Virtual Chemistry privacy
This page covers the information used by Virtual Chemistry. My Chemistry has its own privacy notice for your My Chemistry account, Google Sign-In and the wider Chemistry Help learning record.
Information from My Chemistry
If your account has Virtual Chemistry access and you connect the services, My Chemistry can provide your chosen used name and a limited Chemistry-learning summary. This can include your course and target grade, active syllabus help flags, lower self-ratings and selected recent practice evidence.
The tutoring connection does not give Virtual Chemistry access to your Google Account. Virtual Chemistry does not receive your Google account identifier, Google email address or Google profile image through this tutoring connection, and it does not gain access to Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar or other Google services.
AI processing
When you use an AI tutor, Virtual Chemistry sends the text, study images and relevant Chemistry context needed to generate the tutor response to an external AI provider. The provider or model may change as Virtual Chemistry is updated, and different providers may be used for different tasks. This processing is separate from Google Sign-In.
Virtual Chemistry is designed to send only information relevant to the tutoring interaction. Avoid putting unrelated sensitive personal information into tutor chats or uploads.
Chats and study images
Tutor conversations may be stored so the service can continue conversations, support tutoring, check quality, investigate problems and handle safeguarding concerns. Administrators can review conversations where needed. For current tutees, this can include follow-up by the human tutor.
Study images attached to a tutor chat are sent to the AI service for that interaction. Virtual Chemistry stores ordinary uploaded images privately and normally deletes its stored copy after 90 days. An image can be kept longer if it is deliberately placed on safeguarding hold.
Tutor memory
If tutor memory is enabled, Virtual Chemistry may save a small education-focused note such as a current topic, learning need, strength, goal, course context or learning preference. Memory is capped at 12 active items and is designed to reject sensitive personal information. You can see active memories, delete individual notes or use Forget All.
Memory notes expire automatically. Current-focus notes normally last about 45 days; learning needs, strengths and goals about 180 days; learning preferences and course context about a year.
Safety and human review
If a chat suggests abuse, exploitation, serious self-harm or immediate danger, Virtual Chemistry may create a restricted safeguarding alert for human review. These alerts are not continuously monitored and Virtual Chemistry is not an emergency service. The AI does not automatically contact parents, police or other agencies.
How long information is kept
Ordinary study-image retention is described above. Tutor chats and related records are kept only while they remain useful for providing and reviewing the tutoring service, investigating problems, safeguarding or meeting a legal need. Deletion requests are handled subject to any information that must reasonably be retained for those purposes.
My Chemistry and Google Sign-In are separate. Your Google account is used to sign you into My Chemistry. Connecting Virtual Chemistry does not turn that sign-in into access to your other Google services.
Your rights and contact
The My Chemistry privacy notice gives the data-controller details, contact route and information about access, correction, deletion, objection and other data-protection rights. Signed-in users can also use the My Chemistry account-data request form.
Virtual Chemistry privacy notice updated 26 August 2026.