Take Step, a brand operated by Hefei Qucuo Network Technology Co., Ltd. (registered at Room 402, Building 8, Qunli New Village, Changjiang East Road, Yaohai District, Hefei, 230000, China), provides this Privacy Policy to inform you of how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you visit takestep.buzz or use our services. Take Step is the developer and operator of this website and the services described on it.

We take your privacy seriously. This policy explains in detail what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have regarding your personal data. By accessing our website, you acknowledge the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please discontinue use of our website and services.

1.1 Information You Voluntarily Provide

When you contact us through our website, send us an email, submit an inquiry form, or engage our services, we collect the personal information you choose to share with us. This typically includes your full name, email address, telephone number, company name and business address, job title, project details, and any additional information you include in your correspondence. We collect this information only when you actively and knowingly provide it to us, and we use it solely for the purposes described in this policy.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, our servers automatically record standard technical information. This includes your Internet Protocol (IP) address and approximate geolocation at the country or city level; the type and version of browser you are using; your operating system and device type; the pages and features you view, including how long you spend on each page and the order in which you navigate; the website address that referred you to our site; the date and time of each visit; and similar diagnostic data. We use this information in aggregate to understand how visitors interact with our website and to improve the overall user experience. This data is not used to identify individual visitors personally.

1.3 Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may place small text files called cookies on your device. We use essential cookies that are strictly necessary for the basic operation of the website, such as maintaining session state and security. We also use analytics cookies that help us understand how the site is being used, including which pages are most frequently visited and whether users encounter errors. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings at any time. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies, but please note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our website.

Take Step uses the information we collect for the following purposes: to respond to your inquiries and provide the services you request; to communicate with you about project updates, technical information, and administrative matters; to improve our website and services based on how they are used and what features our visitors find most valuable; to detect, investigate, and prevent security incidents, fraud, or other unauthorized or illegal activity; to comply with applicable legal obligations, including retaining records as required by law and responding to lawful requests from regulatory authorities; and to send important notices regarding changes to our terms, policies, or services. We do not use your personal information for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects concerning you. We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for marketing or advertising purposes.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), we process your personal data on the following legal bases as defined under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• Consent: Where you have given us clear, specific, and informed consent for us to process your personal data for a particular purpose. You have the right to withdraw this consent at any time by contacting us.
• Contractual necessity: Where processing is necessary for the performance of a contract with you, or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, such as responding to a request for a proposal or providing consulting services.
• Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate interests as a business, provided that your rights and freedoms as an individual do not override those interests. Our legitimate interests include operating and improving our business, communicating with clients and prospective clients, maintaining the security and integrity of our systems, and understanding how our website is used. We assess each processing activity to ensure that your privacy rights are respected.
• Legal obligation: Where processing is necessary for compliance with a legal or regulatory obligation to which we are subject, such as retaining financial records for tax purposes.

Take Step does not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties for their own marketing or commercial purposes. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

• Service providers: We may share your information with trusted third-party vendors who assist us in operating our website and conducting our business, including web hosting providers, email communication services, and analytics platforms. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and may only use it for the specific services they provide to us.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required to do so by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, including to comply with a subpoena or similar legal process.
• Protection of rights: We may disclose your information if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, property, or safety, or the rights, property, or safety of others.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, restructuring, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, provided that the receiving entity agrees to respect your data rights under this policy.

Retention. We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by applicable law. Our retention periods are determined based on the nature of the data, the purposes for which it was collected, and any legal or regulatory requirements for record-keeping. Contact information and correspondence related to inquiries is retained for the duration of our relationship with you and for a reasonable period afterward. Contractual and project-related records are retained for the duration of the contract and for a period after its conclusion as required by law. When information is no longer needed, we delete it securely or anonymise it.

Security. We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL protocols, secure server infrastructure with role-based access controls, regular security assessments and vulnerability testing, and employee training on data protection practices. No method of transmission over the Internet is completely secure. While we strive to protect your personal data using commercially acceptable means, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including China where our company is registered and the United States where certain service providers may be located. These countries may have data protection laws that differ from those in your country of residence. Where such transfers occur, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with applicable data protection laws. For transfers from the European Economic Area, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, or other recognised transfer mechanisms, to ensure that your data receives an adequate level of protection.

7.1 Rights Under the GDPR

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area, you have the following rights regarding your personal data: right of access to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you; right to rectification to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data; right to erasure to request deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it; right to restriction of processing in certain circumstances; right to data portability to request transfer of your data to another service provider in a structured, commonly used format; right to object to processing based on our legitimate interests, including direct marketing; and rights relating to automated decision-making not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing where those decisions produce legal effects.

7.2 Rights Under the CCPA

If you are a resident of California, United States, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act: right to know the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you; right to request deletion of personal information, subject to certain exceptions; right to opt out of the sale of your personal information (Take Step does not sell personal information); and right to non-discrimination for exercising any of your CCPA rights. To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details below. We will respond to your request within the timeframes required by applicable law.

Children. Our website and services are not directed to individuals under the age of sixteen. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and you believe that your child has provided us with personal data without your consent, please contact us immediately. We will take prompt steps to delete that information from our systems.

Third-party links. Our website may contain links to third-party websites or services that are not owned or controlled by Take Step. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by our website. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing them with your information.

Policy changes. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or operational needs. When we make material changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.

Governing law. This Privacy Policy shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the People's Republic of China, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. For individuals in the European Economic Area, additional protections under the GDPR apply as described in this policy.

Developer: Take Step

Company: Hefei Qucuo Network Technology Co., Ltd.

Registered Address: Room 402, Building 8, Qunli New Village, Changjiang East Road, Yaohai District, Hefei, 230000, China

Email: codex@takestep.buzz  |  Phone: +86 177 2063 1190