Privacy Policy

When you use Public Index we collect:

Session data, information about how you use the platform including which buildings you visit, which features and prompts you engage with, how long you spend in each section, and where you drop off. This data is collected automatically and does not require you to create an account.

Questions you ask. The text of questions you submit through the free text AI interface. These are used to improve the platform and its knowledge bases and, in aggregated and anonymised form, to provide intelligence to our building partners.

Device and browser information including technical information including device type, browser, operating system and approximate location derived from your IP address. We use this to ensure the platform works correctly across different devices.

Information you choose to provide. If you answer optional questions at the start of a session, such as where you are visiting from or who you are with, we collect those responses. These questions are always optional.

If you sign up to receive updates from Public Index, we collect your email address for that purpose. We use Substack to manage our newsletter and deliver emails. Your email address is shared with Substack solely for the purpose of sending you Public Index updates. Substack is not permitted to use your data for any other purpose and operates under its own privacy policy, available at substack.com/privacy.

We use your email address to send you information about new buildings, platform updates and occasional news about the project.

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send you or by managing your preferences directly in Substack. We will remove your email address promptly on request.

We do not collect your name, email address or any other identifying personal information unless you choose to provide it through our contact form or newsletter signup.

We do not collect payment information. Public Index is free to use.

We do not build individual user profiles tied to identifiable personal information.

To operate and improve the platform. Session data and question data help us understand how people engage with buildings and improve the quality of the experience over time.

To provide intelligence to building partners. Aggregated and anonymised engagement data is provided to the organisations whose buildings are on the platform. This data shows how visitors engage with their building as a whole. It never identifies individual users.

To communicate with you. If you provide your email address through our newsletter signup or contact form, we use it only for the purpose you provided it for.

We do not sell your personal information to anyone.

We share aggregated and anonymised engagement data with our building partners. This means patterns and trends across all users, never information about specific individuals.

We use third party service providers to operate the platform, including cloud hosting and database services. These providers process data on our behalf under strict confidentiality obligations.

We may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request.

Session data and question data are retained for as long as necessary to operate the platform and provide our intelligence services to building partners. We review our retention practices regularly.

If you contact us with a request to delete your data, we will do so to the extent technically possible given the anonymised and aggregated nature of most of what we collect.

Public Index uses cookies and similar technologies to maintain your session and remember your preferences during a visit. We do not use advertising cookies or track your behaviour across other websites.

You can control cookie settings through your browser, though disabling cookies may affect how the platform functions.

Under the Australian Privacy Act you have the right to request access to personal information we hold about you and to request that we correct information that is inaccurate.

Given that most data we collect is anonymised and not linked to your identity, we may not be able to retrieve information specific to you. If you have a privacy request or concern, contact us at info@publicindex.app and we will respond within a reasonable time.

We take reasonable steps to protect the information we hold from misuse, interference, loss and unauthorised access. Our platform uses industry standard security practices including encrypted connections and access controls on our database.

No method of transmission over the internet is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but we take our obligations seriously and will notify you in the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, as required by Australian law.

Public Index is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will note the date of the last update at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

If you are accessing Public Index from the United Kingdom or the European Union, you have additional rights under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR respectively. These include the right to access your personal data, the right to have it corrected or deleted, the right to restrict or object to processing, and the right to data portability.

Our legal basis for processing your email address for newsletter purposes is your consent, which you can withdraw at any time by unsubscribing.

For any GDPR-related requests contact us at info@publicindex.app and we will respond within 30 days.

For privacy questions or requests contact us at info@publicindex.app

Public Index Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia