ORA - Original Registry Application

O-RA Privacy Statement

Last updated November 2025

For the purposes of this Privacy Statement, unless the context requires otherwise:

references to 'you' and 'your' are references to you as the person accessing this Site;
references to 'we', 'our' and 'us' are references to Identity Connection Evolution Limited and includes our employees, contractors, representatives, or other authorised personnel;
the Act means the Privacy Act 2020, and includes the Privacy Amendment Act 2025;
IPP means Information Privacy Principles under the Act;
Māori Data means personal information that is about Māori, created by Māori, or of particular significance to Māori individuals, whānau, hapū, and iwi;
Personal Information has the meaning given to that term in the Privacy Act 2020;
Rangatiratanga means self-determination, authority, and autonomy;
the Site is our website, website accessible at www.o-ra.io and includes any functions, software, applications or other programmes owned by us that can be accessed from that website;
Tikanga means Māori customary values, practices and protocols;
Whakapapa means genealogical connections and relationships recognised as taonga tuku iho (treasured heritage) and collective property.

Acknowledgement of Māori rights over Māori data

We recognise:

Māori rights to exercise rangatiratanga over their own data;
Māori data sovereignty through the unique application of tikanga specific to this Site and to the collection and use of Māori data;
Māori data sovereignty requires we exclusively operate and store all data within an Aotearoa, New Zealand jurisdiction with only 100% NZ owned and operated IT companies;
The importance of Māori Data Governance through our documentation, training and tools shared with the Māori authorities who use the Site, in order to safeguard Māori data and the communities from which it derives;
The collective nature of Māori data and its connections across whānau, hapū, iwi, and te taiao;
Our role as stewards (not owners) of Māori data entrusted to us by whānau, hapū, iwi, tribal and other Māori authorities.

This privacy statement applies to personal information that we collect through the Site.

Collection, maintenance, use, disclosure, and storage of Personal Information by us through this Site is governed by the Act. Protecting Personal Information provided to us is important. This privacy statement is to help you understand how we collect, maintain, use and disclose your personal information. This Privacy Statement is supplemented by, and is subject to, any other privacy statements that apply to any services or features offered by us.

We further acknowledge that for whānau, hapū and iwi, data is not only individual information but in fact a taonga and whakapapa information is a shared taonga with sensitivities of critical importance to whānau, hapū and iwi. We commit to ensuring that any data processing we undertake does not undermine, exploit or mis-represent Māori knowledge, identity or relationships - rather it supports Māori wellbeing, autonomy and self-determination.  

We will ensure that when such data is collected, used or shared, it is subject to Māori-centred decision-making and relevant cultural protocols.   Accordingly, we recognise that in addition to the legal protections of the Act, the principles of Māori data sovereignty and governance apply to our handling of all data.  

By accessing the Site or using any of the services or features provided on or in connection with the Site you authorise our collection, use, storage and disclosure of your Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Statement and to the extent not prohibited by the Act.

This privacy statement may be updated from time to time. The revised version will be published on the Site with the date of the latest update.

INFORMATION COLLECTION AND USE

If you use or access our website from an email or other personalised communications sent to you or provide us with Personal Information (for example, by completing a form online) we may be able to identify you. The Personal Information we may collect from you in connection with this Site includes:

identification details;
payment information;
demographic information;
whakapapa;
contact details (such as postal address and physical address, email and contact phone number);
proof of identification (such as driver’s licence, passport, 18+ card, birth certificate); and
email and phone correspondence with us.
land share interests.

This information is collected by us for the purpose of dealing with your request or for related purposes.

Personal Information that is collected by us may be disclosed to third parties, including service providers, that may analyse and use that Personal Information for the purposes of ensuring your access to and use of the Site. The use of that Personal Information will only be in accordance with this Privacy Statement. Where data concerns Māori individuals or whānau, we will consider the collective and cultural context of that data before collection or use and provide opportunities for Māori governance oversight.

We may also collect the following Personal Information for research and statistical purposes, including the following:

device and location information;
site usage information (collected by cookies); and
information provided by advertisers and marketers (such as information collected by cookies).

In accordance with the Act and as amended by the Privacy Amendment Act 2025, if we collect your personal information indirectly (i.e., from a source other than you) we will take reasonable steps to notify you as soon as practicable of: the fact of collection, the purpose of collection, the recipients (or types of recipients) of the information, our name and address, any law authorising/requiring the collection, and your rights of access and correction.

BROWSING ACTIVITY PERSONAL IDENTIFIERS

When visiting the Site, we collect personal identifiers from your browsing activity such as:

requests by your web browser to our servers for web pages and other content on the Site, and these requests are recorded;
information to your: geographical location, internet service provider and IP address; and
information about the software you are using to browse the Site, such as the type of computer or device.

We use this information in aggregate to assess the popularity of the webpages on the Site and how we perform in providing content to you.

OVERSEAS PARTIES

Although it is highly unlikely, we may use third-party providers located outside of New Zealand. This may mean some of your information may be processed outside of New Zealand. Where a service provider is based overseas, we will take reasonable steps to ensure those providers are subject to comparable privacy safeguards to those in the Act and we will assess how tikanga, data sovereignty and Māori governance concerns are addressed by those overseas providers. To be clear, we will always ensure hosting and processing is within New Zealand, and within Māori-governed or Māori-aligned infrastructure.

COOKIES

We may collect information about you through the use of cookies. This Site has been designed to automatically issue a 'cookie' to visitors. A cookie is a small data file that a website sends to an online visitor's hard drive while they are viewing the website. A visitor's cookie details are subsequently logged alongside visitor navigation throughout the website.

Cookies do not personally identify users of our website. Cookies allow us to gather the following information: the date, time, duration and frequency of your visits and the pages you access on this website. We use cookies for storing and honouring your preferences and settings, enabling you to sign-in, providing interest-based advertisement, combating fraud, analysing how our products perform and to analyse overall visitor activities and other legitimate purposes on our Site.

You can generally configure your web browser to accept cookies, reject cookies or notify you when a cookie is sent. You should refer to the help menu of your web browser if you require details as to how this can be done.

If you choose not to accept cookies, we shall not use them for your visit except to record that you have not consented to their use for any other purpose.

INFORMATION ABOUT OTHERS

If you provide us with Personal Information about another person (for example a spouse, a child or relative) then you are responsible for ensuring you have authority to do so and that person consents to our use of their Personal Information as set out in this Privacy Statement.

You must also make that person aware that you have disclosed their Personal Information to us and that we will use their Personal Information in accordance with this Privacy Statement,

ACCESS AND CORRECTION

Subject to the Act, you may request a copy of the Personal Information we hold about you by writing to us at the address below. You may also request us to update it, if it is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

To ensure the integrity and safety of a member’s Personal Information, we will only disclose information to a member if our internal procedures for disclosure of information are satisfied and where we are entitled by law to do so.

Our governance framework ensures that whānau, hapū, iwi interests may also be engaged when relevant to ensure integrity and culturally appropriate handling.

You can contact us by emailing kiaora@o-ra.io

STORAGE AND SECURITY OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

You are responsible for ensuring that all information that you provide to us (including your email address) is accurate, complete and up-to-date. You must advise us as soon as possible if your email address or other contact details change by updating your profile information. Any changes may be subject to verification by us or the entity you have connection to.

You are responsible for ensuring the security of the Personal Information held on your computer, mobile or other device.

We are committed to keeping your Personal Information secure. We will take all reasonable steps with its physical, technical, organisational and electronic security to protect your Personal Information against loss, damage, misuse, unauthorised access, erroneous disclosure, alteration and destruction. Personal information is held in secure electronic databases. We use a range of security processes to protect the confidentiality and security of Personal Information that we hold. We will work to ensure that our security, storage, and deletion practices reflect both high-grade technical standards and tikanga-aligned protocols for cultural integrity.

CONTACT US

If you have any questions, requests or concerns about how we manage your Personal Information you may contact:

privacy@o-ra.io
Attention: Privacy & Māori Data Governance Lead