About this policy

The Privacy Act 1988 requires entities bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) to have a privacy policy. This privacy policy outlines the personal information handling practices of Pigeon Softworks. Pigeon Softworks aims to follow principles consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) under the Privacy Act 1988.

Pigeon Softworks will update this privacy policy when its information handling practices change. Updates will be publicised on Pigeon Softworks' website and via email to all registered users.

Overview

Role of Pigeon Softworks

Pigeon Softworks acts as a hosting and infrastructure provider for researchers. Researchers are responsible for ensuring that any data collection conducted through their projects complies with applicable ethics approvals, participant consent requirements, and privacy laws.

As Pigeon Softworks allows researchers to collect data from human participants, it may collect personal or sensitive information about these participants as part of these services.

Collection of personal information

Personal information is defined in the Privacy Act as information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. This can include information such as a person's name, contact details, demographic information, and other data that can be linked to an individual.

While Pigeon Softworks itself does not directly collect personal information from participants, it may receive personal information from researchers as part of the data collected through its services. This personal information may be stored and processed by Pigeon Softworks in accordance with its privacy policy and applicable laws.

Some of these data may include:

• Name
• Email address
• Demographic information
• Survey responses
• Audio and video recordings
• Other information provided by participants as part of research projects

As part of the services provided by Pigeon Softworks, personal information collected by Pigeon Softworks is limited to the information that is necessary for account verification, communication with users, and the provision of services. Pigeon Softworks does not collect or store any personal information that is not directly relevant to its services.

Specifically, Pigeon Softworks collects the following personal information from users:

• Name
• Email address

Collection of sensitive information

If a research project also collects sensitive information, this will also be collected and stored as part of Pigeon Softworks' services. The Privacy Act defines sensitive information as:

information or an opinion about an individual's:

• racial or ethnic origin; or
• political opinions; or
• membership of a political association; or
• religious beliefs or affiliations; or
• philosophical beliefs; or
• membership of a professional or trade association; or
• membership of a trade union; or
• sexual orientation or practices; or
• criminal record;

that is also personal information; or

• health information about an individual; or
• genetic information about an individual that is not otherwise health information; or
• biometric information that is to be used for the purpose of automated biometric verification or biometric identification; or
• biometric templates.

Sometimes Pigeon Softworks may also need to collect sensitive information about you - the user - to, for example, handle a query about its services.

Uploaded files and research project data

Pigeon Softworks stores files and data uploaded by researchers as part of providing its services. This may include experiment code, HTML, CSS, JavaScript files, media assets, configuration files, participant responses, and research datasets.

Researchers are responsible for ensuring they have the appropriate rights, permissions, ethics approvals, and participant consent required to upload and process such data using the Pigeon Softworks platform.

Anonymity

Individuals have the option, to interact with Pigeon Softworks anonymously or using a pseudonym where reasonably possible. For example, if you contact the Pigeon Softworks enquiries line with a general question, you will not be asked for your name unless it is required to adequately handle your enquiry.

However, for most of your interactions with Pigeon Softworks your name, contact information and enough information about the particular matter will be required to enable Pigeon Softworks to deal with the matter fairly and efficiently.

Third-party services

Pigeon Softworks may rely on third-party infrastructure and service providers to deliver aspects of its services, including hosting, email delivery, backups, analytics, and security services. These providers may process limited information as necessary to support the operation of the platform.

Collecting through the Pigeon Softworks website

The Pigeon Softworks' public website, www.pigeonsoftworks.com, is hosted in Australia. There are a number of ways in which Pigeon Softworks collects information though its website, including via numerous online tools:

Pigeon Softworks uses a VPS provider, Binary Lane, to host its website. The VPS provider collects information about your interactions with the Pigeon Softworks website, including:

• device IP address
• date and time when pages were accessed
• referring domain and out link if applicable
• device type, operating system and browser information

This information will not ordinarily be personal information, because you will not be identified, or reasonably identifiable from it.

Mailing lists

Pigeon Softworks uses Proton to manage its mailing lists. View Proton's privacy policy.

Cookies and local storage

Pigeon Softworks may use cookies, local storage, and similar browser technologies to support authentication, maintain user sessions, remember preferences, improve security, and enhance the functionality of its services.

These technologies may be used to:

• keep users signed in to their accounts;
• maintain secure authenticated sessions;
• remember user preferences and interface settings;
• support the operation of the experiment editor and preview environment;
• help protect against fraudulent or malicious activity; and
• collect limited diagnostic and performance information.

Most web browsers allow users to control or disable cookies through browser settings. However, disabling cookies may affect the functionality of some parts of the Pigeon Softworks platform.

Storage and security of personal information

General storage and security

All personal information collected digitally by Pigeon Softworks is held on servers located in Australia. Pigeon Softworks retains effective control over any personal information held on those servers.

Some data collected by tools such as Proton will be stored in cloud-based servers located across Europe. Where personal information is processed or stored outside Australia, Pigeon Softworks takes reasonable steps to ensure that information is handled in a manner consistent with applicable privacy obligations.

Reasonable steps to protect personal information

Pigeon Softworks takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information from unauthorised access, misuse, loss, or disclosure. These measures may include access controls, encrypted connections, authentication systems, backups, and server security monitoring.

Access and correction

You may request access to personal information held by Pigeon Softworks about you and may request corrections if that information is inaccurate, outdated, incomplete, irrelevant, or misleading.

Requests may be made by contacting hello@pigeonsoftworks.com.

Destruction/deletion of personal information

Pigeon Softworks destroys personal information in a secure manner or takes steps to de-identify personal information it holds when it is no longer needed and when it is lawfully authorised or required to do so.

Personal information may be retained for a longer period if it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, resolve disputes, or enforce agreements.

Personal information that is no longer needed is destroyed in a secure manner, for example, by shredding physical documents or securely deleting electronic files. If a user no longer requires their personal information to be held, they can request its deletion by contacting Pigeon Softworks.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or would like to request access to or deletion of your information, contact:

hello@pigeonsoftworks.com

Privacy Policy Update

Pigeon Softworks may update this privacy policy from time to time. Revised versions of the privacy policy will be posted here. Pigeon Softworks will notify you by other means (for example, by placing a notice on its website) if it makes material changes to this policy.

This privacy policy is effective as of 18 May 2026.