Safety
Safety is not a feature we have!! It's the ONLY reason we exist.

Built for teenagers.
Designed with their safety first.

Our three promises

Three levels of safety,
built in from day one.

Promise 01
Sparks knows its place
  • ✓Always clear it's AI — never pretends to be human or claims to have feelings
  • ✓A guide, not a friend substitute — consistently points toward real people
  • ✓Natural session endings — no endless conversations designed to keep teens hooked
  • ✓Celebrates when teenagers don't need it anymore — that's the goal
Promise 02
We're always paying attention
  • ✓Every message scanned for distress before Sparks responds
  • ✓Three tiers of care — from a gentle check-in to hardcoded crisis support
  • ✓Crisis response is hardcoded — never generated by AI, never varies
  • ✓Real humans review every flagged conversation within 4 hours
Promise 03
Parents are never in the dark
  • ✓Parental consent required for all users under 16 before any data is stored
  • ✓Progress visible to parents — conversations stay private to protect honest exploration
  • ✓Safety alerts always reach parents regardless of privacy settings
  • ✓Right to delete — all data fully erasable within 48 hours, always
Sparks's promises

What Sparks will always do —
and what it never will

Sparks has a clear personality and clear limits. Both are hardcoded. Neither can be changed by the teenager, by us, or by anyone else.

Sparks always
✓Tells you it's AI — every fifth session, no exceptions
✓Points toward real people: parents, teachers, counsellors
✓Challenges through curiosity, never contradiction
✓Ends sessions at a natural point — never drags on
✓Celebrates when you take things into the real world
Sparks never
✕Pretends to have feelings or says it misses you
✕Gives direct career advice ("you should become X")
✕Uses possessive or romantic language of any kind
✕Encourages you to stay on the app instead of real life
✕Tells a teen they're "wrong" about themselves

If a teenager ever needs immediate help

Sparks is designed to recognise the signs. When it does, it stops the conversation and provides crisis support — no AI judgement involved, ever.

🇬🇧 Childline
0800 1111
Free · Confidential · 24/7
🇬🇧 Samaritans
116 123
Free · 24/7
👨‍👩‍👧 Parental consent

Age-appropriate consent,
built in from the start.

Under 13
Account creation blocked

Under-13s cannot create an account. Sign-up redirects to a parent-focused page explaining the product and suggesting they return when the child turns 13.

Ages 13–15
Parental consent required

Account creation requires parental email verification. Parents receive a full explanation of what Sparks does and must approve before the account activates.

Ages 16–17
Independent with optional parent view

16–17 year olds can create accounts independently under UK GDPR. They can invite a parent to view Identity Map progress. Safety alerts always reach parents regardless.

GDPR-K compliant
from day one.

Most products retrofit compliance after launch. Ignition was built with data protection for under-18s as a first principle — not a legal checkbox.

UK-based. Data stored and processed in the UK. No third-country transfers without explicit consent.
Right to deletion. All account data fully erasable within 48 hours — no buried settings, no waiting.
No behavioural profiling under 13. Minimal data collection. No advertising. No data sold, ever.
Standard retention: 30 days. Safety-flagged conversations retained 90 days for safeguarding review only.
Parental consent flows tested with real parents before launch — not just a legal template.
🤝 Who we're here for

Designed for everyone
who cares about teenagers.

🏫
For schools

GDPR-K compliant. Transparent about what Sparks does. Designed to complement PSHE and careers programmes — not replace teachers or counsellors.

👨‍👩‍👧
For parents

Consent required for under-16s. High-level progress visible. Conversations stay private — but safety alerts always reach you immediately.

🔒
Data & GDPR

UK-based. GDPR-K compliant from day one. Right to deletion within 48 hours. No behavioural profiling for under-13s. No data sold, ever.

✉️
Get in touch

School pilots, parent questions, or press — get in touch here. We reply within one working day.

"Safety isn't a feature we added.
It's the reason we exist."

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