Legal & Regulatory Compliance
Overview
OurOtters operates in the sensitive intersection of family law, child welfare, and personal data protection. Our compliance strategy ensures we meet the highest standards for data protection, legal documentation, and court integration while serving families during their most vulnerable moments.
Data Protection & Privacy Compliance
COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)
Since OurOtters handles information about children under 13, we maintain strict COPPA compliance:
Data Minimization: We collect only essential information needed for co-parenting coordination. Photos, school records, and health information are processed locally on-device when possible using Gemma 3n to minimize data exposure.
Parental Consent: Both co-parents must verify their parental status and explicitly consent to any data collection involving their children. This includes photos uploaded via OtterSnap, achievement tracking through PupUp, and any shared calendar information about the child.
Secure Processing: All child-related data is encrypted in transit and at rest. For OtterLite users, most processing happens entirely on-device, meaning children's information never leaves the parent's phone for basic AI features.
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation)
Our European users have additional protections under GDPR:
Right to Data Portability: Users can export all their data in standard formats. For co-parents, this includes shared calendars, communication logs, and document vaults.
Right to Erasure: Users can delete their accounts and all associated data. For shared accounts, we provide clear protocols for data retention when one co-parent wants to delete their information but the other needs to maintain records for legal purposes.
Data Processing Transparency: Our AI processing is clearly explained to users. OtterLite users know their data stays on-device, while OurOtters users understand when data is processed in the cloud for advanced features.
HIPAA Considerations
While OurOtters isn't a healthcare provider, families often share medical information about their children:
Secure Health Data Handling: Medical records, therapy notes, and health-related photos uploaded via OtterSnap are treated with healthcare-level security protocols.
Business Associate Agreements: For users who need to share medical information with healthcare providers through our platform, we maintain appropriate business associate agreements.
Family Law & Court Integration Compliance
Court Documentation Standards
Unalterable Records: All communication through OurOtters Max creates timestamped, unalterable records that meet court evidence standards. Messages cannot be edited or deleted once sent, ensuring legal admissibility.
Chain of Custody: Document sharing and modifications are tracked with full audit trails. When a co-parent uploads a custody agreement or school form, we maintain a complete history of who accessed it and when.
Professional Oversight: Family lawyers and mediators can access secure dashboards to monitor their clients' communication patterns and generate court-ready reports without accessing private message content.
Evidence Preservation
Litigation Hold Capabilities: When families enter legal proceedings, we can place litigation holds on all relevant data to ensure nothing is accidentally deleted during discovery processes.
Authentication Support: Our technical team can provide sworn affidavits regarding the authenticity and integrity of platform records when required for court proceedings.
Report Generation: Automated generation of court-ready reports including communication logs, custody schedule compliance, and expense tracking with receipt documentation.
Q4 2025 Court Integration Strategy
Phase 1: Tyler Technologies Partnership (Q4 2025)
Tyler Platform Alliance Application: We're applying to become a Tyler Platform Alliance partner to integrate with their Odyssey case management system, which serves 100+ million residents across 600+ counties.
API Integration Development: Building secure integration with Tyler's Enterprise Justice Integration Portal to enable:
- Automatic case status updates
- Court-ready report submission
- Calendar integration with court schedules
- Attorney dashboard access through existing court systems
Target Markets:
- California superior courts (23 counties already using Odyssey)
- Texas family courts (90+ counties with Odyssey)
- New York family court systems
Phase 2: Direct Court Partnerships (Q1-Q2 2026)
Pilot Programs: Launching pilot programs with progressive family courts that already mandate co-parenting apps:
- Los Angeles Superior Court (largest family court system in US)
- Dallas County Family Courts
- Kings County Family Court (Brooklyn, NY)
Value Proposition:
- Reduce court dockets by 15-25% through better family communication
- Provide clear documentation when families do return to court
- Save court time with pre-organized, legally compliant reports
- Improve case outcomes through communication tracking and conflict reduction
Success Metrics:
- Number of court-mandated installations
- Reduction in repeat family court hearings
- Attorney satisfaction scores with platform integration
- Court administrative time savings
Phase 3: Expansion Strategy (Q3-Q4 2026)
State-Level Partnerships: Target states with centralized family court systems:
- Statewide implementations in states already using Tyler Odyssey
- Integration with state child support enforcement systems
- Coordination with state-level family services departments
Professional Network Expansion:
- Family law conference presentations and demonstrations
- Mediator training programs on platform usage
- CLE (Continuing Legal Education) credits for attorneys using the platform
Technology Compliance
SOC 2 Type II Compliance
We maintain SOC 2 Type II certification for security, availability, and confidentiality:
Security Controls: Multi-factor authentication, encryption at rest and in transit, regular security audits, and incident response procedures.
Availability: 99.9% uptime guarantee with redundant systems and disaster recovery protocols.
Confidentiality: Role-based access controls ensure co-parents can only access their own family's information, while professional users (lawyers, mediators) have limited, audited access to their clients' data.
API Security Standards
Our integration APIs follow industry security standards:
OAuth 2.0 Authentication: All court system integrations use secure OAuth flows with proper scope limitations.
Data Encryption: All API communications use TLS 1.3 encryption with certificate pinning.
Rate Limiting: API access is rate-limited to prevent abuse and ensure system stability.
Audit Logging: All API access is logged with tamper-evident records for security and compliance auditing.
Ongoing Compliance Monitoring
Regular Audits
Quarterly Security Reviews: Independent security audits of our data protection and court integration systems.
Annual Compliance Certification: Renewed SOC 2, GDPR, and COPPA compliance certifications.
Legal Standard Updates: Continuous monitoring of changing family law requirements and court documentation standards.
Incident Response
Data Breach Protocol: Clear procedures for notifying affected families, courts, and attorneys within required timeframes.
Court Integration Issues: Established escalation procedures for technical issues that might affect legal proceedings.
Professional Support: 24/7 technical support for attorneys and courts using our platform for active legal cases.
This comprehensive compliance framework ensures OurOtters can serve families while meeting the highest standards for data protection, legal documentation, and professional integration. Our Q4 court integration initiative represents a major step toward becoming an essential tool in the family law ecosystem.