Tella - Privacy Policy
Last updated on 23 July 2024.
You can read details about Tella's technical details and security audits on our Security and Privacy page.
The short version
We only collect the minimum amount of data that is necessary to fulfill the purpose of Tella.
We never collect personally identifiable information. We never disclose, share, or sell any of your data to third parties.
Through using our app, you may send data to servers managed by individuals or organizations you're working with. We encourage you to ask these individuals or organizations about their data privacy policies, as they may differ from ours. We provide the same standard of privacy protection to all our users no matter where you are in the world.
Please read the full Privacy Policy below for more details
1. Introduction
Horizontal (“Company” or “We”) respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes:
- The type of information we may collect or that you may provide when you download, register with, access, or use Tella (the “App”).
- Our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.
This policy applies only to information we collect in this App. It DOES NOT apply to information that:
- We collect offline or on any other apps or websites owned or operated by Horizontal.
- You provide to, or is collected by, any third party or Deploying Organization (see Third-Party Information Collection).
Our other websites and apps, these other third parties, or Deploying Organizations may have their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to enquire about or read before providing information on or through them.
Please read this policy carefully to understand our policies and practices regarding your information and how we will treat it. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not download, register with, or use this App. By downloading, registering with, or using this App, you agree to this privacy policy. This policy may change from time to time (see Changes to Our Privacy Policy). Your continued use of this App after we revise this policy means you accept those changes, so please check the policy periodically for updates.
2. Children Under the Age of 16
The App is not intended for children under 16 years of age, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at contact@tella-app.org.
3. Information Tella Collects and How It Is Collected
By downloading and using the App, you consent to the collection and storage of data. Tella collects information from and about users of the App:
- Directly from you when you provide it (see “information and data you provide” below).
- Automatically when you use the App (see “automatic information collection” below).
Information And Data You Provide
When you download, register with, or use this App, we may ask you to provide information by which you may be personally identified, such as name and email address (“personal information”). This information includes:
- Records and copies of your correspondences with Horizontal (including email addresses and phone numbers), if you contact us.
- Your responses to surveys that we might ask you to complete for research purposes, information when you report a problem with the App or suggest improvements.
- Analytics usage data that you opt-in to share.
You may use this app to take or store photos, videos, audio recordings, and other types of files. This data is stored locally on your device and is not accessible by the Company or any third party, including Deploying Organizations, until you choose to transmit it to the Deploying Organization by submitting your data to their servers (see Third-Party Information Collection).
Automatic Information Collection
When you download or use this App, it may collect information that is about you but does not identify you individually, such as analytics and bug reports. User are free to disable this automatic information collection (see Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information).
File, device, and location metadata
When you access and use the App while Verification Mode is activated, Tella automatically collects certain information.
Tella collects information associated with the files you create through, or import into, the App. This may include, for example, file name, file path on the device, date and time the file was last modified, date and time the metadata was generated, and hash value of the file. Collectively, this data is known as “File Metadata”.
Tella also collects information about your mobile device and internet connection, including device manufacturer, hardware, device ID, screen size, language, locale, connection status, network time, mobile data type, wireless network MAC address, and internet protocol data. Collectively, this data is known as “Device Metadata.”
Tella also collects information that helps identify the location of the device when a file was captured. This includes location (including latitude, longitude, accuracy, and altitude), location provider, location speed, and cell towers that your device is connected to. Collectively, this data is known as “Location Metadata”.
File, device and location metadata are only collected if you opt-in by turning on Verification Mode or Import EXIF Metadata in your App settings. If you do not want Tella to collect this information, do not activate Verification Mode nor Import EXIF Metadata.
Information Collection Technologies
The technologies we use for automatic information collection may include:
- Cellular network.
- WiFi network.
- Device accelerometer.
- Device GPS.
- Device gyroscope.
- Device light-sensor.
- Device barometer.
4. Information you send through the App
When you use the App to transmit data, you connect to the server of a Deploying Organization that is overseeing the documentation or data-collection process to send photos, videos, audio recordings, and other files, metadata, and text data (collectively, “User Contributions”).
The Deploying Organization manages and is responsible for the server on which the data you submitted, including User Contributions, is stored. It is the Deploying Organization, and not the Company, who owns that data and is responsible for its handling and use. The Company does not have access to or control over the data collected by Deploying Organizations.
Your User Contributions are transmitted at your own risk. The privacy and security of your User Contributions are very important to us, and we work hard to protect them; however, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable, and the Company shall not be held responsible for any damage, loss, or unauthorized access by third parties.
In the event that a Deploying Organization contracts with the Company to install and manage the server on which user data is stored, the Company will have access to the data as a partner to the Deploying Organization. The Company will be able to view, control, and manage your data, but will not disclose it to any third party other than the contracting Deploying Organization.
Without limiting the foregoing, Company employees do not access private spaces unless required to for security reasons, to assist the Deploying Organization with a support matter, or to maintain the integrity of the service.
When you use the App or its content, certain third parties may use automatic information collection technologies to collect information about you or your device. These third parties may include:
- Your mobile device manufacturer.
- Your mobile service provider.
- The Google Play store, if you install the App through it.
These third parties may use tracking technologies to collect information about you when you use this app. The information they collect may be associated with your personal information, or they may collect information, including personal information, about your online activities over time and across different websites, apps, and other online services websites. They may use this information to provide you with interest-based (behavioral) adverting or other targeted content.
We do not control these third parties’ tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.
If you do not want to download the App through the Google Play store, you can download an APK directly on this link.
A fully Free and Open Source version of Tella for Android that doesn't contain any closed-source or proprietary library or dependency, and that is free from any trackers can be found on F-droid.
5. How We Use Your Information
We will not pass on any of the information we collect from your usage of the app to any third parties not owned or affiliated with Horizontal without your prior consent. We do not use any information collected through your use of the app to make automated decisions.
Disclosure of Your Information
We may disclose aggregated information about App users, and information that does not identify any individual or device, without restriction. We will not disclose any information about users that identifies any individual or device to any third party unless required by law.
We may disclose personal information and data that we collect or you provide:
- To fulfill the purpose for which you provide it, such as support or troubleshooting.
- For any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information.
- With your consent.
- To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
- To enforce our rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us, including the App’s Terms of Use.
6. Your Choices About Our Collection, Use, and Disclosure of Your Information
Through the settings menu of the App, you can opt-out of:
- Bug reports and default usage analytics.
- Metadata collection either in whole or in part by disabling “Verification Mode” in your app settings.
Through the settings menu of the App, you can opt-in to:
- Share usage analytics using our privacy-preserving system Divvi Up.
The FOSS version of Tella available on F-droid does not have any trackers for bug reports or usage analytics.
7. Accessing and Correcting Your Personal Information
You are entitled to submit a Subject Access Request (SAR) free of charge, after which we will provide you with:
- What personal information pertaining to you we are processing.
- Why the information is being processed.
- Who has access to your personal information.
- What processes are using this personal information.
To submit a SAR, please contact contact@wearehorizontal.org.
You may also send us an email at contact@horizontal.org to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that you have provided to us. We may not accommodate a request to change information if we believe the change would violate any law or legal requirement or cause the information to be incorrect.
8. Your California Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, California law may provide you with additional rights regarding our use of your personal information. To learn more about your California privacy rights, visit https://www.oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa.
9. Data Security
We have implemented measures designed to secure your personal information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. All information you provide to us is encrypted inside the app and securely transferred to our servers behind firewalls.
The safety and security of your information also depends on you. Where we have given you (or where you have chosen) a password for access to certain parts of our App, you are responsible for keeping this password confidential. We ask you not to share your password with anyone.
Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet and mobile platforms is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee the security of your personal information transmitted through our App. Any transmission of personal information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures we provide.
10. Changes to Our Privacy Policy
We may update or privacy policy from time to time. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ personal information, we will post the new privacy policy on this page with a notice that the privacy policy has been updated.
The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for periodically visiting this privacy policy to check for any changes.
11. Contact Information
To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at contact@wearehorizontal.org.