Privacy Policy

1. About Belova

Belova is a social activity platform designed to help people discover, create and join real-world plans and activities with other people.

Belova is operated by BELOVA LTD, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 17396124, with its registered office at:

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

BELOVA LTD is the data controller responsible for the personal information described in this Privacy Policy.

For privacy enquiries or to exercise your data protection rights, contact:

privacy@joinbelova.com

2. Information we collect

The information we collect depends on how you use Belova.

Waitlist information

If you join the Belova waitlist, we may collect:

• your email address; and
• the date and time you joined the waitlist.

Account and authentication information

When you create or access a Belova account, we may collect:

• your email address;
• your authentication and account identifiers;
• your account creation and login information; and
• information provided by an authentication provider if you choose to sign in using Google or Apple.

Depending on the authentication provider and permissions you choose, this may include information such as your name, email address, provider identifier or profile information.

Profile information

Information you choose to add to your Belova profile may include:

• your display name;
• profile photograph;
• biography;
• interests and activity preferences;
• account and verification status; and
• other information you choose to provide.

Some profile information may be visible to other Belova users as part of the normal operation of the platform.

Plans and activities

When you create, host or join a plan, we may process information including:

• plans you create;
• plans you join;
• activity type;
• plan title and description;
• date and time;
• estimated spend;
• participant capacity;
• beginner-friendly status;
• custom activities you create;
• plan membership information; and
• information associated with hosting, editing or cancelling a plan.

Location and meeting-point information

When a Host creates a plan, Belova may collect information about the selected meeting point, including:

• venue or place name;
• formatted address;
• general area or neighbourhood;
• city;
• latitude and longitude; and
• a location or place identifier supplied by our mapping provider.

For safety and privacy, exact meeting-point information is restricted.

Users who have not joined a plan will generally only see information such as the approximate area, city and approximate distance.

The exact meeting point is made available only to authorised users, such as the Host and users who have joined the plan.

Your device location

If you choose to use Belova's distance filtering functionality, your browser or device may ask you for permission to access your current location.

We use this information to calculate the approximate distance between you and available plans.

Location permission is not required simply to browse Belova, and you can refuse or disable location access through your browser or device settings.

Belova does not intentionally display your device's precise location to other users.

Photographs and uploaded content

We may process photographs and other content you upload, including:

• profile photographs;
• plan cover photographs; and
• other user-generated content supported by Belova.

Verification information

Where Belova verification functionality is available and you choose to use it, we may collect:

• photographs or other information submitted for verification;
• the date of your verification request;
• the status and outcome of the verification process; and
• information necessary to review and administer the request.

A verification status may be displayed to other users.

Safety, reports and blocking

Where Belova's safety functionality is available, we may process information relating to:

• reports made about users or plans;
• reasons for reports;
• supporting information supplied with a report;
• users you block or who block you;
• moderation decisions; and
• action taken to protect Belova users or the platform.

Technical and security information

When you use Belova, our systems and technology providers may process technical information necessary to operate and secure the service, such as:

• IP address;
• browser and device information;
• authentication events;
• application errors;
• security logs;
• timestamps; and
• technical information relating to your use of the service.

3. How we use your information

We may use personal information to:

• create and manage your Belova account;
• authenticate you and keep your account secure;
• provide the Belova service;
• display your profile to other users where appropriate;
• allow you to discover, create, host and join plans;
• operate activity and interest preferences;
• calculate distances between your location and plans when you request this feature;
• provide exact meeting-point information to authorised plan participants;
• administer verification functionality;
• operate reporting, blocking, moderation and safety features;
• respond to enquiries and provide support;
• investigate misuse, fraud, safety concerns and security incidents;
• maintain, troubleshoot and improve Belova;
• comply with legal and regulatory obligations;
• establish, exercise or defend legal rights;
• manage the Belova waitlist; and
• send launch or marketing communications where you have agreed to receive them.

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Our lawful bases for using your information

UK data protection law requires us to have a lawful basis for processing personal information.

Depending on the purpose, we may rely on the following lawful bases.

Contract

We process information where it is necessary to provide Belova to you and perform our agreement with you.

This may include:

• creating and maintaining your account;
• authenticating you;
• maintaining your profile;
• creating and joining plans;
• managing plan membership;
• providing plan and meeting-point functionality; and
• providing other core Belova features you choose to use.

Consent

We may rely on your consent where you make an optional choice about how your information is used.

This may include:

• joining the Belova waitlist and receiving relevant launch communications;
• optional marketing communications;
• allowing your device or browser to provide your location for distance filtering; and
• other optional features where consent is appropriate.

Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Legitimate interests

We may process information where it is reasonably necessary for our legitimate interests or those of our users, provided those interests are not overridden by your rights and interests.

These interests may include:

• operating and improving Belova;
• securing accounts and systems;
• preventing fraud and misuse;
• investigating reports and safety concerns;
• moderating the platform;
• understanding and fixing technical problems;
• protecting users; and
• establishing, exercising or defending legal rights.

Legal obligations

We may process or retain information where necessary to comply with a legal obligation.

5. How information is shared with other Belova users

Belova is designed to allow people to find and participate in activities together.

This means some information is shared with other users as part of the service.

Depending on your use of Belova, other users may be able to see information such as:

• your display name;
• profile photograph;
• biography;
• interests;
• verification status;
• plans you host;
• information you choose to include in a plan; and
• other profile information intended to be visible within Belova.

Meeting-point privacy

Users who have not joined a plan are not intended to receive its exact meeting-point information.

They may instead see an approximate area, city and calculated distance.

Once a user joins a plan, they may receive the exact meeting point necessary to participate in that activity.

You should therefore only join plans where you genuinely intend to participate and must not misuse or redistribute private meeting-point information.

6. Service providers and third parties

We use trusted technology and service providers to help us operate Belova.

These may include providers of:

• cloud hosting and database infrastructure;
• authentication;
• mapping and place-search functionality;
• file and image storage;
• email delivery;
• website and application infrastructure;
• security and technical services; and
• analytics, where implemented.

These providers may process information on our behalf where necessary to provide their services.

Google and Apple

If you choose to sign in using Google or Apple, information is exchanged with the relevant provider as necessary to authenticate your account.

Your use of those services is also subject to the provider's own privacy practices.

Mapping and places

Belova uses mapping and place-search technology to help Hosts select meeting points and support location-based functionality.

Location searches and selected place information may therefore be processed by our mapping provider as necessary to provide those features.

Legal and safety disclosures

We may disclose information where:

• required by law;
• required by a court or competent authority;
• reasonably necessary to investigate suspected unlawful activity;
• necessary to protect the rights, safety or security of Belova or another person; or
• necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.

7. International transfers

Some of our service providers may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will take appropriate steps required by UK data protection law to protect it.

Depending on the circumstances, this may include relying on an adequacy decision or using appropriate contractual safeguards.

8. How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, taking into account legal, safety, security and operational requirements.

In general:

• Account and profile information is retained while your account remains active and for a limited period after deletion where necessary for legal, security, backup or dispute-resolution purposes.
• Plan and participation information may be retained while necessary to operate Belova and maintain appropriate records of activities, cancellations, moderation and safety matters.
• Exact meeting-point information is retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for the relevant plan and associated safety, legal or operational requirements.
• Verification information is retained only for as long as necessary to review and administer verification and maintain an appropriate record of its outcome.
• Reports and moderation information may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to investigate issues, protect users, identify repeated misuse, handle complaints and establish or defend legal rights.
• Waitlist information is retained for as long as necessary to administer the waitlist and launch process, unless you withdraw your consent or ask to leave.
• Technical and security records may be retained for a limited period where necessary for security, troubleshooting, fraud prevention and legal purposes.

We may retain limited information after a deletion or opt-out request where necessary to comply with legal obligations, prevent abuse, record the request or protect legal rights.

We will continue to review our retention practices as Belova develops.

9. Account deletion

You may ask us to delete your Belova account and associated personal information.

Where in-app account deletion functionality is available, you may use that functionality.

You may also contact:

privacy@joinbelova.com

Deletion requests are subject to any information we are required or reasonably permitted to retain for legal, security, fraud-prevention, safety or dispute-resolution purposes.

Some information may also remain temporarily in secure backups before being deleted through normal backup cycles.

10. Security

We use technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration or disclosure.

Access to sensitive information is restricted according to the functionality of the service.

For example, exact plan meeting-point information is intended to be accessible only to authorised plan participants and appropriate Belova systems or administrators.

No online service can guarantee absolute security.

If you believe your Belova account or personal information may have been compromised, please contact us.

11. Cookies and similar technologies

Belova may use cookies or similar technologies that are necessary to provide functionality such as authentication, security and maintaining your session.

Where we use non-essential analytics, advertising or similar technologies that require consent, we will provide appropriate information and request consent where required.

You can control certain browser technologies through your browser or device settings.

12. Marketing and waitlist communications

If you join the Belova waitlist or otherwise choose to receive marketing communications, we may use your email address to send relevant Belova updates.

Where consent is the basis for these communications, you can withdraw that consent at any time.

You can do this by:

• using an unsubscribe option in the email where available; or
• contacting privacy@joinbelova.com.

We may retain limited information necessary to ensure we continue to respect an unsubscribe request.

Service-related messages that are necessary to operate your account may not be marketing communications and may still be sent where appropriate.

13. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis involved, UK data protection law may give you rights including the right to:

• request access to personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to delete personal information;
• ask us to restrict how personal information is used;
• object to certain uses of personal information;
• request the transfer of personal information where applicable; and
• withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent.

These rights are subject to legal conditions and limitations.

To exercise your rights, contact:

privacy@joinbelova.com

We may need to verify your identity before completing certain requests.

14. Your right to object

Where we process your personal information on the basis of our legitimate interests, you have the right to object to that processing in certain circumstances.

You also have the right to object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

To object, contact:

privacy@joinbelova.com

15. Information about other people

You should not upload or provide another person's personal information to Belova unless you have a legitimate reason and are permitted to do so.

You must not misuse information you obtain about another Belova user, including their profile, photographs, meeting-point information or other personal information.

16. Sensitive personal information

Belova does not require users to provide special category personal information as part of normal account registration.

You should avoid including unnecessary sensitive personal information in your profile, plan descriptions or other free-text areas.

Remember that information you choose to include in user-visible areas may be seen by other Belova users.

17. Children

Belova is intended for adults aged 18 and over.

Belova is not intended for children.

If we become aware that personal information has been provided by somebody who is not eligible to use Belova, we may take steps to remove the relevant account or information where appropriate.

18. Automated decision-making

Belova does not currently use solely automated decision-making that produces legal effects or similarly significant effects on users.

We may use technology to support features such as filtering, recommendations, security or moderation, but significant decisions about users will not be made solely by automated means where applicable law requires human involvement.

19. Complaints

If you have concerns about how we use your personal information, please contact us first at:

privacy@joinbelova.com

We will try to resolve the issue.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the United Kingdom's data protection regulator.

20. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Belova develops, including when:

• new features are introduced;
• our service providers change;
• the way we process personal information changes; or
• legal or regulatory requirements change.

Where appropriate, we will bring significant changes to your attention.

The latest version will always be available on the Belova website and will show the date it was last updated.

21. Contact us

For privacy enquiries, requests or concerns, contact:

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

Email: privacy@joinbelova.com