Effective Date: February 15, 2024
This Privacy Policy describes the practices of Cheres, Inc. d/b/a Ground (“Ground AI”, “Company”, “we”, “us” or “our”) regarding the collection, use, processing, disclosure, and protection of personal data in connection with the use of our website (https://www.joinground.com) and any related services (collectively, the “Services”). This Privacy Policy is intended to comply with applicable data privacy laws, including, where applicable, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the Canadian Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), and other U.S. state data protection laws.
1. Scope and Applicability
This Privacy Policy applies to personal data we collect through the Services. It does not apply to personal data we process on behalf of our customers through our platform. In such cases, we act as a data processor or service provider, and our customers are the data controllers. Processing of such data is governed by the applicable agreement between Ground AI and the customer. Data subjects seeking to exercise their rights with respect to such data should contact the relevant controller directly.
2. Categories of Personal Data Collected
We may collect the following categories of personal data:
Identifiers and Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number.
Commercial Information: Details regarding purchases, subscription plans, and usage of our Services.
Device and Usage Data: IP address, browser type and settings, device identifiers, referring URLs, timestamps, pages viewed, and interactions with the Services.
Professional or Employment-Related Information: Business contact details and information submitted through demos, forms, or communications.
Internet or Network Activity: Cookies, browser identifiers, session logs, interaction data, and other similar data collected through tracking technologies.
Inferences: Preferences or behavioral data derived from interactions with the Services.
We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data as defined under applicable U.S., Canadian or EU laws, and we do not intentionally collect personal data from individuals under the age of 16.
3. Sources of Personal Data
We collect personal data from the following sources:
Directly from users, when you provide information through contact forms, demo requests, emails, or account creation.
Automatically, through browsing activities, web beacons, and similar technologies when you interact with our Services.
From third-party service providers, including your e-commerce platform and CRM tools.
From our customers, when acting as a processor on their behalf.
4. Purposes for Processing Personal Data
We process personal data for the following business and commercial purposes:
To operate, maintain, and improve the Services.
To provide customer support and respond to inquiries.
To communicate with users about service-related matters.
To conduct analytics, diagnostics, and internal research.
To personalize content and user experiences.
To provide marketing communications in compliance with applicable laws.
To detect, prevent, and address security or fraud-related issues.
To enforce our terms and comply with legal obligations.
We do not use personal data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
5. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Data
We may disclose personal data to the following categories of recipients:
Service Providers and Subprocessors: We engage third parties to support the delivery of our Services, including CRM systems, and marketing platforms. These providers are contractually obligated to process data only as instructed by us and in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
Affiliates and Subsidiaries: We may disclose data within our corporate group for operational purposes.
Professional Advisors: Including lawyers, auditors, and consultants.
Regulatory and Legal Authorities: Where required to comply with applicable law, enforce our rights, or respond to legal processes.
Acquirers or Successors: In connection with a merger, acquisition, restructuring, sale of assets, or bankruptcy.
We do not “sell” personal data as defined under the CCPA. We do not share personal data with third-party AI platforms for training or model development without explicit customer authorization.
6. Data Retention
We retain personal data for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, including to provide the Services, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Where personal data is de-identified or aggregated, we may retain it for a longer duration consistent with our business needs.
7. Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organizational safeguards to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of personal data. These measures include access controls, encryption in transit, and monitoring systems.
8. Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Data
Ground is headquartered in the United States, and all personal data collected through the Services is transferred to, processed, and stored exclusively in the United States. We do not transfer personal data to any other country outside of your country of residence apart from the United States.
Please note that the United States may not offer the same level of data protection as the laws of your home jurisdiction. Where required by applicable data protection laws, Ground implements appropriate legal safeguards to ensure that such transfers comply with those laws. These safeguards may include:
Where such transfers occur, and where required by applicable law, Ground implements appropriate legal safeguards to ensure that personal data remains protected. These safeguards may include:
Entering into agreements that incorporate Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission or relevant supervisory authorities;
Implementing corporate policies or frameworks that ensure consistent protection of personal data across jurisdictions, where applicable;
Relying on other legally recognized transfer mechanisms, including certification schemes or approved codes of conduct, where available.
By using the Services or submitting personal data to Ground, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred to and processed in jurisdictions outside of your country of residence. Ground takes reasonable steps to ensure that personal data transferred across borders is handled in accordance with applicable data protection laws and the principles set forth in this Privacy Policy.
9. Data Subject Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:
Right to Access: You may request access to the personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to Deletion: You may request the deletion of your personal data.
Right to Restriction or Objection: You may object to or request that we limit the processing of your personal data.
Right to Data Portability: You may request a copy of your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
To exercise any of the above rights, please contact us at support@joinground.com. We may require verification of your identity prior to processing the request.
10. State-Specific Disclosures
California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you may have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act and California Privacy Rights Act:
The right to know what personal data we collect, use, disclose, and retain.
The right to request deletion of personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
The right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal data (Ground AI does not sell or share personal data for cross-context behavioral advertising).
The right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.
Requests may be submitted via email at support@joinground.com.
Nevada Residents
Nevada residents have the right to opt out of the sale of certain personal data. Ground AI does not currently sell personal data as defined by Nevada law.
Canadian Residents (PIPEDA)
If you are a resident of Canada, you have rights under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), including:
The right to know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, and retain.
The right to access and request correction of your personal data.
The right to withdraw consent for certain processing activities, subject to legal or contractual limitations.
The right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) if you believe your rights have been violated.
Requests related to your privacy rights may be submitted via email at support@joinground.com.
EU/UK Residents (GDPR)
If you are located in the EU, UK, or EEA, we rely on the following legal bases to process your personal data:
Contractual Necessity: To provide you with Services you have requested.
Legitimate Interests: To operate and improve our business, provided your rights do not override these interests.
Consent: Where we rely on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
Legal Obligation: Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal requirement.
We may designate a representative in the EU or UK as required under Article 27 of the GDPR.
11. Changes to this Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update or revise this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will become effective upon posting on our website. Material changes may be accompanied by notice via email or other communication channels. Continued use of the Services following such changes constitutes your acknowledgment of the updated policy.
12. Contact Information
For questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, or to exercise your privacy rights, please contact:
Email: support@joinground.com
Mailing Address:
Ground
20 Exchange Place, Suite 708
New York, NY 10005