Personal Data (Privacy Policy) Statement ("Privacy Policy")

(日本語バージョンはこちら )

Openrice Group Inc., its subsidiary(ies) and affiliates (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Company"; if the context requires or permits, "Company" may refer to any one of Openrice Group Inc. and/or its subsidiary(ies) and/or affiliate(s)) pledges to meet with the requirements of the relevant law governing the protection of personal information. In doing so, the Company will ensure compliance by its staff to the strictest standards of security and confidentiality in respect of all personal information and data submitted by users via OpenRice.com, its subdomains, any other websites, media platforms or applications including mobile applications operated/developed by the Company (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Channels" ) and the Company will not release such information to anyone without the prior consent of the relevant user(s) of the Channels (whether registered or not) (hereinafter referred to as "User(s)") except to the authorized persons listed under Paragraph 3 below. 　

Users are strongly recommended to read this Privacy Policy carefully to have an understanding of the Company's policy and practices with regard to the treatment of personal information and data provided by the Users on the Channels. This Privacy Policy is applicable to both registered and nonregistered Users, and the provisions herein may be updated, revised, varied and/or amended from time to time as the Company deems necessary.

If Users have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, they should first contact the Customer Service Representative of the Company's Customer Service Department email: cs@openrice.co.jp.

Purpose of Collection of Personal Information
1. In the course of using the Channels, Users may disclose or be asked to provide personal information and/or data. In order to have the benefit of and enjoy various services offered by the Channels, it may be necessary for Users to provide the Company with their personal information and/or data. Although Users are not obliged to provide the information and/or data as requested on the Channels, the Company will not be able to render certain services on the Channels in the event that Users fail to do so.
  
  The Company's purposes for collection of information and data on the Channels are as follows and include the purposes associated with the following:
  1. for the daily operation of the services provided to Users;
  2. to identify Users who have posted advertisements, materials, messages, photos, views or comments or such other information (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "Information") on the Channels;
  3. to identify Users who have viewed the Information posted on the Channels;
  4. to provide Users with marketing and promotional materials for their enjoyment of benefits as members of the Channels (for further details, please refer to Paragraph 4 entitled "Subscription of Newsletter/Promotional Materials/Marketing Materials" below);
  5. to identify Users who have enjoyed their benefits as members of the Channels by receiving and using marketing and promotional materials;
  6. to provide Users with a platform and forum for posting photos, sharing and discussing their insights in respect of services or products related to food and beverage;
  7. to allow members of the Channels to enjoy their benefits by enrolling for special events hosted by the Company;
  8. to design and provide products and services to Users in relation to the above purposes;
  9. to compile and analyze aggregate statistics about the Users' use of the Channels and service usage by the Users for the Company's internal use; and
  10. to facilitate the Company to use the Users' personal information for purposes relating to the provision of services offered by the Company and marketing services, special events and/or promotions of the Company and/or its clients.
2. 　If the User is under the age of 13, the Company would strongly recommend him/her to seek prior consent from a person with parental responsibility for him/her, e.g. parent or guardian, who may contact the responsible personnel of the Company at cs@openrice.co.jp for registering the User as member of the Channels.
  
  The Company strives to only collect personal information which is necessary and adequate but not excessive in relation to the purposes set out hereinabove.
  
  If the Company requires the use of Users' personal information for a purpose other than those set out hereinabove, the Company may request the Users' prescribed consent to the same. If User is a minor, the prescribed consent should be given by his/her parent or guardian.
Collection of Personal Information
1. The Company may collect personal information and/or data about a User such as his/her name, login ID and password, address, email address, phone number, age, sex, date of birth, country of residence, nationality, educational background and work experience that is/are not otherwise publicly available. Occasionally, the Company may also collect additional personal information and/or data from a User in connection with contests, surveys, or special offers. Only duly authorized staff of the Company will be permitted to access the Users' personal information and data, and the Company shall not release such personal information and data to any third parties save and except for the circumstances listed out under Paragraph 3. entitled "Disclosure or Transfer of Personal Information and/or Data".
Disclosure or Transfer of Personal Information and/or Data
1. The Company agrees to take all practicable steps to keep all personal information and data of Users confidential and/or undisclosed, subject to the following.
  
  Generally speaking, the Company will only disclose or transfer Users' personal information and/or data to the Company's personnel and staff for the purpose of providing services to Users. However, the Company may disclose or transfer such information and/or data to third parties under the following circumstances:
  1. where the personal information and/or data of a User is disclosed or transferred to any third party suppliers or external service providers who have been duly authorized by the Company to use such information and/or data and who will facilitate the services on the Channels, upon placing a duty of confidentiality;
  2. where the personal information and/or data of a User is disclosed or transferred to any agents, affiliates or associates of the Company who have been duly authorized by the Company to use such information and/or data;
  3. where the Company needs to protect and defend its rights and property;
  4. where the Company considers necessary to do so in order to comply with the applicable laws and regulations, including without limitation compliance with a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process served on the Channels; and
  5. where the Company deems necessary in order to maintain and improve the services on the Channels.
2. Personal information collected via the Channels may be transferred, stored and processed in any country in which the Company operates. By using the Channels, Users are deemed to have agreed to, consented to and authorized the Company to disclose or transfer their personal information and data under the circumstances stated above, as well as to any transfer of information (including the Information) outside of the Users' country.
Subscription of Newsletter/Promotional Materials/Marketing Materials
1. The Company may from time to time send to members and Users of the Channels newsletters, promotional materials and marketing materials based on the personal information and data that they have provided to the Company. The Company may use Users' data in direct marketing and the Company requires the Users' consent (which includes a manifestation of intention of no objection) for that purpose. In this connection, please note that:
  1. the name, login ID and password, contact details, age, sex, date of birth, country of residence, nationality, educational background and work experience of Users held by the Company from time to time may be used by the Company and/or its authorised personnel or staff in direct marketing;
  2. the following classes of services, products and subjects may be marketed:
    1. food and beverage related products and services;
    2. travelling related products and services;
    3. special events hosted by the Company for members and Users, including but not limited to courses, workshops, and competitions;
    4. reward, loyalty or privileges programmes and related products and services;
    5. special offers including coupons, discounts, group purchase offers and promotional campaigns;
    6. products and services offered by the Company and its advertisers (the names of such entities can be found in the relevant advertisements and/or promotional or marketing materials for the relevant products and services, as the case may be);
    7. donations or contributions for charitable and/or nonprofit purposes;
  3. The above products, services and subjects may be provided or (in the case of donations and contributions) solicited by the Company and/or:
    1. third party service providers providing the products, services and subjects listed in Paragraph (b) above; and
    2. charitable or nonprofit organizations;
  4. in addition to marketing the above services, products and subject itself, the Company also intends to provide the data described in Paragraph (a) above to all or any of the persons described in Paragraph (c) above for use of the Users in marketing those services, products and subjects, and the Company requires the Users' written consent (which includes a manifestation of intention of no objection) for that purpose;
  5. the Company may receive money or other property in return for providing the data to the other persons as stated in Paragraph (d) above and, when requesting the Users' written consent as described in Paragraph (d) above, the Company will inform the Users if the Company receives any money or other property in return for providing the data to the other persons.
2. Suitable measures are implemented to make available to the members the options to "opt-out" of receiving such materials. In this regard, Users may choose to sign up or unsubscribe for such materials by logging into the registration webpage or user account maintenance webpage, or clicking on the automatic link appearing in each newsletter/message, or contact the Customer Service Representative of the Company (email: cs@openrice.co.jp).
Access
1. Any User is entitled to request access to or make amendments to his/her own personal information and/or data kept within the Company by contacting the Customer Service Representative of the Company (email: cs@openrice.co.jp).
  
  In the event that a User wishes to access or amend his/her personal information and/or data, the Company may request him/her to provide personal information in order to verify and confirm his/her identity. HKID card number, passport number or business registration certificate number cannot be amended unless such data is proved to be inaccurate. The Company will endeavor as much as possible to respond to a User's request within 40 days of his/her request.
Cookies and Log Files
1. The Company does not collect any personally identifiable information from any Users whilst they visit and browse the Channels, save and except for such information of the Users especially requested. When Users access the Channels, the Company only records their visits and does not collect their personal information or data. The Channels' server software will also record the domain name server address, track the pages the Users visit, store such information in "cookies", and gather and store information like internet protocol (IP) addresses, browser type, referring/exit pages, operating system, date/time stamp, and clickstream data in log files. All these are done without the Users being aware that they are occurring.
  
  The Company and third-party vendors engaged by the Company use the Company's cookies and/or third-party cookies, such as the Google Analytics cookies, to inform, optimize, and serve marketing materials based on the Users' past visits to the Channels. Please visit the following website for details: http://networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp
  
  The Company does not link the information and/or data automatically collected in the above manner to any personally identifiable information. The Company generally uses such automatically collected information and/or data to estimate the audience size of the Channels, gauge the popularity of various parts of the Channels, track Users' movements and number of entries in the Company's promotional activities and special events, measure Users' traffic patterns and administer the Channels. Such automatically collected information and data will not be disclosed save and except in accordance with Paragraph 3 entitled "Disclosure or Transfer of Data".
Google Analytics
1. Google Analytics Advertising Features (hereinafter referred to as the "Features") are implemented on the Channels. The Features which the Company has implemented are based on Google Analytics Demographics and Interest Reporting.
  
  Google Analytics is a web analysis service provided by Google which utilizes the data which are collected to track and examine the use of the Channels in order to prepare reports on the Users' activities and share them with other Google services. Google may use the collected data to contextualize and personalize the marketing materials of its own advertising network.
  
  　Users can opt out of Google Analytics by clicking here.
Links to Other Websites / Media Platforms / Applications
1. The Channels may provide links to other websites / media platforms / applications which are not owned or controlled by the Company. Personal information and/or data from Users may be collected on these other websites / media platforms / applications when Users visit such websites / media platforms / applications and make use of the services provided therein. Where and when Users click on any advertisement or hyperlink on the Channels which leads Users to another website / media platform / application, Users' personal information and/or data which are protected and deemed to be private and confidential may be exposed in these other websites / media platforms / applications.
  
  Nonregistered Users who gain access to the Channels via their accounts in online social networking tools (including but not limited to Facebook) are deemed to have consented to the terms of this Privacy Policy, and such Users' personal information and/or data which they have provided to those networking tools may be obtained by the Company and be used by the Company and its authorized persons in and outside of the User's country for the purpose of providing services and marketing materials to the Users. Such Users are deemed to have consented to the Company's and its authorized personnel's access to and the use of their personal information and/or data so obtained, in accordance with the other provisions of the Privacy Policy.
  
  This Privacy Policy is only applicable to the Channels. Users are reminded that this Privacy Policy grants no protection to Users' personal information and/or data that may be exposed on websites / media platforms / applications other than the Channels, and the Company is not responsible for the practices on privacy measures of such other websites / media platforms / applications. Users are strongly recommended to refer to the privacy policy of such other websites / media platforms / applications.
Security
1. The security of Users' personal information and data is important to the Company. The Company always strives to ensure that Users' personal information and data will be protected against unauthorized access. The Company has implemented appropriate electronic and managerial measures in order to safeguard, protect and secure Users' personal information and data.
  
  All personal information and/or data provided by Users are only accessible by the authorized personnel of the Company or the third parties authorized by the Company, and such personnel or third parties shall be instructed to observe the terms of this Privacy Policy when accessing such personal information and/or data. Users may rest assured that their personal information and/or data will only be kept for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purpose for which they are collected. Registered Users should safeguard his/her own username and password by keeping them secret and confidential and never share these details with anyone.
  
  The Company uses third-party payment gateway service providers to facilitate electronic transactions on the Channels. Regarding sensitive information provided by Users, such as credit card number for completing any electronic transactions, the web browser and third- party payment gateway shall communicate such information using secure socket layer technology (SSL).
  
  The Company follows generally-accepted industry standards to protect the personal information and/or data submitted by Users to the Channels, during data transmission as well as once the Company receives them. However, no method of transmission over the Internet, or method of electronic storage, is 100% secure. Therefore, while the Company strives to protect Users' personal information and data against unauthorized access, the Company cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Retention of Personal Information
1. Once the Company has obtained User's personal information and/or data, it will be maintained securely in the Company's system. Subject to legal requirements, the personal information and/or data of Users will be retained by the Company even after deactivation of the relevant services until the User requests the Company in writing to erase his/her own personal information and/or data from the Company's database or to terminate his/her membership of the Channels.
Changes in this Privacy Policy
1. The Company reserves the right to update, revise, modify or amend this Privacy Policy in the following manner at any time as the Company deems necessary and Users are strongly recommended to review this Privacy Policy frequently. If the Company decides to update, revise, modify or amend this Privacy Policy, the Company will post such changes to this webpage and/or other places the Company deems appropriate so that Users would be aware of what information the Company collects, how the Company uses it, and under what circumstances, if any, the Company discloses it.
  
  If the Company makes material changes to this Privacy Policy, the Company will notify Users on this webpage, by email, or by means of a notice on the home page of the Company.
  
  For any query, please contact the Customer Service Representative of the Company （email: cs@openrice.co.jp）.

Personal Data (Privacy Policy) Statement ("Privacy Policy")

(日本語バージョンは こちら )

(日本語バージョンはこちら )