Family Privacy Policy for Kids
What is Family?
Family (previously called Smart Family) lets parents (known in the app as Guardians) and other trusted adults (known as Members) keep an eye on kids' phones and tablets. It helps families find each other's devices and includes tools that let your Guardians and others they allow set screen time and usage limits, approve contacts, block certain websites and apps, pause the internet, see who and when you call and text over the network and what websites you visit and apps you use, and monitor your driving activity. Family also has Safe Walk, which lets you quickly send your device location to your emergency contacts. Your Guardian can also turn on Roadside Assistance so that you can get help if you have a problem with a car you are in, like a flat tire or a dead battery.
What information do we collect about you?
When a Guardian adds you to a Family account, we collect from them your name, photo, birthday, trusted and emergency contacts, and info about the Family features they want to use, like whether they want to block certain websites or apps, and if you are a driver or passenger (if you have turned on Driving Insights monitoring). If your phone or tablet is connected to the network, we collect your device location using our wireless network, information about who and when you are calling and texting over the wireless network, how much data you are using, and information about your phone or tablet, like its phone number and the type of device you are using.
The other types of information we collect depend on your Guardian’s plan, which features they turn on, and what you and your Guardian give us permission to do.
If you download the Family companion app and give us permission, we collect your device’s precise location using GPS, the websites you visit and apps you use, the contacts saved on your phone or tablet, and your motion activity that shows if you are walking, running, biking, or riding in a car. We also collect other information about your device, like the device type, the version of the Family app you are using, the features you use in the app, other device identifiers and your IP address. This information is used to provide the services requested by your Guardian.
We will also collect a PIN from you which you can use to cancel an SOS alert that you may activate during a Safe Walk session. If you enable Driving Insights, we will collect information about where you are and other information like your trip route and distance; how fast the vehicle traveled; how the vehicle braked, sped up, and cornered; and potential crashes. This information is used to create a driving score for each trip you take. If your Guardian says you are a driver, we will also collect info about whether you are using your phone when the car is moving and use that to help calculate your overall driving score.
If your Guardian has turned on Roadside Assistance, and you request help, we will collect your name, phone number, info about your car, the address where you are asking for help, and the service you need so that our Roadside Assistance provider can help you.
If your phone or tablet is connected to the network, we will also collect an E-911 address to help with emergency response in case you need help.
How does Family use this information?
Family only collects from you the information we need to make Family work and to improve it. We never sell kids’ information or use it to show them ads.
Who does Family share this information with?
Family shares information about you with other people on the Family account and with companies that help us provide Family. These companies can only use your information to provide and help us improve Family and they must delete your information when they no longer need it to provide the service. We don't share information we collect through Family for any other purpose.
We share information about you, including where you are, with a company called Mapbox so they can show where you are on a map in the Family apps. We also share certain identifiers from your phone or tablet with Google Analytics so it can help us see how our apps are working and with PubNub to deliver alerts that Guardians set about your location or activity. Information about your online activity on your phone or tablet may also be shared with a company called Cloudflare if a VPN is turned on to monitor the websites you visit and the apps you use or block you from visiting certain websites or apps. And if Driving Insights is turned on, we share your location, motion data, and information about phone usage while driving with a company called Cambridge Mobile Telematics who provides driving scores. If your Guardian enables Roadside Assistance and you request help, we will share your name, phone number, info about your car, the address where you are asking for help, and the service you need with our Roadside Assistance provider, Signature Motor Club.
What control do I have over the information you have about me?
When your Guardian adds you to their Family account, they have to agree to let us collect some information about you. They can also invite you to download the Family Companion app. If you download the app, you’ll be asked to let Family collect some information about you, like the precise location of your phone or tablet, how you’re moving (like walking, biking, running, or in a vehicle), and the contacts on your phone or tablet. You’ll also be asked to let your Guardians and others they allow see what websites and apps you’re using, block certain ones, and pause the internet. The Companion app uses a Virtual Private Network or “VPN” to turn on these parental controls.
Depending on your Guardian’s Family plan, you may be asked to consent to the use of tamper controls that prevent you from deleting the Companion app or the VPN.
If you have an iOS device you will be asked to install a mobile device management (MDM) profile, which will also include the installation of the VPN. This MDM profile will stop you from deleting the VPN or the Companion app. To uninstall the Companion app or the VPN, the MDM profile must first be deleted from your device. If you have an Android device, you will be asked to install a VPN and to turn on Accessibility settings for the Companion app. If you turn on Accessibility settings, you won’t be able to delete the VPN or the Companion app without first asking your Guardian for a PIN that is found in their Family app. If you uninstall the VPN, some features that let your Guardians and others they allow see the websites you visit and apps you use may be turned off, but if you use an Android device your screen time info might still be collected unless you turn off your usage access permission in your device settings.
You can turn off some permissions, like the sharing of your motion activity or your contacts, in your phone or tablet’s settings. You can also change your location permission in your device settings, but Family will still get your estimated location from the wireless network if you have a device. You can turn off Driving Insights monitoring in your Family app settings.
If you delete the Family Companion app, Family will stop collecting your GPS location, how you’re moving, online activity, and driving info. But Family will still get your estimated location from the wireless network.
To stop all information sharing by Family, your Guardian needs to remove your profile from their Family app. will continue to collect information to provide wireless service to your device.
How long does Family keep the information it collects about me?
We only keep the information for as long as we need it to provide the Family service to you. When your Guardians don’t want to use Family any longer and unsubscribe from Family, or delete your profile from their account, Family deletes the information we have about you.
Do I have specific rights under any state privacy laws?
Some states give you the right to see what data we have about you and ask to have it deleted or corrected. If you would like to see the data we have about you or ask to have it deleted or corrected, talk to your parents. They can see, delete, and make changes to some information we have about you directly in their Family app or can make a request on your behalf. You can also call (800) 333-3972 to make a request to see the data we have about you or ask to have it deleted or, if you are 13 years or older, you can make a request through our privacy inquiries form.
What if I want more information about how Family treats information about me?
If you want to know more about how Family uses your information, view our full Family Privacy Policy with your parents. You or your parents can also email us at verizonfamily@verizonwireless.com.
Last Update: March, 2025