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Privacy Policy 

Last updated March 2026

​Protecting Your Privacy

 

We understand that you care about how information about you and/or the child being assessed is used, and we recognise the importance of protecting the privacy and the rights of individuals in relation to their personal information.

​

This Policy explains how we collect and manage your personal information. In this Policy, "The Austin Assessment", "Austin McDowell Foundation", "we", "our", "us" refers to The Austin McDowell Foundation (charity services number CC60616).

 

This Privacy Policy applies to:

 

What is Your Personal Information?

 

Personal information is any information that can be used to identify you and/or the child being assessed. This may include your name, address, telephone number and email address. If any of the information we collect from you identifies you and/or the child being assessed, or is reasonably capable of identifying you and/or the child being assessed, then it will be considered personal information under the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand).

 

What Personal Information Do We Collect and Hold?

 

For Austin Assessment Users:​ We may collect the following types of personal information from yourself or for the child being assessed:

  • Full name (although you do not have to enter the child’s real name if you do not wish to)

  • Email address

  • Age (at time of assessment, not date of birth)

  • Payment information (where applicable - processed by third-party payment providers)

 

Important Note: We are not collecting any biometrics or face data. The app detects eye movement and we are interpreting this data and storing the results.

 

For Website Visitors:​ We may collect:

  • Name and email address (if you contact us or subscribe)

  • Donation information

  • Website usage data through cookies and analytics

  • Webinar registration information

 

​Important Note on Eye Tracking Data: The Austin Assessment tracks eye movements using your device's camera to assess visual function. We collect only coordinate data representing eye position - we do not capture, store, or analyse facial images, facial recognition data, or other biometric identifiers. The camera is used solely for real-time eye position detection, and only the resulting coordinate data is stored.

 

How We Collect Personal Information

 

We collect personal information through:

 

For the Family App: Information is provided by yourself or by a parent/caregiver for their child.

 

​For the Professional App: Information is obtained from the child being assessed by the person administering the assessment.

 

​Important: Consent must be obtained from a parent/caregiver before conducting an assessment on a child. This consent process (third-party consent) must be completed outside of the app in line with your organisation's guidelines and processes. We also encourage gaining ascent or consent from the child being assessed prior to starting the assessment.​​

 

Children's Privacy

 

The Austin Assessment is designed to screen children for cerebral visual impairment. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18 without verified parental or guardian consent.

​If you are using the Services to assess a child, you confirm that:​

  • You are the child's parent or legal guardian, OR

  • You have obtained explicit consent from the child's parent or legal guardian​

 

If you believe we have collected information from a child without proper consent, please contact us immediately at privacy@austinassessment.org.

 

Why Do We Collect This Information?

 

We collect, hold, and use personal information for the following purposes:

 

Primary Uses:​

  • To determine if a child meets the threshold for potential cerebral visual impairment (CVI)

  • To generate your personalised assessment report

  • To provide customer support and respond to inquiries

  • To process payments and donations

 

Ongoing development:​

  • Ongoing development of the Austin Assessment app

  • Regularly reviewing normative ranges and thresholds to ensure accuracy

 

Ongoing development use of your assessment data is essential to the Services and cannot be opted out of. Data used for ongoing development will be de-identified where possible. If you have concerns about ongoing development use, please contact us at info@austinassessment.org before using the Services.

 

Our commitment to using your information responsibly: We use your personal data on the following bases:

  • You have given us your consent to conduct assessments and collect eye movement data

  • We have a legitimate interest in using assessment data for ongoing development and improvement of the Austin Assessment

  • We are legally required to retain payment records and comply with applicable laws

 

What Happens If You Don't Provide Information?

 

Providing personal information is your choice. However, if you do not provide the required information:​

  • The assessment results may not be accurate

  • Without the child's age, the app cannot determine if performance meets the threshold for their age group

  • Without a name or identification code, it will be difficult to distinguish between assessments

 

How We Store Your Information

 

Your personal information is stored on Google Cloud Platform (located in the United States across three different locations). This is a cloud-based service, and Google does not have access to or use the data stored on its systems for its own purposes. We remain responsible for all personal information stored on Google Cloud Platform.

 

We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss, unauthorized access, modification, and disclosure through:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest

  • Secure authentication and access controls

  • Regular security checks 

  • Restricted access to authorised personnel only

 

Data Retention: We retain data as required by legal obligations. Data used for ongoing development will be de-identified where possible and may be retained indefinitely. Specifically:

  • Eye movement data and assessment information: Retained indefinitely for ongoing development

  • Profile and contact information: Deleted immediately upon request 

  • Payment records: Retained for 7 years for tax and accounting purposes

 

Who Has Access to Your Information?

 

Internal Access:

  • Employees of the Austin McDowell Foundation have access to personal information

  • For the Professional App: Only approved personnel within the organisation that administered the test can access that organisation's data. Other organisations cannot access your information.

 

Third-Party Sharing: We may share your information with:

  • Cloud hosting providers (Google Cloud Platform)

  • Payment processors (for donations and payments)

  • Professional advisors, auditors, and insurers (as legally required)

  • Research partners (de-identified data only, with appropriate data use agreements)

 

We DO NOT:

  • Sell your personal information

  • Use your information for marketing by other organisations

 

Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect our rights, prevent fraud, or ensure public safety.

 

Your Privacy Rights

 

We want you to feel in control of your personal information. Under the Privacy Act 2020 (New Zealand) and, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you

  • Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information

  • Deletion: Request deletion of your information (subject to legal retention requirements)

  • Data portability: Request your personal data in a commonly used, machine-readable format

  • Right to object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests

  • Right to restrict processing: Request that we limit how we use your data while a concern is being resolved

 

To exercise these rights, contact our Privacy Officer at privacy@austinassessment.org with your name, email address, and proof of identity. We will respond within 20 working days.

 

There may be instances where we cannot grant full access (e.g., if it would interfere with others' privacy or breach confidentiality). If we refuse access, we will provide written reasons within 20 days.

 
How to Delete Your Account

 

You may delete your account at any time using the feature provided in the app, or by contacting privacy@austinassessment.org.

Upon account deletion:

  • Your access to the Services will be terminated

  • Your profile and contact information will be deleted immediately upon request

  • Assessment data will be retained in anonymised form for ongoing development purposes

 
Cookies and Analytics

 

Website Cookies:
Our website uses Google Analytics to collect anonymous user data to help us understand visitor engagement and improve our website. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

App Analytics:
Our apps collect anonymised data for analytical purposes to improve user experience.

 
International Users

 

The Austin Assessment is operated from New Zealand and hosted on servers in the United States. If you access the Services from outside New Zealand:

  • Your information will be transferred to and processed in New Zealand and the United States

  • By using the Services, you consent to this transfer

  • New Zealand privacy laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction 

 
Data Breach Notification

 

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, and will notify the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner where required by law.

 
Changes to This Privacy Policy

 

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes:

  • We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top

  • For material changes, we will send email notification and provide at least 30 days' notice

  • Continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance

 
Contact Us

 

Privacy Officer:
Dr Nicola McDowell
Founder and CEO, Austin McDowell Foundation
Email: privacy@austinassessment.org
General inquiries: info@austinassessment.org
Website: www.austinassessment.org

 
How to Make a Complaint

 

If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, please contact our Privacy Officer first. If you are not satisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with:

 

Office of the Privacy Commissioner:
New Zealand
Website: www.privacy.org.nz
Phone: 0800 803 909
Email: enquiries@privacy.org.nz

 

​European Union Users: If you are based in the EU or EEA and are not satisfied with how we have handled your privacy concern, you also have the right to contact your local EU data protection authority.

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