Privacy Policy

1. About Us

AskOtis (the "Service") is a registered trading name of Ascent Dev PTY LTD (ABN 12 633 493 562), a company registered in Victoria, Australia. Otis is the name of our AI email assistant.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address used to register and authenticate with the Service.
• Forwarded Emails: Email content you forward to Otis for processing (drafts, extraction, or summarisation). This content is processed by our email service provider and automatically deleted within 45 days.
• Writing Style & Context: Information you voluntarily provide to help Otis understand your tone, preferences, FAQs, or standard responses.
• Payment Information: Billing details processed securely through our payment provider (Stripe). We do not store full credit card numbers.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: Number of emails processed, timestamps, and feature usage for service improvement.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and device information for security and troubleshooting.

3. How We Use Your Information

We collect and use personal information only for the following purposes:

• To provide and operate the Service (generating drafts, extracting data, summarising emails)
• To authenticate your identity via email forwarding (DKIM/SPF verification)
• To process payments and manage your subscription
• To communicate service updates, security alerts, and support responses
• To improve the Service based on aggregate, anonymised usage patterns
• To comply with legal obligations

4. How We Handle Email Content

4.1 Available Services

Otis provides multiple email processing services, each accessible via a dedicated email address:

• draft@otis.email — Generate reply drafts in your writing style
• extract@otis.email — Extract structured data from emails (coming soon)
• summarise@otis.email — Summarise email threads (coming soon)

4.2 Data Handling

• Email Processing: Forwarded email content is received by our email service provider and sent to our AI provider (OpenAI) for processing. Email content is automatically deleted by our email service provider within 45 days.
• Output Storage: Generated outputs (drafts, extractions, summaries) are stored encrypted and can be deleted at any time upon your request.
• No AI Training: Your email content is never used to train AI models. OpenAI's API does not train on customer data (confirmed policy since March 2023).

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate AskOtis:

• OpenAI: AI processing for all Otis services. Data processed under OpenAI's API Data Usage Policy (no training on API data).
• Stripe: Payment processing. See Stripe's Privacy Policy.
• Email Service Provider: Email receiving and delivery. Forwarded emails are retained for up to 45 days for processing and support purposes.

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information:

• 256-bit TLS encryption for all data in transit
• AES-256 encryption for data at rest
• Access controls and authentication for all systems
• Regular security assessments and updates

7. Data Retention

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for up to 30 days after account deletion.
• Forwarded Emails: Retained by our email service provider for up to 45 days for processing and support purposes, then automatically deleted.
• Generated Outputs: Drafts, extractions, and summaries are retained until you delete them or close your account.
• Usage Logs: Retained for up to 12 months for security and service improvement.

8. Your Rights Under Australian Privacy Law

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access: Request access to the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you believe your privacy has been breached.

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@askotis.ai.

9. International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed by third-party services located outside Australia (e.g., OpenAI in the United States). We ensure these transfers comply with Australian Privacy Principles by:

• Using providers with appropriate data protection policies
• Ensuring contractual obligations for data protection
• Minimising the data transferred and retention period (45 days maximum)

10. Children's Privacy

AskOtis is not intended for use by individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Posting the updated policy on this page with a new "Last Updated" date
• Sending an email notification for significant changes

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related enquiries or to exercise your rights:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).