DataSense — Terms of Participation

Information We Collect Automatically

When you access the DataSense platform ("Service"), we automatically collect certain technical information from your device and browser. This information is necessary to provide the Service and ensure its proper functioning. The information we collect may include:

Device identifiers, browser type and version, and operating system information
IP address and approximate geographic location derived from your IP address
Screen resolution, device pixel density, and display configuration
Hardware characteristics including processor configuration and available memory
Network connection type, estimated bandwidth, and connection quality metrics
Browser language settings and regional preferences
Timestamps and session duration data
Interaction data including scroll depth and time spent on individual pages

We use industry-standard technologies including browser APIs, device capability detection, and behavioural analytics to collect this information. This collection occurs automatically and does not require you to actively provide any data.

How We Use Your Information

DataSense uses the information described in Section 1 for the following primary purposes:

Service Delivery: To provide, maintain, and personalise the assessment experience based on your device and browser capabilities.
Performance Monitoring: To identify and resolve technical issues, monitor service availability, and measure system performance.
Analytics and Improvement: To understand how users interact with the Service, enabling us to improve functionality and user experience.
Security: To detect and prevent fraudulent activity, unauthorised access, and other security incidents.
Legal Compliance: Where required by applicable law, regulation, or enforceable government request.

We process your information on the legal basis of our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Service, and where applicable, on the basis of your consent as provided through your acceptance of this Privacy Policy.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

The Service uses browser storage technologies including cookies, local storage, and session storage to maintain state across your browsing session. These technologies allow us to remember your preferences and provide a consistent experience throughout your visit.

We may also use browser-based fingerprinting techniques, which involve collecting and combining technical attributes of your browser and device to create a statistical identifier. Unlike cookies, these identifiers cannot be cleared by deleting cookies or browsing in private mode. This identifier is used solely for analytics, session continuity, and fraud prevention purposes.

You may disable cookies through your browser settings; however, doing so may limit your ability to access or use certain features of the Service. Browser fingerprinting cannot be disabled through standard browser settings.

Institutional Partnerships and Research Collaboration

DataSense is developed and maintained in association with a consortium of academic institutions and research organisations conducting work in the fields of digital literacy, online behaviour, human-computer interaction, and information systems. Our platform is used across a range of educational and institutional contexts, and we maintain formal data governance frameworks in compliance with applicable research ethics requirements, including review by institutional ethics boards where required.

As part of our institutional research programme, DataSense participates in a number of ongoing and periodic research initiatives. These initiatives may result in publications, conference presentations, working papers, and contributions to educational curricula. Participation in the platform may coincide with one or more active research initiatives at any given time. Current active programmes include, but are not limited to: (i) the Digital Literacy Longitudinal Study; (ii) the Online Consent Behaviour and Awareness Research Programme (OCBARP); and (iii) periodic instrument validation studies conducted in collaboration with tertiary education partners.

From time to time, information collected through the Service — including technical device data, behavioural interaction metrics, session-level engagement patterns, and response data — may be used for the purposes of such research. This may include analysis conducted internally or in collaboration with third-party academic partners subject to applicable data sharing arrangements. Research outputs derived from such data are typically presented in anonymised or aggregated form; however, raw technical and behavioural data may be retained and processed in a form attributable to individual sessions for a period not exceeding ninety (90) days from the date of collection, after which such data is either anonymised or deleted in accordance with our retention schedule set out in Section 6.

By accepting these Terms of Participation, you acknowledge and agree that you have read and understood this section in its entirety, and you provide your consent to the potential use of information collected through the Service for the academic, educational, and research purposes described herein, including your participation in studies examining digital literacy, privacy awareness, consent behaviour, and online user behaviour patterns. You further acknowledge that participation in research initiatives conducted through the platform does not require additional notice beyond this disclosure, and that your acceptance of these Terms constitutes your informed consent for these purposes. To decline research participation specifically, see the opt-out procedure described in Section 7.

Data Sharing and Third Parties

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We may share technical and behavioural data with the following categories of recipients:

Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist in operating the Service, including cloud infrastructure providers, analytics platforms, and security monitoring services. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.
Academic Partners: Affiliated research institutions as described in Section 4, subject to appropriate data sharing agreements and ethical oversight.
Legal Authorities: Where required by law, legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of our users or the public.

All third-party data sharing is governed by data processing agreements that require recipients to maintain appropriate technical and organisational security measures.

Data Retention and Security

We retain automatically collected technical data for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of collection, after which it is securely deleted or permanently anonymised. Data retained for research purposes (as described in Section 4) is subject to the same ninety (90) day retention period unless anonymisation renders it no longer attributable to an identifiable individual.

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational security measures to protect the information we collect, including encryption in transit (TLS), access controls, and regular security assessments. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Rights and Contact Information

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights with respect to your personal information: the right to access, correct, or delete your data; the right to object to or restrict processing; and the right to data portability. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below.

As the automatically collected data described in this policy does not include your name or contact details, exercising certain rights (such as access or deletion) may require you to provide us with additional identifying information (such as your IP address or approximate visit time) to locate your records.

To exercise your right to withdraw from optional research participation as described in Section 4, you must submit a written withdrawal request to the data controller within forty-eight (48) hours of your session. Requests submitted outside this window cannot be fulfilled, as data will have been incorporated into anonymised aggregate datasets in accordance with our retention schedule. To initiate withdrawal, email the address below with the subject line "Research Participation Withdrawal" and include your approximate session date and time and device type to assist in locating your record. Note that withdrawal from research participation does not affect your access to the Service.

Contact: privacy@datasense.edu.au
Jurisdiction: This policy is governed by the laws of New South Wales, Australia.