Tikatok Privacy Policy
Revised February 2010
- About our Website
- Who May Create an Account on the Site?
- What Type of Personally Identifiable Information Does Tikatok Collect?
- Information Collected From You
- Information Collected From Minors
- Additional Information That We Collect
- How Does Tikatok Use Your Information?
- Creating and Printing Books
- Featured Books
- E-mail Communication from You
- E-mail Communication from Us
- What Information Does Tikatok Share With Others?
- Third Party Service Providers
- Making a Purchase or Placing an Order
- Sales, Mergers and Acquisitions
- Law Enforcement Officials
- Responding To Other Requests For Information
- Classroom Program and Teacher Accounts
- How Do We Secure Your Personal Information?
- Will This Privacy Policy Change?
- Is My Child’s Ability to Use the Site Conditioned Upon Him or Her Providing Personal Information?
- How Can I Review the Information that Tikatok Keeps About Me and About Any Child’s Account Associated with My Account?
- How Can I Delete the Information that Tikatok Keeps About Me and About Any Child’s Account Associated with My Account?
- How Do I Contact You If I Have Questions or Concerns?
About our Website
Tikatok.com (the “Site”) allows you to create, illustrate, write and publish your books in paperback, hardcover or PDF format.
This Privacy Policy describes the information that we collect from you and from any children that you decide to allow to use our Site. This Privacy Policy also describes how we use that information, and with whom that information is shared. This Privacy Policy does not apply to information that is not collected through our website, including any materials that are sent to us by you, or someone acting on your behalf, in paper form.
This Privacy Policy refers to the terms “you,” “your book,” and “Tikatok.” As it’s important for you to understand what those terms mean, here are some definitions to keep in mind as you read this Privacy Policy:
“You” refers to an individual over the age of 13 who establishes an account on the Site.
“Your book” refers to a book that you created. If you are a parent or legal guardian and decide to set up an account for your child, the term “your book” also refers to any books that are authored by your child.
“Tikatok” refers to Tikatok LLC.
“Minor[s]” refers generally to a person who is under the age of 13 years old.
“Child’s Account” refers to an account that a parent or legal guardian sets up for a child who is a Minor. A Minor cannot set up his or her own account, and any Child’s Account must be associated with an account created by the parent or legal guardian.
“Your child” or “children” refers to a Minor child (or Minor children) who you have chosen to associate with your account.
Who May Create an account on the Site?
Any person who is at least 13 years old may register to create an account on the Site. Although we do not allow Minors to create their own account, if you are a parent or legal guardian and have created an account with us, you may create an account for your Minor child or Minor children. The Child’s Account that you create will be associated with your account. In the event that you create a Child’s Account, both your account, and your Child’s Account, will be governed by this Privacy Policy and the Tikatok User Agreement.
NOTE: For clarity, this Privacy Policy also applies to the Tikatok Classroom Program, specifically to Teachers who are creating Tikatok accounts for their students.
What Type of Personally Identifiable Information Does Tikatok Collect?
Information Collected From You
During the registration process Tikatok collects no more personally identifiable information from you than is reasonably necessary for you to participate in our online activities. This includes, among other things, your name, your email address and your date of birth. We ask for your date of birth to confirm that you are at least 13 years old and eligible to create an account on the Site. You will also be asked to create a username and a password during the registration process. When creating a username, do not use any personally identifiable information. For example, you should not use your initials, telephone number, email address, abbreviation of your name or zip code.
During the time you place a product order we may collect additional personally identifiable information from you. For example, we may ask if you want us to include biographical information about you, or your child, such as your child’s name, in the product that you are purchasing.
If you decide to share your book with others, or collaborate with others to write a book, Tikatok may collect personally identifiable information about you or about your child as part of the process of obtaining your authorization to share your book with others.
Although Tikatok does not request personally identifiable information from you other than during the registration process, the product-ordering process, or the process of obtaining your authorization to disclose your book to others, the purpose of the Site is to allow the creation, illustration, and personalization of books. As a result, you control the information that you choose to include in the books you create. Although Tikatok warns users not to include personally identifiable information in the books that they author, it is possible that you may inadvertently provide Tikatok with personally identifiable information in the content of the book that you author.
Information Collected From Minors
Tikatok does not ask Minors to provide any personally identifiable information.
If you decide to create a Child’s Account, however, Tikatok will allow your child to create personalized books. Although Tikatok warns all children not to include personally identifiable information in the books that they author, it is possible that they may inadvertently provide Tikatok with personally identifiable information in the content of the book that they author. By creating a Child’s Account, you agree that if your child inadvertently provides personally identifiable information to Tikatok that Tikatok may collect and maintain that information.
Additional Information That We Collect
We may collect information through technology to make our Site more interesting and useful to you. For example, we collect IP addresses and use technology to track traffic patterns on the Site. Once you have logged into the Site, we track your activities by using logs of database transactions and server interactions. We also use this information to understand which areas of our Site are most appealing or least appealing. Our Site also uses cookies, which are pieces of text information that a website sends to your computer while you are viewing the website. Cookies provide information to the Site so that the Site will remember who you are. These technical methods may involve the transmission of information either directly to us or to another party authorized by us to collect information on our behalf. None of the information collected through these methods is, or is connected to, personally identifiable information about you.
How Does Tikatok Use Your Information?
Creating and Printing Books
Tikatok allows you or your child to create books on the Site, which includes both text (the stories) and images (the illustrations). You should not include any personally identifiable information in your books, either in the words or in the images you supply.
If you or your child decide to create a book, your book will initially be available in “private display.” Private display means that the book may be visible to only Tikatok, you, the child who you choose to give access to a Child’s Account and any additional people, such as teachers or co-authors, for whom you give us permission to share your book. A book in private display will contain, by default, the author’s username and a blank space for any biographical information that you may choose to supply in the future. You can provide biographical information, such as your name or your child’s name, if you decide to “publish” a book. Publishing refers to a purchase of the book in paperback, hardcover or PDF format. Only you can decide to publish a book that you create or that your child creates. Children are not allowed to publish books. When publishing a book you can decide to send that book to other people, such as friends, family, or teachers.
Featured Books
Tikatok may ask you to include your book in our “Featured Books” section. Books included in the “Featured Books” section are placed on public display and visible to the entire Site community as well as any visitor to the Site. Tikatok will not include your book in the “Featured Books” section without your permission.
Any book included in the “Featured Books” section will identify the title of the book. The author will be identified by username only. Tikatok attempts to remove any personally identifiable information that you or your child may have included inadvertently within the content of the book, but cannot guarantee that all personally identifiable information either can be identified or has been removed. As a result, if you agree to include your book in the “Featured Books” section, you recognize and agree that any personally identifiable information inside the book may be disclosed to third parties, and that you consent to that disclosure.
You have the ability to delete a book at any time. If you choose to delete a book it will be completely removed from our system, including removed from the “Featured Books” section.
E-mail Communication from You
If you contact us by e-mail, we will use the e-mail address that you provided at the time you opened your account (as such email address may be updated by you) to respond to your specific request or question.
E-mail Communication from Us
Our Site may allow you to sign up to receive newsletters, birthday e-cards and e-mails regarding special Tikatok promotional messages or offers. The newsletters and e-mails will provide you with information about new website features, contests, and promotions. Such communications will only be sent to the parent or legal guardian associated with the parent account. You may opt-out of receiving such communications at any time by clicking the “unsubscribe” link included in every email or by contacting Tikatok with your opt-out request, see the section below titled “How Do I Contact You If I Have Questions or Concerns?” for contact information.
You will continue to receive non-marketing related emails from us, such as emails related to your account.
What Information Does Tikatok Share With Others?
Third Party Service Providers
We may engage third parties to assist with services related to the Site, such as technical and processing services shipping, book printing and website analytics. These third parties are obligated to keep your information confidential and must use the information only in connection with providing services to Tikatok.
Making a Purchase or Placing an Order
When you order a book or a gift card, we send only the information necessary to fulfill the order to Google Checkout and our printing supplier. Tikatok does not collect or store any credit card information. You should review the Privacy Policy of Google Checkout for more information about how they use any information that you provide to them.
When you decide to publish a book, we may give you the option of selecting individuals who you would like to receive a copy of your book. If you indicate that an individual should receive a copy of your book, we may send a copy of the book, along with any biographical information that you have chosen to include in it, to that individual.
Co-Authors
In some situations you may want to co-author a book with another person, or allow your child to co-author a book with another person. If you decide to co-author a book, we may allow your co-author to view the information that you write in the book. If the co-author is a Minor, we may also allow the parent, or legal guardian of the co-author to view the information that you write in the book.
Sales, Mergers and Acquisitions
In the event that all or substantially all of the assets related to Tikatok are transferred or sold to another entity, all information, including personally identifiable information we have in our possession, would be transferred to that entity.
Law Enforcement Officials
Tikatok fully cooperates with reasonable requests for information from law enforcement agencies. As a result, we reserve the right to report to law enforcement agencies any activities that we reasonably believe to be unlawful, or that we reasonably believe may aid a law enforcement investigation. In addition, we reserve the right to release your information to law enforcement agencies if we determine, in our sole judgment, that either you have violated our policies or that the release of your information may protect the rights, property or safety of Tikatok, you, or one of our other customers.
Responding to Other Requests for Information
Tikatok may share your information with others as required by, or permitted by law. This may include sharing your personally identifiable information with governmental entities, or third parties, in response to subpoenas, court orders, other legal process, or as we believe is necessary to exercise our legal rights or defend against legal claims against us, our employees, our customers, users, or others.
Classroom Program and Teacher Accounts
Teacher accounts created in connection with the Tikatok Classroom Program can be used to view and print only those books for which the author’s parents have provided their consent to Tikatok directly, or through their child’s teacher. If the book is a collaborative book, Teacher accounts can be used to view and print only those books for which each and every author’s parent has provided his or her consent to Tikatok directly, or through their child’s teacher.
How Do We Secure Your Personal Information?
We take significant and appropriate security measures, including physical, technological and procedural measures, to help to safeguard your personal information and to prevent unauthorized access and disclosure. In addition, we use industry-standard technology, such as firewalls and encryption in the transmission of certain sensitive personal information, designed to prevent unauthorized persons from gaining access to your personal information, and, as technology develops, we intend to take additional measures to improve security.
We want you to feel confident whenever you visit our Site. While we are focused on the security of your personal information and follow strict standards, processes and procedures that are designed to protect your personal information, we cannot promise, and you should not expect, that your personal information will remain secure in all circumstances.
Will This Privacy Policy Change?
We reserve the right to modify or amend this Privacy Policy at any time by posting the revised privacy policy on our Site. Any material changes in how we use or share personally identifiable information will only affect the information that we collect after the effective date of the change to our privacy policy unless we clearly express otherwise.
Is My Child’s Ability to Use the Site Conditioned Upon Him or Her Providing Personal Information?
No. Tikatok does not ask Minors to provide any personally identifiable information. As a result, if you have created a Child’s Account that allows your child to participate on our Site, we do not condition your child’s use of that account on his or her providing any personally identifiable information.
Do I Have to Create an Account in Order to Use the Site?
No. You can use the Site without creating an account. However, Tikatok will not collect, save, retain, print, or otherwise publish, a story that you write on the Site unless you create an account.
How Can I Review the Information that Tikatok Keeps About Me and About Any Child’s Account Associated with My Account?
At any time you may log in to your account and review the information that Tikatok has collected about you or your child or any books that you or your child have created on the Site.
How Can I Delete the Information that Tikatok Keeps About Me and About Any Child’s Account Associated with My Account?
At any time you may log in to your account and delete any information you provided Tikatok about you or your child or any books that you or your child have created on the Site.
How Do I Contact You If I Have Questions or Concerns?
To request further information about our privacy practices, you may contact us by email at help@tikatok.com or by mailing us at Tikatok LLC, 76 Ninth Ave., New York, New York 10011.
