Acowalian Privacy Policy
Introduction
When you use our services, you trust us with your information. We take this responsibility seriously and are committed to safeguarding your data while empowering you with control.
This Privacy Policy is meant to help you understand what information we collect, why we collect it, and how you can update, manage, export, and delete your information.
Information Acowale Collects
We want you to understand the types of information we collect as you use our services.
Acowale gathers information to deliver better experiences to all our users — from basic details like your preferred language to more advanced insights, such as which ads might be most relevant to you, the connections that matter most, or the content you’re likely to enjoy. The information we collect, and how we use it, depends on how you interact with our services and the privacy settings you choose.
If you’re not signed in to an Acowale account, the information we collect is stored using unique identifiers tied to your browser, application, or device. This helps us maintain preferences like your chosen language or show more relevant search results and ads based on your activity.
When you sign in, we collect information linked to your Acowale account. This data is treated as personal information and helps us provide a more personalized experience.
Things you create or provide to us
When you create an Acowale account, you share personal information such as your name and a password. You may also choose to add details like a phone number or payment information to your account. Even if you’re not signed in, you might provide information, such as an email address, to communicate with Acowale or receive updates about our services.
We also collect the content you create, upload, or receive while using our services. This includes emails you send and receive, photos and videos you save, documents and spreadsheets you create, and any comments or feedback you share on our platform.
Information We Collect as You Use Our Services
Your Apps, Browsers & Devices
Acowale collects information about the apps, browsers, and devices you use to access our services. This helps us deliver features like automatic updates or adjustments, such as dimming your screen when your battery is low.
The information we gather includes:
- Unique identifiers
- Browser type and settings
- Device type and configuration
- Operating system details
- Mobile network information, such as carrier name and phone number
- Application version numbers
We also record how your apps, browsers, and devices interact with our services, including:
- IP address
- Crash reports
- System activity logs
- Date, time, and referrer URLs of your requests
This data is collected when a service on your device connects to our servers—for example, during app installation or when checking for automatic updates.
For devices with Acowale services, such as certain mobile platforms, your device may periodically share information with our servers. This can include device type, carrier details, crash reports, installed apps, and, depending on your device settings, additional insights on how you’re using our services.
Your Activity
Acowale collects information about your activity within our services to enhance your experience, such as recommending content you might enjoy. The activity information we gather may include:
- Search terms you use
- Content you view, such as videos or articles
- Interactions with content and ads
- Voice and audio inputs
- Purchase activity
- People you communicate or share content with
- Activity on third-party apps and sites that use Acowale services
- Browsing history synced with your Acowale account
If you use our services for calls or messaging, we may collect information such as:
- Phone numbers of the calling and receiving parties
- Forwarding numbers
- Sender and recipient email addresses
- Time, date, and duration of calls and messages
- Routing details and communication volumes
You can access and manage the activity data saved in your Acowale account through your account settings.
Your location information
Acowale collects location data when you use our services to provide helpful features such as driving directions, nearby search results, and location-based ads.
Types of Location Information We Collect
The type of location data we use depends on the services you interact with and the settings you select. This may include:
- GPS and sensor data from your device
- IP address
- Activity on Acowale services, such as searches or labeled places like “home” or “work”
- Proximity to nearby items, such as Wi-Fi access points, cell towers, and Bluetooth-enabled devices
The types of location data collected and how long we retain it depend on your device and account settings. For example:
- You can turn your device’s location on or off via your device’s settings.
- You may enable Location History to create a private map of your movements with your signed-in devices.
- If Web & App Activity is enabled, searches and other activity may include location data and be saved to your Acowale account.
You control how we use and store your location information through your account and device settings.
In certain cases, Acowale may gather information about you from publicly accessible sources. For instance, if your name appears in publicly available articles or directories, Acowale may index this content to display it when someone searches for your name.
We also collect information from trusted partners, such as:
- Directory services providing business details for display on Acowale’s platform
- Marketing partners offering data on potential customers for our business services
- Security partners supplying information to help protect against fraud and misuse
Additionally, we may receive data from partners to support advertising and research services.
Technologies We Use to Collect and Store Information
Acowale uses various technologies to gather and store information, including:
- Cookies
- Pixel tags
- Local storage, such as browser web storage or application data caches
- Databases
- Server logs
These tools help us enhance your experience and ensure the smooth functioning of our services.
Why Acowale collects data
We Use Data to Build Better Services
The information we collect from all our services is used for the following purposes:
Provide Our Services
We use your information to deliver and improve our services. This includes processing search terms to return relevant results or helping you share content by suggesting recipients from your contacts.
Maintain & Improve Our Services
We also use your information to ensure our services are functioning correctly, such as tracking outages or addressing issues you report. Additionally, your information helps us enhance our services—for example, analyzing common misspelled search terms allows us to improve spell-check features across our platform.
Develop new services
We use the information collected from existing services to help us create new ones. For example, understanding how users interact with our platforms and organize their content helps inform the design and development of new features and services. This approach allows us to continuously innovate and improve based on your needs and feedback.
Provide Personalized Services, Including Content and Ads
We use the information we collect to tailor our services to you, including personalized recommendations, content, and search results. For example, Security Checkup offers security tips based on how you use Acowale services. Similarly, Acowale may suggest new apps you might enjoy on Acowale Store, based on your installed apps and previous activity, like videos you’ve watched.
Depending on your settings, we may also display personalized ads based on your interests and activity across Acowale services. For instance, if you search for “mountain bikes,” you may see related ads on Acowale. You can control the information used to show personalized ads by adjusting your ad settings in My Ad Center.
- We do not show personalized ads based on sensitive categories, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, or health.
- We do not use content from your Drive, emails, or photos to personalize ads.
We do not share personal information (like your name or email) with advertisers unless you choose to. For example, if you click an ad for a local business and tap to call, we may share your phone number with the business to connect the call.
Measure Performance
We use data for analytics and measurement to understand how our services are used. For example, we analyze data from your visits to our platforms to improve product design and user experience. We also use data about the ads you engage with, along with your search activity, to help advertisers assess the performance of their campaigns.
To do this, we use various tools, such as analytics platforms. When you visit sites or use apps that utilize these analytics services, the service provider may link information about your activity from that site or app with activity from other sites or apps that use our ad services.
Communicate with You
We use the information we collect, such as your email address, to communicate with you directly. For example, we may send you notifications if we detect unusual activity, like an attempt to sign in from an unfamiliar location, or inform you about upcoming changes or improvements to our services. Additionally, if you contact us, we’ll keep a record of your request to help resolve any issues you’re facing.
Protect Acowale, Users, and the Public
We use the information we collect to enhance the safety and reliability of our services. This includes detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud, abuse, security threats, and technical issues that could affect our platform, our users, or the broader community.
We Use Data to Build Better Services
The information we collect from all our services is used for the following purposes:
Provide Our Services
We use your information to deliver and improve our services. This includes processing search terms to return relevant results or helping you share content by suggesting recipients from your contacts.
Maintain & Improve Our Services
We also use your information to ensure our services are functioning correctly, such as tracking outages or addressing issues you report. Additionally, your information helps us enhance our services—for example, analyzing common misspelled search terms allows us to improve spell-check features across our platform.
Develop new services
We use the information collected from existing services to help us create new ones. For example, understanding how users interact with our platforms and organize their content helps inform the design and development of new features and services. This approach allows us to continuously innovate and improve based on your needs and feedback.
Provide Personalized Services, Including Content and Ads
We use the information we collect to tailor our services to you, including personalized recommendations, content, and search results. For example, Security Checkup offers security tips based on how you use Acowale services. Similarly, Acowale may suggest new apps you might enjoy on Acowale Store, based on your installed apps and previous activity, like videos you’ve watched.
Depending on your settings, we may also display personalized ads based on your interests and activity across Acowale services. For instance, if you search for “mountain bikes,” you may see related ads on Acowale. You can control the information used to show personalized ads by adjusting your ad settings in My Ad Center.
- We do not show personalized ads based on sensitive categories, such as race, religion, sexual orientation, or health.
- We do not use content from your Drive, emails, or photos to personalize ads.
We do not share personal information (like your name or email) with advertisers unless you choose to. For example, if you click an ad for a local business and tap to call, we may share your phone number with the business to connect the call.
Measure Performance
We use data for analytics and measurement to understand how our services are used. For example, we analyze data from your visits to our platforms to improve product design and user experience. We also use data about the ads you engage with, along with your search activity, to help advertisers assess the performance of their campaigns.
To do this, we use various tools, such as analytics platforms. When you visit sites or use apps that utilize these analytics services, the service provider may link information about your activity from that site or app with activity from other sites or apps that use our ad services.
Communicate with You
We use the information we collect, such as your email address, to communicate with you directly. For example, we may send you notifications if we detect unusual activity, like an attempt to sign in from an unfamiliar location, or inform you about upcoming changes or improvements to our services. Additionally, if you contact us, we’ll keep a record of your request to help resolve any issues you’re facing.
Protect Acowale, Users, and the Public
We use the information we collect to enhance the safety and reliability of our services. This includes detecting, preventing, and addressing fraud, abuse, security threats, and technical issues that could affect our platform, our users, or the broader community.
We use various technologies to process your information for the purposes mentioned above. This includes automated systems that analyze your content to provide customized search results, personalized ads, or other features tailored to how you use our services. We also analyze your content to help detect and prevent issues like spam, malware, and illegal content. For example, language translation services can identify common language patterns to help translate phrases accurately.
We may also use the information collected across different services and devices for these purposes. For example, if you watch videos about guitar playing on one service, you might see ads for guitar lessons on a different site that uses our ad products. Depending on your settings, activity on other sites and apps may be linked with your personal information to improve services and ads.
If others have your email address or other identifiable information, we may show them your publicly visible account details, like your name or photo, to help identify communications from you.
Before using your information for any purpose not covered in this Privacy Policy, we will ask for your consent.
Your privacy controls
Your Choices Regarding the Information We Collect and How It’s Used
This section outlines key controls for managing your privacy across our services. You can also visit the Privacy Checkup, which allows you to review and adjust important privacy settings. In addition to these tools, we offer specific privacy settings within our products — for more details, you can refer to our Product Privacy Guide.
Managing, Reviewing, and Updating Your Information
When you’re signed in, you can review and update your information by visiting the services you use. For example, platforms designed for managing photos or documents allow you to organize and update the content you’ve stored.
Additionally, we’ve created a centralized place for you to review and control the information saved in your account. This includes:
Privacy Controls
Activity Controls
Decide what types of activity you’d like saved in your account. For example, if you have activity history enabled, your interactions, such as searches or video views, are saved to improve recommendations and keep track of your activity. You can also control whether activity from other apps or devices is saved to enhance personalization across services.
Ad Settings
Manage your preferences for ads shown to you across services. You can modify your interests, choose whether your personal information is used to tailor ads to you, and turn on or off certain advertising features.
About You
Manage your personal information and control who can view it across the services you use.
Shared Endorsements
Choose whether your name and photo appear next to your activity, such as reviews or recommendations, in ads.
Sites and Apps Using Our Services
Manage the information shared between websites and apps that use our services, such as those using analytics tools, when you visit or interact with their services.
Ways to Review & Update Your Information
My Activity
Review and control the data saved to your account, such as your search history and app usage, when you’re signed in. You can browse your activity by date or topic and delete specific entries or all activity if you prefer.
Dashboard
Access a comprehensive view of the information linked to your account for different services. From here, you can manage data associated with specific platforms and tools.
Your Personal Information
Update and manage your contact details, including your name, email, and phone number, to ensure that your account is accurate and up to date.
Managing Information When Signed Out
Search Personalization
Choose whether your search activity is used to offer more relevant results and recommendations, even when you’re not signed in.
Video Settings
Pause or delete your search and watch history to manage how your viewing activity influences future content suggestions.
Ad Settings
Manage your preferences for ads shown to you on websites and apps that partner with your service. You can control whether your activity is used to personalize ads.
Exporting, Removing, and Deleting Your Information
You can export a copy of your content if you wish to back it up or use it with a service outside of Acowale.
To delete your information, you can:
- Delete your content from specific services: Remove content like emails, documents, or videos stored within particular services.
- Search for and delete specific items: Use a tool to search for and delete specific activities, like searches or interactions, from your account.
- Delete specific products: Remove your information associated with particular products that you no longer use.
- Delete your entire account: If you wish, you can permanently delete your entire account and all associated information across our services.
The Inactive Account Manager allows you to designate someone to access parts of your account if you’re unable to use it unexpectedly, ensuring that your important information can still be managed.
Additionally, you can request to remove content from specific services, in accordance with applicable laws and our policies, to ensure your data is handled according to legal requirements.
There are other ways to control the information Acowale collects whether or not you’re signed in to an Acowale Account, including:
Browser settings: For example, you can configure your browser to indicate when Acowale has set a cookie in your browser. You can also configure your browser to block all cookies from a specific domain or all domains. But remember that our services rely on cookies to function properly, for things like remembering your language preferences.
Device-level settings: Your device may have controls that determine what information we collect. For example, you can modify location settings on your Android device.
Sharing your information
When you share your information
Many of our services let you share information with other people, and you have control over how you share. For example, you can share videos publicly or you can decide to keep your videos private. Remember, when you share information publicly, your content may become accessible through search engines.
When you’re signed in and interact with some services, like leaving comments or reviewing an app, your name and photo may appear next to your activity. We may also display this information in ads depending on your Shared endorsements setting.
When Acowale shares your information
We do not share your personal information with companies, organizations, or individuals outside of Acowale except in the following cases:
With your consent
We’ll share personal information outside of Acowale when we have your consent. For example, if you use a service to make a reservation through a booking service, we’ll get your permission before sharing your name or phone number. We also provide you with controls to review and manage third-party apps and sites you have given access to data in your Acowale account. We’ll ask for your explicit consent to share any sensitive personal information.
With domain administrators
If you’re a student or work for an organization that uses Acowale services, your domain administrator and resellers who manage your account will have access to your account. They may be able to:
- Access and retain information stored in your account, like your emails.
- View statistics regarding your account, like how many apps you install.
- Change your account password.
- Suspend or terminate your account access.
- Receive your account information to satisfy applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.
- Restrict your ability to delete or edit your information or your privacy settings.
For external processing
We provide personal information to our affiliates and other trusted businesses or persons to process it for us, based on our instructions and in compliance with our privacy policy and appropriate confidentiality and security measures. For example, we use service providers to help operate our data centers, deliver our products and services, improve our internal business processes, and offer additional support to customers and users.
For legal reasons
We will share personal information outside of Acowale if we have a good-faith belief that disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to:
- Respond to any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.
- Enforce applicable Terms of Service, including the investigation of potential violations.
- Detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues.
- Protect against harm to the rights, property, or safety of Acowale, our users, or the public.
We may share non-personally identifiable information publicly and with our partners, like publishers, advertisers, developers, or rights holders. For example, we share information publicly to show trends about the general use of our services. We also allow specific partners to collect information from your browser or device for advertising and measurement purposes using their own cookies or similar technologies.
If Acowale is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, we’ll continue to ensure the confidentiality of your personal information and give affected users notice before personal information is transferred or becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
Keeping your information secure
We build security into our services to protect your information
All Acowale products are built with strong security features that continuously protect your information. The insights we gain from maintaining our services help us detect and automatically block security threats from ever reaching you. If we do detect something risky that we think you should know about, we’ll notify you and help guide you through steps to stay better protected.
We work hard to protect you and Acowale from unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction of information we hold, including:
- We use encryption to keep your data private while in transit.
- We offer a range of security features, like Safe Browsing, Security Checkup, and Two-Factor Authentication to help you protect your account.
- We review our information collection, storage, and processing practices, including physical security measures, to prevent unauthorized access to our systems.
- We restrict access to personal information to Acowale employees, contractors, and agents who need that information to process it. Anyone with this access is subject to strict contractual confidentiality obligations and may be disciplined or terminated if they fail to meet these obligations.
Exporting & deleting your information
You can export a copy of your information or delete it from your Acowale Account at any time.
You can export a copy of content in your Acowale Account if you want to back it up or use it with a service outside of Acowale.
To delete your information, you can:
- Delete your content from specific Acowale services.
- Search for and then delete specific items from your account using My Activity.
- Delete specific Acowale products, including your information associated with those products.
- Delete your entire Acowale Account.
Retaining your information
We retain the data we collect for different periods of time depending on what it is, how we use it, and how you configure your settings:
- Some data can be deleted whenever you like, such as your personal information or the content you create or upload, like photos and documents. You can also delete activity information saved in your account, or choose to have it deleted automatically after a set period of time. We’ll keep this data in your Acowale Account until you remove it or choose to have it removed.
- Other data is deleted or anonymized automatically after a set period of time, such as advertising data in server logs.
- We keep some data until you delete your Acowale Account, such as information about how often you use our services.
- Some data we retain for longer periods of time when necessary for legitimate business or legal purposes, such as security, fraud and abuse prevention, or financial record-keeping.
When you delete data, we follow a deletion process to ensure your data is safely and completely removed from our servers or retained only in anonymized form. We take steps to protect information from accidental or malicious deletion, so there may be delays between when you delete something and when copies are removed from active and backup systems.
Compliance & cooperation with regulators
We regularly review this Privacy Policy and ensure that we process your information in compliance with it.
Data transfers
We maintain servers around the world, and your information may be processed on servers located outside of the country where you live. Data protection laws vary among countries, with some offering more protection than others. Regardless of where your information is processed, we apply the same protections described in this policy. We also comply with certain legal frameworks regarding data transfers.
When we receive formal written complaints, we respond by contacting the person who made the complaint. We work with the appropriate regulatory authorities, including local data protection authorities, to resolve any complaints regarding the transfer of your data that we cannot resolve directly with you.
About this policy
This Privacy Policy applies to all the services offered by Acowale and its affiliates, including those on third-party sites, such as advertising services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to services that have separate privacy policies that do not incorporate this Privacy Policy.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to:
- The information practices of other companies and organizations that advertise our services.
- Services offered by other companies or individuals, including products or sites they offer that may include Acowale services, products or sites displayed to you in search results, or linked from our services.
Changes to this policy
We change this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will not reduce your rights under this Privacy Policy without your explicit consent. We always indicate the date the last changes were published and offer access to archived versions for your review. If changes are significant, we’ll provide a more prominent notice (including, for certain services, email notification of Privacy Policy changes).