We collect information to provide better services to all our users. We collect personal information from you and from any devices (including mobile devices) you use when you install or have the App installed (or pre-installed) on your device, or when you use or access our Service. The information we collect includes:

A. Information You Provide to Us

• User Account Information: To use certain features of Hidden Kingdoms, you are required to create an account. During the account creation process, we collect information such as your email address and password. This information is used for user authentication and account management. 

• Personal Preferences: When you register for a User Account with us we collect information such as your travel habits, your support contacts and what helps to keep you calm on journeys.

• Profile Information: You may also provide profile information like a profile picture. Profile pictures are stored securely on Google Cloud Storage.

B. Information Collected Automatically

• Location Information: Hidden Kingdoms automatically collects your location information in real-time using GPS signal, even in the background when the app is minimised or not in use. This data helps us offer personalised travel assistance and feedback including notifications of journey progress. Your location data is used solely for the functionality of the Hidden Kingdoms app and is not used for any other purposes without your explicit consent.

• Travel History: Hidden Kingdoms creates a list of previous journeys for the purposes of users to track their progress and track how many character reward unlocks have been achieved as well as providing the user with easier access to repeat journeys.

• Device and Usage Information: We collect information about the device you use to access our services, including the hardware model, operating system and version, unique device identifiers, and information about app usage and crashes.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve our services, including to authenticate you as a user, provide personalised travel assistance, and manage our app.

• Understand and analyse how you use our app and services to improve user experience.

• Communicate with you about products, services, offers, promotions, and provide customer support.

• Ensure the security and integrity of our services.

3. Sharing Your Information

We do not share your personal information with companies, organisations, or individuals outside of Hidden Kingdoms except in the following cases:

• With Your Consent: We will share personal information outside of Hidden Kingdoms when we have your consent.

• For External Processing: We provide personal information to our service providers or other trusted businesses or data processors such as cloud storage services or analytics providers to process it for us, based on our instructions and in compliance with our Privacy Policy and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.

• For Legal Reasons: We will share personal information outside of Hidden Kingdoms if we have a good-faith belief that access, use, preservation, or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process, or enforceable governmental request.

4. How Long We Keep Your Information

We will retain your personal information for as long as you maintain an Account with us or as otherwise necessary to provide you the Service. We will also retain your personal information as necessary to comply with our legal obligations, to resolve disputes, to prevent fraud and abuse, to enforce our agreements and/or to protect our legitimate interests.

Where we no longer need to process your personal information for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy or following your request to delete your personal information, we will delete or anonymize your personal information from our systems.

5. Data Security

We strive to protect the data of our users through technical and organisational measures against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Hidden Kingdoms employs industry-standard procedures and policies to ensure the security of its Users’ personal information and to prevent unauthorised access, disclosure, or alteration of any such information. We encrypt our services using SSL, apply access restrictions on our cloud storage, anonymise data wherever possible and periodically review our data collection, storage, and processing practices.

• Birmingham Open Media CIC are the data controllers of the personal information collected in connection with the use of the Hidden Kingdoms apps services.

6. International Data Transfers

Birmingham Open Media CIC operates globally, which means your personal information may be processed on servers located outside of the country where you reside, including in countries that may not have the same data protection laws as your jurisdiction. When we transfer your personal information internationally, we take necessary steps to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable laws. We utilize standard contractual clauses approved by the European Commission, rely on the European Commission’s adequacy decisions about certain countries, as applicable, and obtain your consent for these data transfers to other countries.

Your consent to this Privacy Policy followed by your submission of such information represents your agreement to that transfer. If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, we will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with applicable data protection laws including GDPR.

For more information on the mechanisms we use to ensure the lawful transfer of data, or if you have any further questions regarding the processing of your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Officer at hello@hiddenkingdoms.org.

7. Children’s Privacy

Hidden Kingdoms does not knowingly collect or solicit personal information from anyone under the age of 16. If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under age 16 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

8. User Rights

At Birmingham Open Media CIC, we recognize and support all user rights afforded by data protection laws, including those set forth under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA) residents. These rights include:

• The Right to Access: You have the right to access your personal information that we hold and to receive a copy of it.

• The Right to Rectification: You are entitled to correct any inaccurate or incomplete personal information we have about you.

• The Right to Erasure (‘Right to be Forgotten’): You may request the deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions prescribed by law.

• The Right to Restrict Processing: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your personal information under certain circumstances.

• The Right to Data Portability: Where technically feasible, you have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format and to transmit those data to another controller.

• The Right to Object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances, including for marketing purposes.

• The Right to Withdraw Consent: Where the processing of personal information is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw such consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

• The Right to Lodge a Complaint with a Supervisory Authority: You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority about our collection and use of your personal information. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority in the European Economic Area (EEA).

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hello@hiddenkingdoms.org. We will respond to your request in accordance with applicable data protection laws. Please note that we may ask you to verify your identity before responding to such requests.

9. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at hello@hiddenkingdoms.org.

Birmingham Open Media CIC  has appointed a Data Protection Officer for monitoring and advising on its ongoing privacy compliance and to serve as a point of contact on privacy matters for data subjects and supervisory authorities. To contact the Data Protection Officer, please email us at hello@hiddenkingdoms.org.