Privacy Policy for the “Developer World” website

Sony Group Corporation (“Sony”, “we” or “us”) is the Sony group company responsible for data processing in connection with the “Developer World” website. Sony Group Corporation is based in Japan.

This Privacy Policy explains the types of information that we may collect and hold, how that information is used and with whom the information is shared (see section 3, Who else has access to your information?). It also describes how you can contact us if you have any queries or concerns about this information. Some of our services accessible through the “Developer World” website also have their own privacy policies that provide details on the use of your information.

Please note that this Privacy Policy only applies to this website and is applied in addition to any other privacy policy that may apply to your interactions with any Sony affiliate and subsidiary (“Sony Group Companies”) or third party regarding their product, software or service.

1. What information is collected?

(a) Information that you provide us

To use the website and some of our applications and services, you may be asked to provide us with information relating to you.

For example:

  • Some of our applications, services and programs require you to create an account. When creating your account, we may ask you to provide a range of personal information, such as your name, location, contact details, company name, job title and newsletter preferences.
  • When you contact Developer World for business inquiries, as well as to obtain product or service support, we may collect personal information, such as your name, email, company name and size, the reason you contacted us and the advice we gave.
  • When you register to participate in our Forum, we may collect your email address and username. We may also collect content that you choose to upload, such as comments, questions, photos and forum posts.
  • When you unlock an Xperia device, we may collect the IMEI number to generate an unlock code.
  • When you sign up for our newsletter about the website or other services, we may collect your email address to provide you with services notices and product announcements.

(b) Information collected automatically

When you use the Developer World website products and services, we may collect:

  • Your user ID: This is collected so that you do not have to re-enter it every time you visit or use our services. Your user ID also helps us keep track of your visits to our websites.
  • Details on the content that you view, download and access: For example, when you use our website, we may collect information about your IP address and visit, such as your browser software, the pages you visit and the items you “click” on or download.
  • Device information (such as device ID): The device information is used to identify your computer when we automatically update or attempt to update your software.

(c) Cookies

We use cookies for a wide range of purposes on our website and in our email communications to deliver our services and to improve your experience. For example, these technologies may tell us which visitors “clicked” on key elements on a website or in an email and recognize your browser the next time you visit our website. More information about our use of cookies is available in our Cookies policy.

(d) Information collected in relation to social networks

If you use any of our social network features, pages or plug-ins, or use our products or services that allow interaction with social networks, we may receive personal information relating to such use.

For example, if you log in to one of our websites, applications or services using your social network account, we receive basic details from your social network profile. The basic details we receive may depend on your social network account privacy settings. The basic details typically include your social network ID and name. We only receive additional personal information from your profile if you give us permission to access it.

Please review your social network’s privacy policy to understand how it uses your information.

(e) Sensitive information

We do not collect any “sensitive” information about you. Sensitive information can only be collected with your specific consent or if we are required to by law. Examples of sensitive information are racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious/philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, genetic information, biometric information, health information, information about your sexual life or orientation and information about offences or alleged offences.

2. How does Sony use your information?

(i) To provide services to you

When we use personal information to offer our products and services to you, the processing is based on an agreement between you and Sony. In this context, we use personal information (as defined in section 1, What information is collected?), to:

  • Administer your account and provide you with access to the website
  • Respond to your customer service and business requests, questions and concerns
  • Provide you with service notices and product announcements
  • Send you requested updates and newsletters about the website or other services
  • Enable you to communicate, collaborate and share your content with other website users designated by you
  • Enable you to unlock Xperia devices

(ii) To improve and develop products and services

Sony may collect and/or analyze the information referred to in section 1 (What information is collected?) to generally improve our sites, products and services. The information may also be used to develop new sites, products and services by helping us understand the way you use them, so that we can provide improved user experiences today and/or in the future. We base this processing on our legitimate interests to develop our products and services to better meet customer requirements, ensure data quality, develop identity management and strengthen network and information security.

(iii) To protect Sony and its users

Sony may collect and/or analyze the information referred to in section 1 (What information is collected?) to identify potential security threats and to protect Sony, its users and Sony Group Companies. We base this processing on our legitimate interests to protect you and our company, systems, employees and partners, and on a legal obligation to cooperate with competent authorities.

(iv) To prevent and investigate fraud

We may use personal information to comply with applicable laws, regulations and court orders and to comply with valid legal information requests from such bodies. We may use your personal information to enforce or defend the legal rights of any Sony Group Company or the terms and conditions of any Sony product or service. In this case, we base the processing on a legal obligation to which Sony is subject, or on our legitimate interest to defend our legal rights.

(v) To personalize marketing communications

When you provide us with your contact details to, for example, create an account for one of our services, you may be given the opportunity to opt-in to receive various newsletters and other communications by email. These communications may include details about the latest Developer World products and services, including upgrades and special offers in which you may be interested.

We may also use your information to personalize and target our marketing communications more effectively by showing you personalized content, recommendations and product updates.

When we use personal information for marketing purposes, we base the processing on our legitimate interests to know our customers and keep you up-to-date about Developer World products and services and your prior consent to allow us to, for example, send marketing messages and personalize your customer experience.

If you would like to unsubscribe from receiving newsletters or withdraw your consent from other marketing communications, follow the “unsubscribe” link and/or instructions (typically) placed at the bottom of the email or any relevant message you receive from us, or contact us as described in section 11 (Contact information).

3. Who has access to your information?

Sharing of information by Sony

In general, Sony does not sell, rent or otherwise disclose information about you to third parties without your consent.

However, there are exceptions. Your personal information that is communicated to and stored by Sony may be made available to other Sony Group Companies and to third-party contractors as described in this section.

Sony Group Companies and third-party contractors

Your personal information may be shared with other Sony Group Companies and/or third-party contractors for the purposes of pursuing the activities outlined in section 1 (What information is collected?) and section 2 (How does Sony use your information?) on Sony’s behalf, acting as processors of Sony.

Our service providers

We regularly use third-party service providers and other Sony Group Companies to provide us with services, such as system testing and website maintenance. When we do this, we sometimes have to share data that we hold with the service providers to get the services to work properly. Your personal information is shared only when strictly necessary. We ensure that these service providers and other Sony Group Companies have the same safeguards to protect your personal information as detailed in this privacy policy.

Business transfer

If we sell or transfer a portion of or all our business, your personal information may be transferred by us to the purchasing or acquiring entity as part of the transaction. If we sell or transfer your personal information to a purchasing or acquiring entity, you will be duly informed.

Legal purposes

We may retain, use and/or disclose any of your personal information as required or permitted by law, regulation or order, including to government bodies and law enforcement agencies, to investigate complaints made by or against you, prevent fraud, comply with the law, meet a reasonable request from such bodies or protect or defend ourselves, or others, against illegal, criminal or harmful activities.

Sharing of information by you

Our online services allow you to upload and share messages, photos and other content and links with others and/or to create a publicly accessible profile for your account.

For example, the communities and forums area of our website allows you to post comments (with your account name) that are visible to other users of that service. Other services allow you to share a link, which, if “clicked” on, may allow the recipient to access your uploaded content.

You should not expect any information that you make available to others via our online services to be kept private or confidential. For example, content and links that you share might be forwarded by your recipients to others. You should always exercise discretion when using such services.

Statistics and generic information

We prepare aggregate or de-identified information (including “generic” statistics) for several purposes as outlined above. As we consider that you cannot reasonably be identified from this information, we may share it with any third party (such as our partners, industry bodies, the media and/or the general public) or with any other Sony Group Company.

4. Retention of personal information

We will only retain your personal information in accordance with our internal retention policies or for as long as is reasonably necessary for the various purposes set out in section 1 (What information is collected?) and section 2 (How does Sony use your information?), as well as to otherwise comply with any applicable laws and regulations concerning the mandatory retention of certain types of personal information relating to our customers and/or any commercial transactions with them. Should any personal information held by us no longer be required by us for any of the purposes set out in sections 1 and 2, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or de-identify any personal information after a reasonable period of time has passed.

If you are concerned that we have not complied with your legal rights or applicable privacy laws, you may contact us as described in section 11 (Contact information), or your local data protection authority.

5. Privacy rights

If you would like a copy of the personal information that we store about you or exercise any of the rights below, please contact us as described in section 11 (Contact information). You may be asked to provide some proof of identification so that we can verify that it is you making the request.

You have the following rights in respect to the personal information that we collect:

  • You have the right to access (including receiving a copy of) your personal information, to correct, delete or restrict (stop any active) processing of your personal data and to obtain the personal information you have provided to us for a contract or with your consent in a structured, machine-readable format, and to ask us to share (port) this personal data to another controller.
  • You can object to the processing of your personal information under some circumstances in particular:
    • When we do not have to process the data to meet a contractual or other legal requirement
    • When we are using the data for direct marketing
  • Where we have asked for your consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time. If you ask to withdraw your consent to Sony processing your information, this will not affect any processing that has already taken place at that time.

These rights may be limited, if, for example, fulfilling your request would reveal personal information about another person, or if you ask us to delete information that we are required by law to keep or have compelling legitimate interests in keeping.

You also have the right to complain, if you are concerned that we have not complied with your legal rights or applicable privacy laws. In such cases, you may contact your national data protection authority or any other such authority.

6. International transfers of your information

Sony is part of the Sony group, which is a global organization. For the purposes explained in this policy, your information may be transferred to Sony Group Companies (including service providers operating on their behalf) and other third parties in countries that do not have the same level of data protection laws as those in the country where you are located.

For the purposes outlined in section 1 (What information is collected?) and section 2 (How does Sony use your information?), your information may be processed in, stored in and transferred to various countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA) and/or your country of residence, including Japan and the United States. Your information may be processed and/or accessed by staff—working for us or for one of our service providers—operating outside the EEA and/or your country of residence. Your information may be transferred to Sony Electronics Inc., established in the United States, which is a country that is not regarded as providing an adequate level of protection.

Sony uses a variety of legal mechanisms to help ensure that your rights and protections travel with your information. This is why each of the Sony Group Companies (and their authorized data processors) complies with our internal policy relating to processing of personal information, which complies with the key data protection principles of fair handling of personal information and ensuring adequate level of protection of information.

Please contact us as described in section 11 (Contact information), if you want to receive further information regarding international data transfers.

7. Security

We take several steps to protect your information from accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure or access, including, where appropriate:

  • Limiting access to the information we collect about you (for example, only those of our staff who need your information to carry out our business activities are allowed access)
  • Putting in place physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards in line with industry standards

What you can do to protect your information

As general best practice on the Internet, it is recommended that individuals take great care with user accounts and follow some basic rules:

  • Do not use trivial passwords (such as single dictionary words).
  • Do not use the same password for multiple accounts.
  • Use very long passwords (at least 10 characters, but preferably longer).
  • Use passwords that contain a combination of upper- and lower-case letters, numbers and special characters, such as $, %, ^ and &.
  • Keep your passwords secure (never write them down or share them with anyone) and change passwords periodically.

8. Links to other sites

Some of our websites may contain links to other websites that are not operated by Sony, including websites operated by other Sony Group Companies.

While Sony tries to link only to sites that share Sony’s high standards and respect for privacy, we are not responsible for the content, security or privacy practices of those other websites. You should review the privacy and cookies policies for those websites to find out how your personal information may be used.

9. Our policy regarding children

Sony considers a child to be anyone under the age of 16. We do not knowingly seek or collect personal information from or about children without the consent of a parent or guardian.

If Sony becomes aware that personal information that has been submitted to us relates to a child without the consent of a parent or guardian, Sony will undertake reasonable efforts to:

  • Delete that personal information from its files as soon as possible
  • Ensure, where deletion is not possible, that this personal information is not used further for any purpose, nor disclosed further to any third party

Any parent or guardian with queries regarding our processing of personal information relating to their child can contact us as described in section 11 (Contact information).

10. Changes

Sony reserves the right to make changes to this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time for any reason. We will inform you of any changes to our Privacy Policy through our Developer World website.

11. Contact information

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, or if you wish to exercise any legal right you may have in respect of your personal information, please contact us.

Last Updated and Effective Date: 2021-04-01