What the age rules mean
The US Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule protects children under 13 and generally requires verifiable parental consent before a service collects their personal information. The Federal Trade Commission says it does not apply to teenagers, while saying it remains concerned about teen privacy. So an age limit of 13 and over puts a product outside that rule for its intended users, but it is not a legal safe harbour, and other laws may apply. Treat the age limit as a starting point for questions, not an answer.
Ten questions for any AI tutoring provider
- What age is it for, and how does it treat under-18s?
- Is student data sold or shared for advertising?
- Is student data used to train AI models, its own or anyone else's?
- What does it record: audio, text, the whiteboard? For how long?
- Does it use a camera?
- Does my teen have their own login, and do I need their password?
- What can a parent see, and does my teen know when I look?
- Can I see and delete what the tutor remembers about my teen?
- How does it handle sensitive topics a teenager may raise?
- Who do I contact, and how quickly?
What Tutix does
Tutix is for students aged 13 and over; under 18, a parent or guardian needs to agree. A parent sets up a child's classes with an email invite the child verifies themselves, so nobody shares a login. Classes use the microphone only, with no camera. Tutix does not sell student data or use it to train outside AI models, and you can export or delete your data from Account Settings. A parent who arranged a class can listen to it live, including the microphone, and read its transcript; the student's screen says so while they do. Read the privacy policy for the detail.
- Verified, separate logins. A parent invites a teen by email; the teen verifies their own account.
- You choose how much you hear. Quiet by default: a recap after each class, a weekly update and a note the first time a class is missed. Or closely informed, with reminders and join notes.
- Transparency for the teen. A parent who arranged a class can open it while it is live and listen, including the teen's microphone, and can read the transcript; the teen's screen says “A parent is listening” while they do, and the invitation says so before the teen accepts.
- No camera. Classes use the microphone only.
- What is kept, and for how long. A class is transcribed so a parent can read it and the tutor can remember what was covered. Records stay while the account exists, raw learning events are consolidated into summaries after 90 days, and deleting an account purges its records within 30 days. The privacy policy has the full list.
- Serious topics. Tutix is built for teaching, not counselling. If a teenager raises something serious, a trusted adult or a local helpline is the right help, and a tutoring product, ours included, should not be the only one.
Talking with your teenager about it
- Agree what the tutor is for: learning how to do the work, not getting it done.
- Agree what a parent can see and why, before the first class.
- Ask them to show you a class on something they find hard.
- Remind them to check facts that matter with a teacher or textbook, because any AI can be wrong.
Questions people ask
Is AI tutoring safe for teenagers?
It can be when the provider is clear about age, data and parent visibility. Check that data is not sold or used to train outside models, that the teen has their own verified login, and that you can see and delete what is kept.
Does COPPA cover teenagers?
No. The US Children's Online Privacy Protection Rule covers children under 13. The FTC says it does not apply to teenagers, though it remains concerned about teen privacy, and other laws may apply.
Can I see what my teen does in a tutoring class?
On Tutix, a parent who arranged the class gets a recap after each class and a weekly update, and can open a live class and read the transcript. The teen's screen says when a parent is listening.
What does Tutix keep, and for how long?
A class is transcribed so a parent can read it and the tutor can remember what was covered. Records stay while the account exists, raw learning events are turned into summaries after 90 days, and deleting an account purges its records within 30 days.
What if my teen raises something serious in a class?
Tutix is built for teaching, not counselling. A trusted adult or a local helpline is the right help for something serious, and no tutoring tool should be the only support a teenager has.
Does Tutix sell my teen's data?
No. Tutix does not sell student data or use it to train outside AI models, and you can export or delete your data from Account Settings.
What age is Tutix for?
Tutix is for students aged 13 and over. Under 18, a parent or guardian needs to agree.
Sources
- Complying with COPPA: Frequently Asked Questions, U.S. Federal Trade Commission (accessed October 21, 2026)
