Sphere Knowledge Limited (ICO reference: ZA309856) ("we, us, our, Company") has created this privacy policy in order to explain our privacy practices for our website (www.sphere.me) and the mobile application. This policy explains how we collect and use your personal information through the website, services and the mobile applications (collectively, the "Service").
By agreeing to these terms, you are agreeing that your information may be used by Sphere across its platform and properties, which includes other Sphere-owned or Sphere-controlled properties, without requiring any further consent from you. Except as expressly provided for elsewhere herein, Sphere may not (and will not) share your information with non-Sphere properties or individual or entities that are not owned by, affiliated with or controlled by Sphere or its affiliates.
A user of the Service is hereinafter referred to as a "User" or collectively, the "Users".
Why do you ask for personal information when I sign in?
We manage your personal information with great care, so we want you to understand why we’re asking for each piece of information and how we’ll use it to make Sphere better. The Company collects and processes the following personal information about you only if you voluntarily choose to share such information with the Company:
What kind of information do we collect?
You are not obligated to provide us personal information beyond the limited information we need for you to register your account. However, if you choose to complete your profile it will increase your trustworthiness as a user.
What personal data we store | What we use it for | Who we share it with and why |
Name | We ask for your name. Users use our service because they want to chat with a real person and therefore this information is necessary. Please use your real name on your profile. | Users- to display the author of a message and to show that you are a real person. |
We use this to check you’re a real person (not a robot) and for security reasons, so only you can access your account. It also means we may get in touch if we need to tell you about a new feature or changes to our system. | Sendgrid- To send out emails. *We strongly discourage users from disclosing your email or any other personal information during chats. | |
Password | Your password helps keep your account secure, so only you can access it. | n/a |
Profile Photo | We ask for this to prove to users that you are a real person and help us to verify your identity. Your profile photo must be a current photo of yourself. | Users- to show that you are a real person. |
IP Address | We use your IP address for fraud detection and also to determine where in the world you are. If you are in the EU, different data laws will apply to you. If you are using a VPN and your IP address does not match your actual location, it is your responsibility to fill out your profile with your correct location. | IP Quality Score- To detect if you are using a VPN for fraud prevention. IP Quality Score do not use your data for advertising or marketing purposes. |
Messages | We use message data and chats to help build our knowledge base. This uses a combination of machine learning and artificial intelligence to identify patterns in user behavior. This helps us make better informed future decisions about improving Sphere. | For quality purposes, we may monitor your chats with your permission.
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Device information | We collect information from or about the computers, phones or other devices where you install or access our Services, depending on the permissions you've granted. We will associate the information we collect from your different devices, which helps us provide consistent Services across your devices. | Big Query- is for storing data for our knowledge base.
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When we do share data outside Sphere
We will:
- Always share it in a secure way
- Make sure it is treated consistently with our privacy policy
- Not allow other companies to use it to contact you with their own marketing.
Other uses of your data
Additionally we may use all of your personal information:
- To personalise our products and Services to you;
- To analyse website usage and improve our products and the Service;
- For internal market research, troubleshooting problems, and detecting and protecting against error, fraud or other criminal activity;
- To index chats on Google in order to further extend our knowledge base. We will not index any chats that contain personal information;
When you visit the website or access the Sphere application, the Company may automatically collect additional information about you, such as the type of internet browser or mobile device you use, as well as any website from which you have come to the website or application. You cannot be identified based on this information and we use it for analysis purposes to:
- Market the Service;
- Improve and enhance the Service so that it operates more effectively;
- Increase the likelihood that a group's experience with the Service is relevant to its interests as a whole
Cookies
When you visit websites on the Internet, your browser may automatically transmit information to the websites you visit throughout every visit. Like many websites, we may use “cookies” to collect information. A cookie is a small data file that we transfer to your computer’s hard disk for record-keeping purposes. We will use persistent cookies that only the Company can read and use, to save your login information for future logins to the Service, to hold session information and to track user preferences.
We set session ID cookies to enable certain features of the Service, to better understand how you interact with the website and to monitor aggregate usage by our users and web traffic routing on the Service and to identify visited areas of the website and Service. Unlike persistent cookies, session cookies are deleted from your computer when you log out from the website and Service and then close your browser. The cookies that we use on our website are set out below:
Cookie name:
Google Analytics (utma, _utmb, _utmc, _utmz)
Purpose: Google analytics cookies are used in order to collect information about how visitors use our website. All data collected via this cookie is anonymous and non user specific. Although we can’t see the personal data (only statistics), Google will use it to build/augment individual profiles. Information includes the number of visitors to the site, where the visitors have come from and which pages they have viewed. This information is important, as it helps us to improve the performance of our website and monitor our visitor levels. The _utma and _utmb cookies expire after a maximum period of 2 years, unless cookies are cleared before this date. The _utmc cookie is no longer set and the _utmz cookie expires after 6 months, or less if cookies are cleared prior to this date.
How can I manage or delete information about me?
How long will you keep my data?
We'll only keep the personal information you provide to us (except message data) for as long as necessary to give you the services you're using.
Rights to access and control your personal data:
In order to comply with GDPR, for any personal information that your provide to us (other than message data) you have the right to:
- Delete Data: You can ask us to erase or delete all of the personal information that you have provided to us (other than message data).
- Change or Correct Data: You can edit your personal information through your account on your Profile.
- Right to Access and/or Take Your Data: You can ask us for a copy of your personal information provided in machine readable form.
If you would like to make a GDPR request for your data to be deleted or for a copy of your data please send a message to our Support team. You can reach the Support team via help@sphere.me. Please use the same email that you signed up to your Sphere account with. Please note that we will need to take steps to verify your request before disclosing any information.
How will we notify you of changes to this policy?
The Company’s security and privacy policy are periodically reviewed and enhanced as necessary. This policy might change as the Company updates and expands the Service. We will make every reasonable effort to keep you updated about these changes. The Company also encourages you to review this privacy policy periodically. If you do not understand any of the terms or conditions of any of the Company’s policies, you can ask us about it by contacting our Support team via help@sphere.me. Please use the same email that you signed up to your Sphere account with.
Data storage and international transfers
Information that you submit via the website or application will be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”). This will happen under the following circumstances:
- One or more of our servers are located in a country outside the EEA or one of our service providers is located in a country outside the EEA.
- Making contact with any User featured on the website who is located outside the EEA.
- If one of our employees is working remotely.
- If you use our Services whilst you are outside the EEA, your information may be transferred outside the EEA in order to provide you with those Services.
If we transfer your details outside the EEA in this way, we will take steps to ensure that your privacy rights continue to be protected.
You’re in charge
Opt out of receiving emails
You can unsubscribe from our emails at any time by clicking on the Unsubscribe link in the footer of the email you have received. You may opt out of receiving communications from us, and choose to not receive future communications unrelated to the Service. If you change your mind you can let us know by contacting the Support team via help@sphere.me.
Children’s privacy
We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 13 or knowingly allow such persons to register. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under the relevant age without parental consent, we take steps to delete that information.
Contact details
We have appointed a data privacy officer who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy policy. If you have any questions about this privacy notice, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact our Support team. You can talk to the Support team via help@sphere.me. Please use the same email that you signed up to your Sphere account with.