OttsyPrivacy policy
Last updated 2 November 2026
Ottsy (ottsy.io) is a virtual office made by Cool Brands. This policy explains what Ottsy collects when you use it, why, who can see it, and how to have it deleted. If anything here is unclear, write to hello@ottsy.io.
The short version
- You sign in with Google. Ottsy keeps your name and email address, and never sees your Google password.
- Ottsy stores what you put into it: your otter, your status, your chat messages and the files you share.
- Voice, video and screen sharing go to the people you're with and are never recorded.
- No ads, no analytics or tracking tools, and your data is never sold.
Signing in with Google
Ottsy asks Google only for the basic sign-in permissions (openid, email and profile). Google then tells Ottsy your name, your email address, whether that address is verified, and a link to your profile picture. Ottsy uses these only to:
- check that you have been invited to the workspace (invites are tied to an email address);
- create your account, with your Google name as your starting display name;
- show your name and email to the workspace's owner and admins so they can manage members.
Ottsy keeps your name and email address. It does not keep your profile picture, and it cannot read your Gmail, Drive, Calendar, Contacts or anything else in your Google account.
Ottsy's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Google user data is used only to sign you in and run your workspace. It is not used for advertising, not sold, not shared with anyone except as described in this policy, and not used to train AI models.
What Ottsy stores
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Your account: email address, display name, the otter you designed, your role in the workspace, and when you last signed in | To sign you in, show you to your team and let owners manage the workspace |
| Your place in the office: where your otter last stood, the desk you claimed, rooms you renamed and furniture you placed | So the office is as you left it |
| Your status (for example "In a meeting") and do-not-disturb time | To show your team whether you're free |
| Chat: the messages you send in channels, direct messages and threads, and your reactions, pins and saved items | That is the chat. Messages you delete are erased, not hidden. |
| Files and images you share in chat | So the people in that conversation can open them |
| Invites: the email address an invite was sent to, who sent it, and whether it was used | So each invite works once, for the right person |
Not stored: Nearby chat messages are passed on to the people around you once and never saved. Voice, video and screen sharing are relayed live and never recorded.
Cookies and local storage
cbo_session: keeps you signed in, for up to 30 days. It is signed so it can't be forged.cbo_oauth_stateandcbo_invite: last 10 minutes and only carry you safely through sign-in.- Your browser's local storage remembers small preferences on your own device, such as your zoom level.
Ottsy uses no advertising or analytics cookies.
Who can see your information
- Your workspace: members see your display name, otter, where you are in the office, your status, and the messages you post in conversations they are part of. Private channels and direct messages are visible only to their members.
- Workspace owner and admins: also see members' email addresses, roles and invites, and can remove members.
- Service providers that run Ottsy for us, only as needed to provide the service:
- Cloudflare: hosting, the database, file storage and the live voice and video relay;
- Google: sign-in;
- Slack: only if a workspace owner connects a Slack channel. Ottsy then posts short notices there, such as "Alex is asking for Sam", which include display names.
We never sell personal information or share it for advertising. We would disclose it only if the law requires it.
How long we keep it
Your information is kept while your workspace uses Ottsy. When an owner or admin removes you, you are signed out and can no longer get in. To have your account and data deleted entirely, email hello@ottsy.io from the address you sign in with. We will delete it within 30 days. Messages you sent in shared conversations are deleted along with it, unless you ask us to keep them for your team.
You can also stop Ottsy's access from your Google account at any time, at myaccount.google.com/permissions.
Your rights
You can ask us for a copy of your data, to correct it, or to delete it. You can change your display name, otter and status yourself in Ottsy, and edit or delete your own messages. For anything else, write to hello@ottsy.io and we will reply within 30 days.
Security
Everything travels over HTTPS. Sign-in cookies are signed and HTTP-only, and workspaces are invite-only. Personal invite links work once, for one email address, and expire after 14 days. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable care to protect your information.
Children
Ottsy is a tool for work teams and is not meant for children under 16.
Changes
If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page. If a change significantly affects how your information is used, we will also tell you in Ottsy.
Contact
Ottsy is operated by Cool Brands. For privacy questions or requests, email hello@ottsy.io.