Privacy Policy

Last updated: 09/04/2026

1. Who we are

Original Matter provides digital academic support tools for psychology and social science students and educators.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle personal information, please contact us using the details above.

2. What this policy covers

This policy applies to personal information we collect when you:

  • visit our website or use our web apps;

  • purchase a product or bundle;

  • create an account or log in;

  • contact us for support or general enquiries; or

  • sign up to receive updates or marketing emails.

3. The information we collect

Depending on how you use Original Matter, we may collect the following types of information.

Information you give us directly

This may include:

  • your name;

  • email address;

  • billing information;

  • account credentials;

  • messages sent through support forms or contact forms; and

  • information you choose to save to a Original Matter account.

Tool data and local storage

We design our web apps to be as privacy-conscious as possible.

Some Original Matter tools process information directly in your browser. Where that is the case, the data you enter is not automatically sent to our servers unless you choose to save it to your account or otherwise submit it to us.

We may use Local Storage and Session Storage to preserve your progress on your own device, for example so that refreshing the page does not immediately wipe your work. This locally stored data remains on your device unless you clear it yourself, clear your browser cache, or delete it within the app where that option is available.

If you choose to save work to a Original Matter account, the relevant information may then be stored on our servers or on the servers of our service providers.

We ask that you do not submit confidential, highly sensitive, or personally identifying research participant data into our tools unless you are fully entitled to do so and have taken appropriate steps to protect that information. You are responsible for ensuring that your use of Original Matter complies with your own institutional, ethical, legal, and data protection obligations.

Information collected automatically

We may automatically collect certain technical and usage information, such as:

  • IP address;

  • browser type;

  • device information;

  • pages visited;

  • approximate location information;

  • referral source; and

  • general usage data about how you interact with the site.

4. How we use your information

We may use your information to:

  • provide access to the site, tools, and purchased products;

  • create and manage your account;

  • process payments and fulfil purchases;

  • maintain saved states and tool functionality, including via local browser storage where relevant;

  • respond to support requests and enquiries;

  • improve site performance, usability, and security;

  • detect, prevent, or investigate misuse, fraud, or technical issues;

  • keep transaction records for tax, accounting, and legal compliance; and

  • send service messages, updates, or marketing emails where you have agreed to receive them.

5. Our legal bases for using personal information

Where applicable, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

  • Contract, where we need your information to provide products or services you have purchased;

  • Legitimate interests, where we use information to operate, improve, and protect our website, products, and services;

  • Consent, where you have agreed to receive marketing emails or accepted optional cookies; and

  • Legal obligation, where we need to keep records or disclose information to comply with tax, accounting, regulatory, or legal requirements.

6. Payments

Payments are processed by third-party payment providers such as Stripe or PayPal, depending on the payment methods we make available at the time of purchase.

We do not store full payment card details on our own servers.

When you make a purchase, relevant transaction and billing information may be processed by the payment provider in accordance with that provider’s own privacy policy and terms.

7. Cookies and similar technologies

We may use cookies and similar technologies to keep the site functioning properly, remember your preferences, understand traffic and usage, and improve performance.

Some cookies are necessary for the website to work. Others, such as analytics or marketing cookies, may be optional depending on your location and the settings we use on the site. If our website displays a cookie banner, you can use it to manage your preferences.

Please note that cookies and Local Storage are not the same thing. Cookies are small pieces of information used by websites and browsers for functions such as analytics, sessions, and consent preferences. Local Storage may be used by our tools to preserve your progress on your own device.

Disabling cookies or Local Storage through your browser settings may affect how parts of the site or web apps function.

8. Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal information.

We may share information only where reasonably necessary with:

  • website hosting and infrastructure providers;

  • payment processors;

  • analytics providers;

  • email, account, database, or support service providers;

  • professional advisers where needed; and

  • courts, regulators, law enforcement, or other authorities where required by law.

9. International transfers

If you are located outside our country of operation, your information may be transferred to and processed in countries where we or our service providers operate.

Where applicable, we take reasonable steps to ensure such transfers are handled in accordance with relevant data protection laws.

10. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy.

As a general guide:

  • Account and transaction data may be kept for as long as your account remains active and for up to 7 years afterwards where needed for tax, accounting, legal, or record-keeping purposes;

  • Support enquiries may be kept for up to 12 months after the issue is resolved;

  • Marketing records may be kept until you unsubscribe or ask us to stop;

  • Local Storage data remains on your device until you clear it, clear your browser cache, or delete it within the app where possible.

Where we do not set a fixed period, we retain data only for as long as necessary by reference to the purpose for which it was collected, any legal obligations, and whether it is still needed to resolve disputes or maintain records.

11. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights in relation to your personal information. These may include the right to:

  • request access to the information we hold about you;

  • request correction of inaccurate information;

  • request deletion of your information;

  • request restriction of certain processing;

  • object to certain processing;

  • withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing; and

  • request a copy of certain information in a portable format.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the form below.

If you are in the UK, you may also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). If you are in the EEA, you may complain to your local data protection authority. If you are in the United States, you may also have rights under applicable state privacy laws depending on where you live.

12. Marketing

If you sign up to receive marketing emails, you can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email or by contacting us directly.

We will not send you marketing emails where consent is required unless you have chosen to receive them.

13. Children’s Privacy

Original Matter is intended for students, educators, and adult learners, and is not directed to children under 13.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without appropriate authorisation or consent where required, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information.

If you believe that a child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us. The FTC’s COPPA guidance is built around collection of personal information from children under 13, which is why this section is framed that way for a US-facing site.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.

When we do, we will revise the Last updated date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically so you remain aware of how your information is handled.

15. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or about how we handle personal information, please contact using the form below.