Ruby Cha Cha handles personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), The Research Society Code of Professional Behaviour and Market and Social Research Privacy Principles, and, where applicable, ESOMAR and GDPR standards.
This policy explains how Ruby Cha Cha collects, uses, discloses, stores, secures, retains and destroys personal information in connection with research, recruitment, stakeholder engagement, client service delivery and business operations.
This policy applies to all personal information handled by Ruby Cha Cha, including information about research participants, client contacts, website users, suppliers, contractors, employees and prospective employees.
The personal information we collect and hold will include your answers to our research. It may also include your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, occupation, job title, demographic profile and other business details. You can choose not to answer any of our questions or to give us any of these details.
We may also collect:
We collect only the information reasonably necessary for a legitimate business, research or legal purpose. Personal information may be collected directly from you, from clients where appropriate, or from approved panel, recruitment or service providers.
Your personal information is stored securely in encrypted form, protected by access controls, monitoring and backup, on servers located in Australia.
You may choose not to provide personal information, though this may limit your ability to participate in certain research activities.
The primary purposes for which we collect personal information are conducting research, recruiting participants, administering incentives, managing client engagements, responding to enquiries, and operating the business.
Your information is not sold. We disclose personal information only:
Research outputs are ordinarily reported in aggregated or de-identified form, unless you have given express consent, or another lawful basis supports identification.
You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information using the contact details below. Requests are acknowledged promptly and handled within a reasonable timeframe; if access is refused, we will provide reasons and information about your complaint options where required.
If you believe your privacy rights under the Privacy Act 1988 or the Australian Privacy Principles have been breached, you can lodge a complaint with us using the contact details below. We aim to investigate and respond within 14 calendar days of receipt, unless a longer period is reasonably required.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may refer the matter to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
Personal information is stored only in approved, secure systems, protected by least-privilege access, multi-factor authentication and encryption where available. Downloads of participant-identifiable data are minimised, and local storage on unmanaged devices is prohibited unless specifically approved and encrypted.
Retention periods reflect project terms, legal requirements and client commitments. Once information is no longer required, it is securely deleted, de-identified or destroyed — including secure digital wiping and shredding of physical records, consistent with our obligations under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
Any suspected unauthorised access, disclosure or loss of personal information is investigated immediately, and we assess whether the incident is notifiable to affected individuals, clients or regulators under the Privacy Act 1988.
We do not disclose personal information to overseas recipients other than where an arrangement — for example, overseas-hosted data storage or analysis — has first been assessed and documented, including its contractual, technical and privacy protections, and undertaken in compliance with the Privacy Act 1988 and the Australian Privacy Principles.
We collect and analyse data on each visit to our website to improve user experience. This information is collected anonymously and is not used to identify individuals.
Ruby Cha Cha conducts research in accordance with The Research Society Code of Professional Behaviour and Market and Social Research Privacy Principles, applicable client confidentiality obligations, and relevant ESOMAR standards where applicable. Research participants are treated fairly, respectfully and ethically, with their privacy and confidentiality protected throughout the research lifecycle.
All employees, contractors, recruiters, moderators, analysts and research partners engaged by Ruby Cha Cha are required to conduct research activities in accordance with these standards, and to report any suspected breach of research ethics.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to make a request or complaint, please contact us:
Ruby Cha Cha
The Commons, 285a Crown St, Surry Hills NSW 2010
Phone: 02 8358 5537
Email: info@rubychacha.com.au
