textPlus Privacy Policy
Revised: May 17th, 2018, further additions for CCPA effective January 1, 2020
Your privacy is very important to us. We’ve prepared this Privacy Policy to explain how textPlus, Inc. (“we”) collect, use protect, and disclose Personal Information, Usage Data, Message Data and Contact Data when you use the textPlus and Nextplus websites (“Site”) and/or our SMS, instant messaging, voice telephony or other services (“Services”), such as our textPlus and Nextplus mobile applications. This Privacy Policy also explains your choices for managing your information preferences. By using the Site or Services, you consent to this Privacy Policy.
Information We Collect
Personal Information. We collect information that personally identifies you, such as your name, mobile telephone number, or e-mail address, and any other personally identifiable information that you provide us with or that you choose to include in any profile or account (“Personal Information”). You may be asked to provide us with certain Personal Information when you register with the Site or any of our Services, and at other times. The decision to provide certain Personal Information is optional. However, if you choose not to provide the requested information, you may not be able to use certain features of the Site or Services. You can delete or modify this provided Personal Information at any time via the "My Profile" feature.
Usage Data. We automatically collect usage information that does not identify an individual user (“Usage Data”). For example, when you download and use our Services, we may automatically collect information such as your device type, operating system version and type, certain device settings, device time zone, device carrier, current IP address, applications installed on the device, and platform-specific advertising identifiers. We may also collect location information, such as your device GPS coordinates, unless you configure your device operating system settings to prevent our collection of location information. Additionally, each time you use the Site we may automatically collect the type of web browser you use, your operating system, your Internet Service Provider, your IP address, the pages you view, and the time and duration of your visits to the Site. We use this information to enhance the services we offer, provide targeted advertising, and to help us understand how people use the Site and Services. You can opt-out of ads personalization and other associated services at any time via the system controls on your device.
Messages and Calls. When you place calls or send and receive messages using our Services, we process and store your messages, log and connection data, and other related information (“Message Data”) to provide these Services to you. Your messages can be deleted at any time via the Inbox feature. To properly connect calls, we must also collect calling information such as your calling number, recipient calling number, and the time and date and duration of calls (“Calling Data”). We also store any voicemails you receive. Call logs and voicemail may be deleted via the inbox feature in the app.
Contacts. With your permission, we will access your device address book, your contacts, including names, telephone numbers, email addresses, and social media handles, if available (“Contact Data”). This Contact Data is managed locally on your device and not collected or stored by our service.
Cookies and Web Beacons. We use cookies (a small text file placed on your computer to identify your computer and browser when you visit our Site or use our Services). We also use Web beacons (an electronic file placed on a website that monitors usage). We do not use cookies or Web beacons to collect Personal Information. We use cookies and Web beacons to improve the quality of the Site and Services. Most Web browsers are initially set up to accept cookies. You can reset your Web browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, certain features of the Site or Services may not work if you delete or disable cookies. Some of our Service Providers may use their own cookies and Web beacons in connection with the services they perform on our behalf.
Location. In addition to other information described in this policy, we may collect and share precise location information, including the presence of connected devices via bluetooth, through methods such as mobile “SDKs”, which help us maintain the app from both a cost and functionality standpoint, and related services thereof. This information may be used by itself, aggregated, or combined with mobile identifiers (such as IDFAs and Android IDs), and may be shared with other parties, for purposes related to advertising, attribution (e.g., measuring ad performance), analytics and research. You can withdraw your consent to having your location data collected by changing the settings on your device (note that certain services may lose functionality as a result). You can also activate your device’s opt-out settings which will: (i) tell advertisers to not use your in-app information from that device for purposes of collecting and serving interest-based advertising and (ii) halt further data collection and sharing from that device via any SDKs that we are using to provide certain pieces of functionality as described above. For more help on how to access these settings, please email our support at privacy@textplus.com.
How We Use Information and When We May Share Information
Generally. We use Personal Information, Message Data, Calling Data and Contact Data for internal purposes only, such as to provide you with the Site and Services, to improve our services, to notify you of new products or Services, to ensure our services are working as intended, to protect against fraud and spam, and to otherwise communicate with you. For example, we may use your Contact Data to let you know when people you know join our Service. We will not disclose Personal Information, Message Data or Contact Data to third parties without your consent, except as explained in this Privacy Policy.
Since providing advertisements helps to offset the cost of the service, we may use and share with third parties, including advertisers, non-Personal Information you provide in using the Services, such as general demographic and location information that does not identify you personally. Advertisers may use this information to make predictions about your interests or preferences so that they can display advertisements on our Services and on other sites across the Internet tailored to your apparent interests. The use and disclosure of such non-Personal Information is not subject to any restrictions under this Privacy Policy. To prevent demographic and location information from being passed to advertisers and third parties, please decline to provide any optional profile information, decline location sharing for this app, and activate your devices advertisement tracking opt-out. For help with any of these, please contact our support team at privacy@textplus.com.
Service Providers. From time to time, we may establish a business relationship with other businesses that we believe are trustworthy and who have confirmed that their privacy practices are consistent with ours (“Service Providers”). For example, we may contract with Service Providers to provide certain services, such as hosting and maintenance, customer relationship management, data storage and management, and direct marketing campaigns. We provide our Service Providers with only the information necessary for them to perform these services on our behalf. Each Service Provider must agree to use reasonable security procedures and practices, appropriate to the nature of the information involved, in order to protect your Personal Information, Message Data and Contact Data from unauthorized access, use or disclosure. Service Providers are prohibited from using Personal Information, Message Data or Contact Data other than as specified by us.
Ad Networks. We may work with third-party marketing and advertising companies (“Ad Networks”). These companies may collect and use information about your use of the Site or Services in order to provide advertisements about goods and services that may be of interest to you. Advertisements may be shown via the Site, the Services, or third-party websites. These companies may place or recognise a unique cookie on your computer or use other technologies such as Web beacons. Our Privacy Policy does not cover any use of information that an Ad Network may collect from you. It also does not cover any information that you may choose to provide to an Ad Network or to an advertiser whose goods or services are advertised through the Site or the Services. iOS and Android devices provide functionality to limit ad tracking, and we invite you to use these features for both our service and more broadly. For help finding and using these device functions, please contact our support team at privacy@textplus.com.
Standard Analytics Information. We may use, and disclose to third parties, certain aggregate or anonymous Usage Data regarding the Site and Services. Again, such information does not identify you individually.
Other Transfers. We may share Personal Information, Usage Data and Message Data with businesses controlling, controlled by, or under common control with us. If our company is merged, acquired, or sold, or in the event of a transfer of some or all of our assets, we may disclose or transfer Personal Information, Usage Data and Message Data in connection with such transaction. You will have the opportunity to opt out of any such transfer if, in our discretion, the new entity plans to handle your information in a way that differs materially from this Privacy Policy.
Compliance with Laws and Law Enforcement. We cooperate with government and law enforcement officials to enforce and comply with the law. We may therefore disclose Personal Information, Usage Data, Message Data, and any other information about you, if we have a good faith belief that it is reasonably necessary to (a) satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request, (b) enforce our Terms of Use, including investigation of potential violations thereof, (c) detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues, or (d) protect against harm to our rights, property or safety, or that of our users or the public as required or permitted by law.
Be Careful When You Share Information with Others
Please be aware that, whenever you share information on a publicly available profile page, community page or any other public forum, this information may be accessed by the public. In addition, when you share information in SMS, WAP, instant message, or any other communications with third parties, that information may be passed along or made public by others. That means that anyone with access to such information can potentially use it for any purpose, including sending unsolicited communications.
Security
We’re very concerned about safeguarding the confidentiality of your information. We employ measures designed to protect your information from unauthorized access. However, no data transmission over the Internet or other network can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. As a result, while we strive to protect information transmitted on or through the Site or Services, we cannot and do not guarantee the security of any information you transmit on or through the Site or Services, and you do so at your own risk.
REVOKING CONSENT
You may withdraw your consent to the ongoing use of your information at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. You can withdraw your consent by deactivating your account or by uninstalling our applications using your device’s standard uninstall functional.
If you would like to restrict us from using location information as described in this privacy policy, you can turn off location services for this application in your device settings. If you would like our help in finding these functions, please contact us at privacy@textplus.com.
Links To Other Websites
Our Site and Services may contain links to other websites, or allow others to send you such links. A link to a third party’s website does not mean that we endorse it or that we are affiliated with it. We do not exercise control over third-party websites. You access such third-party websites or content at your own risk. You should always read the privacy policy of a third-party website before providing any information to the website.
Managing Your Information Preferences
You can always review, correct, update, or change your Personal Information, or opt out of our direct marketing efforts, by changing the relevant setting in your profile or account (if available), or by contacting our Privacy Officer at privacy@textPlus.com. If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, please e-mail us at privacy@textPlus.com.
Children’s Privacy
Our services are not intended for use by anyone who is unable to enter into a binding contract, such as a minor. Furthermore, children under the age of 13 may not use our service or submit information to us. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under the age of 13. By using our Site or Services, you promise that you are at least 13 years old. If we become aware that we have inadvertently received Personal Information from a child under the age of 13, we will delete such information from our records. In addition, we recommend that minors 13 years of age or older ask their parents for permission before sending any information about themselves to anyone over the Internet.
Processing in the United States
Please be aware that your Personal Information and communications may be transferred to and maintained on servers or databases located outside your state, province, or country. If you are located outside of the United States, please be advised that we process and store all information in the United States. The laws in the United States may not be as protective of your privacy as those in your location. By using our Site or Services, you agree that the collection, use, transfer, and disclosure of your Personal Information and communications will be governed by the applicable laws in the United States.
Specific rights and choices for residents of the state of california
The CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) provides California residents with certain rights regarding their personal information. Please read the CCPA for a full list of your rights, but what follows is a summary.
You have the right to know the categories of personal information we collect, the categories of sources from which we collect that information, the business or commercial purpose for collecting that information, the categories of third parties with which we disclose that information, and the specific pieces of information we hold about you.
You have the right to opt-out of the sale of your personal information.
You have the right to request deletion of your personal information subject to specific exceptions (such as our requirements to comply with laws and telecommunications laws).
You have the right to non-discrimination in terms of price or service when a consumer exercises a privacy right under CCPA.
Please reach out to our support team at privacy@textplus.com with requests to exercise any of these rights. They will respond within a reasonable timeframe and, after confirming that you are authorized to make this verifiable request, will help fulfill your request. The CCPA does allow us to provide incentive to encourage our users to opt-in to the collection and sale of data. We may offer such incentives in the future, but that opt-in consent can be withdrawn at any time.
Privacy Policy Changes
From time to time, we may change this Privacy Policy. If we decide to change this Privacy Policy, we will inform you by posting the revised Privacy Policy on the Site. Those changes will go into effect on the Revision Date shown in the revised Privacy Policy. Your continued use of our Site or Services constitutes your consent to be bound by the revised Privacy Policy.