with the same email address on another device or logs in with a new device, the data is downloaded from the University of Zurich servers to the user’s device. Once the transfer is complete, the data is stored on the server as well as on the device.
The following types of research data are collected within the App and transmitted to the Chair for Developmental Psychology server in anonymised form:
 

• Demographic information about the User, the child and the family environment of the children (e.g. year of birth of the child’s parents, languages spoken in the household, week of pregnancy and birth weight of the child) 
• Development phases of the child in the following areas:
  • Language, e.g. 
    • Has your child already started to combine words, e.g. ‘Mummy banana’?: Yes, No
    • Carrots: Talks, Does not talk
    • Does your child use facial expressions that correspond to the word content?: Scale from 1 ‘almost always’ to 5 ‘never/not yet’
  • Motor skills, e.g.
    • My child can stand up without walking on all fours first: Yes, No
    • My child can walk two to three steps backwards without me holding him/her: Yes, No
  • Cognition, e.g.
    • Put together an age-appropriate puzzle with your child. Can your child properly insert a simple piece into the puzzle?: Yes, No
    • Slowly push a toy car across the table and then to your child. Now, let your child play with it: Yes = Your child pushes the car so that all four wheels touch the table, No = Your child does not move the car, or moves it in another way.
  • Social-emotional, e.g.
    • During everyday activities; how often did your child react immediately and attentively when you called them?: Scale from 1 ‘never’ to 7 ‘always’
    • When playing inside; how often did your child run through the house?: Scale from 1 ‘never’ to 7 ‘always’

Answering all questions on these topics is voluntary. The User can skip questions at any time without giving reasons.

3.3.2 Collected data that are stored only on your mobile device
The following personal data is collected within the App but not transmitted to the Chair for Developmental Psychology: 

• Photos uploaded by the User (photos of the child or other photos)
• Comments on development phases
• Your own comments on special events

The Chair for Developmental Psychology therefore does not have access to this data at any time. Photos, comments and own entries are stored exclusively on the mobile device. The User is responsible for taking suitable measures (e.g. backups) to protect this data from loss or unauthorised access. 
Important note to the User: inadequate security on the device poses a data protection risk. While the Chair for Developmental Psychology stores personal data and research data separately in its databases and the former is only accessible to one employee, all this data is stored on the App User’s personal device. In the event of a cyberattack on the device, hackers can link the anonymously formatted responses stored on the device with the personal data stored locally on the device and thus retrieve all data as personal data. 
For hackers to establish a link between personal data and research data in the event of a cyberattack on the Chair for Developmental Psychology, hackers would need to hack both databases simultaneously in order to untangle the pseudonymisation of the data. All data is subject to end-to-end encryption for transmission to the server or back to the User’s device. Due to the end-to-end encryption and the high security standards of the servers, the most vulnerable access point for the App is on the User’s device. The User can minimise this data protection risk by applying the following measures:

1. Use secure passwords. (see https://www.passwortcheck.ch/)
2. Use different passwords for different services.
3. Do not share access data with other people or divulge it otherwise (the University of Zurich will never ask you to disclose your password to us) 
4. Delete downloaded data (e.g. diary as pdf) after use. 
5. Ensure that the operating system of the mobile phone is up to date.
6. Do not operate the mobile phone with administration rights (rooting or jailbreaking).

3.3.3 Anonymisation process and data storage
As soon as parents enter information in the App (e.g. by answering a question), it is immediately collected under a user profile that does not contain any data that could be used to identify the User. This means that, apart from being stored on a personal device, the data generated by the App and then shared with the Chair for Developmental Psychology is already stored in anonymised form on the mobile phone. This ensures that the Chair for Developmental Psychology only receives the data in anonymised form and that the identity of the User is protected at all times.
There are a total of three databases. The first database contains personal data (name of the child, email address and, if applicable, password); the second contains the access data for the account (see 3.2); and the third database contains the research data (i.e. information on the questions and the corresponding answers, see 3.3.1). This research data is stored separately from the personal data (name of the child, email address and, if applicable, password). The personal data is only collected for the purpose of enabling the use of the App and is not processed together with the research data. The answers are not encrypted in the App, but are protected by the mobile phone’s internal systems and end-to-end encryption during transmission to the Chair for Developmental Psychology’s server.
 

The data provided to the Chair for Developmental Psychology (see 3.3.1) is processed for the following purposes, as approved by the responsible Ethics Committee of the University of Zurich:
Collected data transmitted to the Chair for Developmental Psychology is processed as outlined in Section 9 of the Zurich Cantonal Bill on Information and Data Protection (IDG) to analyse development phases in the areas of motor skills, language, cognition and social-emotional development, as well as the correlations between developmental phases in these areas. The analyses are only performed at group level. This means that we do not perform analyses that relate to the data of individual persons. Therefore, it is impossible to draw any conclusions about the data subjects (individual children and caregivers) from the analyses. Only the data described in section 3.3.1 is analysed. whereby the Chair for Developmental Psychology investigates how certain development areas are related, and whether and how skills already developed in one area can predict improvements in skills in the same area and across the areas.
The User can view their child’s development phases via a visualisation in area and line diagrams, and compare them with other children if desired. These responses can be compared with a standard population (children of the same age). This comparison does not allow conclusions to be drawn on other determinable children.
The Chair for Developmental Psychology’s studies are designed as long-term studies for an indefinite period. Therefore, the research data will be stored indefinitely (at least 10 years). The personal data required to use the App will be stored for as long as the App is made available by the Chair for Developmental Psychology. 

5.1 Disclosure to third parties
‘Third parties’ are persons or companies independent of the Chair for Developmental Psychology who process data for their own purposes. No Third parties are research associates or research cooperation partners of the Chair for Developmental Psychology (associated scientists and external scientists who have concluded a cooperation agreement with the Chair for Developmental Psychology to fulfil the purpose of data processing; see Section 4).
The Chair for Developmental Psychology can make anonymised research data available to other researchers via a suitable repository. This research data is anonymised beforehand to ensure that the data subjects can no longer be identified. Apart from that, the Chair for Developmental Psychology does not pass on research data collected and stored on the Chair for Developmental Psychology server to Third parties for their respective use without the express consent of the User or a legal obligation. 
All employees of the Chair for Developmental Psychology and research cooperation partners are required to maintain confidentiality and sign a non-disclosure agreement.
5.2 Electronic data transfer
User data may be accessible to Third parties (within and outside Switzerland) without the intervention of the Chair for Developmental Psychology.
In particular, device or software manufacturers (such as Apple or Google) may receive personal information when the App is used. They may process and pass on the data according to their own terms of use or privacy policies. This may cause these Third parties to infer a relationship between the User and the Chair for Developmental Psychology. The App fulfils Swiss and European data protection regulations. The App can also be used outside Switzerland. When accessing the App abroad, it is possible that internet networks are used that do not offer the same level of data protection.

As the responsible body, the Chair for Developmental Psychology guarantees compliance with the relevant data protection requirements governed by the Zurich Cantonal Bill on Information and Data Protection (IDG). 
The User opens a user account with their email address and a complex password (at least 8 characters recommended; upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters required) or by using an existing Google or Apple account, which is required to use the App. The email address is verified by an automated confirmation email sent to the specified email address, to which the Chair for Developmental Psychology has no access. The password is stored in encrypted form on the server. You can log into the App by entering your email address and password or via your Google or Apple account. The server is located within the network of the University of Zurich, and integrated into the highest security zone. 
The transmission of information between the User of the App and the Chair for Developmental Psychology is protected through end-to-end encryption. However, communication with the Chair for Developmental Psychology takes place via the networks of the App User’s telecommunications provider (for example, Swisscom or Salt). These data are generally accessible to Third parties, and may be lost during transmission or intercepted by unauthorised Third parties. Therefore, it cannot be ruled out that Third parties may gain unauthorised access to communication with the Chair for Developmental Psychology when using the App, despite all security measures. However, the App uses end-to-end encryption for data transmission. Therefore, the data cannot be read by Third parties even if it is successfully intercepted. Consequently, while there is always a small risk of Third parties gaining access to the data, it is still encrypted even in those cases. If the App is used outside Switzerland and outside the EU, the User’s data may be transmitted via third countries that may not offer the same level of data protection as Switzerland. However, such access by third countries can never be completely ruled out, even in Switzerland. In certain countries that require access to their citizens’ devices, encryption can also result in the App being denied access to the internet. In such a case, the User’s device would generally not be affected. Only the App would be restricted.

The User may revoke consent to the processing of data at any time, in whole or in part, and with effect for the future, by written notice (including electronically) to the Chair for Developmental Psychology. 
The data will be deleted within seven days of receipt of the request. Depending on the revocation request, either all data related to the child, or the entire user account and all data associated with it, will be deleted. Uninstalling the App on the User’s device does not result in the deletion of data on the servers. To delete information about a child or the user account itself and all associated data, it must be requested via the App (using the ‘Delete child information’ or ‘Delete account’ feature). Alternatively, the deletion can also be requested by email to pebbles@psychologie.uzh.ch.  
Research data that has already been published in anonymised form in a scientific study or on a scientific repository can no longer be deleted. 
The User can also request information about the data contained in a data collection and, if necessary, have the personal data stored at the Chair for Developmental Psychology corrected by sending an email to pebbles@psychologie.uzh.ch or to the UZH Data Protection Department (privacy@rud.uzh.ch) 

Data security also depends on the User’s cooperation. The User shall therefore use the means available to protect their devices and data. Appropriate security measures (in particular activating the screen lock on the smartphone, only accessing secured hotspots or using a VPN service) increase security and further reduce the risks associated with using the App. In addition, the User should regularly back up individually added content (images, comments), as it is only stored locally on the device and is therefore no longer available if the device is defective or lost. While personal data and research data are stored separately in the Chair for Developmental Psychology databases and the former are only accessible to clearly defined employees, all of this data is also stored on the personal device. In the event of a cyberattack on the device, hackers could link the anonymously formatted responses with the personal data on the same mobile phone and thus retrieve all the data as personal data. The main potential vulnerability is therefore the User’s device.

Questions or information on data protection and data processing can be addressed to the Chair for Developmental Psychology by telephone (+41 44 635 74 81), email (pebbles@psychologie.uzh.ch) or in writing (Universität Zürich, Psychologisches Institut, Lehrstuhl Entwicklungspsychologie: Säuglings- und Kindesalter, Binzmühlestrasse 14/Box 21, CH-8050 Zürich); or directly to the UZH Data Protection Department (privacy@rud.uzh.ch).