privacy policy

June 1, 2008

This statement describes how Motenet collects and uses your personal information. Motenet provides services (collectively, the "Services") to its customers through websites, emails and sms text messages. Motenet is the sole owner of the Services, and no other entity has an ownership interest in the personal information that Motenet collects through the Services.

What is personal information?

Personal information means any information that may be used to identify an individual person. This includes, for example, a person's first and last name, email address, physical address, mobile telephone number, other contact information, occupation, and personal interests. Personal information can also include other content, like photographs and videos.

Personal information does not include aggregated data that we collect about how groups or categories of customers use of the Services, so long as such data does not include user identities and other personal information. We use aggregated data to better understand how people use the Services and how the Services might be improved.

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How does Motenet collect personal information?

Motenet collects personal information in two basic ways. First, we collect personal information that you voluntarily give us. For example, we collect your name, location, email, mobile telephone number and other contact and personal information when you register and set up an account, send us a text message or contact us by e-mail or other means. We also collect personal information that you provide when you create a profile, leave comments, post content, send a message to another user, or participate in any of the Services' interactive features. From time to time we also may collect demographic, contact or other personal information you provide in connection with your participation in surveys, sweepstakes, contests, games, promotional offers, and other activities on the Services.

Second, Motenet automatically collects certain information when you use the Services. This information includes, for example, your Internet Protocol (IP) address, your operating system, the browser type, the addresses of referring websites, and your activity on the Services. We treat this information as personal information if we combine it with or link it to any of the identifying information mentioned above. Otherwise, we use it only as aggregated data.

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Does Motenet use cookies?

A cookie is a small text file that is stored on a user's computer to help web servers remember things about who you are. Nightmote creates a cookie on your computer that helps us to coordinate with Facebook to confirm that you (and your computer) are who you say you are. This session verification information helps us to guarantee that other computers on the internet cannot pretend be you and get access to your account. These Faceook session ID cookies expire when you close your browser.

Although many browsers automatically send us your Facebook session ID, some do not. In those cases, you may need to configure your browser's privacy settings to allow cookies from Nightmote. If you reject these cookies, you will not be able to log onto the Nightmote service on Facebook. However, if you already have registered on Nightmote, you still will be able to access Nightmote using your mobile phone.

Nightmote does not use cookies to store any information about you other than the temporary Facebook session authentication token. If we choose to use cookies for any other purpose at some time in the future, we'll update this policy to explain how they will be used. We may link personal information collected online with other personal information we receive from companies that we do business with. All such combined information will be covered by this privacy policy.

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How does Motenet use personal information?

In general, Motenet uses personal information to enable and facilitate your use of the Services and to provide you with information in which we think you may be interested. For example, we may use personal information:

  • to send you a welcoming email or text message, or to contact you about your use of the Services;
  • to provide you with the features and functions included in the Services;
  • to respond to your emails, submissions, comments, or requests;
  • to request feedback and to enable us to develop, customize and improve the Services;
  • to contact you about our or a third party's services, products, activities, contests, special events or offers, and for other marketing, informational, product development and promotional purposes; and
  • for the specific purpose for which the information was provided.

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Does Motenet share personal information with others?

Motenet will not share your personal information with third parties without your permission, except under conditions explained below. Inside Motenet, we store data in security-controlled servers with limited access. Your information may be stored and processed in the United States or any other country where Motenet, its subsidiaries, affiliates or agents are located.

We share personal information with third-party vendors, consultants and other service providers that need such information to help us operate the Services. For example, we use a third-party service provider to route and process cell phone messages between you and the Services. Although we inform our third-party service providers that they may use the information we provide only to carry out their work for us, we are not responsible for their actions.

We may release personal information if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary:

  • to comply with state and federal laws (such as U.S. Copyright Law), to respond to a court order,
  • subpoena, or search warrant, or to assist government or enforcement agencies in their lawful activities;
  • to exercise our legal rights, to investigate or defend against legal claims and allegations, to take precautions against liability, or to enforce our terms of service; and
  • to protect personal safety, the public or our websites and other systems.

Some messages you initiate through the Services (such as invitations sent to non-users or information requests sent to your friends), will list your name, email address or cell phone number. Also, information you post on publicly available portions of the Services will be freely accessible by others and may be credited to your screen name or real name. This information includes, for example, your comments, bulletin board posts and public profile data. Please exercise caution when submitting personal information for public disclosure on the Services.

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Do customers have choices regarding the collection and use of their personal information?

Access to some features of the Services requires that you create a customer account, register and login to the Services. For example, you must have a customer account if you would like to answer questions, send questions to friends, receive reports or post to bulletin boards. If you do not wish to create a customer account, you may still browse map views, user comments and location bulletin boards.

To use the SMS interface for the Services, you must provide us with certain personal information (like your mobile phone number) and give us the right to send you messages and communications via SMS, text message, email or other electronic means to your mobile device. If you do not wish to receive further communications from us to your mobile device, then you may deactivate your mobile access by sending us an SMS message with the word "STOP" from your cell phone.

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How does Motenet protect personal information?

Your Motenet account information is password-protected for your privacy and security. Motenet safeguards the security of the data you send us with physical, electronic, and managerial procedures. In certain areas of the Services, we use industry-standard SSL-encryption to enhance the security of sensitive data transmissions. While Motenet strives to protect your personal information, we cannot ensure the security of the information you transmit to us, and so we urge you to take every precaution to protect your personal data when you are on the Internet. Change your passwords often, use a combination of letters and numbers, and make sure you use a secure browser.

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Does Motenet collect personal information from children?

The Services are not intended for children under the age of 13. Motenet does not knowingly solicit personal information from children under the age of 13 or send them requests for personal information. If we become aware that any user is under 13, we cancel their account and delete all their personal information.

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Can third parties collect personal information from customers who use the Services?

Advertisements that appear on the Services are served directly to you by third-party advertisers. These advertisers automatically receive your IP address when they serve ads. They also may use other technologies (like cookies, JavaScript and web beacons) to measure the effectiveness of their ads and to personalize the ads that you see. Motenet will not provide any of your personal information to third-party advertisers without your consent.

In some cases, the Services are made available through other online services, such as Facebook. If you access the Services through Facebook or another application platform, the platform operator may collect personal information regarding your use of the Services. For example, Facebook will know when you add the Services to your Facebook account and when you invite other Facebook members to join the Services.

The Services may contain links to other websites, like the websites of business establishments that appear on or advertise through the Services. When you click on a link that takes you to a website that is not operated by Motenet, or when you access the Services through a third-party application platform, you should familiarize yourself with the third party's privacy practices. This privacy policy does not apply to, and we Motenet cannot control, the activities of third-party advertisers, websites or application platforms.

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What communications do users receive from the Services?

Motenet periodically will send you emails and other communications relating to your use of the Services. These may include, for example, a welcoming email to confirm your username and password, responses to your inquiries, emails relating to the management of your account, notifications of your and your friends' activities on the Services, and notifications relating to new features of the Services. In general, you may not opt out of these communications. If you do not wish to receive them, you have the option to deactivate your account.

From time to time, we may communicate with you for purpose of marketing or promoting services of third-parties. However, we will only do so if you have ffirmatively indicated your willingness to receive such materials.

If you have activated a mobile device for use with the Services, we periodically will send you SMS text messages or other communications to your mobile device. These include messages confirming your mobile telephone number, periodic questions regarding your surroundings, and responses to your requests for reports and other information. You may control how often and from whom you receive questions by changing your account preferences. If you do not wish to receive further communications from us to your mobile device, you may deactivate your mobile access by sending us an SMS message with the word "STOP" from your cell phone.

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How can users correct or update their personal information, or cancel their accounts?

If you have any questions or comments about this privacy policy or Motenet's privacy practices, or if you wish to verify, correct or delete any personal information we have collected, please contact us at help@mote.net. We will endeavor to respond to your inquiry or to correct, update or remove the personal information you have provided us as you indicate to the extent possible. Alternatively, you may contact us by mail at the following address:

Motenet, Inc., P.O. Box 4459 Seattle, WA 98194

You have the right to cancel your account at any time. If you cancel your account, we will remove your personal information from the Services. If you have submitted comments and other content prior to terminating your account, they will remain available on the Services, but will be credited to "Anonymous."

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What happens to personal information if Motenet is acquired by another company?

If Motenet goes through a business transition, such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of its assets, your personally identifiable information will likely be among the assets transferred. You will be notified via email of any such change in ownership or control of your personal information.

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How can users find out about changes to Motenet's privacy policy?

If Motenet changes this privacy policy, we will post those changes to this privacy statement and any other places we deem appropriate so that you are aware of what information we collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances, if any, we disclose it.

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