AppOptix Mobile Panel

Privacy Policy

AppOptix Mobile Panel
Tech Insights, Inc.
Effective and Last Updated December 1 2022

Tech Insights (TI) wants to ensure the privacy of our mobile panel members (PANELISTS) and has developed this document to outline TI’s overall privacy policies related to the AppOptix Mobile Panel. TI may have other privacy policies in effect for other areas of its business that do not impact or relate to PANELISTS of the AppOptix Mobile Panel. Information pertaining to this Privacy Policy will not be used by TI for advertising, promotion or marketing of any third party goods or services.

We will not disclose, license, publish or sell any information collected from you that can be tied to an individual user, such as your name, email address, or mobile phone number. TI has implemented several safeguards to help ensure that the information collected through our mobile panel software is protected from unauthorized use, modification or disclosure. The following information provides additional detail on our privacy policies and practices.

1. TI Mobile Software Overview

By joining TI’s AppOptix mobile panel, you will be asked to download and install a software application on your smartphone. The software is designed to run in the background and will not affect your device or conflict with other software you are using on your smartphone. Alongside collecting data from the AppOptix software running in the background, TI will collect data directly from panel members through survey’s that we will push to you on behalf of our business client’s or to further TI’s business needs. TI uploads data captured via this software at various times, such as late at night, or when the device is charging and when it is connected via Wi-Fi if the device supports it. These measures are taken to minimize any impact the software has on the device’s power consumption or data transmission volumes via the cellular network. After installation, the participant should not observe any performance degradation of their device. There is no adware associated with TI’s mobile software.

2. Use of TI Mobile Software

Participation in the panel is based on full disclosure, opt-in methods and is completely voluntary. TI uses its mobile panel software for research purposes and the data generated from it is used in aggregate form only for research and analytical purposes. This means that data received from PANELISTS, both passive data and through survey responses, are used collectively to observe trends and examine usage of different features and functions or capabilities of the device and the wireless networks and NOT to intrude on any individual’s activities. TI takes great measures to ensure and protect the integrity of the data from its PANELISTS and will not sell any data that uniquely identifies any individual. Rather, the data is used to assist companies to improve designs, software functionality, and the overall interaction of the device(s) with their device owners.

3. Information Collected

PANELISTS are asked to complete a brief survey during registration via an on-line process that helps TI examine large groups of participants based on such data as demographics (age, gender, employment status, etc.). During the panel registration process, or in subsequent brief surveys, TI requests additional information related to your device use and ownership. After joining the mobile panel and our software has been installed on your mobile device, TI will automatically collect information, such as:

Please note that we do not listen to or record your phone calls or text messages. In addition, we cannot and do not read any of the contents of your stored files, text messages or email messages. Further, we do not monitor or observe activities once inside an app, only that a specific app is being used.

Periodically, we request that PANELISTS participate in additional brief surveys to help us better understand certain aspects of your mobile device use. We will also send brief surveys on behalf of our business client’s for which you will receive rewards for completing. Participation, however, is optional.

4. Mobile Panel Membership Requirements

TI designs panels and recruits PANELISTS based on varying research requirements it is addressing. As such the qualifications for participation will vary from time to time. However, TI requires PANELISTS to be at least 18 years old (this age can vary depending on the region you are signing up from but must always be the legal age within the local country) and own a mobile device (smartphone) for which they have exclusive use and for which such device is considered the primary device. Panel members are sought based on their geographic location, demographic attributes, and other such items as TI deems necessary and which may vary from time to time.

5. Children's Privacy and Parental Controls

We do not solicit any personal information from children. If you are not 18 or older (this age can vary depending on the region you are signing up from but must always be the legal age within the local country), you are not authorized to participate in TI’s mobile panel. Parents should be aware that there are parental control tools available online that can be used to prevent children from submitting information online without parental permission or from accessing material that is harmful to minors.

6. TI May Use Cookies

A cookie is a piece of data stored on the user’s device. TI may use cookies for its Mobile Panel Management web site to help us better understand how you use the site and to help improve the site’s navigation. Once you have registered for the Mobile Panel, we may place a cookie on your mobile device. If your browser rejects cookies or you delete cookies, you will still be able to remain a PANELIST. You can also delete individual cookies or all cookies on your computer by following your browser’s directions.

7. How the information from PANELISTS is used?

We combine the information that you, and other PANELISTS provide us, with data and research from other sources, such as the surveys we push to you. We use this information to perform research and to prepare reports and analyses on how consumers use their mobile devices and related services.

We do not provide our clients with any of the personally identifiable information made available as a result of your participation in the panel.

We may employ or contract with other companies and individuals to perform certain research or support functions or services on TI’s behalf. Such companies or individuals may be provided with access to your information needed to perform these functions or services, but are prohibited from using such information for any other purpose through our agreements with these companies or individuals.

In addition, we may release personally identifiable information to third parties when disclosure is required by law or when necessary or desirable to exercise or preserve our legal rights, or to take action regarding potentially illegal activities. If all or part of our company is sold, merged or otherwise transferred to an unrelated entity, your information, whether personally identifiable or otherwise, may be transferred as part of that transaction.

8. How is the information secured?

TI recognizes that the security of data and the protection of personal information are essential to our success and continued credibility as a member of the research community. We have in place certain security measures to help protect the security and confidentiality of personally identifiable information while in our possession. We store the personally identifiable information we hold about PANELISTS on our servers, or servers of third parties that we contract with, which may be stored indefinitely. We take appropriate security measures to protect your information against unauthorized access to or unauthorized alteration, disclosure or destruction of data. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we maintain appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information and data stored on our system. While no computer system is completely secure, we believe the measures we have implemented reduce the likelihood of security problems to a level appropriate to the type of data involved.

9. Disclaimer to Security

By consenting to the Mobile Panel Membership Agreement and hence the Privacy Policy, you agree that no data transmission over the internet is completely secure. We cannot guarantee or warrant the security of any information you provide to us and you transmit such information to us at your own risk.

10. How to modify/update your profile?

You may review or update the profile information you provided in our database by opening the AppOptix mobile app on your device then selecting "My Profile".

11. Will I be notified of changes to this Privacy Notice?

TI reserves the right to update and make changes to this Privacy Policy. Changes to this policy may be made from time to time and you are encouraged to view changes when they are made. TI will send out notifications to PANELISTS on any substantial change made either via email or text message. If you do not want your information used in the way it is described in the Privacy Policy, you should resign from the panel and remove the AppOptix app from your smartphone. Your continued membership on our panel after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of all of the changes. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy regularly to ensure that you remain current with any changes.

12. How to cancel my participation in the Mobile Panel?

We appreciate your participation as a PANELIST. However, if you wish to stop participating in the panel, you may do so at any time by notifying us at Appoptix@techinsights.com. You may also remove the AppOptix application from your device at any time by following the procedures for your device to uninstall an application. Once uninstalled your device will no longer capture and transmit any data. Please refer to the Mobile Panel Membership Agreement about further details on how to discontinue your participation.

13. Who can I contact with additional questions or concerns?

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please email us at Appoptix@techinsights.com