Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to the Air Quality Communications Network (AQCN). This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use our platform. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring compliance with UK data protection laws, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

2. Who We Are

3. What Data We Collect

We collect the following types of personal data:

• Identity Data: Email address, display name
• Profile Data: Bio, location, website, avatar image (if uploaded)
• Content Data: Posts, comments, likes, and other content you create on the platform
• Membership Data: Space memberships, sidebar preferences, and activity within spaces
• Usage Data: How you interact with the platform, including pages visited and features used
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information, and authentication tokens
• Account creation and closure records: When you create an account we process your email address and display name (and other profile and application data you provide). If you delete your account, we retain a separate record that includes your email address, display name, the reason you gave for leaving, and the time of deletion. These records are used to understand participation in the network and how accounts are closed; they are not used for marketing.
• Membership review records (Site Admins only): If you apply for membership, we keep an administrative audit trail of the application and review process (for example submission, approval, decline, or requests for more information). This trail may include your email address and display name so Site Admins can manage the queue and review decisions. It remains available to Site Admins after you delete your account, alongside the account closure record above.

4. How We Use Your Data

We use your data to:

• Provide and maintain the AQCN platform and its features
• Enable communication and collaboration between network members
• Manage your account, authenticate your identity, and secure your access
• Personalize your experience, including displaying relevant content and spaces
• Send you important notifications about your account and platform updates
• Conduct research and analysis to improve the platform and understand usage patterns
• Comply with legal obligations and protect the rights and safety of users
• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support

Public community calendar

The Community Calendar is a public feature. Event titles, dates, and any description or link content you add to a calendar event may be shown on the public marketing website, the optional public calendar page, embeddable widgets on third-party sites, and in machine-readable calendar subscription feeds (for example iCalendar) that anyone may add to their personal calendar application. You do not need an account to view this public information; creating or editing calendar events requires a member account. At present, all calendar events are public; if we introduce optional private or restricted events in the future, we will update this policy and the product controls available to you.

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

• Consent: When you create an account, you consent to the processing of your data as described in this policy
• Legitimate Interests: To provide and improve our services, ensure platform security, and facilitate networking among members
• Contractual Necessity: To fulfill our obligations to you as a user of the platform
• Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable UK laws and regulations

6. Data Storage & Location

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to:

• Provide you with access to the platform
• Comply with legal obligations
• Resolve disputes and enforce our agreements

If you delete your account, we remove your live profile, posts, comments, and other content and membership data from the platform. We do not remove everything we ever held about you: we keep the account closure record described in Section 3 (email, display name, and reason for leaving) and, where applicable, the membership review audit trail visible to Site Admins. We retain those records for as long as needed to operate and secure the network, maintain an accurate history of membership decisions, and support research and compliance relating to AQCN. We do not use them to contact you after deletion unless you create a new account. Some data may also be retained where required by law.

8. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the following rights:

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (you can delete your account at any time via your profile settings)
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your data for certain purposes
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw your consent at any time (this will not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal)

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided in Section 12.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication and authorization mechanisms
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Access controls and audit logs
• Secure hosting infrastructure in UK-based data centers

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share your data with:

• Service Providers: Third-party services that help us operate the platform (e.g., Firebase/Google Cloud for hosting, Vercel for deployment), all of which are bound by strict data protection agreements
• Other Users: Your display name, profile information, and public content are visible to other members of the network
• Legal Authorities: If required by law or to protect our rights and the safety of users
• Research Collaborators: Anonymised or aggregated data may be shared with approved research partners for academic purposes

11. Cookies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Authenticate your session and maintain your login state
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Analyze platform usage and improve performance

Essential cookies are necessary for the platform to function and cannot be disabled. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings.

12. Contact & Complaints

If you have questions, concerns, or wish to exercise your rights, please contact:

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data protection regulator:

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Effective Date" at the top. Your continued use of the platform after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.