Published · V1.1 · Effective date
LiveAuction.jp Privacy Policy
Version: V1.1
Effective date: subject to the actual date of lawful publication.
Article 1 | Our commitment to privacy
LiveAuction.jp respects and values the personal information and privacy rights of every collector, visitor and partner auction house.
Operated by Japan’s TOISHINSEI Co., Ltd., the platform aims to offer users worldwide a convenient art-discovery experience through art categories, aggregated auction information, multilingual search and links to official auction platforms.
We process data under applicable personal information protection laws, following principles of lawfulness, transparency, specified purposes, data minimisation and security management.
This policy explains what information we may collect, why we use it, how we protect it and how you can exercise your personal information rights.
Article 2 | Scope
This policy applies to:
- The LiveAuction.jp website and applicable official service pages;
- User registration, account management, enquiries and consignment applications;
- Browsing auction information, saving favourites and on-site interactions;
- AI-assisted recommendations and personalisation services that have been formally enabled;
- Lawfully authorised marketing and customer communications.
When you enter ATG, LiveAuctioneers or another third-party bidding platform through this platform, that provider may process your personal information under its own privacy policy.
This policy does not automatically apply to third-party registration, bidding, payment, logistics or other independent services.
Article 3 | Personal information we process
Depending on the services you actually use, we may process the following categories:
1. Contact and account information
For example, name, email address, telephone number, account identifier, language preferences and necessary account-security information.
2. Service and enquiry information
For example, enquiries, consignment applications, correspondence and related service requests you voluntarily submit.
3. Website usage and technical information
For example, browser type, device type, IP address, access times, error logs and technical records necessary for website security and proper operation.
4. Collecting interests and interactions
Where relevant features are enabled and there is an appropriate basis for processing, this may include search terms, saved items, browsing preferences and related interactions.
5. Marketing choices
For example, whether you agree to receive particular marketing communications, subscription preferences and records of withdrawal or objection to marketing.
We do not infer consent to marketing emails or cross-platform targeted advertising merely because you browse a particular artwork.
In principle, we do not actively request sensitive personal information unrelated to our services.
Article 4 | Purposes and legal bases
We process personal information only where there is a basis recognised by applicable law, for the following purposes:
- Providing accounts and services you request: processing necessary to perform a contract or take steps before entering a contract.
- Responding to enquiries and service requests: processing based on contractual necessity, legitimate interests or another applicable basis.
- Maintaining system security and preventing abuse: processing based on legitimate interests or legal obligations.
- Complying with applicable laws and regulatory requirements: processing based on legal obligations.
- Sending marketing requiring consent: processing based on user consent.
- Using non-essential cookies requiring consent: processing based on user consent.
- Personalised recommendations and interest analysis: an appropriate legal basis determined according to the actual processing circumstances.
For legitimate interests, we consider whether processing is necessary and whether individuals’ privacy rights and reasonable expectations should take priority.
Applicable bases may differ between countries and regions. We determine the corresponding processing rules according to actual features, service users and applicable laws.
Article 5 | AI recommendations and personal information protection
LiveAuction.jp is planning an AI art database, AI Buyer Radar and personalised recommendation services.
These features are intended to use lot attributes, category relationships and lawfully obtained interest information to help collectors find related works and assist auction houses in improving promotional efficiency.
We follow these principles:
- Specify the purposes for which AI systems process data;
- Minimise unnecessary use of personal information wherever possible;
- Distinguish ordinary browsing, personalisation and marketing authorisation;
- Obtain valid consent before processing that requires consent;
- Provide channels to object, withdraw or exercise other rights required by applicable law;
- Conduct necessary compliance assessments for high-risk analysis and automated decision-making.
AI recommendations or interest matching must not treat browsing records alone as user consent to marketing communications.
If we later use decisions based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects on individuals, we will provide the additional notices and safeguards required by law before enabling them.
AI marketing features not yet formally enabled must not be regarded as already processing customer data in production.
Article 6 | Cookies and similar technologies
This website may use cookies or similar technologies to support security, necessary functions, language preferences and lawfully enabled analytics or marketing services.
Cookies may be categorised as:
- Necessary cookies: supporting proper operation, security and necessary services;
- Functional cookies: saving applicable interface and usage preferences;
- Analytics cookies: helping understand website usage under applicable conditions;
- Marketing cookies: supporting marketing attribution or personalised advertising under applicable conditions.
Non-essential cookies or similar technologies requiring prior consent under law will be enabled only after valid consent is obtained.
Users should be able to manage relevant choices through settings actually provided or applicable rights-request channels.
Specific cookie names, providers, purposes and retention periods must be disclosed in a formal cookie notice based on actual deployment.
Article 7 | Recipients and third-party platforms
Where necessary to provide services, we may disclose personal information to these categories of recipients:
- Authorised technical hosting and security service providers;
- Website maintenance and necessary business-processing service providers;
- Independent third-party auction platforms users actively choose to visit or use;
- Email, customer relationship management and marketing service providers used on a lawful basis;
- Public authorities legally entitled to request information.
We distinguish independent controllers, joint controllers and processors according to actual relationships, and adopt contractual and security measures where necessary.
After a user follows an external bidding-platform link, that platform’s independent processing is generally described in its own privacy policy.
Except where permitted by law, we will not use personal information for purposes incompatible with the original purpose.
Article 8 | International transfers
As LiveAuction.jp serves international customers, related technical services or partner platforms may involve cross-border processing of personal information.
Where international transfers are necessary, we will verify the recipient country or region, the recipient’s role and the relevant safeguards under applicable law.
Where applicable, these may include adequacy decisions, standard contractual clauses, UK international data-transfer safeguards or other legally permitted mechanisms.
Specific recipients, storage locations and cross-border safeguards are subject to formally verified and published information.
Article 9 | Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to achieve lawful processing purposes, determining retention periods according to applicable law, business necessity, security needs and dispute-resolution requirements.
When information is no longer needed and no lawful basis for continued retention exists, we will appropriately delete, anonymise or otherwise lawfully handle it.
Different categories may have different periods. Specific periods or the criteria determining them must be established according to actual data-processing records and retention policies.
Article 10 | Your privacy rights
Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have all or some of these rights:
- Understand how we collect and use personal information;
- Request access to or a copy of personal information;
- Request correction of inaccurate information;
- Request deletion where applicable;
- Request restriction of certain processing;
- Object to specific processing;
- Request data portability where applicable;
- Withdraw authorisation for consent-based processing at any time;
- Object to direct marketing or targeted advertising from which the law allows an opt-out;
- Complain to a competent data-protection authority.
Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing based on valid consent before withdrawal.
We will not subject users to discrimination prohibited by law for lawfully exercising applicable privacy rights.
Article 11 | Additional information for US residents
If you reside in a US jurisdiction with applicable state privacy laws, you may have rights to know about, access, correct, delete or port personal information; opt out of sale, sharing or certain targeted advertising; or limit sensitive-information use.
Specific rights and conditions depend on the relevant state law and whether the company is a business subject to it.
If the company engages in activities defined by applicable law as sale, sharing or certain targeted advertising, we will provide the relevant opt-out methods and process applicable browser privacy preference signals where legally required.
Until the facts are verified, this policy does not assert either that activities legally defined as sale or sharing are taking place or that they are entirely absent.
Article 12 | Information security
We seek to adopt technical and organisational measures proportionate to processing risks, protecting personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss or other improper processing.
Measures may include access controls, separation of staff responsibilities, necessary encryption, activity audits, backups and incident-response mechanisms.
As no internet service can guarantee absolute security, we continuously assess and improve our security management.
If an incident requires notification under law, we will fulfil applicable legal obligations.
Article 13 | Minors
LiveAuction.jp is primarily intended for adults interested in art collecting or auction services.
We do not target minors with personalised marketing. If we discover processing of minors’ information that does not meet applicable legal requirements, we will take necessary action.
Minors using registration, bidding or other legally restricted third-party services must also comply with the platform’s rules and applicable law.
Article 14 | Updates and contact guidance
We may update this policy according to legal requirements, service features and actual processing practices.
The updated policy will be published on LiveAuction.jp with the applicable effective date.
For changes requiring additional notice or renewed consent under law, we will take necessary measures before implementing the relevant processing.
If you have questions about this policy or personal information processing, or wish to exercise applicable statutory privacy rights, please use the official contact details listed under “Contact Us” in this website’s footer. We will handle your request under applicable law.