At Ask Apps, we respect your privacy, and we understand the importance of the information you entrust to us. This Privacy Policy describes the practices concerning the information collected by the Ask Apps family of companies consisting of Ask Applications, Inc. (f/k/a Mindspark Interactive Network, Inc. and APN, LLC) and IAC Search and Media Europe Limited ("Ask Apps", "we", "us" and "our") through the use of the (i) websites and applications (the "Ask Apps Products") and (ii) our "Search Applications" made available by means of a search box on a Ask Apps Product or website from which you can access our search services.
Collectively, we refer to the Ask Apps Products and these Search Applications in this Privacy Policy as the "Ask Apps Services".
Ask Apps respects the privacy of users of the Ask Apps Services and has developed this privacy policy (the "Privacy Policy") to demonstrate our commitment to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy is intended to describe for you the information we collect, how that information may be used, with whom it may be shared, and your choices about such uses and disclosures. We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you have any questions about our privacy practices, please refer to the end of this Privacy Policy for information on how to contact us. Unless indicated otherwise Ask Apps Services are subject to our Terms of Service, this Privacy Policy, and for downloadable software (where applicable) the End User License Agreement. Certain Ask Apps Services may be subject to different privacy policies and/or terms of service as indicated on the sites from where those services are available and/ or accessed.
We have recently updated our policies and we are in the process of translating it into several languages. If you do not have an appropriate language option or you have any questions, please contact us via the methods described below.
A. WHO WE ARE
If you reside in the European Economic Area (“EEA”) then the company that is responsible for your personal information is our Irish affiliate IAC Search and Media Europe Limited ("SAM EU").
If you reside outside of the EEA, then the company that is responsible for your personal information is Ask Apps.
Both Ask Apps and SAM EU are member of the IAC family of companies. We are committed to providing you with the best service as well as respecting your privacy - if anything in this Privacy Policy is not clear then please contact us via the methods described below.
B. WHAT WE DO
We provide you with a range of services, including websites, browser extensions and search applications. All of these are designed to help you manage your browsing experience in a more customizable fashion. We provide further detail below about the Ask Apps Services.
SEARCH APPLICATIONS
The Search Applications provide features to facilitate Internet search services while using the Ask Apps Products. This search functionality may be implemented through browser settings and extensions. These set your browser homepage, start page, new tab page and/or default search setting(s), depending on which Ask Apps Product you are using and what options you select. We may provide you a way to decline or opt-out of the setting(s) change by unchecking the appropriate checkbox during the download and installation process for the relevant Ask Apps Product that provides access to the Search Applications.
EXTENSIONS
Ask Apps Products are browser extensions, applications and/or websites that we offer to you. The extensions can be downloaded onto your browser and offer a range of functions, including allowing you to manage and convert your documents, managing your calendar and providing you access to other functionality across the internet. Some of these Ask Apps Products, such as Chrome new tab products, may be available through the online store operated by the browser developer (e.g., the Chrome web store) and the user disclosures and options may vary based on the stores' requirements.
For certain Ask Apps Products, the search features (and other features such as maps, local radio and document management), may be customized by you on your device. In addition, you may be able to disable or remove the default search features by removing or disabling the applicable extension you downloaded or changing your default search within your browser. This will depend on your browser and its relevant features. Click here to go to our support page.
In some Ask Apps Products the Search Applications are provided by Ask, one of our sister companies within the IAC group of companies. This is provided under the Ask brand in which case the relevant Ask Privacy Policy applies. For more information on this please see their privacy policy here.
C. HOW WE COLLECT INFORMATION
We may collect information from you in a variety of different ways. This is information that may identify you, and anonymous information, such as the number of your page views, link clicks, and login times. Your information may be kept in an identifiable format, or in an aggregate format which means that you cannot reasonably be identified from it. We provide further detail on the type of info we collect, and how we collect it, below:
|
Category |
Specific Examples |
|
A. Identifiers |
Your name, telephone number, email address, unique online identifier (UUID), IP address. |
|
B. Personal Records |
Email address, username. |
|
C. Commercial information |
Records of products or services obtained, or considered, or other consuming histories or tendencies. |
|
D. Internet or other similar network activity |
Browsing history, search history, information on a consumer’s interaction with a website, application, or advertisement. See below for further details. |
|
E. Geolocation data |
Physical location or movements which may be inferred from your IP address. |
In addition, we may collect, use and disclose your personal information as required or permitted by applicable law, or as directed by you, in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Sources of Information
Third Parties: We may allow third parties, including our authorized service providers, parent and subsidiary companies, affiliates, advertising companies, and ad networks, to display advertisements or place ad tags or beacons on or via our Services on the computer or device you use to access our Ask Apps Services and to track that device to over time and across different web sites for the purpose of serving advertising relevant to your interests. We do not control third parties' collection or use of information to serve interest-based advertising. Some but not all providers may allow you to opt-out of receiving their targeted ads, see http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/.
Behavioral Advertising: We work with various companies (such as advertisers, ad networks and data management platforms) to tailor online ads that you see elsewhere on the internet, including through behavioral advertising designed to target users' interests and deliver more relevant advertising. To provide such ads, these third parties may collect and/or we may disclose to these third parties a unique ID that may be associated with your device's platform or a device/internet browser combination
We or these third parties may collect the following information (and similar information):
We or these third parties may use the collected information to provide advertisements of interest to you on certain Ask Apps Services and non-affiliated websites and applications and for other purposes described in this privacy policy (such as to improve or customize our products).
Mobile: Please note that you cannot opt-out of ads on mobile apps via the site listed above. However, your mobile devices may offer settings that enable users to limit how mobile device ad tracking occurs, using unique device identifiers such as the Apple IDFA and Google Android Advertising ID. Some information about those settings may be reviewed for Apple here and for Android here.
To process your information as described above, we rely on the following legal basis:
D. COOKIES
We use cookies and similar technologies (such as local stored objects) to collect and store information when you interact with the Ask Apps Services, view our emails or view our ads. We, and certain third parties we work with e.g. ad networks and data management platforms, may also use these technologies to better target ads to you based on your online browsing activities. Please see our cookies policy for further information about our use of these technologies, and please see the above Section titled "Third Parties and Behavioral Advertising" to learn more about how we use information to (and work with others that use information to) provide behavioral targeted advertising.
E. HOW WE USE THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT
We may use information that we collect about you to:
F. WITH WHOM WE SHARE YOUR INFORMATION
We share your information with others as indicated below:
These service providers may have access to information, which is needed to perform their functions and provide you with the Ask Apps Services.
G. HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR INFORMATION
We only keep your personal information as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy including for legitimate business purposes and as permitted by applicable law. We will only use your information to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations, resolve any legal issues, enforce our agreements, and as otherwise described in this policy.
H. WHERE WE STORE YOUR INFORMATION
Information we collect, or permit third parties to collect may be transferred to, stored and processed outside your country of residence in any country or territory where one or more of our affiliated group companies, third party service providers or advertising companies or advertising networks are located or maintain facilities, including but not limited to the United States and Ireland.
When your information is moved from your home country to another country, we ensure that such a transfer is done legally. For users based in the EEA, we may rely on the Model Clauses a standard document created by the European Commission to facilitate data transfers while ensuring that safeguards are put in place for personal information. We do not participate in the EU-US Privacy Shield, but we may rely on it to transfer personal information to some of our service providers based in the USA, provided they are certified to receive such personal information pursuant to the Privacy Shield. By using the Ask Apps Services you consent to the transfer of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.
I. THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES
There may be places in the Ask Apps Services where you may click on a link to access other websites that do not operate under this Privacy Policy. For example, if you click on an advertisement, you may be taken to a website that we do not control. These third-party websites may independently solicit and collect information, from you and, in some instances, provide us with information about your activities on those websites. We recommend that you consult the privacy policy of all third-party websites you visit.
J. YOUR RIGHTS
Depending on your location you may have some or all of the following rights in relation to how we use your information:
If you wish to exercise any of these rights or wish to object to our use of your information, please write to us at the address listed below and we will consider your request in accordance with applicable laws. Keep in mind, we may reject requests for certain reasons, including if the request is unlawful or if it may infringe on the rights and freedoms of another person.
K. HOW WE PROTECT YOUR INFORMATION
The security and confidentiality of your information is very important to us; thus, we take certain security measures (including physical, electronic and procedural measures) to help safeguard your information from unauthorized access and disclosure. Please know that, despite our best efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable.
You are solely responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of any password you may use to access the Ask Apps Services. You agree not to transfer your username or password or lend or otherwise transfer your use of or access to the Ask Apps Services, to any third party. You are fully responsible for all activity that occurs in connection with your username or password. You agree to immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your user name or password or any other breach of security related to your account or the Ask Apps Services, and to ensure that you log off/exit from your account (if applicable) at the end of each session. We are not liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with any of the foregoing obligations.
L. DATA PROTECTION OFFICER
For our EEA users, our Data Protection Officer is responsible for ensuring your rights are respected and to review and oversee how we collect and use your personal information. They can be reached here.
M. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
Our Ask Apps Services are intended for general audiences over the age of 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect information from children under the age of 18 years old. If you are not over 18 years old, then DO NOT DOWNLOAD OR USE THE ASK APPS SERVICES.
N. NO RIGHTS OF THIRD PARTIES
This Privacy Policy does not create rights enforceable by third parties or require disclosure of any information relating to users of the Ask Apps Services.
O. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY
We will occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices and services. When we post changes to this Privacy Policy, we will revise the Last Updated date at the top of this Privacy Policy. If we make any material changes in the way we collect, use, and/or share your information, we will notify you by posting notice of the changes on or through the applicable Ask Apps Services, or notifying you of these changes in another way reasonably calculated to provide notice. We recommend that you check this page, or the help menu within an Ask Apps Product, from time to time to inform yourself of any changes in this Privacy Policy or any of our other policies.
We may acquire or develop new Ask Apps Products and/or Ask Apps Services from time to time that require additional privacy disclosure. In such case, we will add these additional provisions in a product specific annex or section that will only apply to such new Ask Apps Product or Ask Apps Service and will not vary the terms of this Privacy Policy in relation to your use of existing Ask Apps Products and Ask Apps Services (and, as such, we will not be required to notify you of such additional terms unless you also use the new Ask Apps Products or Ask Apps Services).
P. INFORMATION FOR RESIDENTS OF CALIFORNIA: YOUR CALIFORNIA PRIVACY RIGHTS
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”) may provide you with additional rights regarding our use of your personal information. The CCPA Notice applies to “Consumers” as defined by the law. This section describes your CCPA rights as a California Consumer and explains how to exercise those rights.
Access to Information and Data Portability Rights
You have the right to send us a request, no more than twice in a twelve-month period, for any of the following for the period that is twelve months prior to the request date:
You have the right to make or obtain a transportable copy, no more than twice in a twelve-month period, of your personal information that we have collected in the period that is 12 months prior to the request date and are maintaining.
Data Deletion Rights
Except to the extent we have a basis for retention under CCPA, you may request that we delete your personal information that we have collected directly from you and are maintaining. Note also that we are not required to delete your personal information that we did not collect directly from you.
Exercising Your Rights
To make a request for access, portability or deletion according to your rights under CCPA, click here or mail your request for the attention of the Privacy / Legal Department to Ask Applications, Inc. 29 Wells Avenue, Suite 300, Yonkers, NY 10701. California Consumers may exercise these rights via an authorized agent who meets the agency requirements of the CCPA. We cannot respond to your request or provide you with personal information if we cannot verify your identity or authority to make the request and confirm that the personal information relates to you. Any request you submit to us is subject to an identification and residency verification process (“Verifiable Consumer Request”).
The Verifiable Consumer Request must:
Some personal information we maintain about Consumers is not sufficiently associated with enough personal information about the Consumer for us to be able to verify that it is a particular Consumer’s personal information (e.g., clickstream data tied only to a pseudonymous browser ID). As required by the CCPA, we do not include that personal information in response to Verifiable Consumer Requests. If we cannot comply with a request, we will explain the reasons in our response.
We will make commercially reasonable efforts to identify Consumer personal information that we collect, process, store, disclose, and otherwise use and to respond to your California Consumer privacy rights requests. We will typically not charge a fee to fully respond to your requests, but we may charge a reasonable fee, or refuse to act upon a request, if your request is excessive, repetitive, unfounded, or overly burdensome.
We do not “sell” personal information that we collect from you, in accordance with the definition of “sell” in the CCPA and will treat personal information we collect from you as subject to a do not sell request. There is not yet a consensus as to whether third-party cookies and tracking devices associated with our websites may constitute a “sale” of your personal information as defined by the CCPA. You can exercise control over browser-based cookies by adjusting the settings on your browser.
We will not discriminate against you in a manner prohibited by the CCPA because you exercise your CCPA rights. However, we may charge a different price or rate, or offer a different level or quality of good or service, to the extent that doing so is reasonably related to the value of the applicable data.
California's "Shine the Light" law, Civil Code section 1798.83, requires certain businesses to respond to requests from California customers asking about the businesses' practices related to disclosing personal information to third parties for the third parties' direct marketing purposes. To find out more about our “do not track” practices under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 22575, see the “Do Not Track Disclosures” section of this Privacy Policy.
Q. YOUR NEVADA RIGHTS
Under Nevada law, Nevada residents may opt out of the “sale” of certain “covered information” (as defined under Nevada law) collected by operators of websites or online services. We currently do not sell covered information, as “sale” is defined by Nevada law, and we do not have plans to sell this information. However, if you would like to be notified if we decide in the future to sell personal information covered by the Act, please contact us here. You are responsible for updating any change in your email address by the same method and we are not obligated to cross-reference other emails you may have otherwise provided us for other purposes. We will maintain this information and contact you if our practices change.
R. HOW TO CONTACT US
You may contact us with questions, comments, or concerns about our services and this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, or to request access to or correction of your information by submitting your requests or inquiries via the mediums detailed below:
For our European users, our Data Protection Officer is responsible for ensuring your rights are respected and to review and oversee how we collect and use your personal information. They can be reached here.
If you are a resident of California, please contact us here.
Our support team can be contacted support@help.askapplications.net.
OR
Ask Applications, Inc.
29 Wells Avenue, Suite 300
Yonkers, NY 10701
ATTN: Privacy Officer/Legal Dept.
Without prejudice to any other rights you may have, if you are located in the EEA, you also have the right to file a complaint against Ask Applications with the Irish Data Protection Commissioner ("DPC"), which is Ask Applications Lead Supervisory Authority.
The DPC's contact details are:
Office of the Data Protection Commissioner
Canal House, Station Road
Portarlington, Co. Laois, R32 AP23,
Ireland
Phone: +353 (0761) 104 800
LoCall: 1890 25 22 31
Fax: +353 57 868 4757
Email: info@dataprotection.ie
If you live in the EEA, you may also file a complaint with your local data protection regulator.
END OF DOCUMENT.