Privacy Policy

Belova is operated by BELOVA LTD, company number 17396124, of 4th Floor, 14 Museum Place, Cardiff, CF10 3BH, United Kingdom. Belova Ltd is the data controller for the personal information described in this policy.

For privacy questions or requests, email privacy@joinbelova.com.

Depending on how you use Belova, we process the following information:

• Account details: your name, email address, account identifiers, sign-in details supplied by Apple or Google, confirmation that you are at least 18, and account and sign-in events.
• Profile details: your display name, profile photo, biography, interests, cost preference, general area, badges, verification status and other details you choose to add.
• Activities: plans you create, host, request to join or attend; activity descriptions, times, attendance and join decisions; and meeting-point information.
• Messages: messages in an activity's group chat, their timestamps, the activity they relate to and read status.
• Host verification: a photograph of an identity document, a live selfie, submission details, review status and outcome.
• Safety and moderation: reports, supporting details, blocks, moderation decisions, restrictions and information needed to investigate misuse or protect members.
• Notifications and technical information: device notification tokens, in-app notifications, limited sign-in diagnostics, IP address, device or browser information, application errors and security events.
• Website information: feedback you send, privacy or deletion requests, and website analytics information if you consent to analytics cookies.

We do not sell personal information or use it for targeted advertising.

We receive information directly from you, from Apple or Google when you use their sign-in services, from your device when you allow location or notifications, and from other members when they interact with you or make a report.

We use it to create and secure accounts; operate profiles, activities, join requests, chats and notifications; verify hosts; calculate distance; provide support; investigate safety concerns; enforce our Terms and Community Guidelines; prevent misuse; troubleshoot the service; meet legal obligations; and handle privacy requests.

• Contract: to provide the account, profile, activities, chat, notifications and other Belova features you request.
• Legitimate interests: to keep Belova safe and reliable, verify hosts, investigate reports, prevent fraud and misuse, support members and defend legal rights. We balance these interests against your rights.
• Consent: for device location and optional website analytics. You can withdraw consent at any time.
• Legal obligation: where processing or disclosure is required by law.

Belova is a social service. Other members can see information intended to identify you within the community, including your display name, profile photo, biography, interests, badges, verification status and the activities you host or attend. They do not see your email address, identity documents or moderation history.

Hosts and approved members can see who is attending an activity. Information you put in profiles, activities and chats is visible to the members who can access those areas.

If you use the distance filter, Belova asks your device for its current location to calculate approximate distances to activities. Your device location is used for that calculation and is not saved by Belova. You can refuse or withdraw location permission in your device settings.

Hosts choose activity meeting points using Google Maps place search. Before joining, members see only an approximate area or distance. The exact meeting point is available to the host and approved members so they can attend. It is not publicly displayed.

An activity's group chat is available to its host and approved members. Messages are stored so the conversation works and may be reviewed by authorised Belova staff when a report, safety concern or legal request requires it.

After account deletion, message text is removed unless it must be preserved for an open safety, moderation or legal matter. Other members' messages and the activity's shared history are not deleted.

Members who want to host activities provide a photo ID and a live selfie. Authorised Belova staff compare them manually. Belova does not use automated facial recognition or create a biometric template.

The ID image and selfie are kept private and are deleted after the verification decision. Belova keeps the verification outcome needed to operate the host-verification feature. A verified badge confirms identity only; it does not guarantee behaviour or mean Belova personally endorses a member.

Members can report people or activities and block other members. Authorised Belova staff may review reports, relevant messages and activity information, and may warn members, remove content, cancel activities, suspend accounts or ban accounts.

We may retain information that would otherwise be removed where it is genuinely needed to investigate an open concern, protect someone's safety, prevent a ban or restriction being avoided, comply with law, respond to authorities, or establish, exercise or defend legal claims. Access is restricted and retention is reviewed according to the purpose of the record.

Belova sends service communications such as account confirmation, password resets, activity updates and verification decisions. Push notifications are optional and can be turned off in your device settings. Device notification tokens are removed when your account is deleted.

If you contact Belova, we process your contact details and message so we can respond and keep an appropriate record of the request.

We use service providers only where needed to run Belova:

• Lovable and its infrastructure providers, including Supabase and Amazon Web Services: website and app infrastructure, database, authentication, file storage and service emails.
• Google: Google sign-in, Maps place search and website analytics where you consent.
• Apple: Sign in with Apple and Apple push notifications.

Providers process information under their own terms and, where they act for us, under appropriate data-protection arrangements. Some providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where UK law requires safeguards for an international transfer, we use an available lawful transfer mechanism.

We may also disclose information where required by law or reasonably necessary to protect a person's safety, investigate unlawful activity, or protect legal rights.

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for the purpose for which it was collected, to operate Belova, and to meet safety, security and legal responsibilities. We do not claim fixed deletion schedules that are not currently operating.

• Account and profile information is kept while your account is active and is deleted when the production deletion process completes, subject to the exceptions below.
• Identity-document images and selfies are deleted after the verification decision.
• Shared activity records may remain after account deletion so other members' activity history remains accurate, but your identity is removed and shown as “Deleted user”.
• Chat text is removed on deletion unless needed for an open safety, moderation or legal matter.
• Reports, moderation records and limited evidence may be kept for as long as reasonably needed for safeguarding, preventing repeat misuse, legal obligations or legal claims.
• Technical records and communications are kept only as long as reasonably needed for security, troubleshooting, responding to requests and legal purposes.

Deleted information may remain for a limited time in provider backups until those backups are overwritten. Belova does not state a fixed backup period because one has not been verified.

You can delete your account in Belova under Profile → Settings → Delete account. You can also request deletion without signing in or installing Belova by following the instructions on our Delete account page.

The production deletion process permanently removes your sign-in account, profile, profile and activity-cover images, identity-verification images, notification tokens, in-app notifications, chat read markers and blocks. Upcoming activities you host are cancelled and their exact meeting points are cleared.

To protect other members' records, past shared activities and attendance entries may remain with your identity removed and shown as “Deleted user”. Your chat text is removed unless it is needed for an open safety, moderation or legal matter. Reports, moderation records and a limited record of an active ban may be retained where necessary for safeguarding, preventing misuse, legal obligations or legal claims.

joinbelova.com stores your cookie choice in your browser. This essential storage is used only to remember your choice.

Google Analytics runs on joinbelova.com only if you accept analytics cookies. It may collect pages viewed, how you reached the website, approximate location derived from your IP address, and device, browser and screen information. Google may process this information outside the UK, including in the United States.

You can reject analytics or withdraw consent at any time using “Cookie settings” in the footer. Withdrawing stops further analytics collection and removes applicable Google Analytics cookies from this website. Read our Cookie Notice for details.

The Belova app does not use advertising or analytics trackers.

We use access controls and other technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information. Access to private information, verification material and moderation records is limited to people who need it for their role. No online service can guarantee absolute security.

Depending on the circumstances, UK data-protection law gives you rights to access your information; correct it; have it deleted; restrict or object to its use; receive certain information in a portable format; and withdraw consent.

Email privacy@joinbelova.com to exercise a right. We normally respond within one month and may need to verify your identity. Legal exemptions can apply.

Belova is for adults aged 18 and over. If we learn that an account belongs to someone under 18, we may restrict or remove it. Contact privacy@joinbelova.com if you believe a child is using Belova.

Please contact privacy@joinbelova.com first so we can try to resolve your concern. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or by calling 0303 123 1113.

We may update this policy when Belova's features, providers or legal obligations change. We will show the latest update date here and, where appropriate, bring significant changes to members' attention.

BELOVA LTD
4th Floor, 14 Museum Place
Cardiff
CF10 3BH
United Kingdom

Email: privacy@joinbelova.com