VocaTales Privacy Policy

Last modified: March 1, 2023

VocaTales.com (the "Website") and its affiliated VocaTales Mobile Applications (together with all content, features, and functionality, the "App" and together with the Website, the "Platform") are each owned and operated by VocaTales, Inc (the "Company," "VocaTales," "we" or "us"). We respect your privacy and take our commitment to protecting it very seriously. This Privacy Policy ("Privacy Policy") states what information we will gather, receive and process and how we will protect it. We want to hear your thoughts and encourage you to email your suggestions and comments. However, please note that the information in any communication you send to us will be subject to this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide when you visit the Website, or download or use the App, and our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting and disclosing that information.

This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect:

  • Through the Website.
  • Through the App.
  • In e-mail, text and other electronic messages between you and the Platform.

It does not apply to information collected by:

  • Us offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by the Company or through any third party; or
  • Any third party, including through any application or content (including advertising and social media sites) that may link to or be accessible from or on the Platform.

Any information collected or posted to a social media or networking site, even if accessed from the Platform, will be governed by the privacy policy of that site, not this Privacy Policy.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, you must not use the Platform. By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to this Privacy Policy.

Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

We collect several types of information from and about users of our Platform, including information:

  • by which you may be personally identified, such as first and last name, profile photo, e-mail address, or other information listed ("personal information");
  • that is about you but individually does not identify you, such as your interests; and/or
  • about your internet or cellular connection, the equipment you use to access our Platform, and usage details.

We collect this information:

  • Directly from you when you provide it to us.
  • Automatically as you navigate through the Platform. Information collected automatically may include usage details, IP addresses and information collected through cookies and other tracking technologies.
  • From third parties, for example, our users, business partners, and analytics providers like Google Analytics.

Each of these information collection methods is described further below.

Information You Provide to Us.

The information we collect directly from you on or through our Platform may include:

  • Information that you provide by filling in forms on our Platform. This includes information provided at the time of registering to use our Website or App, posting materials, or requesting assistance or further services. We may also ask you for information when you report a problem with our Platform.
  • Records and copies of your correspondence (including e-mail addresses), if you contact us.
  • Your search queries on the Website.

You also may provide information, including stories and comments, to be published or displayed (hereinafter, "posted") on public areas of the Platform, or transmitted to other users of the Platform or third parties (collectively, "User Content"). Additionally, certain personal information in each user’s profile is published publicly to the Platform. Your User Content and such personal information is posted on and transmitted to others at your own risk. Please be aware that no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. Additionally, we cannot control the actions of other users of the Platform nor which users of the Platform may see, or choose to engage with, your User Content. Therefore, we cannot and do not guarantee that your User Content or certain personal information will not be viewed by unauthorized persons.

Location Information

The App may include features that allow us to geotrack the device on which the App is installed (the "Device") and monitor its real-time location, which will include our access of your GPS positioning as indicated by the Device’s GPS features ("Location Information"). You may be able to opt out of the App’s collection of Location Information by modifying your Device’s location settings. However, doing so will cause any location-based features of the App to be disabled.

Information We Collect Through Automatic Data Collection Technologies.

As you download or access the App or navigate through and interact with our Website, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect certain information about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns, including:

  • Details of your access to and use of the App or visit to our Website, including traffic data, location data, logs and other communication data and the resources that you access and use on or through the Platform.
  • Information about your computer, Device, cellular connection, or internet connection, including your IP address, operating system, browser type and mobile network information.

We also may use these technologies to collect information about your online activities over time and across third-party websites or other online services (behavioral tracking).

The information we collect automatically is statistical data and may include personal information. We may maintain it or associate it with personal information we collect in other ways or receive from third parties. It helps us to improve our Platform and to deliver a better and more personalized service, including by enabling us to:

  • Estimate our audience size and usage patterns.
  • Store information about your preferences, allowing us to customize our Platform according to your individual interests.
  • Speed up your searches.
  • Recognize you when you return to our Platform.

The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include cookies (or browser cookies). A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer. You may refuse to accept cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your Device or browser. However, if you select this setting you may be unable to access certain parts of our Website or App, as the case may be. Unless you have adjusted your settings so that your Device or browser will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Website or use the App.

Third-party Use of Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies.

Some content or applications on the Platform are served by third-parties, including servers, content providers, such as Tenor, and application providers. These third parties may use cookies alone or in conjunction with web beacons or other tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use our Platform. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites and other online services. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) advertising or other targeted content.

We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about any targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

Our Platform uses analytics services, including Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. ("Google"). Google Analytics uses cookies to help us analyze how users use the Platform. The information generated by the cookie about your use of the Platform (including your IP address) will be transmitted to and stored by Google on servers owned by Google. Google will use this information for the purpose of evaluating use of the Platform, compiling reports on website activity for website operators and providing other services relating to website and app activity and internet usage. Google may also transfer this information to third parties where required to do so by law, or where such third parties process the information on Google's behalf. We do not authorize Google to tie the collected data to any single individual, to create individual profiles, or to associate your IP address with any other data held by Google. You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser or Device; however, please note that if you do this you may not be able to use the full functionality of the Platform. Further use of your information shall be in accordance with the privacy policies and procedures of Google in effect from time to time.

How We Use Your Information

We use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal information:

  • To present our Platform and its content to you.
  • To provide you with information, products or services that you request from us.
  • To fulfill any other purpose for which you provide it.
  • To provide you with notices about your account.
  • To notify you about changes to our Platform or any products or services we offer or provide though it.
  • To notify you of activity related to your User Content or profile.
  • To allow you to participate in interactive features on our Platform.
  • In any other way we may describe when you provide the information.
  • For any other purpose with your consent.

We may also use your information to contact you with marketing-related newsletters and other electronic communications. If you do not want us to use your information in this way, please provide us notice of your intention to opt-out as instructed in the applicable electronic communication received.

We may use the information we have collected from you to enable us to display advertisements to our advertisers' target audiences. Even though we do not disclose your personal information for these purposes without your consent, if you click on or otherwise interact with an advertisement, the advertiser may assume that you meet its target criteria.

Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users without restriction.

We may disclose personal information that we collect or that you provide as described in this Privacy Policy:

  • To contractors, service providers and other third parties we use to support our business, including with newsletter and e-mail distribution. We provide these third parties with only the information they need to perform their services and work with them to respect and protect your privacy.
  • To subsidiaries and affiliates.
  • To a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution or other sale or transfer of some or all of VocaTales’s assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation or similar proceeding, in which personal information held by VocaTales about our Platform users is among the assets transferred.

We may also disclose your personal information:

  • To comply with any court order, law or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
  • To enforce or apply our Terms of Use or other agreements.
  • If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of VocaTales, our customers or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for the purposes of fraud protection.

Choices About How We Use and Disclose Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the personal information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:

  • Location Information. You can choose whether to allow the App to collect and use real-time information about your Device’s location through the Device’s settings. However, blocking tracking technology and location information may result in portions of the App being inaccessible or not functioning properly.
  • Tracking Technologies and Advertising. You can set your Device or browser to refuse all or some cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of the Platform may then be inaccessible or not function properly.
  • Third Party Collection and Use of Information. We do not control third parties' collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However, these third parties may provide you with ways to choose not to have your information collected or used in this way. You can learn more about any particular third party’s collection and use of your information by accessing that third party’s website.
  • Do Not Track Requests. Currently, certain browsers, including Firefox, Google Chrome, Safari and Internet Explorer, offer a "do not track" (or, "DNT") option. This option, using a technology known as a DNT header, sends a signal to websites visited by the user about the user’s DNT preference, if any, set on the browser. VocaTales does not currently commit to responding to browsers’ DNT signals. We cannot make this commitment because no common industry standard for DNT has been adopted by industry groups, technology companies, or regulators.

Accessing and Correcting Your Information

You can review and change your personal information stored in your profile by logging into the Platform and visiting your account profile page.

We have standard retention practices with respect to the personal data we collect. If you would like to request the deletion of your account or the earlier removal of your personal information, please contact us at support@vocatales.com. Please note that we may not be able to completely remove personal information from the Platform or our systems in certain circumstances.

Your access to and use of information provided on the Platform, including User Content, is governed by our App and Website Terms of Use.

Social Sharing Features

Our Platform may offer social network and similar sharing features, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram buttons which let you share information related to VocaTales through your preferred social media platforms. If you permit a connection between our Platform and your social network page(s), we (and the social network) may be able to identify you and associate the information we (and they) receive with information we (and they) already have about you. In addition, depending on how you use those features and your settings with the social network provider(s), the information you share to your social network pages will be available to others, including to your friends and/or the public. For more information about how your information may be shared through those social networks once it is provided to them, you should review the privacy policies of those social networks.

California’s "Shine the Light" Law

California Civil Code Section § 1798.83 permits users of our Platform that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. To make such a request, please send an e-mail to support@vocatales.com. Please note that there are legal limits on how often you can make such a request, and we are only obligated to respond to one information request per customer per year.

Data Security

We have implemented industry-standard security protocols designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration and disclosure. All information you provide to us is stored on our secure servers behind firewalls, and we periodically assess and update our security measures.

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where you have chosen a password for access to certain parts of our Platform, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.

Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted to our Platform. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Platform.

A Note for Persons Outside the United States

If you are using the Platform from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will, as applicable, be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States. We make no representations that the practices we describe are compliant with the laws of other jurisdictions, including laws that apply to the collection, use, disclosure, and security of personal information.

A Note About Children

VocaTales is not targeted to children under the age of 13 and does not knowingly gather any personally identifiable information from children under the age of 13. If you are a parent or legal guardian who believes your minor child provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@vocatales.com.

Changes to Our Privacy Policy

Because of changes in Internet technology and practices, this Privacy Policy may change from time to time. We will post any changes we make to this Privacy Policy on this page, and any changes will be effective once the new policy is posted. It is your responsibility to check this Privacy Policy for updates. You can determine when this Privacy Policy was last updated by referring to the "Last Modified" legend at the top. By using the site after we post any changes to this Privacy Policy, you agree to accept those changes, whether or not you have reviewed them.

Contact Information

To ask questions or comment about this Privacy Policy and our privacy practices, contact us at: support@vocatales.com.