Terms of Service/Use and Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 25 Feb 2025

Last Updated: 28 August 2025

Welcome to the Rhythmo application. Your privacy is important to us, and we are committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your data in connection with Rhythmo. Note that if you have consented to share your Rhythmo data with a research study, the terms of your data usage for the purposes of research will be outlined in the study consent form, and may be different from the policy provided here.

1. Information We Collect

Rhythmo collects the following types of data:

  • Wearable Device Data: Includes heart rate, sleep patterns, accelerometry, skin temperature, and other physiological metrics collected from your smartwatch.

2. Consent to Collect and Use Data

  • No Data Stored Without Consent: Visitors to the Rhythmo application can browse and use the application without having their data stored. Data is only stored if users explicitly consent to participate in the study and provide informed consent for research purposes.
  • Research Consent: At the time of account creation, you may be given the option to consent to share your data with a range of different research studies.
  • Withdrawal of Consent: Participants may withdraw their consent at any time, and their data will be removed from our database.
    • To withdraw from the study, please contact the team at cycles-study@unimelb.edu.au.

3. How We Use Your Information

The data collected is used to:

  • Analyse the prevalnce of multiday physiological cycles and their effects on stress, cognition, and sleep.
  • Identify causal relationships between physiological cycles and external factors.
  • Publish aggregated, de-identified findings to advance scientific knowledge.
  • Contact participants for follow-up studies (if opted-in to be involved in further research).

4. How We Keep Your Information Private

Your data will be:

  • Deleted: Your data is not stored unless you provided explicit consent to participate in a research study.
  • De-identified and Aggregated: Before analysis or sharing for research purposes.
  • Only Shared with Research Teams: Collaborators involved in Rhythmo research studies.
  • Published in Academic Contexts: Non-identifiable data may be shared in academic journals or conferences.
  • Never Sold: We do not sell your personal information to third parties.
  • Stored Securely: Non-identifiable data is stored on encrypted cloud servers (Amazon S3 and OneDrive) located in Australia (minimum of 5 years after study completion).

5. Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Access the data we have collected from you.
  • Request corrections to your personal data.
  • Request deletion of your personal data.
  • Withdraw from a study at any time.

To exercise these rights, contact the research team at cycles-study@unimelb.edu.au.

6. Cookies and Tracking

The Rhythmo application may use cookies to improve functionality and enhance your user experience. These cookies do not collect personal data and are used solely for operational purposes.

7. Contact Information

For questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at cycles-study@unimelb.edu.au.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy as needed. Changes will be posted on this page, and the effective date will be updated accordingly.

9. Active Research Studies

Active research studies that may be using your data are detailed here. View the Plain Language Statement for the TEMPO study here.