1. Information We Collect

Personal Information

• Account Information: Name, email address, username, date of birth
• Profile Information: Gender, location (city/region), interests, employment status (optional), job title (optional)
• Authentication Data: Login credentials, Google account information (if using social login)

Survey and Engagement Data

• Survey Responses: Your answers to surveys and polls you participate in
• Survey Creation: Surveys you create and their settings
• Participation History: Which surveys you've completed and when
• Targeting Preferences: Your interests and demographic information used for survey targeting

Technical Information

• Device Information: Device type, operating system, browser information
• Usage Data: How you interact with our Platform, features used, time spent
• Location Data: IP address-based general location (city/region level)
• Cookies and Tracking: Platform functionality and analytics data

2. How We Use Your Information

Core Platform Services

• Account Management: Create and maintain your account
• Survey Matching: Connect you with relevant surveys based on your profile
• Survey Creation: Enable you to create and distribute surveys
• Analytics: Provide insights to survey creators about responses and demographics
• Platform Improvement: Enhance features and user experience

Communication

• Platform Updates: Important service announcements and feature updates
• Survey Invitations: Notifications about relevant surveys
• Support: Respond to your questions and technical issues
• Marketing: Promotional communications (with your consent)

Research and Development

• Platform Analytics: Improve our services using aggregated, anonymized data
• Feature Development: Develop new features based on usage patterns
• Academic Research: Support legitimate research purposes (anonymized data only)

3. Information Sharing and Disclosure

With Survey Creators

• Survey Responses: Your answers to their surveys
• Demographic Information: Age range, gender, location, interests (for targeting and analytics)
• Aggregated Insights: Statistical summaries of responses and participant demographics

Public Information

• Public Surveys: Results of surveys marked as public by creators
• Community Features: Your username and public survey participation
• Platform Statistics: Anonymized, aggregated platform usage data

Service Providers

• Hosting: Render (cloud infrastructure)
• Email: SendGrid (transactional emails)
• Authentication: Google (social login)
• Analytics: Platform performance and usage analytics
• Payment Processing: Stripe (when premium features are activated)

Legal and Safety

• Legal Compliance: When required by law, regulation, or legal process
• Safety: To protect users, prevent fraud, or address security issues
• Business Transfers: In connection with mergers, acquisitions, or asset sales

We never sell your personal information to third parties.

4. Age Requirements and Parental Rights

Minimum Age Requirements

• Global: Users must be 16 years or older
• Verification: Age confirmed through date of birth and checkbox confirmation
• Parental Rights: Parents of users under 18 may request information about their child's account

Protection of Minors

• Special Protections: Additional safeguards for users under 18
• Content Moderation: Enhanced review of content targeting younger users
• Educational Use: Special considerations for academic research involving minors

5. International Data Transfers

Global Operations

Your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States and other countries where we operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards through:

• Standard Contractual Clauses: EU-approved data transfer mechanisms
• Adequacy Decisions: Transfers to countries with adequate protection
• Your Consent: Explicit consent for international transfers where required

Regional Compliance

• US: Compliance with CCPA and state privacy laws
• EU/UK: GDPR and UK GDPR compliance with appropriate safeguards
• Canada: PIPEDA compliance
• India: DPDP Act compliance
• Australia: Privacy Act compliance

6. Data Security

We implement comprehensive security measures including:

• Encryption: Data encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access Controls: Limited access to personal information
• Security Monitoring: Regular security audits and monitoring
• Incident Response: Procedures for handling security breaches
• Vendor Security: All service providers meet security standards

7. Your Privacy Rights

Universal Rights

• Access: View and download your personal information
• Correction: Update or correct your profile information
• Deletion: Delete your account and associated data
• Portability: Export your data in common formats
• Withdrawal: Withdraw consent for data processing

Regional Rights

• California Residents: CCPA rights including disclosure of data categories and deletion
• EU/UK Residents: Full GDPR rights including data portability and erasure
• Canadian Residents: PIPEDA rights including access and correction
• Indian Residents: DPDP Act rights including data portability and erasure

Exercising Your Rights

Contact us at privacy@heuristicinsights.app to exercise your privacy rights. We will respond within:

• 30 days for most requests
• 45 days for complex requests (with notification)
• 72 hours for urgent security-related requests

8. Data Retention

Retention Periods

• Active Accounts: Data retained while your account is active
• Inactive Accounts: Data retained for 3 years after last activity
• Survey Responses: Retained for 5 years for research purposes
• Analytics Data: Retained for 2 years for platform improvement
• Legal Compliance: Retained for 7 years when required by law

Anonymization

After retention periods, personal identifiers are removed and data may be retained indefinitely for research and analytics purposes.

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Types of Cookies

• Essential: Required for platform functionality
• Analytics: Usage statistics and performance monitoring
• Preferences: Remember your settings and preferences
• Marketing: Promotional content and advertising (with consent)

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect platform functionality.

10. Third-Party Services

Integrated Services

• Google Authentication: Governed by Google's privacy policy
• Social Media: Links to external platforms with their own privacy policies
• Survey Embeds: Third-party surveys may have separate privacy terms

Your Responsibility

Review privacy policies of any third-party services you use through our Platform.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we do:

• Notification: Email notification to registered users
• Platform Notice: Prominent notice on the Platform
• Effective Date: New policy effective 30 days after notification
• Material Changes: Additional consent may be required for significant changes

12. Contact Information

Privacy Questions and Requests

• Privacy Requests: privacy@heuristicinsights.app (GDPR, CCPA, data deletion requests)
• General Support: support@heuristicinsights.app (account issues, technical support)
• General Inquiries: hello@heuristicinsights.app (business inquiries, partnerships)
• Legal Matters: legal@heuristicinsights.app (formal legal notices, compliance)

Mailing Address

6418 North Rockwell Street 3, Chicago, IL 60645, US

Response Times

• Privacy Requests: We respond within 5 business days
• General Support: We respond within 2 business days
• Legal Matters: We respond within 7 business days

Data Protection Authorities

EU residents may contact their local data protection authority if privacy concerns cannot be resolved directly with us.

Regional Compliance Officers

For region-specific privacy questions, contact privacy@heuristicinsights.app with your location for appropriate routing.