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When your child signs up for an educational app, math platform, or learning tool, you're trusting that company with their name, location, learning progress, and sometimes video footage. But terms of service change, sometimes quietly. This worksheet helps you spot what shifted in a company's data collection rules between two versions, so you can decide whether the new terms still protect your child's privacy.

TL;DR
  • Terms of service for children's apps often change without notice; comparing old and new versions reveals whether data collection rules got stricter or looser.
  • Look for shifts in what data is collected, who it's shared with, how long it's kept, and whether consent rules changed.
  • Use this worksheet to side-by-side audit two ToS versions and flag red flags for your child's safety.
  • Terms Doctor's free extension can help you find and grade ToS, but manual comparison catches nuances automated checks might miss.
  • Document your findings so you have a record if the company's practices don't match their promises.

Why compare two versions?

children reading
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Educational platforms and children's apps update their terms of service regularly. Sometimes changes are minor (typo fixes, legal adjustments). Other times, they loosen privacy protections, expand data sharing, or introduce new monetization practices, like selling anonymized learning data to researchers or using student essays to train AI models.

Comparing two versions side by side reveals what actually changed, so you can:
  • Spot whether your child's data is now shared with more third parties.
  • See if retention periods got longer (data kept forever is a bigger risk).
  • Check whether parental consent requirements were weakened.
  • Understand if the platform now uses student work for AI training or product development.
  • Make an informed decision about whether to keep using the service.
"The Year 1 curriculum at Matholia.com harnesses this innate curiosity by introducing formal data representation through tally charts and picture graphs – the building blocks of mathematical literacy."
>, Introducing Data Literacy: Tally Charts and Picture Graphs in Year 1
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Key takeaway: Even small language changes in a children's ToS can signal bigger shifts in how your child's data is treated; a structured comparison catches those shifts before they affect your family.

Where to find old and new versions

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Most companies don't keep a public archive of old terms. But you have options:

  1. Wayback Machine (archive.org): Search for the company's domain and scroll through snapshots. Not every date is captured, but you can often find versions from 6–12 months ago.
  2. Your email inbox: If the company sent you a "Terms Updated" notice, save that email. It often links to a PDF or old version, or you can ask support for one.
  3. Contact the company directly: Email their support or privacy team. Politely request the previous version of their ToS, dated no more than 6–12 months back. Many will provide it.
  4. Google Cache: For very recent changes, Google's cache (site:example.com in Google search, then click "Cached" under the result) may still hold the old version.
  5. Privacy policy tracking services: Services like Osquery or Termly sometimes snapshot ToS versions, though coverage is uneven.
Once you have both versions in hand (or on screen), print them or open them side by side in two browser tabs.

Step-by-step comparison worksheet

Worksheet: compare children's data collection language across two ToS versions process
Figure 1: Worksheet: compare children's data collection language across two ToS versions at a glance.

Section 1: Basic info

Fill in these details so you have a record:

FieldYour answer
App or platform name_____________________
Date of old version_____________________
Date of new version_____________________
Reason you're comparing (e.g., you got a "terms updated" email)_____________________
Link to old ToS_____________________
Link to new ToS_____________________

Section 2: Data collection scope

Old version: What data does the company collect?
  • Student name, email, age, grade level: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Learning activity (quizzes, essays, time spent per lesson): Yes / No / Unclear
  • Video or audio recordings: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Biometric data (facial recognition, voice analysis): Yes / No / Unclear
  • Exact IP address or device ID: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Location data: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Parent email or payment info: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Social media profile links: Yes / No / Unclear
New version: Same questions as above. What changed?
  • Items now collected that weren't before: ___________________
  • Items no longer mentioned: ___________________
  • Items with more vague language: ___________________

Section 3: Data sharing & third parties

Old version: Who does the company share data with?
  • Marketing partners: Yes / No / Unclear
  • AI or research companies: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Analytics vendors (Google, Mixpanel, etc.): Yes / No / Unclear
  • Educational researchers: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Advertisers or brokers: Yes / No / Unclear
  • Parent/student at request: Yes / No / Unclear
New version: Same questions. What changed?
  • New third-party partnerships mentioned: ___________________
  • More permissive language around sharing: ___________________
  • Specific vendor names added or removed: ___________________

Section 4: Data retention & deletion

Old version:
  • How long is student data kept after account deletion? ___________________
  • Are backups deleted? Yes / No / Unclear
  • Can parents request deletion? Yes / No / Unclear
New version: Same questions. What changed?
  • Retention period got longer or shorter: ___________________
  • Backup or legal-hold language added: ___________________
  • Deletion request process changed: ___________________

Section 5: Parental consent & control

Old version:
  • Is parental consent required upfront? Yes / No / Unclear
  • Can parents access their child's data? Yes / No / Unclear
  • Can parents opt out of data collection? Yes / No / Unclear
  • Can parents request data export? Yes / No / Unclear
New version: Same questions. What changed?
  • Consent requirements loosened or tightened: ___________________
  • New opt-out options or removed ones: ___________________
  • Access or export process altered: ___________________

Section 6: AI training & monetization

Old version:
  • Does the company use student work to train AI? Yes / No / Not mentioned
  • Can student content be used for research? Yes / No / Unclear
  • Is data sold or licensed to third parties? Yes / No / Unclear
  • Are students shown ads? Yes / No / Unclear
New version: Same questions. What changed?
  • AI training language added or expanded: ___________________
  • Monetization practices clarified or obscured: ___________________
  • Student content reuse policies shifted: ___________________
Parents who check app ToS before letting kids sign up
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Red flags to watch for

Data Protection Red Flags Checklist

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If you spot any of these, document the exact clauses and consider whether the new terms are acceptable for your child. If not, you have a few options:
  • Ask the company for clarification in writing.
  • Stop using the service and request data deletion.
  • Report concerning practices to your state's attorney general or the FTC (in the US).
  • Share your findings with other parents or parent groups.

How Terms Doctor can help

The free Terms Doctor extension automatically scans any website's terms of service and privacy policy, flagging 101 consumer-protection issues, including many that affect children's privacy. It won't do the manual side-by-side comparison for you, but it can:
  • Grade the current ToS on an A–F scale so you know if it's strong or weak.
  • Highlight specific red flags (forced arbitration, AI training, auto-renewal, data sharing).
  • Show you which sections matter most for privacy and children's safety.
  • Help you quickly spot problems before you dig into the full text.
Install Terms Doctor free on Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, or Vivaldi, then visit your child's app's terms page to see the grade and flagged risks at a glance.

💡 Pro Tip: Document Everything

Keep a dated record of every ToS version you review. Save screenshots or PDFs of key sections—especially data collection, sharing, and retention clauses. This documentation becomes invaluable if the company's practices don't match their published promises or if you need to dispute data practices later.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

At least once a year, or whenever you receive a "Terms Updated" email from the company. Many platforms update quietly in fall (back-to-school season) or spring. Set a phone reminder to audit your child's top apps twice yearly.
Start with the Wayback Machine; if that fails, email the company's privacy team directly and request a version from 6–12 months ago. Explain that you're a parent evaluating the app's privacy practices. Many will provide it on request. If they refuse, that's a yellow flag, transparent companies share their history.
Possibly. If the new ToS allows AI training but the old one didn't, the company is expanding its use of existing data unless you explicitly opt out. Check whether the new terms apply retroactively to data collected under the old version. If unclear, ask in writing and keep the response.
Document the changes (screenshot or print both versions, note dates), then decide: (1) accept the new terms and keep using the app, (2) ask the company for clarification or an exception, or (3) stop using the service and request data deletion in writing. Save all correspondence for your records.
No, Terms Doctor grades the current terms on offer. But our grading and red-flag system makes it faster for you to spot privacy issues in any version. For a full side-by-side audit of changes, use this worksheet with two versions you've gathered yourself.

Next steps

  1. Gather both versions: Use the Wayback Machine, email, or your inbox to find the old ToS and the current one.
  2. Print or open side by side: Make it easy to compare section by section.
  3. Work through the worksheet: Fill in each section honestly. Note "Unclear" for vague language.
  4. Identify changes: Highlight shifts in data collection, sharing, retention, or consent rules.
  5. Flag red flags: Use the checklist above to spot the most concerning changes.
  6. Decide and document: Write down your decision (keep using, ask for clarification, or delete account) and save your worksheet for future reference.
  7. Share if needed: If you find troubling changes, consider emailing other parents or reaching out to your child's school to warn them.
Remember: This worksheet is a tool for understanding a company's practices, not legal advice. If you have serious concerns about a company's data practices, consult a privacy attorney or report the issue to your state attorney general or the FTC.

Last updated: 2026. This resource is part of the Terms Doctor project to help families navigate privacy in educational technology.

Additional Resources