1. Overview
GradeBlaster ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use the GradeBlaster website (gradeblaster.com) and the GradeBlaster macOS application, how we use it, and your rights.
GradeBlaster is designed with privacy first. The macOS application runs entirely on your computer — your Canvas credentials, AI API keys, and student submission files never leave your machine. They are never sent to or stored on GradeBlaster servers.
2. Information We Collect
2a. Website (gradeblaster.com)
- Purchase information: When you buy a license, Stripe processes your payment. We receive your name, email address, and payment confirmation (but never your full card number). This information is used to generate and deliver your license key.
- Download logs: When you download the app, we log the timestamp, IP address, and user agent string. This helps us track total download counts and detect abuse. We do not sell this data.
- Contact form submissions: If you contact us via the contact form, we receive your name, email address, and message content.
2b. macOS Application
The GradeBlaster app stores the following locally on your Mac only, in ~/Library/Application Support/GradeBlaster/:
- Your Canvas LMS URL and API access token
- Your Anthropic or OpenAI API key
- Grading profiles and rubric criteria you create
- Grading session history and exported results
None of this data is transmitted to GradeBlaster's servers. The only outbound connections from the app are:
- Your institution's Canvas LMS API (to fetch submissions and post grades)
- Anthropic's or OpenAI's API (to run AI analysis on submissions)
- gradeblaster.com (to validate your license key)
2c. License Validation
When the app validates your license key, it sends the license key and an anonymous machine identifier to our server. We use this to enforce seat limits and detect license sharing. No personal information is transmitted during validation.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To process your purchase and deliver your license key via email
- To send you a receipt and order confirmation
- To respond to support requests and contact form submissions
- To track download statistics (aggregate, non-personal)
- To validate license keys and enforce usage limits
- To comply with legal obligations
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
4. Third-Party Services
- Stripe — Payment processing. Stripe's Privacy Policy applies to payment data. We never receive or store your full payment card number. (stripe.com/privacy)
- Anthropic / OpenAI — If you use these AI providers within the app, your submission data is sent to their APIs under your own API key and account. Their respective privacy policies apply. GradeBlaster has no visibility into this data.
- Canvas LMS — Your institution's Canvas instance. Data is sent per your institution's own data agreements.
5. Data Retention
- Purchase records are retained for 7 years to comply with accounting and tax requirements.
- Download logs are retained for 12 months, then deleted.
- Contact form messages are retained until resolved, then deleted within 12 months.
- License records are retained for the duration of the license plus 1 year.
6. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
- Opt out of marketing communications
To exercise any of these rights, email support@gradeblaster.com.
7. Cookies
The GradeBlaster website does not use tracking cookies or analytics services. The only cookies used are session cookies required for the checkout flow (provided by Stripe).
8. Children's Privacy
GradeBlaster is intended for use by adult educators. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify active license holders of material changes via email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.
10. Contact
Questions about this Privacy Policy? Contact us: