Privacy Policy
Last Modified Date: 18 April 2024
1. Our privacy Commitment
1.1. Ottodot (“Ottodot,” “Company,” “we,” or “us”) is committed to protecting your or your child's privacy, and therefore, we have created this privacy policy (our "Privacy Policy") to clarify how we gather, utilize, share, and safeguard your or your child's Personal Information when using the Services. This Privacy Policy should be read together with our User Terms of Use (“Terms”).
1.2. The term "Personal Information" in this policy refers to any information that can reasonably identify or be used to contact an individual, either alone or in combination with other available information. This may include name, phone number, email address, password, assessment data, or usage information. Additionally, any information combined with Personal Information will be treated as Personal Information.
1.3. By accessing and using the Ottodot website (www.ottodot.com) or the parent portal (https://parent.ottodot.com/), which may be modified or redirected, or by using the Ottodot mobile application, and by registering an account, participating in our interactive educational games like Ottoworld Mastery Mode and Ottoworld hosted on third-party platforms such as Roblox, or engaging in our online classes conducted via platforms like Google Meet, you confirm that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. This acknowledgment extends to all services provided by Ottodot, including future services delivered through or on third-party platforms. By engaging with us through various means including but not limited to contact forms, chat, email, or other provided contact details, you consent to Ottodot collecting, using, disclosing, and processing your personal data as described in this document. This applies to all users of our services, including students, parents, or teachers.
1.4. If any capitalized terms are not defined here, they will have the meanings set forth in the Terms and Conditions.
1.5. This Privacy Policy governs the personal data that is in our possession or control, including data managed by third parties we have engaged to collect, use, disclose, or process personal data on our behalf. It does not cover non-personal data, such as aggregated or statistical data, which cannot be associated with any individual. Additionally, this Privacy Policy does not apply to personal data related to our employees, directors, owners, or job applicants.
1.6. U.S. children under the age of 13 and their parents should skip to the COPPA policy in section 8 below, which covers these children’s personal data.
2. Types of User Information We Collect
2.1. When individuals use our website or create an account to use our Services, we and our service providers collect information. The type of information collected may depend on the type of user who engages the Services, which include the following:
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"Parent Users" or "Parents" (including parents and guardians of Student Users).
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"Student Users" or "Students" (a child and/or student who utilizes the Services).
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"Teacher Users" or "Teachers" (Ottodot's own educators, whether they are employed full-time, part-time, or on a freelance basis, as well as external teachers from other institutions that subscribe to our services. This category also encompasses administrators or school officials who manage a Teacher account with the capability to create and oversee Student User accounts).
2.2. A Parent or Teacher User can be linked to a Student User account. If linked, they will have access to the information in that account, including recorded activity both in and outside of the classroom.
2.3. Personal Identifiers: We collect basic personal details such as your name, telephone number, email address, date of birth, and photograph. If you use any social sharing features on our platform, we may also gather your social media account details.
2.4. Commercial Information: We track details of the services and classes you have enrolled in or purchased through our platform. This includes your buying behaviors and preferences, such as the types of classes you prefer and subjects you show interest in.
2.5. Internet and Electronic Activity: When you interact with our platform, we collect information related to your online activities. This includes your browsing and search histories, the type of device you use, browser specifications, operating system details, your Internet service provider, and your IP address.
2.6. Financial Information: We gather financial information required to process payments for our services, such as your bank account details and signature.
2.7. Sensory and Surveillance Data: We collect voice mails and audio or video recordings during live or recorded classes, as well as other user content.
2.8. User Content: Information you provide when creating an account, contacting customer support, or interacting with our services is collected. This may include any feedback, photographs, or audio/video recordings you provide, especially in connection with customer support inquiries.
2.9. Demographic Information: We may collect demographic details such as your gender and geographic location, often gathered through surveys.
2.10. Communications Information: We capture details from our communications with you, including the content of your messages as well as associated metadata such as the date, time, and the recipient's or caller’s phone number.
2.11. Inferences: Based on the personal data we collect, we may make inferences about your preferences and future interests. For example, if you frequently select certain types of classes, we may infer your interest in similar subjects or courses.
3. Information Collected From Users
3.1. Information is collected from Users when they interact with our Services, such as when they enroll in a class, use any Ottodot product or service, sign up for newsletters, or contact us for support. Information provided by Users is collected and may be used as described in this Privacy Policy.
3.2. For individuals enrolling in our classes, additional data collected includes participation records, interactions within the class, assignments submitted, and any communications related to class activities. This data helps us enhance educational delivery and personalize user experience.
3.3. If you provide any information about other individuals while using the Services, you confirm that you have the necessary authority to do so, and you allow Ottodot to use and disclose the information in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy.
3.4. Student Users: We collect information such as:
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First name and last initial
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Location (country, state, or province)
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Birth Year
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Grade level
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Password
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Class attendance and participation details
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Assignment submissions and performance data
3.5. When a Student User has a class code provided by their Teacher, they can use it to connect with their Teacher in the Game. In such cases, Ottodot may collect the name of the Student's Teacher, school, and/or school district.
3.6. Parent Users: During registration, Parent Users provide:
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First and last name
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Email address
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Password
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Payment information for paid memberships (processed by third-party providers like Stripe; Ottodot does not store credit card information directly)
3.7. Teacher Users: When signing up for a Ottodot Teacher Account, Teacher Users, including school or district administrators, are required to provide their personal information, such as their first and last name, email address, phone number, a password for their account, school, school district, grade level, and/or curriculum, such as Common Core Math Standards.
3.8. When Parent or Teacher Users create accounts on behalf of Student Users, they confirm they have the authority to provide such information and consent to its use in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
4. Data Obtained From Devices And Utilization Of The Services
4.1. Performance data: As Students engage in Ottodot Games or use other Ottodot Services, we gather information on their activity and progress ("Performance Data"). This may include data on which activities a Student completes, the number of questions answered correctly or incorrectly, the Student's position in the curriculum, and the time it takes to answer questions. When a Teacher or Parent is connected to a Student, certain aspects of their Performance Data are shared with the Teacher and/or Parent to monitor the Student's progress and to tailor their educational experience.
4.2. Device information and data collected by technology (e.g., cookies): Similar to other websites and online services, when you use Ottodot, we and our third-party providers may collect certain technical information from your computer or mobile device across different websites and over time. This includes information such as your IP address, browser type, operating system, pages viewed on the Services, pages viewed immediately before and after accessing the Services, and other information about your use of the Services. We may collect this information through the use of "cookies," which are small text files that are saved on your computer using your web browser and accessed when you return to our Services. We may also use other similar technologies such as "pixel tags," which are pieces of code placed on a web page that can collect information about whether a User has visited a certain web page or clicked on a specific advertisement.
4.3. The technologies we use to collect information may include details about how you interact with our website, products, and services. This can include the pages you visit, the links you click, how often you access our products, and whether you open emails or click links within them. We may also collect general geographic location data, such as a User's state or region, to ensure that we provide relevant curriculum and marketing communications. In addition, we collect analytics data to understand traffic and usage trends and to gain insights into the demographics and behaviors of our Users. Third-party advertising providers may also collect information to deliver interest-based advertising to Parent and Teacher Users and provide us with statistics on the effectiveness of our advertising on third-party websites.
4.4. Our team and external partners may utilize the data gathered via these methods for objectives outlined in this Privacy Policy. Such objectives encompass content delivery, evaluating user experiences on our platform, and providing advertisements to Parents and Educators on other websites and applications. Within the Ottodot Game and other student-focused areas of our Services, cookies and similar technologies are solely employed to facilitate internal operations, such as granting access to games and their functionalities, personalizing content, and enhancing and fine-tuning the Services. We prohibit third-party advertising entities focused on targeted ads from obtaining information from sections of our Services dedicated to students.
5. Data From Third Parties
5.1. We may acquire data about you or your usage of our Services from external parties and resources, such as our suppliers, like single sign-on providers for logging into the Services, web hosting providers, analytics providers, or advertisers. In specific situations, you might grant us permission to access your data from some services offered by third parties. The data we receive from third-party services is contingent upon your account/privacy configurations with those third parties and their respective privacy policies. You are accountable for examining the privacy policies of these external parties and modifying your settings to align with your preferences. By accessing our Services through third-party platforms, you authorize us to gather, store, and utilize such information and content in accordance with this Privacy Policy. Keep in mind that any data provided to us by a third party may also fall under that third party's privacy policy.
6. Utilization Of User Data
6.1. Usage of Parent, Teacher, and Student User Data: We leverage the data collected from Parents, Teachers, and Students to facilitate registration and participation in both in-person and online classes. This includes:
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Secure login to portals.
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Updates on student progress and class schedules.
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Interaction during live online sessions.
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Payment processing for class enrollments (Note: Ottodot does not store credit card information; this is managed by third-party payment processors like Stripe).
6.2. Delivering and Enhancing Services:
6.2.1. We deliver and continually improve our Services, which include providing video, voice, or chat functionalities integral to our classes and enabling the review of class recordings.
6.2.2. We process, manage, and maintain records of your transactions and payments, including credit transactions.
6.2.3. We verify your identity, manage your account preferences, and maintain our relationship with you, including registration and account management activities that involve third-party online services like social media platforms.
6.2.4. We evaluate and present student progress reports to Parents and Teachers on associated Student User accounts.
6.2.5. We engage in regular communications with you to provide updates and respond to your inquiries.
6.2.6. We fulfill our commitments in providing the Services or any products you request, including facilitating the sharing of content on third-party social media platforms.
6.2.7. We enable and support direct communication and interaction between users.
6.2.8. We supervise, preserve, analyze, and enhance the functionality of the Services.
6.2.9. We evaluate and improve the products and services, including their educational content, and to refine the user experience.
6.3. Support and Marketing Efforts:
6.3.1. We respond to your inquiries, feedback, suggestions, or comments.
6.3.2. We send you marketing communications about our Services, informing you of upcoming events, promotions, and updates, provided you have opted to receive such communications.
6.3.3. We keep you informed about changes to the Services, your account settings, this Privacy Policy, our Terms of Use, or other relevant policies.
6.3.4. We utilize user data for customer support, legal, and record-keeping purposes.
6.3.5. We ensure that our Services are optimized for the best user experience on your devices.
6.3.6. We continuously work to improve and tailor our Services based on user feedback and usage patterns.
6.3.7. We conduct data analysis, testing, and research to enhance the functionality and security of our Services.
6.4. Monitoring, Security, and Compliance:
6.4.1. We implement measures to protect our Services from potential security threats, including infrastructure threats.
6.4.2. We are committed to storing, hosting, and, if necessary, backing up data as part of our disaster recovery plans.
6.4.3. We ensure the technical functionality of our Services, including troubleshooting and resolving issues, securing content, and preventing fraud.
6.4.4. We rigorously monitor our compliance with internal policies and external regulations.
6.4.5. We protect the rights, property, and safety of Ottodot, our users, and others.
6.4.6. In the event of corporate transactions, such as mergers or asset transfers, we handle all data in accordance with our privacy commitments.
6.4.7. We cooperate with law enforcement and other authorities in investigations as required by law.
6.4.8. We assert our legal rights and defend ourselves in disputes to ensure compliance with laws and regulations.
6.5. Incidental Uses: We may use personal data for incidental purposes that are directly related to or in support of the above activities.
6.6. Deidentified Information: Occasionally, we may transform personal data into deidentified information, ensuring through reasonable measures that it cannot be linked back to any individual. We maintain this information in its deidentified form and strictly control the conditions under which it might be attempted to be reidentified. Our contracts prohibit vendors from attempting to reidentify such deidentified information.
7. Disclosure Of Personal Information
7.1. We only disclose information gathered under specific conditions. We do not reveal Students' personal information to third parties for marketing or promotional reasons.
7.2. When a Student User account is connected to a Parent or Teacher User, the Student User's information will be shared with the Parent or Teacher User.
7.3. With third parties that carry out certain services for us, such as analytics, credit card processing, or research or evaluation of our Services, provided that these service providers commit to protecting the information, maintaining its confidentiality, and using it solely for the purposes allowed by our agreements.
7.4. Your personal data may be shared with our subsidiaries, affiliated companies, and licensees to fulfill service obligations, enhance the delivery of our Services, or respond to your service requests, which may include interactions initiated through links on our platform or through participation in promotional activities.
7.5. With your explicit consent, we may share your personal data with other third parties. This includes sharing via social media functions that you activate, allowing content from our platform to be shared on your social media profiles.
7.6. To inform or support the contemplation, negotiation, or execution of a potential merger, sale, financing, or transfer of all or a portion of our business to another organization. If some or all of our assets are acquired, transferred, or licensed, including during bankruptcy, Ottodot will take reasonable measures to subject the acquirer to the same commitments outlined in this Privacy Policy.
7.7. Where you have instructed us to do so, for example, to support inquiries either at your direction or with your informed consent.
7.8. As we deem necessary and appropriate to comply with relevant laws and regulations; to adhere to legal processes; to respond to requests from governmental authorities; to detect violations of and enforce our Terms of Use; to safeguard the security of the website, products, and services; to protect the rights, privacy, property, or safety of Ottodot, you, or others; and to enable us to pursue any available remedies or to restrict damages that we may incur.
7.9. As mentioned earlier, we also employ third-party advertising providers to collect information about Parent Users and Teacher Users who visit sections of the Services not directed to Student Users in order to deliver, customize, and evaluate the effectiveness of advertising targeting Parents and Teachers.
7.10. We reserve the right to disclose your personal data when necessary to comply with legal obligations or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our organization, our users, or others.
7.11. No sales of personal information: We do not sell your personal information to any party.
8. Protecting Your Personal Information
8.1. We implement robust administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include modern antivirus software, encryption technologies, and privacy filters to secure the storage and transmission of your data. We also ensure that personal data is shared internally and with our authorized third-party service providers and agents strictly based on the necessity of knowledge.
8.2. It is important to recognize, however, that no method of transmitting data over the Internet or storing data electronically is entirely secure. While absolute security cannot be guaranteed, we are committed to continuously enhancing our security protocols and protecting the integrity of your information.
9. User Rights Concerning Their Data
9.1. Access, Rectification, or Deletion of Data: Parent and Teacher Users reserve the right to access, amend, or delete their personal information collected and utilized by Ottodot. Personal information can be accessed and modified by reaching out to our customer support. Additionally, you can access and review specific account-related details by logging into your online account.
9.2. Parent and Teacher Users, as well as educational institutions represented by a Teacher User, may also contact our customer support at any time to request access to, deletion of, or correction of any personal information we have collected from or about Student Users associated with their account. This includes a request to cease collecting personal information from those Student Users. Please note that a request to delete or cease collecting personal information may result in the closure of the relevant User's account or the inability to use the products or Services or specific parts of the products or Services.
9.3. When a correction, deletion, or other change to Student User personal information is requested and validated, Ottodot will implement the change as quickly as reasonably possible and in compliance with privacy laws.
9.4. When a Teacher User (or the educational institution represented by the Teacher) requests the deletion of a Student User's personal information, we will remove the Student's link to the Teacher, and then take the following steps depending on whether the Student is linked to another Parent or Teacher, unless otherwise required by law.
9.5. If the Student is linked to a Parent or another Teacher, we will retain the link to the Parent or other Teacher to allow them to continue overseeing the Student's use of that account.
9.6. Opting out of email communications: You can opt out of receiving commercial or promotional emails from Ottodot by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in the email, managing your communication preferences, or by contacting customer service. Ottodot communication preferences can be managed through our preference center, available via a link in the footer of our commercial or promotional emails, where users can specify the types of communications they wish to receive.
10. Children Under The Age Of Thirteen
10.1. United States: This portion of our Privacy Policy specifically addresses the requirements and practices related to children under the age of 13 who reside in the U.S., supplementing the broader guidelines outlined in our general privacy policy. This specific set of rules does not apply to other users.
10.1.1. In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) of 1998, this policy explains our responsibilities and your rights as parents or legal guardians regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information from children under 13 years old within the U.S. We are obligated to secure verifiable parental consent before collecting, using, or sharing such personal information. For the purposes of this policy, "personal information" refers to data that uniquely identifies an individual.
10.1.2. Important Information for Parents:
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Data Collection Types: We specify the types of personal information collected from children.
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Usage Details: We describe how the collected information is utilized.
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Disclosure Methods: We outline our methods for sharing this information.
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Consent Management: We detail the process for obtaining parental consent for collecting personal data from children and instructions for how parents can withdraw their consent.
10.1.3. Collecting Information from Children: Certain features of our Platform allow children to participate without submitting personal information, while other features require personal data collection. Technologies like cookies are used to collect information automatically when children interact with our Platform.
10.1.4. We limit our collection of information to what is necessary for children to engage in educational activities on our Platform, without demanding excessive personal data as a condition of participation.
10.1.5. Direct Data Collection Practices: Before a child can engage with designated child-friendly sections of our Platform, a parent must set up a user account for the child. We may evaluate the child's academic level prior to course enrolment, which may require children to provide educational details. Interaction within the course may include submitting various forms of academic input.
10.1.6. Recording Policy: All course sessions involving students and teachers are recorded to enhance educational quality and manage performance. These recordings are kept confidential and used solely for internal purposes. No recordings are disclosed publicly or shared externally without explicit parental consent. For children under the age of 13, parents will receive direct communication to grant permission for these recordings before they commence. Should parents choose to withdraw previously granted consent, we implement measures to ensure the child's anonymity in any subsequent recordings.
10.1.7. Automated Information Gathering: We deploy technologies to automatically gather information from users, including children. This includes identifiers that track user interactions over time and across different online services, and IP addresses, which may indicate a user's general location.
10.1.8. Child Information Usage: We utilize the personal information collected from children to manage their registrations, monitor their interactions with our services, communicate academic progress, and personalize and enhance our educational offerings.
10.2. Singapore: Children under the age of 13 are permitted to use and access Ottodot's Services and Content only with the consent of a parent or guardian. If this condition applies to you, ensure that your parent or guardian reviews the Terms and this Privacy Policy thoroughly. You should proceed to use or access our Services and Content only after receiving consent from your parent or guardian.
10.2.1. Individuals who are 13 years old or older may use or access our Services and Content, provided they fully understand this Privacy Policy and the accompanying terms. If you are unsure about any part of this Privacy Policy, you are encouraged to discuss it with your parent or guardian for clarification.
10.2.2. Parents or guardians who wish to manage their child’s or ward’s interaction with our Services can submit requests to access or correct personal data, or to withdraw previously given consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of their child’s or ward’s personal data. These requests must be made in compliance with this Privacy Policy and the Singapore Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (PDPA).
11. California Privacy Rights
11.1. California law also grants its residents specific rights regarding the collection and use of their personal information. This section does not apply to Student personal information we process on behalf of an educational institution customer, either under contractual restrictions or through a Teacher Account, to process the information solely on behalf of the institution as an educational service provider.
11.2. Subject to certain limitations, California residents have the following rights:
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Right to know: You have the right to know and request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you within the last 12 months, the categories of sources from which such information is collected, the purpose for collecting such information, and the categories of third parties with whom we share such information. You also have the right to know if we have sold or disclosed your personal information.
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Right to delete: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions.
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Right to opt out: You have the right to opt out of any sales of your personal information. Note that while Ottodot does not monetize the personal information of any User of the Services by providing it to a third party in exchange for money (except in the context of a potential sale of the company), California law has a broader definition of the term “sell,” which includes making user information available to a third party for the purposes of targeted advertising. As described above, when we work with our advertising partners, we allow them to collect information about Parent Users and Teacher Users who visit areas of the Services that are not directed to Student Users. By contrast, Ottodot does not sell, lease, or otherwise trade for value any personal information of Student Users, including within the Games.
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Right to not be discriminated against: You are entitled to exercise these rights without facing discrimination. However, be aware that if exercising these rights hampers our capacity to manage personal information, we might be unable to offer our products and services to you.
11.3. If you are a California resident and wish to exercise any of these rights, please send an email to info@ottodot.com with the subject line, "California Rights Request." Before we can process your request, we may need to confirm your identity, which could involve providing additional personal information or logging into your Ottodot account. In some cases, we might refuse or restrict the extent of our compliance with your request, particularly if we cannot verify your identity, find your information, or if the law allows for it.
11.4. If you are submitting a request through an authorized representative, they must supply us with your signed written consent indicating that the representative is authorized to make the request on your behalf. We might also require authorized representatives to confirm their identity and contact you directly to ensure that you have granted them permission to submit the request for you.
12. Retention Of User information
12.1. We maintain your personal information for the duration of our association with you, while reserving the right to remove User accounts following a period of non-activity. Once our connection has concluded, we might also keep your personal information as long as legally necessary or to examine or safeguard against potential legal disputes.
13. For Singapore Residents
13.1. Disclosure Purposes: The reasons for disclosing your personal information outlined above may continue even after your relationship with us has ended or changed, for a reasonable period thereafter. This period allows us to enforce our rights under any agreements made with you.
13.2. Withdrawing Your Consent: You may withdraw your consent for the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal data at any time by submitting a written request to info@ottodot.com. Once we receive your request, we may need a reasonable amount of time to process it, considering its complexity and our relationship with you. We aim to handle your request within ten (10) business days and will inform you of any significant implications, including legal ones, that might affect your rights and obligations towards us.
13.3. While we respect your decision to withdraw consent, please be aware that this may limit our ability to provide you with our Services or products. If you wish to cancel your withdrawal of consent, you must notify us in writing as previously described.
13.4. Please note that withdrawing your consent does not affect our ability to continue processing your personal data where such processing is required or permitted under applicable laws.
13.5. You may also refuse certain data collections by adjusting your browser or device settings or by choosing not to provide specific information. However, this may impact your ability to fully utilize our Services, including account registration and usage.
13.6. You may also refuse certain data collections by adjusting your browser or device settings or by choosing not to provide specific information. However, this may impact your ability to fully utilize our Services, including account registration and usage.
13.7. Access and Correction of Personal Data: If you wish to (a) access a copy of the personal data we hold about you or (b) correct or update your personal data, please send your request to info@ottodot.com. We may charge a reasonable fee for access requests, and if applicable, we will inform you of the fee before processing your request.
13.8. We will respond to your request as promptly as possible. If we cannot respond within thirty (30) days, we will notify you within that timeframe of when you can expect a response. If we are unable to fulfill your request for access or correction, we will provide the reasons, unless not required by the PDPA.
13.9. Accuracy of Personal Data: We rely on you to provide us with accurate and complete personal data. Please inform us of any changes to your personal data by contacting us at info@ottodot.com to ensure our records are up-to-date.
13.10. Transfers of Personal Data Outside of Singapore: Should we transfer your personal data outside Singapore, we will ensure that the recipient jurisdiction offers a comparable standard of protection to that required under the PDPA. We will take necessary measures to ensure that such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws.
14. Updates To This Policy
14.1. This Privacy Policy works in conjunction with other legal agreements and notices regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of your data by us. We reserve the right to amend this policy and will notify you of any changes by updating the date at the top of the policy and posting it on our platform.
14.2. In the event of modifications to this Privacy Policy, we will inform you by publishing an updated Privacy Policy on this page and modifying the "Last Modified" date found at the top of the policy. Continued engagement with our Services after these changes constitutes your acceptance of the new terms.
14.3. If the changes materially affect how we handle your personal data, we will provide you with prominent notice and the opportunity to opt out of these changes as required by law. Continued engagement with our Services after these changes constitutes your acceptance of the new terms.
15. How To Contact Us
15.1. If you need assistance, have any concerns, or wish to make a claim related to the Services, please feel free to reach out to us via email at info@ottodot.com or by calling us at +65 8753 2961.