Privacy statement

Health and Wellbeing Queensland, Podsquad App

Health and Wellbeing Queensland (HWQld) is committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy statement explains how it collects, uses, and stores your data when you use or have used the Podsquad App (the App).

As a statutory agency in Queensland, HWQld is bound by the Information Privacy Act 2009 when managing personal information. We are also bound by the HWQld Corporate Policy: Information Privacy (HWQ POL-012).

By using or accessing the App, you are agreeing to the terms outlined in this Privacy statement. If you do not agree to this Privacy statement, then do not access or use the App.

This Privacy statement may be updated without explicit notice to the user. Where changes materially affect how personal information is collected, used or disclosed, HWQld may notify users through the App and via email.

Collection of personal information

Data capture has been kept to an absolute minimum. For the best user experience, HWQld collects the following personal information:

• Parent/carer’s first name
• Parent/carer’s email address
• Parent/carer’s postcode
• Child’s first name
• Child’s date of birth
• Child’s Indigenous status (this is sensitive information; it is optional to answer this question)

The only personal information required to sign up to Podsquad is the parent/carer’s first name, email address, and postcode.

You may choose to respond to brief questionnaires regarding your child’s diet, physical activity, and sleep behaviours. Your answers inform the recommended goals for your child and support program evaluation and improvement.

Additionally, if you provide feedback to HWQld through the App’s feedback form, it will collect and use your personal information in accordance with its Information Privacy policy.

Use of personal information

The collected personal information is used for the following purposes:

• Creating and maintaining a secure family account
• Providing a personalised experience in the App through individual user profiles
• Supporting user participation and engagement with Podsquad activities, goals and content

Essential updates

We will send you essential updates about your child’s engagement with the Podsquad app. These updates help keep you informed about your child’s experience and may include in-app notifications and email communications, as well as notifications to your mobile device where you have enabled them.

These updates may relate to:

• Your child’s game progress and current quests
• Resources that help you support your child with their goals and quests
• Changes to privacy, terms and conditions, or accessibility information

Optional updates

You may also choose to receive infrequent optional updates about the broader Podsquad program. These updates are not essential to using the app and may include in-app notifications and email communications about:

• New or updated content, videos and in-app features
• Podsquad marketing campaigns
• Invitations to participate in research and evaluation activities that will help us improve the program

Users can unsubscribe from optional updates at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in emails or by contacting HWQld.

De-identified data collected through the App may be used for reporting, program evaluation, research, and quality improvement purposes. De-identified data does not contain any personally identifiable information.

HWQld will not disclose your personal information to third parties for direct marketing purposes or for compiling mailing lists.

Storage of personal information

Personal information is securely stored within a password-protected and encrypted database on an Amazon Web Services (AWS) server located in the AP-Southeast-2 Region, Sydney, Australia. Data encryption is implemented during transmission and backup processes. Accounts that are inactive for more than one year will be deactivated, and de-identified information retained for research and reporting purposes.

Accessing and amending personal information

You can edit certain personal information within the App, such as parent and child first names, child’s Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background, and parent/carer responses to the onboarding questionnaire. However, some information, including the parent/carer’s email address, parent/carer’s postcode, and child’s date of birth, cannot currently be updated in the App. To edit this information, the parent/carer who registered the account can either:

• Use the feedback form in the App, or the podsquad@hw.qld.gov.au email address, to request a change to their account details; or
• Delete the account and create a new account.

To delete your account and remove your personal information from the App’s database, sign into the app, access the parent/carer profile, go to settings, and select ‘Delete account.’

You can request access to your personal information within the App by emailing podsquad@hw.qld.gov.au.

Collecting agency

HWQld contract The Khemists to provide services relating to the management, maintenance and support of the Podsquad App, including all aspects of collecting, using and storing personal information on behalf of HWQld. The Khemists is a bound service provider and must comply with the privacy requirements of the Information Privacy Act 2009 as per Clause 15 of the Comprehensive Contract Conditions – ICT Products and Services and the applicable contractual privacy obligations.

HWQld may also use Queensland Government systems and approved third-party service providers to support the delivery of Podsquad services and communications. Personal information handled through Queensland Government services is managed in accordance with the Queensland Government Privacy Policy.

The Khemists Pty Ltd
157 Ann Street, Brisbane City QLD 4000
Email: hello@khemistry.com.au

Research studies

Research studies for the Podsquad program are conducted in two ways:

1. By using the de-identified data that is collected through the app as part of routine app use for all app users. De-identified data contains no personally identifiable information. This type of research helps HWQld to understand the effectiveness, reach, user engagement and user experience of the app. Outcomes are used to drive app improvement and enhancement. All de-identified data is reported at a group level.
2. By inviting people to participate in discrete research studies, that collect additional data separate to the data that is collected through the app as part of routine app use as detailed in point 1. Participation in discrete research studies is always voluntary and informed. Discrete research studies will have particular research aims. Users who choose to opt in as research participants for discrete research studies will complete a consent form under a separate privacy policy as per the approved research ethics protocol.

App analytics

To improve the App and HWQld services, third-party analytics and diagnostic services are used, such as Google Analytics/Firebase and Sentry to gather information for evaluation, quality improvement and technical support purposes. This may include user analytics, tracking data and metadata. Some of these tools, including session replay, help us understand how families move through the App so technical issued can be identified and resolved. Session replay is configured to mask text, information entered by users and images so that personal information is not captured through session replay.

Some third-party analytics and diagnostic tools and service providers may store masked or de-identified diagnostic data outside Australia, including in the United States. Personal information collected through the App and stored in the Podsquad database remains hosted on the Amazon Web Services server located in Sydney, Australia. As this data does not contain information that identifies you, it is not considered a transfer of your personal information.

Privacy breaches and complaints

Although we have implemented security measures and extensive testing, no digital system is completely impenetrable. In the event of a privacy breach, HWQld and The Khemists Pty Ltd will promptly notify affected users and take necessary actions to resolve the issue and enhance security measures.

If you believe your privacy rights have been breached, please contact podsquad@hw.qld.gov.au. All such enquiries or complaints will be taken seriously and handled with impartiality and discretion. Please allow 14 business days for HWQld to investigate and respond to any privacy complaints.

Questions or feedback

If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions regarding the App, please contact the HWQld team at podsquad@hw.qld.gov.au.

For detailed information, you can download the Privacy Impact Assessment (PDF, 357KB).

Please also refer to the Podsquad Terms and conditions.

By using the App, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agreed to this Privacy statement.

Last updated: 20 October 2026