Privacypolicy.

Last updated: 1 October 2026

This policy explains what personal information Sarastar collects, why, who can see it, and your choices. It covers this website, the customer portal, the Sarastar community forum and the Sarastar desktop software. We handle personal information in line with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.

"Sarastar", "we" and "us" means Sarastar Pty Ltd (ACN 691 863 402) as trustee for the Lyon Family Trust (ABN 58 429 022 957), based in Western Australia.

The short version: your project files stay on your computers. We collect what we need to run your account and licence, including a record of the time the software is in use. Crash reports are your choice, and so are usage analytics outside the alpha. We don't sell your information or use it for advertising.

1. What we collect

Your account

• Your name and email address, from the Google or Microsoft account you sign in with. We never see or store your password for those accounts.
• If you sign in with an email and password instead: your email address, and your password stored only as a secure one-way hash (we can't read it). We send a link to confirm your email, and to reset your password if you ask.
• The email address an invitation was sent to, and when you accepted it.
• Which versions of our terms you have accepted, and when.

Organisations

If you belong to a company account: the company's name (and ABN, if its administrators add one), your role in it, and the sites you belong to.

Licensing and your computers

When you activate and use a licence, the software sends:

• an identifier derived from the computer's hardware, so the licence stays tied to that computer;
• the computer's name, operating system, processor type and the Sarastar version and release channel;
• a random identifier for the installation, and the times the licence is activated and checked.

We also record which installers and updates are downloaded for your account, and the internet (IP) address of some account actions, such as download requests, for security.

Usage time

While a licence is in use, the software records time in use in blocks (15 minutes by default), noting whether you were working or a calculation you started was running, and the software version. We use this record for licensing, for usage-based (pool) licences, and to show you and your organisation how the software is used. It is part of the licence, so it is recorded whatever you choose for usage analytics.

Bug reports you send

A report contains what you write and what you choose to include: the end of Sarastar's log (with your user folder name removed), a screenshot of the viewport, or files you attach. It also includes the Sarastar version and channel, your operating system, graphics card and driver, and an approximate memory size.

Crash reports (your choice)

If you allow them, crash reports contain technical details of the crash, with your user folder name removed. You can turn them off, have Sarastar ask each time, or always send them.

Usage analytics

Anonymous information about which features are used and how quickly they run, linked to a random installation identifier. It never includes hardware identifiers, file names, folder paths, coordinates or project contents. In the alpha, analytics are part of taking part and stay on. In beta and released versions they are off unless you turn them on.

The community forum

If you join the community forum at community.sarastar.com.au, you sign in with your Sarastar account. The forum receives your name, email address, and whether you're an alpha or beta tester or Sarastar staff, so it can give you access to the right areas. It then holds:

• the username you choose, and anything you add to your forum profile;
• what you post, reply, like, bookmark or send in forum messages;
• your forum notification settings;
• for security and to prevent misuse, the internet (IP) address and browser you use and when you visit.

Things you send us

Emails and messages you send us, and feedback on documentation pages ("Was this page helpful?" and any comment). For documentation feedback we don't store your IP address; we keep a one-way code of it, changed daily, only to limit misuse.

What we don't collect

• Your project files and designs. The software never sends them to us. The only files we receive are ones you choose to attach to a bug report.
• Advertising or tracking cookies. The website uses your browser's storage only to keep you signed in and to remember preferences such as light or dark mode and the last organisation you opened. The community forum uses cookies only to keep you signed in, remember your settings and protect against misuse.

2. How we use it

• To run your account, the customer portal and your licences, and to deliver the software and its updates.
• To bill usage-based licences and keep licensing records.
• To show your organisation how its licences are used.
• To support you, fix problems and keep the service secure.
• To improve Sarastar, using bug reports, crash reports and analytics.
• To send you messages about your account, your licence and the service. We don't send marketing email without your consent.

3. Who can see it

• Your organisation. Owners and administrators of a company account can see the people, licences, computers and usage time for their company's licences. Site managers can see usage time for the licences at their sites. If you use a company licence, your company can see the time recorded against it.
• Other community members. Your name, username, profile and posts on the community forum can be seen by other members. During the alpha, the forum is open only to alpha testers and Sarastar staff. When it opens to everyone, posts in public areas can be read by anyone; areas for testers stay private to them. Forum messages are seen only by the people they're sent to, and by forum moderators if needed to deal with misuse.
• Sarastar. We access your information only to run the service, support you and keep it secure.
• Service providers who host and run parts of Sarastar for us, under contracts that protect your information (section 4).
• When the law requires it, or to protect people's rights, safety or property.

We don't sell or rent personal information.

4. Service providers and overseas storage

Where information is handled outside Australia, we take reasonable steps to make sure it is protected in a way consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.

5. How long we keep it

• Account, organisation and licensing information: while your account is active, then as long as we need it for licensing, billing, tax and legal records.
• Usage time records: as licensing and billing records, for the same period.
• Crash reports: deleted after 90 days.
• Bug reports: until the issue they describe is dealt with, and no longer than we need them.
• Analytics: in anonymous form only.
• Community forum: your posts stay while the forum runs, unless you or a moderator edit or delete them. Forum backups are deleted after 30 days, and records of IP addresses are kept only as long as needed for security.

You can ask us to delete your account. We will delete or de-identify your information unless we have to keep it by law. On the community forum, your account is made anonymous: your posts stay, so discussions still make sense, but your name, email and profile are removed.

6. Your choices and rights

• Crash reports and analytics: change them at any time in Sarastar, on the Account page under Help and privacy. In the alpha, analytics stay on as part of the programme. An IT department can turn both off for everyone through system policy.
• Community forum: change your profile, what others can see and your email notifications in your forum preferences. You can edit or delete your own posts.
• Access and correction: you can see much of your information in the customer portal. Ask us for a copy of the information we hold about you, or to correct it, and we'll respond within 30 days.
• Complaints: contact us first and we'll respond within 30 days. If you're not satisfied, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner at oaic.gov.au.

7. Security

Information is encrypted in transit. Access to our systems is limited and protected, sign-in tokens are stored only in hashed form, and licence files are signed so they can't be forged. No system is perfectly secure; if a data breach is likely to cause serious harm, we'll tell you and the Information Commissioner as the law requires.

8. Children

Sarastar is for professionals and students and isn't intended for children under 16.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. We'll change the date at the top, and tell you by email or in the software if a change is significant.

10. Contact us

Email support@sarastar.com.au with any question or request about your personal information.

Sarastar Pty Ltd as trustee for the Lyon Family Trust, ABN 58 429 022 957, Western Australia.