Privacy Policy

Privacy

As a cutting-edge network entertainment operator, Dwango Co., Ltd. (“the Company”) prioritizes the future of communications. Toward the realization of its vision, the Company observes the Act on the Protection of Personal Information and other relevant laws, regulations, guidelines and the like, and takes the measures specified herein based on awareness of its social responsibility and the need to protect personal information relating to clients and employees.

Management

The Company shall employ a personal information manager to chair its Risk Management Promotion Committee, and shall operate a related management system. Specific corporate regulations shall mandate criteria for administration of appropriate acquisition, use and provision of personal information, and training shall be provided as appropriate. All staff shall handle personal information in accordance with these regulations.

Security

The Company shall implement safety management as necessary for current levels of technology to prevent and remedy any personal information leakage, unauthorized access, unjust falsification, loss and damage.
The Company’s Risk Management Promotion Committee shall set and supervise personal information handling policies, and employees shall undergo regular personal information training.

Handling

1.Acquisition

The Company may collect names, addresses, dates of birth, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, bank account details and other personal information (as defined in Article 2, Paragraph 1 of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information) as well as consent details/acquired information (“User Information”) from users of services provided by the company (“the Services”).

Consent details
The following data collected by the Company with permission from the user of the Services permitting linkage with external services:

ID and other information relating to the user for external services
Information approved by the user for disclosure to linked external services based on privacy settings

Acquired information
The following data relating to access to and use of the Services:

Device identification information
Communication history
History of services used and pages/advertisements viewed by the user
Cookie information
Location information

2.Purposes of use

The Company defines the purposes of use for User Information as follows, and shall not use such for any other purposes:

Service provision
Response to queries
E-mail communication regarding new functions, updates, promotions and other information related to the Services
Dispatch and return of orders, free gifts and prizes
Interaction with users for confirmation of delivery
Orders, payment and other processes
Essential communication regarding maintenance and other matters
Tabulation of attributes relating to personal information and User Information, analysis based on purchase history, browsing information and the like, and production of statistics (not allowing individual identification) supporting provision of the Services, such as the development of new services or provision to affiliates
Marketing research/planning and R&D
Identification of parties violating the terms of use and related refusal of access to the Services
Improvement of the user experience, such as customization of advertising and content provided to individual users of the Services (including the display of advertising and user-tailored content from third-party services)
Capacity for users to view, change or delete registration information and view usage status
Charging for fee-based services
Provision of information to users on their content uploads to the Services
Provision of information to users regarding services offered by sponsors and affiliates in advertising. The term “affiliates” here relates to affiliate operators jointly providing services and entities conducting joint research with the Company or its group companies. Personal information shall not be provided to affiliates except as specified in 3 and 5 below, and in such cases the Company shall provide appropriate supervision.
Provision of the minimum amount of User Information necessary where services are provided by an affiliate in conjunction with the Company (“Joint Services”)
Provision of collected information to affiliates (not including user IDs or other information allowing individual identification) for joint research regarding service and technological improvement (with potential publication of results)
Provision to group companies

3.Use of True Depth API

The Company shall collect facial expression data using Apple’s True Depth API technology and other applications for virtual live streaming to represent 3D user characters in the Services. The data shall be used exclusively for this purpose, and shall not be saved or provided to any third party.

4. Shared use by group companies

The Company may provide personal information and User Information as set forth in 1 for shared use by its group companies toward the purposes stated in 2. See this page for details of group companies.
Users may opt out of such provision (see “11. Contact information”).

Information to be shared

All personal information and User Information collected by the Company

Provision

Delivery in writing, via recorded media or by electronic transmission

Personal information management supervisor

KADOKAWA CORPORATION
　Click here for contact details.

5. Provision to third parties

The Company shall not provide personal information to third parties without user consent except when:

required to do so by laws or regulations;
the Company outsources personal information to the extent necessary for the purposes of use;
provision is necessary to protect life, person or assets, and obtaining user consent is impractical;
provision is necessary in the interests of public health or the sound development of minors, and obtaining user consent is impractical;
there is a need to cooperate with national or local government bodies or related subcontractors in the performance of relevant duties as prescribed by laws or regulations, and such performance may be hindered by the need to obtain user consent; or
the user has consented to provision under the terms of use for the Services; or
disclosure of personal information is necessary for identification, billing address confirmation or credit checking by the payment company employed by the user for the Services.

6.Outsourcing

The Company may subcontract certain tasks, including the handling of personal information, to the extent necessary for the provision of goods and services. In such cases, the Company shall conclude an agreement requiring the subcontractor to take measures against leaking or re-providing personal information without the Company’s consent, and shall supervise the subcontractor appropriately. Subcontractors may contact users directly where necessary in the provision of goods and services.

7.Disclaimer

The Company shall provide the Services in accordance with laws and other regulations to prevent leakage of personal information. However, the Company shall not be responsible for issues caused by the acquisition of personal information by any third party in the following cases:

A user provides personal information to another user via functions of the Services or by other means.
A user is identified by chance from information input by another user via the functions of the Services.
Leakage or similar occurs with no negligence on the part of the Company.

8.Disclosure

If a user requests disclosure of personal information in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, the Company shall disclose such information after verifying the identity of the requesting party, and shall notify the user if the information is not on record. This shall not apply if the Company is not required to disclose such information in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information or other laws/regulations.

9.Amendments

If a user requests amendment (correction, addition or deletion) of personal information due to inaccuracy, the Company shall conduct diligence as necessary without delay to the extent necessary for the purposes of use after verifying the identity of the requesting party, decide whether to amend the information based on the results of verification, and notify the user of the outcome. This shall not apply if the Company is not required to make amendments in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information or other laws/regulations.

10.Suspension of use

If a user requests suspension of use or deletion of personal information in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information due to handling outside the purposes of use or acquisition by unlawful means, and the request is deemed valid, the Company shall fulfill the request without delay after verifying the identity of the requesting party and notify the user of the outcome. This shall not apply if the Company is not required to implement suspension or deletion in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information or other laws/regulations.

11.Contact information

Inquiries
Feedback, questions, complaints and other inquiries regarding personal information can be submitted as follows.

Inquiries related to niconico can be submitted online at:
Help> サービス・使用環境から探す > Help Center (English) > Contact Support
Other inquiries can be submitted to privacy@dwango.co.jp.

Requests
To request disclosure, amendment, suspension of use or deletion of personal information, or suspension of provision to third parties, use the contact details above with the following details:

[1] The information in question
[2] The service to which the request pertains
[3] The reason for the request
[4] The desired action (disclosure, amendment, suspension of use, deletion or suspension of provision to third parties)

Requesting parties shall be required to provide identifying documentation and information as specified by the Company. Upon verification, the Company shall handle the request without delay in accordance with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information. Documentation verifying the authenticity of proxy requests must also be provided.

12.Other

Optimal service provision cannot be guaranteed to users whose information is not kept up to date.

13. Guidelines on the use of cookies and similar technologies

The Company uses cookies and similar technologies to optimize service provision. See the guidelines at Cookies Policy.

14. Privacy policy revision

Any partial or whole changes to the privacy policy will be posted on the corporate website. Ongoing use of the service shall be deemed to represent agreement to any revisions.

This policy shall be interpreted exclusively on the basis of its original Japanese version. Any translations are provided for user convenience only, and shall not be valid for such interpretation.

Revised on April 22, 2024
Click here for contact details.

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