Privacy Policy
How we handle your personal information
Last updated: December 2024
Hotloop.ai is operated by Karl Hartley, based in Hamilton, New Zealand. This policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information in accordance with the New Zealand Privacy Act 2020 and the OECD Privacy Guidelines.
We're committed to protecting your privacy. We only collect what we need, we're transparent about how we use it, and we give you control over your information.
What We Collect
We collect personal information only when necessary to respond to your enquiries or provide our services. This information is collected directly from you.
Information you provide directly: When you contact us via email or through our website, we collect your name, email address, and any other information you choose to include in your message. This is used solely to respond to your enquiry.
Information collected automatically: When you visit our website, we may collect technical information such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and time spent on the site. This helps us understand how people use our website and improve it. We don't use this data to identify individuals.
Portal access: If you're granted access to our demo portal, we collect your name and email address to manage your account. Portal usage may be logged for security and improvement purposes.
How We Use Your Information
We use your personal information only for the purposes for which it was collected. These purposes are specified at the time of collection.
Enquiry responses: Contact information is used to respond to your questions about our research, consulting services, or speaking engagements.
Service delivery: If you engage us for consulting or research work, we use your information to deliver those services and maintain our professional relationship.
Website improvement: Technical data is used in aggregate to understand website performance and user experience. We don't sell or share this data with third parties for their marketing purposes.
We will not use your information for purposes unrelated to why you provided it without your consent.
Cookies and Analytics
Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to improve your experience and help us understand how visitors use the site.
Essential cookies: Required for basic website functionality. These don't collect personal information.
Analytics cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website. This data is aggregated and doesn't identify individuals.
You can control cookie settings through your browser. Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being sent. Note that disabling cookies may affect some website functionality.
We respect your browser's Do Not Track preference where technically feasible.
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.
These measures include secure hosting, encrypted communications (HTTPS), access controls, and regular review of our security practices.
While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted to our website.
Data Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
Enquiry correspondence: Retained for the duration of our communication and a reasonable period afterward to maintain context for any follow-up.
Client records: Retained in accordance with New Zealand professional and tax requirements, typically seven years.
Website analytics: Aggregated data may be retained indefinitely. Individual session data is not retained beyond 26 months.
When personal information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymise it.
Disclosure to Third Parties
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.
We may share your information in limited circumstances: with service providers who assist in operating our website or delivering services (under confidentiality agreements), when required by law or legal process, or to protect our rights or the safety of others.
If we need to disclose your information for a purpose not covered here, we will seek your consent first.
International Data Transfers
Our website may use services hosted outside New Zealand (such as cloud hosting or analytics). Where your personal information is transferred overseas, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
Under Information Privacy Principle 12 of the Privacy Act 2020, we only transfer personal information to overseas recipients if the recipient is subject to comparable privacy protections, we have reasonable grounds to believe the information will be adequately protected, or you authorise the transfer after being informed of any risks.
Your Rights
Under New Zealand's Privacy Act 2020, you have rights regarding your personal information.
Right to access: You can request confirmation of whether we hold personal information about you, and if so, access to that information.
Right to correction: If information we hold about you is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading, you can request correction.
Right to know: You can ask how your information was collected, why it's held, who it may be disclosed to, and whether it's held overseas.
To exercise these rights, contact us at karl@hotloop.ai. We will respond within 20 working days as required by law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you can make a complaint to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner at privacy.org.nz.
Privacy Breaches
In the event of a privacy breach that is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and affected individuals as required by the Privacy Act 2020.
We have procedures in place to assess, contain, and respond to any suspected privacy breach.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates when the policy was most recently revised.
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your information? Get in touch.
Karl Hartley
Hotloop.ai
Hamilton, New Zealand