Looking beyond CCPA & GDPR to the future of privacy

We wholeheartedly believe that privacy is a concept to which every human that uses a connected device has a fundamental right — and it’s built into every part of our business.

At Unacast we are committed to protecting and respecting data privacy and see privacy as a key driver for the growth of location technologies. Our privacy program covers the flow of location data from the point of collection to our customers’ platforms. Through our partner terms and conditions as well as through reviews of their privacy practices by our designated privacy officers, we strive to ensure that all our partners who contribute location data to us collect, use, and disclose the location data in compliance with applicable privacy laws and industry privacy standards.

We insist, among other things, on:

  • Proper disclosures relating to the collection of location data
  • User opt-in consent for the collection of location data from mobile devices
  • Respecting mobile device users’ choices and device settings

Moreover, we also require that our customers process location data received from us in compliance with applicable privacy laws, industry standards, and their own privacy policies.

Finally, while we do not directly collect any location data, we are mindful about the privacy concerns that the users of mobile devices may have about location technologies. We describe our own privacy practices relating to the location data we receive from our partners in our Privacy Statement. If you are a visitor to our website, you can read about our privacy practices relating to the data we collect from our website in our Privacy Policy.

Privacy Statement

Last Updated: April 20, 2023

1. Introduction

Unacast, Inc. and its affiliates (“Unacast, “we”, “us”) are committed to protecting and respecting privacy and the protection of information that may be used to identify you directly or indirectly (“Personal Data”). This Statement explains our approach with respect to data we receive from our partners, such as mobile application (“App”) developers and publishers, data aggregation services, and providers of location-supporting technologies (the “Partners”). The technologies utilized by the Partners interact with mobile devices in the physical world through Apps, GPS, mobile device Bluetooth connections, and Wi-Fi connections. In this Statement we also provide information on some of the methods available to individual users of mobile devices (“you” or “user”) to limit the collection of data from or about their mobile devices by the Partners.

2. How Does Unacast Obtain Data And What Data Do We Obtain?

Some of the data we receive from the Partners may constitute Personal Data under applicable laws.

The data provided by the Partners (collectively “Device Data”) may include:

  • IDFA and/or advertising identifier (“Advertising ID”)
  • Location of the mobile device expressed as the latitude, altitude, and longitude of the mobile device and the derived identity of the location, such as a fast food restaurant
  • Mobile device operating system and operating system version
  • Mobile device make and model
  • The name and version of an App
  • Other metadata associated with the mobile device, such as network type and IP address
  • The category of the App that collected data (i.e. casual gaming, weather, social media)
  • GPS horizontal accuracy value
  • If the App was in active use or in the background when data was collected
  • The speed at which the device was traveling
  • If the device was being charged at the time of data collection
  • The direction that the device was traveling
  • If the device is connected to a WiFi or cellular network
  • WiFi SSID (network name) or BSSID (MAC address for the router)

Where required by law, such as in the European Economic Area, we process the Device Data  based on your consent that you have provided to our Partners. Please be reminded that you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

3. What Do We Do With Device Data And For What Purposes Is It Used?

We analyze and contextualize the Device Data  for purposes of providing accurate location intelligence to our clients. This location intelligence can be used for advertising, audience segmentation, people-based movement analytics, improving business decision making by better understanding of customer movement patterns, assisting municipalities in urban planning by enhanced understanding of movement patterns, and similar purposes that utilize location as a tool. Device Data may also be used for the purpose of improving and analyzing the various services provided by us.

4. In What Ways Can I Control the Collection of  Device Data?

Data Collected Through Apps

PRIVACY POLICIES

First, please familiarize yourself thoroughly with the privacy policy of any App you download on your mobile device, checking in particular what types of data the App collects from or about your device(s). Do not download an App if you do not feel comfortable with the data collection practices described in the applicable privacy policy. If you have already downloaded such an app, delete it.

DEVICE SETTINGS

All major mobile device operating systems enable the users of mobile devices to control the types of data collected in and through Apps.

iOS: Apple instructions on how to control iOS device location settings can be found here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT203033. Apple instructions on how to limit ad tracking on iOS devices can be found here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT202074. For other privacy-related settings on iOS, please go to Settings from your mobile device’s home screen, and select “Privacy.”

Android: Android instructions on how to control device location settings can be found here: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/6179507?hl=en&ref_topic=6179522. Android instructions on how to limit ad tracking on Android devices can be found here: https://support.google.com/nexus/answer/3118621?hl=en.

Data Collected Via Bluetooth

All major mobile device operating systems enable the users of mobile devices to disable Bluetooth from functioning.

iOS: You can disable Bluetooth by going to “Settings” from your Device’s home screen; select “Bluetooth”; and turn Bluetooth off.

Android: You can disable Bluetooth by going to the Settings app, then “Wireless and networks,” where you can disable Bluetooth.

5. How Does Unacast Disclose the Device Data to Third Parties?

We may disclose Device Data to third parties such as advertising networks, advertising publishers, and advertisers, research companies, data brokers, financial institutions, data analytics platforms (collectively “Data Licensees”), in accordance with the terms of the agreements, and only for the purposes of performing such agreements, that we have in place with such third parties.

We may also disclose Device Data  to:

  • Our service providers, such as data storage providers;
  • Public authorities, such as law enforcement, if we are legally required to do so or if we need to protect our rights or the rights of third parties; and
  • Our subsidiaries and affiliates; or a subsequent owner, co-owner or operator of our services and their advisors in connection with a corporate merger, consolidation, restructuring, the sale of substantially all of our stock and/or assets, or in connection with bankruptcy proceedings, or other corporate reorganization.
  • A list of Data Licensees, and a link to their privacy policies, can be found here.

6. How Do I Check Whether Unacast Has the Advertising ID of My Mobile Device and Can I Block It From Further Use by Unacast?

You can find your mobile device’s Advertising ID on iOS by use of apps like e.g. My Device ID, and on Android by going to Settings, then selecting “Ads”. You can opt out by filling in your Advertising ID in this opt-out form, and request the blocking of the Advertising ID from further use or disclosure by Unacast. If we have that Advertising ID, once we have blocked the Advertising ID, you will receive a confirmation email from us. Please bear in mind that the blocking of the Advertising ID by Unacast following your request to that effect will not have an impact on any uses or disclosures that have already taken place. If you choose to reset your mobile device’s Advertising ID, you will have to request blocking of the Advertising ID from further use or disclosure by Unacast once again. Please also bear in mind that any additional devices you may possess have other Advertising IDs. Finally, please be aware that the use of any of the measures enlisted in this Statement does not mean that no advertising will be directed at your mobile device.

7. Other Rights You Have

We take steps to help ensure that you are able to exercise your rights regarding Personal Data about you in accordance with applicable law. If you would like to access, erase, or object to, or restrict the processing of Personal Data we collect, please visit this site. We will promptly review all such requests in accordance with applicable laws. Depending on where you live, you may also have a right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority or other regulatory agency if you believe that we have violated any of the rights concerning Personal Data about you. We encourage you to first reach out to us at privacy@unacast.com, so we have an opportunity to address your concerns directly before you do so.

8.  How Long Does Unacast Keep Data About Me?

As a matter of policy, Unacast retains data received from our Partners for purposes of advertising and audience segmentation for a period of six (6) months from the date that we first receive data. For other purposes, as described above in Section 3, we may retain data for five (5) years from the date that we first receive the data.

Finally, unless we are legally required to do otherwise, if you submit a request in accordance with the instructions set out in Section 6 above, we only retain that Advertising ID for purposes of blocking it from further use and disclosure by Unacast.

9. International Transfers of Personal Data

Some elements of our data products and services may be hosted on servers located in countries outside your own country. The laws applicable to the protection of Personal Data in such countries may be different from those applicable in your home country. In particular, if you are located within the European Union, please note that Personal Data received by us from Partners may be transferred outside the European Union (the “EU”)/ European Economic Area (the “EEA”). If we transfer personal data from the EEA to third countries, we utilize standard contractual clauses authorized by the Commission of the European Union (“CEU”), or other transfer mechanisms determined lawful by the CEU or EEA Member State supervisory authorities in connection with such transfers.

10. For California Residents

If you are a California resident, California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits you to request information regarding the disclosure of personal information by Unacast to third parties for the third parties’ direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an email to privacy@unacast.com or write us:

Unacast, Inc.
PO Box 216
Cos Cob
152 E Putnam Ave
Cos Cob, CT, 06807-9984

Furthermore, California residents have the following rights with respect to Personal Data we may have collected about them:

(i)      Requests to Know

You have the right to request that we disclose:

  • The categories of Personal Data we have collected about you;
  • The categories of Personal Data about you we have sold or disclosed for a business purpose;
  • The categories of sources from which we have collected Personal Data about you;
  • The business or commercial purposes for selling or collecting Personal Data about you;
  • The categories of Personal Data sold or shared about you, as well as the categories of third parties to whom the Personal Data was sold, by category of Personal Data for each party to whom Personal Data was sold; and
  • The specific pieces of Personal Data collected.

You may submit a request to know via this form. The delivery of our response may take place electronically or by mail. We are not required to respond to requests to know more than twice in a 12-month period.

(ii)      Requests to Delete

You have the right to request that we delete any Personal Data about you that we have collected. Upon receiving a verified request to delete Personal Data, we will do so unless otherwise authorized by law. You may submit a request to delete Personal Data via this form.

(iii)     Right to Opt Out of the Sale or Sharing of Personal Data

You have a right to opt out of the sale or sharing of Personal Data. You may, at any time, direct us to not sell or share Personal Data about you to third parties.  If you exercise your right to opt out of the sale or sharing of Personal Data about you, we will not sell Personal Data about you. Any Personal Data collected in connection with your request to opt-out of the sale or sharing of Personal Data about you will be used only to facilitate that request. You may opt out of the sale or sharing of Personal Information about you here. You may also submit opt-out requests by emailing us at privacy@unacast.com.

(iv)     Authorized Agents

You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. You must provide an authorized agent written permission to submit a request on your behalf, and we may require that you verify your identity directly with us. Alternatively, an authorized agent that has been provided power of attorney pursuant to Probate Code sections 4000-4465 may submit a request on your behalf.

(v)     Methods for Submitting Consumer Requests and Our Response to Requests

You may submit a request for access and requests to delete Personal Data about you via this form.

Upon receipt of a request, we may ask you for additional information to verify your identity. Any additional information you provide will be used only to verify your identity and not for any other purpose.

We will acknowledge the receipt of your request within ten (10) days of receipt. Subject to our ability to verify your identity, we will respond to your request within 45 days of receipt. In order to protect your privacy and the security of Personal Information about you, we typically verify your request by requesting additional identifying information relating to you and/or you’re your mobile device.

With respect to requests for specific pieces of Personal Data, we have determined that there is a substantial safety and security risk to a person in disclosing the geolocation of a device to another person who (i) is not the actual user of a mobile device with which geolocation data is associated, but (ii) has an interest, whether lawful or unlawful, in gaining access to geolocation data associated with a device and the movement patterns of the actual user of the device.  Given this risk, and (i) since we do not seek to determine the actual identity of persons that use mobile devices for our business purposes; (ii) we do not collect identifiers such as names, addresses, cellular/mobile phone numbers; and (iii) because we do not wish to collect extensive additional Personal Data for verification purposes, we have concluded that we currently have no reasonable method to verify the identity of the person making the request for purposes of verifying requests for specific geolocation information to a reasonably high degree of certainty. Consequently, we do not provide specific geolocation in response to data subject/consumer requests at this time. We will re-evaluate this determination on a yearly basis.

(vi) Categories of Personal Data the We Have Sold in the Last 12 Months

We have sold the following categories of Personal Data during the last 12 months:

(A) Mobile device identifiers;

(B) Internet or other electronic network activity information, including information regarding your interaction with a mobile application, and

(C) Geolocation data.

(vii) The Right to Non-Discrimination

You have the right not to be discriminated against for the exercise of your California privacy rights described above.

For information about the number the number of requests to know we have received and complied with, requests to delete we have received and complied with, requests to opt-out we have received and complied with, and the median or mean number of days taken to respond to each group of requests, please see this link.

11. Children's Privacy

Device Data  does not include Personal Data relating to children younger than sixteen (16) years of age.

12. Changes to This Statement

From time to time we may change this Statement. You can tell when changes have been made to the Statement by referring to the “Last Updated” legend on top of this page. Please review this Statement regularly to ensure that you are aware of any changes.

13. Questions or Concerns?

Should you have any questions regarding this Statement or your privacy, please contact our Privacy Team at privacy@unacast.com. We seek to promptly resolve any questions or concerns you may have.


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