Last updated: 15th May 2020
Firstly, the idea of create.withcode.uk is to let students and teachers easily write, run, debug and share python code without needing user accounts to get started. It’s not out to make a profit or to harvest and sell personal data.
There are some occasions where users may enter some personal data (e.g. entering your name to generate a python certificate or joining in student competitions). This page tries to explain what data is collected, how it’s used and what rights you have regarding it.
What data is collected?
You can use create.withcode.uk without needing to log in. If this is the case for you, then your details (e.g. name) are never collected or stored. The site does however need to store some data on your computer:
Editor settings (e.g. code size and colour scheme)
Recently run code (so that you can recover it at a later date)
Activity completion stats (so that you can claim a certificate and see your progress)
Your name (only if you’ve entered it to claim a python certificate)
This data is stored on your computer, not on the withcode.uk server.
When you save code, the following data will be stored on the withcode.uk servers:
Your code (all saved code is public: anyone can access it if they know the URL)
Your IP address (this is never made public but is stored to prevent abuse of the service)
How many times your code has been accessed (used for internal analysis)
This data is stored on the withcode.uk server if you choose to save your code.
It is also possible to log in using a Google account. Doing this allows you to create your own self-marking python activities and makes it easier to manage your python files. If you choose to log in using a Google account, the following data is stored on the withcode.uk servers:
Your email address (so that you can log in again using your Google account. )
Your name (to identify you when you log in. )
When you last logged in (for debugging purposes)
These items of data are never intentionally made public, shared or used for any other purpose than authenticating users so they can use the service.
The following information is never stored:
Your password (all authentication is done on Google’s servers)
This data is never stored either on your computer or withcode.uk’s servers.
Blog.withcode.uk and create.withcode.uk are both free to use but both include Adsense adverts from Google in order to meet hosting costs.
- Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s previous visits to withcode.uk or other websites.
- Google’s use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve you ads based on your visit to this site and/or other sites on the Internet.
- You may opt-out of personalised advertising by visiting Ads Settings.
- You can opt out of some third-party vendors’ uses of cookies for personalised advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info.
How about competitions?
Since the COVID-19 school closure in 2020, I’ve been sharing weekly python remote learning activities on live.withcode.uk. Students can use these without needing to create an account but teachers requested the ability to be able to track student progress and allow them to compete in competitions.
If you create a school account, a teacher account or a student account, your personal data will be securely stored on the withcode.uk server (encrypted, UK based).
Student accounts: A student’s initials (e.g. PD) will be publicly visible if the student joins a competition but only the individual student and their verified teachers will be able to see their full name and email address. The email address is only used to allow a student to reset their password – it is not shared or used for any other purpose. If a student wins a competition, I will make contact through their teacher to verify permission to send a certificate / prize in accordance with the schools safeguarding and data protection policies
Teacher accounts: A teacher’s surname and first initial will be visible to their students but their email address will remain private. Teacher accounts are able to see the names and competition scores of students in their groups. Teacher access is verified (or rejected) by other teachers in a school or by the site administrator (by checking the name and domain name of a teacher email address when registering).
School accounts: A school account allows teachers to create groups of students. Anyone can request an account be set up for a school but it must be verified by the site administrator (I check with the nominated teacher at the school) before it is made live.
Data stored for compete.withcode.uk
All competition accounts can be managed at tools.withcode.uk/keywords/user
Teachers may be contacted by email if their students win a competition of if they request technical assistance but student, school or teacher details are not used or shared for any other purpose.
How is data stored?
As mentioned above, data is stored in two locations: your computer and on the withcode.uk servers.
Data stored on your computer (e.g. editor settings, code to be restored, activity completion stats) is stored in persistent storage (localStorage) within your browser. Cookies are also stored on your computer as mentioned above.
Data stored on withcode.uk servers (for example saved code) is accessed via an SSL encrypted connection and stored on a server located in London, UK.
When you enter your name to claim a python certificate, that data is sent to the withcode.uk server so that the PDF certificate can be generated, but the name is not stored on the server. It will however, continue to be stored on your computer so that you can claim another certificate without needing to enter your name again.
How can I access / delete my personal data?
Data stored on your local computer can be wiped by clearing your browser cache. This will remove any settings, stored code, tracked activity stats and your name.
If you want to remove your activity stats for a single python activity and stop storing your name, you can click on the trash/bin button on that activity tracker (e.g. see below). Clearing your name from one activity will mean your name is no longer stored for any activity, but your scores for any other activities will remain stored and unaffected.
If you wish to delete your account or report code that should not have been shared publicly, please contact me here, explaining what data you would like to be removed and why you would like it to be removed.
Who is my data shared with?
As stated above, this site does contain adverts which may track which sites you visit in order to display personalised adverts. You can opt out of personalised ads by changing your Google AdSense settings here: https://www.google.co.uk/settings/ads
You should be aware that any code that you save on create.withcode.uk is public which means that anyone can access it if they know (or guess) the URL.
If you saved your code without logging in, it is not possible for anyone to overwrite your code, although they will be able to edit it and save it to a new address.
If you saved your code whilst logged in with a Google account, you will be able to edit and update it but anybody else will only be able to view, not save and replace it.
Your code, settings, activity completion data and personal data will never be shared with any other organisation.
If you have created an account, your user details will only be used for authentication purposes – not for marketing this site or any other service.
Data retention
Data stored on withcode.uk’s servers (e.g. competition scores, code, student, school and teacher accounts) are stored until the associated accounts are closed. We keep your Personal Information for as long as needed or permitted in light of the purpose(s) for which it was obtained and consistent with applicable law.
How can I find out more?
If you have any questions, please get in touch here and I’ll do by best to get back to you as soon as I can.
Whilst this site is only operated and maintained by one individual teacher on a voluntary and non-commercial basis, I take data protection seriously and make every effort to comply with GDPR legislation and have registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office
If you contact me using the contact form on this site, the information you send will be stored on the withcode.uk’s servers and emailed to me.
