PRIVACY POLICY

Who We Are

Communities is a platform that facilitates real-world connections through local community building. We operate in compliance with the European Union's GDPR (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) to ensure your data is handled responsibly and transparently.

For any privacy-related questions or data requests, you can contact us at info@communities.support.

Data Controller

The Service is operated by:

• Company: Local Growth s.r.o.
• IČO: 23435836
• Registered office: Na Strži 1205/39, 140 00 Praha - Krč, Czech Republic
• Commercial Register: Municipal Court in Prague, File No. C 427043/MSPH
• Contact: Contact page or info@communities.support

What Data We Collect

We only collect the information necessary to create the best community experience for you. This includes:

Sources of Personal Data

We obtain personal data from the following sources:

• Directly from you when you create an account and use the Service
• Automatically from your device and interactions with the Service (usage, device, cookies)
• From your settings, preferences, and content you share in communities
• From other members when you interact with them in communities (e.g., messages, event participation)

How We Use Your Data

We collect data only for legitimate purposes that benefit your community experience:

• To connect you with relevant local communities and like-minded members
• To facilitate meaningful interactions and communications within communities
• To improve our platform and develop new features based on user feedback
• To send important updates, notifications, and community-related information
• To ensure community safety and prevent misuse of our platform

We do not sell your personal data, share it with advertisers, send unwanted marketing, or track you outside our platform.

Automated Processing and Personalisation

We use automated systems to personalise your experience (for example, suggesting communities or events that might interest you based on preferences and similar users).

• These suggestions do not produce legal or similarly significant effects for you
• You can adjust your preferences or use manual search instead of personalised suggestions

Where required, we rely on your consent for certain personalisation features (e.g., location-based recommendations), which you can withdraw at any time.

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under Article 6 of the GDPR, we process your personal data based on:

• Your Consent: For features where consent is appropriate (e.g., profile photo, location-based features, optional newsletters)
• Performance of a Contract: To provide and operate the Service you request
• Legitimate Interest: To improve our platform and ensure community safety
• Legal Obligations: When required by law or legal requests

You can withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us at info@communities.support.

Recipients and Processors

We work with trusted third-party service providers (sub-processors) who process personal data on our behalf to deliver the Service. Below is a complete list of our sub-processors:

• We require all processors to implement appropriate security and confidentiality measures
• Processing occurs primarily within the EU/EEA; for US-based services, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses or EU-US Data Privacy Framework certifications
• We do not sell personal data or share it with advertisers

International Data Transfers

We store personal data in the EU/EEA. If data is transferred to a third country, we will ensure adequate protection in line with GDPR (e.g., adequacy decisions or Standard Contractual Clauses) and inform you where required.

Data Storage & Protection

We take data security seriously and implement industry-standard measures to protect your information:

• All data is stored securely within the European Union using industry-standard encryption
• Access to personal data is limited to authorized team members only
• We regularly review and update our security measures
• We do not store unnecessary data and regularly clean up inactive accounts

Your Rights Under GDPR

As a user of our EU-based service, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of your personal data in a readable format
• Right to Rectification: Correct any inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data at any time
• Right to Data Portability: Export your data if you want to move to another service
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit processing in certain circumstances
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Stop processing where consent is the legal basis

Many of these rights can be exercised directly from your account settings, where you can edit your consent preferences, export your data, schedule your account for deletion, or delete it immediately.

For any other requests, simply contact us at info@communities.support.

We respond to requests without undue delay and within 30 days.

Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you can lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In the Czech Republic, this is:

• Úřad pro ochranu osobních údajů
• Pplk. Sochora 727/27, 170 00 Praha 7
• Phone: +420 234 665 111
• www.uoou.cz

Data Retention

We keep your data only as long as necessary. Below are the specific retention periods for different types of data:

Inactive Account Policy

If you don't log in for approximately 2.5 years, we'll send you a warning email. If your account remains inactive for 3 years total, it will be flagged for automated deletion. After deletion, your personal data will be permanently removed and cannot be recovered.

Account Deletion

You can request account deletion at any time from Settings > Privacy & Data. You can choose immediate deletion or a 30-day grace period (during which you can cancel). When your account is deleted, your personal data is removed and your community content is anonymized to preserve community value.

Is the provision of data voluntary?

Providing personal data is voluntary but necessary to create and maintain your account. If you choose not to provide required data, we may be unable to provide certain parts of the Service.

Cookies and Third-Party Services

Essential Cookies

We use essential cookies that are necessary for the basic functionality of our platform:

• Session management: to keep you logged in as you navigate our site
• Security: to protect against cross-site request forgery attacks
• Preferences: to remember your language and theme settings
• Cookie consent: to remember your cookie preferences and prevent showing the banner repeatedly

Analytics and Usage Data

We use PostHog for anonymous usage analytics to help us understand how people use our platform and improve the user experience. This includes:

• Page views and user interactions (anonymized)
• Device and browser information (for compatibility)
• General usage patterns (to improve features)

What We Don't Do

We want to be clear about what we don't do with cookies:

• We don't use advertising or marketing cookies
• We don't track you across other websites
• We don't sell your data to third parties
• We don't use cookies for targeted advertising

Managing Your Cookie Preferences

You have control over cookies and can manage your preferences:

• When you first visit our site, you can choose to accept all cookies or essential cookies only
• You can change your browser settings to block or delete cookies at any time
• Essential cookies are necessary for the platform to function properly

Marketing emails, where offered, include an unsubscribe link. You can opt out of newsletters at registration or at any time using the link in each email.

Children’s Privacy

The Service is not intended for children under 16. If you believe that a child under 16 has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can take appropriate steps.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as Communities evolves. If we make significant changes, we'll notify you via email or through platform notifications. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your data.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your data rights, please don't hesitate to contact us at info@communities.support. We're committed to addressing your concerns promptly and transparently.