Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Catholic Events Ltd (Company Number: 16528637) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our services.

By using Catholic Events, you agree to the practices outlined below. If you have any questions, you can contact us at support@catholicevents.co.uk.

1. Information We Collect

We collect the following information when you use our services:

• Email address (required for account creation)
• Name (does not need to be your real name)
• Encrypted password (stored securely in our database)
• Events you like or bookmark while signed in
• Location data (only when you grant browser permission to show nearby events, filter by distance, and improve map features)
• Anonymous identifier (a unique ID assigned to your browser to help us provide consistent service and link your activity before and after you create an account)

1a. Location Data

When you grant browser permission to access your location (on the map view, discover page, or when using location-based filters), we store your approximate location locally in your browser to improve your experience. Here's how we handle this data:

• Coarsened Coordinates: Your precise location is reduced to approximately ±111 meters accuracy (3 decimal places) to protect your privacy while still being useful for finding nearby events
• Local Storage Only: Location data is stored in your browser's localStorage, not on our servers
• 30-Day Expiry: Stored location automatically expires and is deleted after 30 days
• User Control: You can delete your stored location at any time using the "Clear Location" button on the map view or by clearing your browser's localStorage
• No Tracking: We do not track your movements or store location history

This approach follows GDPR principles of data minimization and storage limitation. Your browser permission only allows access to your device's location—the decision to store it locally for 30 days is separate and designed purely for convenience.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain our services
• Identify your account and saved preferences
• Show you nearby Catholic events, filter events by distance from your location, and center the map on your area (location data only)
• Respond to your support requests
• Improve the quality, functionality, and performance of the platform
• Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Performance of a contract (e.g., to provide your account)
• Legitimate interests (e.g., to improve our services, secure the platform, and remember your map location to enhance user experience)
• Compliance with legal obligations

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your data. We may share your information with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate and support Catholic Events, including:

• Authentication and account management (e.g., Google, Microsoft, or other trusted identity providers via NextAuth)
• Hosting and performance (e.g., Vercel)
• Database and caching (e.g., NeonDB, Upstash/Redis)
• Email communication (e.g., MailerSend)
• Location-based services (e.g., Google Places API)

These providers only process data as instructed by us and are required to comply with relevant data protection laws.

5. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers may process data outside of the UK or European Economic Area. When this happens, we rely on approved mechanisms such as the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) to protect your data.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide our services. You may request deletion at any time. We may periodically review and remove inactive accounts or unnecessary data.

Location data stored in your browser is automatically deleted after 30 days or when you click the "Clear Location" button on the map view.

Anonymous identifiers are stored in cookies (1 year expiry) and localStorage (until you clear browser data). When linked to your account, the link is retained until you delete your account, at which point it is automatically removed from our database.

7. Account Deletion

You can request to delete your account and associated data by emailing us at support@catholicevents.co.uk. We will process your request within 30 days, unless we are legally required to retain certain information.

8. Cookies

We use cookies that are essential for authentication and site functionality, including:

• catholic-events-next-auth.callback-url
• catholic-events-next-auth.csrf-token
• catholic-events-next-auth.session-token
• catholic-events-anonymous-id (stores an anonymous identifier to provide consistent service and link your activity before and after account creation)

These cookies are required for logging in and maintaining your session. They do not track you for marketing or analytics purposes.

8a. Anonymous Identifier Tracking

When you visit Catholic Events, we assign a unique anonymous identifier to your browser. This identifier helps us:

• Provide consistent service across your browsing session
• Link your activity before and after you create an account (so we can preserve your preferences and activity history)
• Improve our services by understanding how users interact with the platform

Storage: The anonymous identifier is stored in both a cookie and your browser's localStorage for redundancy. The cookie expires after 1 year, and the localStorage entry persists until you clear your browser data.

Linking to Your Account: When you create an account or sign in, we link your anonymous identifier to your user account. This allows us to associate your pre-sign-in activity (such as liked events or browsing history) with your account. This link is stored in our database and is automatically deleted when you delete your account.

Your Control: You can clear the anonymous identifier by clearing your browser cookies and localStorage. However, if you've already signed in, the link between your anonymous identifier and account will remain in our database until you delete your account.

This tracking is based on our legitimate interest in providing consistent service and improving our platform. The identifier itself is a random UUID and does not contain any personal information.

9. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Request deletion of your data
• Restrict or object to certain forms of processing
• Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

You can exercise these rights by contacting us at support@catholicevents.co.uk.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the “Last Updated” date at the bottom of this page. Continued use of the site means you accept the revised policy.

Last Updated

19 November 2024 (Updated to include anonymous identifier tracking)