Privacy Policy
Updated
by
Travis Bates
METER Group, Inc.
Zentra Software-as-a-service
Privacy Policy
1. Introduction
Welcome to Zentra, a software-as-a-service platform provided by METER Group, Inc. ("METER Group"). Our service enables users to collect, view, and analyze data from various weather sensors, enhancing the efficiency and scope of environmental monitoring. This Privacy Policy aims to inform you about how we collect, use, and protect the personal information you provide while using Zentra.
At METER Group, we understand the importance of your privacy. We are committed to protecting your personal data and ensuring its confidentiality and security. This Privacy Policy outlines our practices regarding data collection, use, and disclosure, helping you make informed decisions when using our services.
By accessing or using Zentra, you agree to the collection, use, and sharing of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our services.
This policy is integral to our commitment to maintaining your trust, and we strive to be transparent about our privacy practices. We encourage you to read this document carefully to understand how we handle your personal information.
2. Information We Collect
At METER Group, we collect various types of information through our Zentra service to provide, improve, protect, and promote our services. Below are the different categories and types of data we collect. In addition, there is a table at the end of this document listing the specific categories and type of data we collect.
Device Information and Metadata
·Device Elevation, Latitude, Longitude, and Time Zone: These data points help us understand the geographic context of the device and its environmental readings. This information is crucial for accurately localizing the data processing and presentation.
Environmental Measurements
· Atmospheric Data: Includes atmospheric pressure, vapor pressure, barometric pressure, air temperature, dew point, relative humidity, and evapotranspiration, which are essential for comprehensive weather monitoring.·
Water Data: Measurements such as drainage, water level, groundwater level, elevation, and solution electrical conductivity.
· Soil Data: Includes soil temperature, water content, water potential, soil electrical conductivity, and other relevant metrics to assess soil conditions.
· Solar and Light Data: This includes data on solar radiation, spectral irradiance, net solar radiation, and both long and short-wave solar radiation, which are vital for studying environmental impacts on habitats and agriculture.
· Wind and Precipitation: Data such as wind speed, wind gust, precipitation, water content of snow, and maximum rain rate, providing a comprehensive view of weather conditions.
Model Outputs
· Derived Calculations: Includes chill hours, chill portions, wind chill, daily light integral, daily light photoperiod, evapotranspiration, growing degree days, and more, which are used to support agricultural and environmental analysis.
User Data
· Personal Information: We collect personal information such as user email address, first name, last name, phone number, browser version, and language preferences. This information helps us provide a personalized experience and facilitates customer support and service delivery.
Measurement Metadata
· Contextual Details: Additional metadata about measurements such as target range and thresholds are collected to provide context and enhance the accuracy of our data processing and analysis.
Usage Information
· Interactions with the Service: Information on how users interact with Zentra, including preferences and settings, is used to improve user experience and tailor our services to user needs.
Purpose of Collecting Information
The data collected is primarily used to enable the functionality of the Zentra service, such as providing real-time weather and environmental data analysis. Additionally, this information supports our efforts in product enhancement, customer support, service development, and compliance with regulatory requirements. It also assists in the personalization of the user experience, ensuring that the service meets the specific needs and preferences of our users.
3. How We Use Your Information
METER Group is committed to using the information collected through the Zentra service responsibly and with respect for your privacy. Below are the primary purposes for which your information is used:
Service Provision and Maintenance
· Operational Functionality: We use your environmental data and device information to deliver accurate and timely weather-related insights and data analyses. This includes facilitating the core functions of Zentra such as data collection, processing, and visualization.
· Service Improvement: Your usage data and feedback help us understand how our services are used and provide vital information that influences future development and enhancements.
Customer Support and Communication
· User Support: Personal information such as your name, email address, and phone number are essential for us to provide personalized support when you encounter issues or have queries regarding our service.
· Updates and Informational Notices: We may use your contact details to communicate important updates about our services, including changes to our terms, conditions, and policies, or to send alerts about system maintenance and security.
Analytics and Performance Improvements
· Usage Analytics: By analyzing how you and other users interact with Zentra, we can identify trends and usage patterns that help us improve the user interface and develop new features that respond to user needs.
· Service Optimization: Device and location data help us optimize our service delivery, ensuring that Zentra performs well across different geographic regions and device types.
Legal Compliance and Enforcement
· Compliance with Laws: We may use or disclose your information to regulatory authorities, law enforcement officers, or other third parties when required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or other legal process.
· Protection of Rights: We use information to protect the rights, property, or safety of METER Group, our users, or others, including to detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, security risks, and technical issues that could harm METER Group, our users, or the public.
Marketing and Promotional Activities
· Direct Marketing: We may use your contact information to send you promotional messages and information about products, services, and offers that might be of interest to you. You will have the ability to opt-out of receiving such communications at any time.
Research and Development
· Innovation: Information collected, including user feedback and operational data, may be used in research and development to enhance the capabilities of the Zentra service, leading to the creation of new features, products, or improvements in technology.
Consent and Choice
· User Control: We provide you with the ability to control how your personal information is used. You can manage your preferences within your account settings or contact us directly to make adjustments.
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure
METER Group values your privacy and is committed to keeping your personal and environmental data secure. We only share your information in the following contexts:
Service Providers
Third-Party Services: We engage various service providers who perform services on our behalf, such as hosting, data analysis, IT services, email delivery, and auditing services. These service providers are given access to your information as necessary to deliver these services effectively and are obligated not to disclose or use it for other purposes.
Legal Requirements and Law Enforcement
· Compliance with Laws: We may disclose your information when required by law, such as to comply with a subpoena or other legal requests, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, protect your safety or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.
· Law Enforcement: If we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to enforce or apply our terms and conditions and other agreements; or to protect the rights, property, or safety of METER Group, our customers, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.
Business Transfers
· Mergers and Acquisitions: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your personal information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or a prominent notice on our website of any change in ownership or uses of your personal information, as well as any choices you may have regarding your personal information.
Aggregate and Anonymized Data
· Non-identifiable Data: We may share aggregated or anonymized information that does not directly identify you with third parties for research, marketing, analytics and other purposes, provided that such information does not contain any personal data.
With Your Consent
· Other Disclosures with Your Consent: We may share your information with other third parties with your explicit consent or at your direction.
Data Security and Integrity
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal data from unauthorized access, accidental loss, alteration, or destruction. We also limit access to personal data to those employees, agents, contractors, and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions, and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.
International Transfers
· Cross-Border Data Transfers: Information that we collect may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate to enable us to use the information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If we transfer personal data originating from the European Union or other regions with data protection laws, we implement appropriate safeguards to ensure that your personal data remains protected as per this Privacy Policy. For other jurisdictions where cross-border transfers are regulated or prohibited, METER will comply with all applicable rules, laws, and statutes.
5. Data Retention and Security
Data Retention Policy
METER Group retains personal information for as long as necessary to provide the services, support your use of the Zentra service, resolve disputes, establish legal defenses, conduct audits, pursue legitimate business purposes, enforce our agreements, and comply with applicable laws. The retention period depends on the type of data collected and the purpose for which it is collected, bearing in mind the need not to keep personal data for longer than necessary. When we no longer need to use your personal information, we will remove it from our systems and records and/or take steps to anonymize it so you can no longer be identified from it.
Security Measures
· Technical Safeguards: We use robust security measures to protect data from unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and help ensure the appropriate use of data. These security measures include encryption of data in transit and at rest, firewalls, secure server facilities, and implementation of access rights management processes and audits.
· Organizational Measures: METER Group employees who handle confidential data are trained on data protection practices and are required to abide by internal confidentiality provisions to further reinforce their obligations.
· Regular Updates and Testing: Our security practices are reviewed regularly and updated as necessary to meet our business needs, changes in technology, and regulatory requirements. We also periodically test our security procedures to ensure personnel and technical compliance.
Response to Breaches
In the event of a data breach, we will promptly notify affected individuals if there is a risk of serious harm, as well as any applicable regulators, in accordance with applicable laws. We will take all necessary steps to mitigate the breach including, where appropriate, measures to secure any compromised data to prevent further unauthorized access.
Data Integrity and Accuracy
METER Group takes reasonable steps to ensure that:
· The data we collect is accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.
· We use the data in a manner that ensures appropriate security and confidentiality of the personal data, including preventing unauthorized access or use.
· Data subjects are able to update or correct their personal data whenever necessary.
6. User Rights and Choices
METER Group recognizes that privacy is a fundamental right, and we provide you with the ability to understand and control how your information is collected, used, and shared. Below are the rights you have regarding the information we hold about you:
Access and Update Your Information
· Right to Access: You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you. You can request a copy of your personal information, along with details about how we use it and who we share it with.
· Update Information: If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, you may log in to your account to update your information or contact us directly to request corrections.
Data Portability
· Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive the personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and you have the right to transmit that data to another controller without hindrance from us.
Deletion of Your Information
· Right to Be Forgotten: You can request that we delete or remove your personal information if there is no compelling reason for us to continue processing it. This includes where the data is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed.
Restriction and Objection
· Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we suspend the processing of your personal information in certain scenarios, such as if you want us to establish the data's accuracy or the reason for processing it.
· Object to Processing: You may object to the processing of your personal information, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time. This is especially relevant where we are relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground.
Withdrawal of Consent
· Revoke Consent: Where you have provided your consent to the collection, processing, and transfer of your personal information for a specific purpose, you have the right to fully or partially withdraw your consent at any time. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your personally identifying information for the purpose(s) you originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so.
Notifications and Alerts
· Opt-Out of Communications: You have the option to opt-out of receiving marketing communications from us and can exercise this right by following the unsubscribe instructions in the communications you receive or by managing your preferences in your account.
How to Exercise Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at our designated support address. We may need to verify your identity before implementing your request. We will try to comply with your request as soon as reasonably practicable and always within the legal time frames.
Regulatory Authority
You also have the right to complain to a data protection authority about our collection and use of your personal information. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority.
7. Changes to the Privacy Policy
METER Group reserves the right to update and change this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect any changes to our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons.
Notification of Changes
· Notification: If we make changes, we will notify you by revising the date at the top of this policy and, in some cases, we may provide additional notice (such as adding a statement to our homepage or sending you a notification directly).
· Review: We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy whenever you access our services to stay informed about our information practices and the ways you can help protect your privacy.
Impact of Changes
· Consent: Continued use of our services after any modification to this Privacy Policy will constitute your acceptance of such modification and updates.
8. Contact Information
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, our data practices, or our compliance with applicable law, please contact us using the following details:
· Email: privacy@metergroup.com
· Physical Address: 2365 NE Hopkins Ct., Pullman, WA 99163 USA
· Phone: +1-509-332-2756
Our Data Protection Officer can also be reached at the above contact details for further clarification about our data processing.
9. Effective Date
This Privacy Policy is effective as of 1 May 2024. Any changes made to this policy will be communicated as described in Section 7, and updated here accordingly.
