Effective Date: 5/1/2023
Last Updated: 8/1/2025
The Otherness Institute (“we,” “our,” “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your information when you interact with our website, services, programs, and community offerings.
- Information We Collect
We may collect the following types of information:
a. Information You Provide Directly
- Name, email address, phone number, mailing address
- Account login details (if applicable)
- Payment information when making purchases or donations
- Responses to questionnaires, surveys, or assessments (including the Otherness Scale Questionnaire)
b. Information Collected Automatically
- IP address, browser type, operating system
- Usage data such as pages visited, time spent, clicks, and navigation patterns
- Cookies and tracking technologies for site functionality and analytics
c. Sensitive Information
If you choose to share personal reflections, psychological insights, or health-related information through our questionnaires or communications, we will treat this as sensitive data and handle it with heightened care.
- How We Use Your Information
We use your information to:
- Provide and improve our services, tools, and community resources
- Deliver your questionnaire results and personalized insights
- Send you newsletters, updates, and announcements (if you opt in)
- Process transactions, payments, and donations
- Conduct research and analysis to advance our mission (data used for research will always be anonymized and aggregated)
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms
- Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following cases:
- With service providers (e.g., payment processors, IT support) who help us deliver services
- If required by law, regulation, or legal process
- In the event of a merger, acquisition, or restructuring of the Institute
Any research publications or reports will use anonymized and aggregated data only.
- Your Privacy Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access, correct, or delete your personal information
- Opt out of receiving marketing communications
- Withdraw consent for data processing (where applicable)
- Request a copy of your data in portable format (GDPR/CCPA)
- Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority
To exercise these rights, contact us at: hello@othernessinstitute.com
- Data Security
We use industry-standard safeguards (encryption, secure servers, limited access) to protect your data. However, no system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee 100% security of information transmitted online.
- Data Retention
We retain your information only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.
- Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and personalize content. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
- Children’s Privacy
Our services are not directed to children under 13 (or 16 in the EU). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us to have it deleted.
- International Users
If you access our site from outside the United States, please note that your information may be processed and stored in the U.S., where privacy laws may differ from your country.
- Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last Updated” date and, if significant changes are made, we will notify users through our website or email.
- Contact Us
If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact us at:
The Otherness Institute
Email: hello@othernessinstitute.com
Address: 940 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10028 USA