Soroban App Privacy Policy
This is an English reference translation. Only the Japanese version is legally binding. If the two versions differ, the Japanese version prevails.
SIC Co., Ltd. ("we", "us" or "our") handles the information of users of the smartphone and tablet app "Soroban" (the "App") as follows, in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information and other laws and regulations.
1. Business operator
Name: SIC Co., Ltd.
Address: #1-1-1 Osaka Ekimae No.3 Bldg 29F, 1-1-3 Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka-shi, Osaka-fu 530-0001, Japan
Representative: Hiroki Inoue, Representative Director
Phone: +81 50 5473 5978
Email: support@sicorp.jp
2. Scope of this policy
This policy covers the information we collect in connection with the use of the App (iOS and Android versions).
Information handled in "Soroban Portal", the service for schools and organizations, is handled under the Soroban Portal Privacy Policy.
3. Information we collect
When a user uses the App without signing in, we store learning records and settings only on the user's device and do not send them to our servers. The information we collect, and the service that collects it, are as follows.
(1) Information we collect from all users
| Information | Service that collects it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Records of how the App is used (launches, screens viewed, features used, and the ID, name and price of purchased items, etc.), the App version, device model, OS and its version, language, an identifier assigned to each installation, and the country, region and city estimated from the IP address of the connection | Google Analytics for Firebase | Improving the App |
| Details of crashes or failed operations in the App, the actions just before them, the dojo settings at that time, device and OS information, and an identifier assigned to each installation | Firebase Crashlytics | Investigating and fixing problems |
| Information issued by the OS (App Attest on iOS, Play Integrity on Android) to confirm that the device and the App are genuine | Firebase App Check | Preventing unauthorized use |
| Country, language, time zone, OS version, the App's identifier, an identifier assigned to each installation, and the date and time the App was first opened | Firebase Remote Config | Notices about App updates and delivery of other settings |
In addition, each Firebase service collects information indicating the device, OS, the App's identifier and the type of development platform. This information is not linked to any user or device identifier.
Google Analytics for Firebase uses IP addresses only to estimate the country, region and city, and does not record them. It is not linked to names, email addresses or sign-in identifiers.
The App does not show ads and does not collect advertising identifiers (the advertising identifier on iOS and the advertising ID on Android).
When learning materials (videos, problems, voice data for reading aloud, etc.) are delivered, the IP address of the connection is sent to the delivery business (Section 7). For how fonts are obtained, see the end of Section 7.
(2) Information we collect when you sign in with a Google Account or Apple Account
| Information | Service that collects it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Email address (if you chose to hide your email address with your Apple Account, the relay address issued by Apple), the name and profile image URL of the Google Account when you sign in with a Google Account, identifiers assigned by the authentication system, the dates and times the account was created and last signed in, and the IP address at sign-in | Firebase Authentication | Sign-in and preventing unauthorized sign-in |
| Learning records (progress in each topic, dojo levels and results, the days studied and the topics studied on them, records of collected avatars and of meeting their conditions, and the selected avatar) | Our servers (Google Cloud Firestore) | Saving learning records and carrying them over to other devices |
| The IP address, date and time, type of device and app, and destination that come with access to our servers, and, when an operation fails, the user's identifier | Our servers (Google Cloud) | Preventing unauthorized use and investigating failures |
(3) Information we collect when you sign in with a school account (Sorobase ID)
School accounts are issued by schools and organizations through Soroban Portal.
| Information | Service that collects it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| The display name entered by the school or organization, the school the user belongs to, the role (student or teacher), and the login ID we assign | Our servers (Google Cloud Firestore), Firebase Authentication | Sign-in and showing them to users of the same school (Section 5) |
| The IP address at sign-in | Firebase Authentication | Preventing unauthorized sign-in |
| Learning records (the same items as in (2)) | Our servers (Google Cloud Firestore) | Saving learning records, carrying them over to other devices, and showing them to users of the same school (Section 5) |
| Records of access to our servers (the same items as in (2)) | Our servers (Google Cloud) | Preventing unauthorized use and investigating failures |
(4) Information we collect when you make a purchase
| Information | Service that collects it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Records of purchases and subscriptions, the device's region setting and currency, and an identifier assigned by the purchase management system (not linked to sign-in identifiers) | RevenueCat | Providing purchased features and checking subscription status |
Payments are handled by Apple or Google, and we do not collect credit card numbers or other payment details.
(5) Information we collect when you contact us
| Information | Service that collects it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| The type and content of the inquiry, the reply email address (if entered), the App name and version, OS and its version, device model, the App and device language settings, and the screen size | Our servers (Google Cloud Firestore) | Responding to inquiries and investigating problems |
| The IP address, date and time, type of device and app, and destination that come with access to our servers | Our servers (Google Cloud) | Preventing unauthorized use and investigating failures |
If you enter a reply email address, we send you a confirmation email with your reference number. The confirmation email and the email that notifies our staff of the inquiry are sent through Amazon SES. The device information is shown on the screen before it is sent.
(6) Information we do not collect
School names, recipients' names, addresses and selected photos entered in worksheets, certificates, flyers, registration forms and other printouts are used only to create PDFs on the device and are not sent to us. When you share or print them, they are sent to the destination you choose. Practice reminders are scheduled and shown on the device.
4. Purposes of use
We use the information we collect for the following purposes.
- To provide the App's features (sign-in, saving learning records and carrying them over to other devices, showing them to users of the same school, and providing purchased features)
- To improve the App (understanding how each feature is used)
- To investigate and fix problems
- To prevent unauthorized use and operate the App safely
- To respond to inquiries
We do not use the information we collect for delivering ads, measuring ad effectiveness, or analyzing the preferences of specific users.
5. Information shown to other users
For users who sign in with a school account, the display name, role, selected avatar, progress in each topic, dojo levels and collected avatars are shown to users of active accounts of the same school. The days studied and login IDs are not shown.
6. Provision to third parties
We do not provide personal information to third parties without the consent of the individual, except where required by law or otherwise permitted by law.
Distribution of the App and payments are handled by Apple (App Store) and Google (Google Play) under their own terms and privacy policies.
7. Entrustment and handling outside Japan
To the extent necessary to achieve the purposes of use, we entrust the handling of information to the following businesses. The information listed below is sent from the App or our servers to these businesses.
| Business | What we entrust | Information sent or stored |
|---|---|---|
| Google LLC (United States) | Authentication (Firebase Authentication), storage of learning records and inquiries (Google Cloud Firestore, stored in the Tokyo region), server operation and access records (Google Cloud), usage analysis (Google Analytics for Firebase), problem records (Firebase Crashlytics), preventing unauthorized use (Firebase App Check) and delivery of settings (Firebase Remote Config) | The information in Section 3 (1), (2), (3) and (5) |
| RevenueCat, Inc. (United States) | Managing the status of purchases and subscriptions, and showing the purchase screen | The information in Section 3 (4) |
| Cloudflare, Inc. (United States) | Delivery of learning materials such as videos, problems and voice data for reading aloud | The IP address of the connection |
| Amazon Web Services Japan G.K. (Japan) and its affiliates | Sending email (Amazon SES, Tokyo region) | The information in Section 3 (5) (excluding the records of access to our servers) |
We entrust these businesses after confirming that, under their agreements with us on the handling of data, they protect information at a level equivalent to this policy.
The system for the protection of personal information in the United States is as described in the survey of systems for the protection of personal information in foreign countries published by the Personal Information Protection Commission, Japan (Japanese only). Based on an understanding of that system, we take measures to select and supervise the businesses we entrust and other measures for safe management.
The times tables song videos are played by opening a YouTube page (a service operated by Google LLC) in the App. Information collected on that page is handled under Google's privacy policy.
For some languages, the App obtains fonts used on screen from Google Fonts (a service operated by Google LLC). When it does, the IP address of the connection is sent to Google and is handled under Google's privacy policy.
8. Retention period
- Learning records: kept until we receive a request for deletion
- Sign-in information: kept until the account is deleted. IP addresses at sign-in are deleted after a few weeks
- Records of how the App is used: of the records linked to the identifier assigned to each installation, records for each user are deleted 14 months after their last use, and records of individual actions are deleted after 2 months. Aggregated results not linked to the identifier are not deleted
- The identifier assigned to each installation (used by Firebase Remote Config): kept until we delete it
- Problem records: deleted after 90 days
- Records of access to our servers: deleted after 30 days
- Inquiries: kept for as long as needed to respond and to handle later inquiries on the same matter, and deleted when no longer needed
- Purchase records: kept until we receive a request for deletion
- Deleted information remains for up to 14 days in the backups we take automatically in case of failures, and is then deleted automatically
9. Deleting accounts and information
- Users who sign in with a Google Account or Apple Account can delete their sign-in information with "Delete Account" in the App's "Settings".
- Requests to delete learning records stored on our servers are accepted at the contact in Section 12. We delete them after confirming the identity of the individual.
- School accounts are issued and managed by schools and organizations. Requests to delete a school account are accepted by the school or organization the user belongs to, or at the contact in Section 12.
- If you delete the App from your device, the learning records and settings stored on the device are deleted.
- You can stop any further collection of information by deleting the App from your device. Requests to stop using or to delete information already collected are accepted at the contact in Section 12.
- Deleting an account does not cancel a subscription. Subscriptions are to be canceled on the subscription management screen of the App Store or Google Play.
10. Children's information
The App is intended to be used by children learning the soroban.
- When a child uses the App without signing in, we collect only the information in Section 3 (1). We use this information only to maintain and analyze the operation of the App, fix problems and prevent unauthorized use, and do not use it to contact any specific individual, for advertising, or to understand behavior patterns. For this reason, we do not link this information to names, email addresses or sign-in identifiers.
- Signing in with a Google Account or Apple Account, making purchases, and contacting us are to be done by a parent or guardian. Before purchases, inquiries, and opening pages in a browser or other apps, the App shows a check for parents and guardians (a math problem). However, the check is not shown when the store's rating page is opened after choosing to rate the App on the screen asking for a rating, or when the times tables song videos are played in the App.
- School accounts are issued by schools and organizations. A display name does not have to be a full name; a nickname or similar can be used. The school or organization shall explain to students and their guardians the use of the App and the handling set out in this policy.
- Parents and guardians may request disclosure or deletion of their child's information, and that we stop collecting it, at the contact in Section 12.
11. Security measures
- Communication is encrypted (HTTPS).
- The storage for learning records and inquiries is set up so that it can be read and written only through our servers. Our servers read and write a user's learning records (for school accounts, including the records of users of the same school) only at the request of a user whose sign-in has been confirmed.
- Two-step verification is set up on our accounts that manage the App and our servers.
- When we entrust businesses outside Japan, we take measures based on an understanding of that country's system, as described in Section 7.
12. Requests for disclosure and inquiries
We accept requests for notification of the purposes of use, disclosure, correction, addition or deletion, suspension of use or erasure, suspension of provision to third parties, and disclosure of records of provision to third parties concerning retained personal data, as well as inquiries and complaints about the handling of personal information, at the contact below. After confirming the identity of the individual (for children's information, the parent or guardian), we will respond without delay in accordance with the law.
Contact: Personal Information Inquiries, SIC Co., Ltd. Email: support@sicorp.jp
13. Revisions
We may revise this policy in response to changes in laws or to the App. The revised policy takes effect when it is posted on this page.
SIC Co., Ltd.
support@sicorp.jp
Established: March 1, 2025
Updated: October 31, 2026