Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 28, 2023

Introduction

Ola Surveys LLC (“We,” “Our,” “Us”) is a market research company specializing in the collection and analysis of survey data, with a focus on consumers in the United States.  This Privacy Policy describes how we collect and use your data that you provide in connection with our products and services, including your (a) usage of our website available at www.olasurveys.com and (b) participation in our survey-based panels and related environment, as described further below.  Taken together, the above are sometimes referred to in this Privacy Policy as the “Services.”  By engaging with our Services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

How to Get in Touch

If you have questions about anything in this document, please contact info@olasurveys.com.  

If you prefer, you may also send mail to 1325 G St. NW, #500, Washington, DC 20005

Key Terms

Panel –A survey panel is a group of people who have opted to receive invitations for surveys that they can complete in return for a reward (often cash).

Panelist – A panelist is a member of a survey panel. For the purposes of this policy, a panelist is a member of a survey panel that we manage.

Ola Surveys Environment – Refers to the digital assets that we control including the Survey Diem app and website, Ola Surveys website, and online surveys that we administer.

Personal Data – Information relating to a person who can be identified directly or indirectly by that data on its own or together with other data

Sensitive Data – We acknowledge that some personal data is particularly sensitive. “Sensitive data” that we may collect includes information about your race or ethnicity, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, health conditions, or medical history. You may choose whether to provide some or all of this information to us.

Digital Fingerprinting – Refers to a process by which your device (e.g., phone, computer) is assigned a unique identification number based on a combination of your device’s properties, such as its model, operating system, serial number, browser type, or IP address. Digital fingerprints are used to prevent fraud and manage data quality in online survey research.

Psychographic Data – This data relates to an individual’s non-demographic characteristics, such as their attitudes, values, beliefs, and interests.

Data We Collect

The data we collect falls into five categories:

  • Survey response data – the data respondents provide via the completion of surveys that we have administered.

o We collect the data within our survey app via survey administration software provided by a third party software provider.

o Survey response data entails data about respondents’ devices and browser environments such as IP addresses, browser types, and unique device identifiers. This may involve the use of “digital fingerprinting” technologies. With your permission, we may also collect information about your precise location using methods that include GPS, wireless networks, cell towers, and Wi-Fi access points.

o Once downloaded, cleaned, and paired with panelists’ profile demographics and psychographics, survey response data is deidentified, meaning it is stripped of data that could, on its own or in conjunction with other data from that survey, be used to determine the respondent’s identity. We only store deidentified survey data long-term, meaning for a year or more as needed.

o Survey response data is linked to panelist profile data using a panelist ID number that cannot, on its own, be used to identify panelists.  

  • Panelist profile data

o Demographics and psychographics – Panel members are requested to maintain a demographic and psychographic profile, consisting of questions about the panelist’s age, gender, race, household income, education level, number of children, and employment status, among others. This information allows us to manage our survey panel (i.e., understand its composition) and distribute surveys so clients have a representative sample, depending on the criteria for the project. Panel members are asked to update this information at least once a year or as soon as the information has changed. We may also collect information from financial services companies or information services bureaus to enhance panelists’ profiles in order to complete a particular analysis for a client organization.

o Contact information – Includes panelists’ name, email address, and the contents of a valid US driver’s license or government-issued identification card number. We use this information to verify panelists’ identities and to communicate with them in order to provide our services.

o Information for payment processing – The email address associated with a panelist’s PayPal account.

o Tax information - In accordance with applicable law, we collect information necessary to maintain our compliance with IRS regulations with respect to non-employee compensation we provide to panelists.

  • Panelist activity data – Data related to panelists’ activities/use of our Services in order to manage our operations. We do not collect data on panelists’ online activities outside of the Ola Surveys Environment or use of other apps.

  • Client organization data – For client organizations, we must maintain contact, contract, and billing information. We will also maintain data pertaining to the organization’s use of our services.

  • Website data and inquiry form responses – When you visit our website, we may collect information about your equipment and browsing actions through the use of cookies and similar technologies, such as “digital fingerprinting” technologies. Users filling out a contact form on our website will be asked to provide basic contact information such as their name and email address. We will use the contact information to communicate with those who have asked questions or requested to receive updates on our service offerings.

Panelists must be at least 18 years of age and located in the US. Therefore, we do not knowingly collect any information from minors.

How We Use Your Data

  • Survey responses – We use deidentified survey response data to create analytical reports for client organizations. A copy of the raw, deidentified data set is also provided to the client, if requested. A client organization will only receive data for a survey that it has commissioned. At no point do we share panelists’ identities with client organizations unless panelists have explicitly opted to participate in additional research conducted by the client organization.

  • Panelist profile data

o Demographics and psychographics – We append panelists’ demographic and psychographic data to survey data files in order to gauge the representativeness of the survey sample and facilitate an accurate statistical analysis of the survey data. Such demographic data clients receive cannot be used to identify individual survey respondents.

o Contact information – We use this data to verify panelists’ identities and communicate with them as needed.

o Information for payment processing – We compensate survey respondents with cash through a PayPal account. The PayPal account information you provide is used only for this purpose.

o Tax information – Tax-related information we collect is used solely to provide a 1099-NEC form to panelists as required and to inform the IRS of their compensation.

  • Panelist activity data – We use this data to maintain the integrity of our panels, to assure client organizations (using aggregate data) of the quality of our panels, to provide services, such as to compensate panelists for survey participation, and to improve the quality of the services we provide.  

  • Client organization data – We use this data to provide client organizations with services, efficiently manage our operations, and, in the aggregate, to improve the quality of our offerings overall.

  • Website data and inquiry form responses – We use this data to manage and improve the accessibility and functionality of our website and to respond to users with the information or services they are seeking.

We do not use the data we collect for automated decision-making or profiling or anything other than the provision of our core services. We will not sell your personal data.

Note that we may share your personal information with relevant parties in compliance with a valid legal request, such as a law enforcement investigation or subpoena.

Legal Basis

We provide data-related services to panelists and client organizations on the basis of consent. Panelists must opt in to participate in our research services, and clients must commission service through a written contract. As a research participant, you may refuse to answer survey questions at any time by exiting the survey.

In some cases, services may be provided on the basis of legitimate interest, such as when client organizations commission customer satisfaction or employee engagement surveys. In these cases, we do not use our proprietary survey panel but conduct the research nonetheless based on the legitimate interest of the client organization.

We also collect and process personal information on the basis of our own legitimate interest in managing our operations and providing services to panelists, client organizations, and other survey research participants.

Data Transmission

We maintain our data on a secure private server within the United States or United Kingdom. Deidentified survey response data may be stored by clients on their own server or on a server maintained by a third party vendor with which they have engaged. In such cases, the data may be maintained in or out of the United States. 

We primarily transmit data between us and third parties in the following ways:

  • If you would like to join our survey panel, your government-issued identification will be verified by a partnering service provider.

  • We download survey response data from our survey administration vendor’s server using a secure connection, and we require that our vendor follow strict data protection protocols.

  • Panelists receive payment for completed surveys via PayPal. The only information transmitted is the amount owed to the panelist’s account.

  • We provide deidentified survey response data to client organizations pertaining to the research projects they commissioned with us.

  • We use customer relationship management (CRM) and marketing automation services to manage our relationships with panelists and client organizations.

  • We use Google Analytics to collect and examine data on the use of our website.

In broad terms, we reserve the right to use other companies, agents, or contractors to perform services on our behalf or to assist us with providing our Services to you. In such cases, we will require our partnering providers protect the data they receive with an appropriate standard of care and retain the data for only as long as is necessary to provide the services.

Data Storage and Security Measures

Our security procedures are consistent with generally accepted standards used to protect personal data.

All data maintained by us is stored on a secure private server in the United States or United Kingdom.

We provide access to the data internally on a strict need-to-know basis to individuals trained on internal policies and general data protection practices.

When we administer a survey, we delete the survey response data stored on our survey administration partner’s server at the completion of a survey project. We store deidentified survey response data indefinitely.

We store personal data until we receive a request to delete it. Note that in some circumstances, we have legitimate reasons for temporarily or permanently retaining the information you have requested us to delete, such as to complete a financial transaction, address a security incident, protect against malicious behavior, repair a bug, or comply with a legal obligation.

For panelists deleting their accounts, we will retain some personal information (for example, your email address, phone number, and government-issued identification number) for fraud prevention purposes and to maintain compliance with tax laws.

Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected persons or organizations within 72 hours of the time in which we became aware of the breach.

Your Rights Regarding Personal Data

Our panelists have the following rights regarding their personal data:

  • Right to information about and access to your personal data – You have a right to know what data is maintained by us and how we collect and use it. You may also request a copy of your personal data to review or use.

  • Right to deactivate or delete your account – Panelists have a right to deactivate or delete their account at any time. Even if you delete your account, note that we will retain some personal information (for example, your email address, phone number, and government-issued identification number) for fraud prevention purposes and to maintain compliance with tax laws. To deactivate or delete your account, email info@olasurveys.com.

  • Right of portability – You may request a copy of your data in a format that allows it to be shared with other organizations.

  • Right to correct personal data – You have a right to correct any of your personal data.

  • Right to deletion – You have a right to request that we delete some or all of your personal data at any time, unless we have legitimate reasons for retaining the information, such as to complete a financial transaction, address a security incident, protect against malicious behavior, repair a bug, or comply with a legal obligation. Furthermore, a request cannot be made to delete survey response data once the data has been deidentified.

  • Right to opt out of or restrict processing (use) – You have a right to limit or deny particular uses of your personal data by us or our partners with whom we may have shared your personal data.

How to Exercise Your Rights

Submit requests regarding your personal data to info@olasurveys.com.

You may also mail requests to Ola Surveys at 1325 G St. NW, #500, Washington, DC 20005.

Your requests must be made in writing. Except in rare cases, we will respond to you within one month of receiving this information.

Policy Updates

We will update this policy document as needed.  The “last updated” date at the beginning of the policy will reflect the date any revisions are effective.

Changes made to the policy will be effective immediately when posted to this website.

Your continued engagement with our Services demonstrates your consent to any changes.