Privacy policy

1. Introduction #

This Privacy Policy describes how Join the Dots BV (“we,” “our,” or “us”) collects, uses, and protects your personal information when you use the Once mobile application (the “Service”). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Company Information:

Company Name: Join the Dots BV
Country: Belgium

2. Data Controller #

Join the Dots BV is the data controller responsible for your personal data. If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us using the contact information provided at the end of this policy.

3. Information We Collect #

To provide you with the Once service, we collect the following categories of personal data:

3.1 Account Information #

Your name
Your email address
Authentication credentials (managed securely through Firebase Authentication)

3.2 Content Data #

Facts of life about the person you are writing your book about, including:
- Information about people (names, relationships, personal details)
- Information about places (locations, addresses, geographical data)
- Information about life events (dates, descriptions, personal stories)
Audio recordings of your sessions
Transcriptions of your recordings
Stories and narratives you create
Book content and related materials

3.3 Technical Data #

Device information
Usage data and analytics
IP addresses and network information
App performance and crash reports

4. How We Collect Information #

We collect information:

Directly from you: When you create an account, use the app, record sessions, or provide content
Automatically: Through your use of the Service, including technical data and usage analytics
From third-party services: Through integrated services such as Firebase Authentication

5. Legal Basis for Processing #

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

Contractual necessity: To provide you with the Service and fulfill our contractual obligations
Legitimate interests: To improve our Service, ensure security, and prevent fraud
Consent: Where you have provided explicit consent for specific processing activities

6. How We Use Your Information #

We use the collected data for the following purposes:

6.1 Service Delivery #

To ensure your access to the Service
To authenticate your identity and manage your account
To create and generate content for your book
To process and store your recordings, transcriptions, and stories
To facilitate book printing services

6.2 Service Improvement #

To analyze usage patterns and improve the Service
To fix bugs and technical issues
To develop new features and functionality

6.3 Communication #

To send you important service-related notifications
To respond to your inquiries and support requests

7. Data Ownership #

You own all the data that you share with us. You retain full ownership and control over:

Your personal information
Your recordings and transcriptions
Your stories and narratives
All content you create through the Service

We act as a custodian of your data and process it solely to provide you with the Service.

To deliver the Service, we share your data with the following sub-processors:

8.1 Cloud Infrastructure Provider #

Google Cloud Platform / Firebase (Google LLC)
- Purpose: Hosting, data storage, authentication, and cloud infrastructure services
- Location: Various data centers worldwide (subject to Google’s data processing agreements)

8.2 Artificial Intelligence Services Provider #

OpenAI (OpenAI, L.L.C.)
- Purpose: Processing transcriptions, generating content, and providing AI-powered features for book creation
- Location: United States (subject to appropriate safeguards and data processing agreements)

8.3 Book Printing Providers #

Various book printing companies and print centers
- Purpose: Printing and delivering physical books based on your content
- Location: Various locations (subject to contractual agreements)

9. International Data Transfers #

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA), including the United States. When we transfer your data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
Adequacy decisions where applicable
Other appropriate legal mechanisms to ensure your data is protected

10. Data Retention #

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to:

Provide you with the Service
Fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy
Comply with legal obligations
Resolve disputes and enforce agreements

You may request deletion of your data at any time (see Section 11 below). Upon receiving a valid deletion request, we will delete your data within 45 days, except where we are required to retain certain information for legal compliance purposes.

11. Your Rights #

Under GDPR and applicable data protection laws, you have the following rights:

11.1 Right of Access #

You have the right to request access to your personal data and receive a copy of the data we hold about you.

11.2 Right to Rectification #

You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

11.3 Right to Erasure (“Right to Be Forgotten”) #

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data. Upon receiving a valid request, we will delete your data within 45 days, subject to any legal obligations that may require us to retain certain information.

11.4 Right to Restrict Processing #

You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.

11.5 Right to Data Portability #

You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit that data to another service provider.

11.6 Right to Object #

You have the right to object to processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests.

Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the contact information provided in Section 15.

12. Data Security #

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Secure authentication mechanisms
Regular security assessments
Access controls and monitoring

However, you are responsible for maintaining the security of your password and other access credentials. We refuse all responsibility if your authentication data are compromised due to your failure to maintain adequate security measures, including but not limited to:

Sharing your credentials with others
Using weak or easily guessable passwords
Failing to secure your device
Falling victim to phishing or social engineering attacks

13. Children’s Privacy #

The Service is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 16, please contact us immediately, and we will take steps to delete such information.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy #

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by:

Posting the updated policy on our website
Sending a notification through the app
Updating the “Last Updated” date at the top of this policy

Your continued use of the Service after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Us #

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Join the Dots BV
Belgium we@dothub.cloud

16. Complaints #

If you believe that we have not addressed your concerns or that we are processing your personal data in violation of applicable data protection laws, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. For users in Belgium, you can contact:

Gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit / Autorité de protection des données
Rue de la Presse 35 / Drukpersstraat 35
1000 Brussels, Belgium
Website: https://www.gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.be/
Email: contact@apd-gba.be

Last Updated: January 2025