1. Who is responsible for your personal information?

Bronva is the name used for our social network and associated community services. The service is available at bronva.com/social/, with the main website at bronva.com.

The person responsible for the operation of Bronva is its founder, James William Steven Parker. The controller is the individual or legal entity that determines why and how personal information is processed. The controller’s legal identity for UK data protection purposes should be confirmed in the site’s business and compliance records and disclosed accurately in the final published version of this policy.

For privacy questions, requests concerning personal information, account-related concerns or data protection complaints, contact:

Bronva is operated from England. Depending on the actual legal and operational arrangements, the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 (PECR) and other applicable laws may govern our processing of personal information.

If Bronva’s operating arrangements change, including the appointment of a separate company or other legal entity as controller, this policy will be updated to identify the responsible organisation.

2. Our approach to privacy

Bronva is designed to support freedom of speech, freedom of expression, useful communication and a straightforward community experience. We aim to give members meaningful opportunities to express themselves without collecting unnecessary personal information or making routine interactions more complicated than they need to be.

We aim to collect only information that is adequate, relevant and necessary for the purpose for which it is used. We do not promise that every feature will operate without any technical data, cookies or security records. A social network needs some information to authenticate members, deliver messages, maintain sessions and prevent misuse.

We also recognise that privacy and freedom of expression are compatible with proportionate safety measures. We seek to respect lawful expression while addressing illegal content, abusive behaviour, security threats and other matters that require a legitimate response.

3. Information we collect

The information we process depends on how you use Bronva, the information you choose to provide, your privacy settings and the technical requirements of the service.

3.1 Account and registration information

When you register, maintain an account or sign in, we may process:

• Your first name and last name, where required for registration.
• Your username, account identifier and public display name.
• Your email address, used for account administration and relevant communications.
• Password authentication data, handled using the site’s authentication system rather than displayed as ordinary account text.
• Account creation, activation, password recovery and account status information.
• Profile settings, notification preferences and other account choices.
• Information needed to administer, secure or support your account.

Names and email addresses help establish and administer accounts, support account recovery, reduce certain forms of impersonation and provide a way to communicate about important account matters. Usernames and display names allow members to identify one another.

Providing some information is necessary to register or use particular features. If you do not provide information required for account creation or security, we may be unable to provide the relevant service.

3.2 Profile information

Depending on the fields and features available, we may process:

• Profile photographs, avatars and cover images.
• Biographical information and other profile descriptions.
• Optional profile fields, such as interests or location, where offered.
• Friend connections, pending requests and related relationship information.
• Profile completion information and changes to profile details.
• Privacy choices that determine who may see particular profile information.

Profile information helps members describe themselves, find people and establish connections. You should only provide information that you are comfortable sharing with the audience permitted by your settings.

You should not include passwords, payment card information, identity documents, private contact details or other sensitive information in a public profile field unless a feature specifically requires it and you have been given appropriate instructions.

3.3 Posts, comments and other member-generated content

When you publish or interact with content, we may process the text, images and other material you submit, together with associated account identifiers, timestamps and relevant activity information. This can include:

• Activity updates, posts, comments and replies.
• Uploaded photographs and other supported media.
• Likes, reactions, favourites and other available interactions.
• Group memberships, group posts and group-related activity.
• Friendship activity, mentions and notifications.
• Content editing, deletion and moderation records where retained.

This information is necessary to publish and display your content, maintain discussions, provide social interactions and apply the audience and access rules relevant to the feature being used.

3.4 Private messages and attachments

If you use Bronva’s messaging features, we process information required to deliver, display and manage conversations. This may include message text, participants, timestamps, read status, conversation identifiers, reactions, replies and supported attachments such as photographs, videos or audio recordings.

Depending on the messaging features you use, technical information may also be processed to upload media, maintain a conversation, indicate whether messages have been read, display typing activity or deliver notifications.

Private messaging is intended for communication between the relevant participants. It should not be treated as a guarantee of end-to-end encryption or absolute confidentiality. We do not claim that Bronva messages are end-to-end encrypted unless a particular feature explicitly states and technically provides that protection.

3.5 Reactions, connections and community interactions

When members connect, react to content, send friend requests or interact with one another, we may record the relevant relationship or interaction. This allows Bronva to display connection status, update reaction counts, provide notifications, enforce blocking and muting preferences and maintain the expected behaviour of community features.

Some interactions may be visible to other members or may generate notifications. The visibility depends on the feature, the relevant content’s audience and the site’s settings.

3.6 Safety reports and moderation information

If you report a member, post, message or other content, we may process:

• The identity of the person making the report and the person or content reported.
• The selected report category, such as spam, harassment, threats, impersonation or illegal content.
• Details entered into the report form.
• Relevant post text or other evidence you choose to submit or attach.
• Relevant portions of a conversation, where a reporting feature allows you to include them.
• The date, status, outcome and administrative handling of the report.
• Information necessary to identify repeated reports or investigate a potential safety issue.

This information helps us assess reported behaviour, respond to genuine safety concerns, investigate possible breaches of our terms and maintain appropriate records of moderation decisions.

Please provide only relevant evidence. Do not submit unnecessary personal information about yourself or other people when making a report.

3.7 Blocking, muting and safety preferences

If you block or mute another member, we may store the identities of the accounts involved, the type of restriction, its creation time and, where relevant, its expiry time.

These records allow Bronva to apply your choice consistently, such as hiding selected posts from your feed, limiting messaging between blocked members or suppressing certain notifications. Blocking and muting are distinct from deleting an account and do not necessarily remove historical content or records.

3.8 Technical and connection information

When you access Bronva, our servers and associated infrastructure may receive technical information needed to deliver pages, maintain sessions and protect the service. Depending on the hosting and security configuration, this may include:

• IP address and request timestamps.
• Browser type, operating system and user-agent information.
• Device category or other information inferred from browser data.
• Requested pages, technical endpoints and response status information.
• Authentication events, failed requests and relevant security events.
• Information concerning errors, suspicious traffic or attempts to misuse the service.

We use this information, where necessary, to establish connections, diagnose technical problems, protect accounts, investigate abuse, manage service reliability and respond to security incidents. Browser and device descriptions are generally estimates derived from technical signals; they do not establish a person’s real-world identity or prove which physical device they own.

3.9 Security audit records

Bronva may maintain a dedicated security audit log recording events such as successful and failed logins, logouts, registrations, password resets and selected authenticated activity.

Depending on the active configuration, these records may contain an account identifier, username, event type, timestamp, IP address, browser or operating system description, device category and associated technical details. Some authenticated activity may be recorded periodically rather than for every individual action.

These records help us detect unusual access patterns, investigate suspected account compromise, understand security incidents and protect the wider community. They are not intended to establish a person’s precise physical location or to monitor every action without a relevant purpose.

3.10 Email invitations and referrals

If you use an invitation feature, we may process the email address you provide, your account identifier, the date of the invitation and information needed to enforce invitation limits or record a successful referral.

Invitation records help prevent repeated unwanted invitations, automated abuse and attempts to discover whether a particular email address belongs to an existing member. Where implemented, Bronva may maintain suppression records for people who have opted out of invitations.

Invitation features are intended to help people voluntarily introduce others to the community. They must not be used for unsolicited bulk messaging or other unlawful purposes.

3.11 Birthdays and other optional profile details

If a date-of-birth profile field or similar optional information is available and you choose to provide it, Bronva may process that information to provide the associated feature, such as birthday reminders, where available.

Visibility controls may affect whether particular information is displayed to other members. Do not assume that a profile detail is private unless the applicable settings or feature clearly indicate that it is restricted.

3.12 Information received from other sources

We may receive information about activity involving you from other members, including messages, mentions, friendship requests, content interactions and reports. Hosting, security or technical providers may also generate operational information concerning requests made to the service.

Where we receive personal information from another source and data protection law requires us to provide additional privacy information, we will take appropriate steps to do so.

3.13 Information we do not ask you to provide

Bronva does not need your private email password, social network passwords for other services or unrelated financial credentials to provide its ordinary social networking features. Never send such information to our support team.

We do not intentionally request special-category information, such as health information, religious beliefs or political opinions, merely to let you register or participate in ordinary community discussions. However, if you voluntarily publish such information in a post, message or profile, it may be processed as part of that content. Additional legal requirements may apply to the handling of special-category data, and we will not assume that ordinary account-processing grounds automatically justify every possible use of such information.

4. Why we use your information

We use personal information for defined purposes connected with operating, improving and protecting Bronva. The information processed for a particular purpose should be relevant to that purpose.

We may also use appropriately limited information to plan improvements, evaluate whether features work as intended, respond to support requests and understand genuine technical problems.

Bronva is intended to develop in response to community needs. Improvements should be guided by legitimate service requirements and should not automatically justify collecting additional personal information. If we introduce a materially different purpose for processing, we will assess the applicable legal requirements and update our privacy information where necessary.

5. Our lawful bases for processing

Under the UK GDPR, we must have a valid lawful basis for processing personal information. The appropriate basis depends on the particular purpose and circumstances. We do not rely on one blanket justification for everything Bronva does.

5.1 Contract

We may process information where it is necessary to provide the service you request or take steps at your request before entering into the relevant service arrangement. This can include creating your account, authenticating you, maintaining your profile, delivering messages and providing social features covered by the applicable terms.

5.2 Legitimate interests

We may rely on legitimate interests where the processing is necessary for a legitimate purpose and does not override your interests, rights or freedoms. Relevant interests may include protecting accounts, preventing abuse, maintaining the security and reliability of Bronva, investigating reports, responding to support requests and understanding technical faults.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we must consider whether the processing is necessary and proportionate, assess its impact on individuals and provide appropriate information. You may have the right to object to particular processing carried out on this basis.

5.3 Legal obligation

We may process information where necessary to comply with a legal obligation applicable to us. Depending on the circumstances, this may include responding to valid legal orders, meeting applicable record-keeping requirements or complying with relevant statutory duties.

5.4 Consent

Where consent is required by law, we will seek it before undertaking the relevant processing. This may apply to non-essential cookies, certain analytics technologies or other optional processing, depending on how a feature is implemented.

Where processing relies on consent, you can withdraw that consent. Withdrawal does not make processing carried out lawfully before withdrawal unlawful, and it does not prevent processing that has a separate valid legal basis.

5.5 Vital interests and other applicable grounds

In exceptional circumstances, we may rely on another lawful basis available under data protection law, such as vital interests, where its legal conditions are met.

5.6 Special-category and criminal-offence information

Some information in user-generated content or safety reports may reveal sensitive personal data or relate to alleged criminal conduct. Such information requires additional care and may be subject to further conditions under data protection law. We will only process it where an appropriate legal condition applies and the processing is necessary for the relevant purpose.

The lawful basis for a particular activity may depend on its exact implementation and circumstances. We will not treat a person’s participation in a public discussion as unlimited permission to use their information for unrelated purposes.

6. Profiles, posts and publicly visible information

Bronva enables members to share information with other people. Some pages, profiles, posts or other content may be visible to visitors who are not logged in, while other features may be limited to registered members or particular audiences.

Before publishing information, consider:

• Whether the content is intended for the public, members, a group or a particular recipient.
• Whether your profile fields have individual visibility settings.
• Whether the content includes another person’s personal information or photographs.
• Whether you have permission or another lawful basis to share material about someone else.
• Whether the information could identify you, reveal your location or expose information you intended to keep private.

Public content may be viewed, copied, quoted, screenshotted, indexed by search engines or shared elsewhere by other people. External services may retain copies of information they have already obtained.

Deleting a post or changing its visibility can restrict future access through Bronva, but it cannot guarantee that all copies elsewhere will disappear. Search engine results, cached pages, screenshots, quoted material and copies held by other people may persist beyond our control.

Where a profile field has a privacy setting, we aim to apply the relevant visibility rules to that field. However, privacy controls are not a substitute for avoiding the publication of information that you cannot safely disclose.

Search engine indexing and public link previews may be affected by the visibility and indexing settings applicable to a page. We cannot guarantee that search engines will index or remove particular information at a particular time.

7. Private messages and communication

Bronva’s messaging features are intended to make direct communication convenient. We process messages and associated information to deliver conversations, show relevant conversation history, manage unread indicators and provide supported messaging functions.

A message marked as private is intended for its participants. That label does not guarantee that the content is encrypted end to end, inaccessible to the service operator under every circumstance, or incapable of being copied by a recipient.

Message content or relevant portions of a conversation may be processed when necessary to:

• Deliver, store and display the conversation to its participants.
• Provide message attachments, reactions, replies and other supported functions.
• Investigate a report or suspected serious abuse where relevant information is available.
• Respond to a valid legal requirement or an urgent, legally justified safety concern.
• Diagnose a technical problem affecting message delivery or account security.

Access to message content should be limited to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose and subject to appropriate permissions and safeguards. We do not promise that every conversation is routinely read by a human moderator.

If you submit a report from a conversation and choose to attach relevant conversation evidence, that evidence may be included in the report for investigation. Consider carefully what you include, particularly where messages contain personal information about third parties.

Recipients may save, copy, forward or otherwise disclose messages you send them. Blocking or muting someone affects supported future interactions but does not necessarily delete previous messages or copies already received.

8. Safety reports, blocking, muting and moderation

Bronva aims to support lawful expression and open discussion. Protecting freedom of expression does not require us to ignore illegal content, credible threats, harassment, spam, account abuse or conduct that creates a serious risk to others.

Where available, members can report content or behaviour and block or mute other members. These controls are intended to help people manage their experience and allow us to investigate issues that warrant attention.

8.1 How reports may be used

Reports may be reviewed to determine whether action is appropriate under our Terms of Use, applicable community rules or the law. Depending on the circumstances, action may include requesting further information, removing or restricting content, limiting an account, suspending access, preserving relevant evidence or referring a matter to an appropriate authority where legally justified.

We aim to consider relevant context rather than treating an automated flag, a particular word or a disagreement of opinion as conclusive proof of wrongdoing. Decisions should take account of the available evidence and applicable rules. However, we cannot guarantee that every moderation decision will be correct or that every report will result in a particular outcome.

8.2 Confidentiality of reports

We do not ordinarily tell a reported member who submitted a report. Nevertheless, the content of a report, the surrounding circumstances or a legal obligation may make the reporter identifiable. We cannot guarantee anonymity in every case.

Reports and associated evidence may be shared with people who need access to investigate the matter, relevant service providers acting on our behalf, professional advisers or public authorities where disclosure is lawful and necessary.

8.3 Freedom of expression and legal limits

Bronva seeks to provide space for differing viewpoints and lawful discussion. We may nevertheless restrict content or accounts where necessary to comply with the law, address credible safety concerns, enforce our terms or protect the operation of the service.

Our moderation approach does not amount to a promise that all submitted material will be published, remain available or receive unrestricted distribution. Nor does a member’s disagreement with a moderation outcome automatically establish that their legal rights have been infringed.

8.4 Online safety and legal reporting duties

Bronva will assess and comply with the online safety obligations that apply to the service, including relevant duties under the Online Safety Act 2023 and applicable Ofcom requirements. Depending on the service’s features and legal classification, these may include risk assessments, proportionate measures concerning illegal content, accessible reporting mechanisms, complaints handling and record-keeping.

Personal information may be processed to carry out these activities, investigate suspected illegal content, respond to legally valid requests and retain evidence where necessary. We will seek to limit such processing to information relevant to the particular matter and comply with applicable data protection requirements.

For more information about the service’s rules and available reporting arrangements, consult the Terms of Use and the reporting controls available on Bronva.

9. Security logs, administrator access and account switching

To operate and support a social network, appropriately authorised administrators may need to investigate technical faults, respond to account problems, review reports and maintain the security of the service.

9.1 Security audit logs

Security logs may record authentication events and selected technical activity, including IP addresses, timestamps, browser information and account identifiers. These records are used for security, troubleshooting, abuse investigation and related legitimate purposes.

Access to the audit interface is intended to be restricted to appropriately authorised administrators. The interface may allow searches by account, event type, IP address or date, and may display a history of recorded events.

If an external IP lookup service is used, an IP address may be transmitted to that provider to obtain an approximate network or location estimate. Such an estimate may identify an internet provider, VPN, proxy or gateway rather than the person’s actual location. See the section on external services below.

9.2 Administrator account switching

Bronva may provide a restricted support function allowing an authorised administrator to temporarily operate under another member’s account for legitimate troubleshooting, testing or support purposes.

This is a privileged capability. When used, the administrator may be able to perform actions as the selected member, depending on the features and permissions available. Those actions could include interacting with posts, messages, profile settings or notifications. Account switching is therefore different from merely viewing a public profile.

Where the account-switching facility is enabled, Bronva may record the administrator’s account, the member account involved, the time of the action, the type of switching event and an IP address. These records are intended to support accountability and investigation of misuse.

Access should be limited to trusted personnel and used only for legitimate purposes. We aim to retain relevant records only for as long as reasonably necessary, taking account of security, support and legal requirements.

9.3 Limits of administrator access controls

Administrative permissions and audit records are security measures, not a guarantee that unauthorised access is impossible. People with sufficient server, database or privileged system access may have capabilities beyond those available through ordinary website interfaces.

We aim to restrict administrative access appropriately and maintain safeguards against misuse. We cannot guarantee that every access event will be detected or that every record will provide a complete history of activity.

10. Cookies and similar technologies

Bronva may use cookies, local storage, session identifiers and similar technologies to operate the service, remember choices, maintain authentication, support security and, where permitted, understand website usage.

10.1 Strictly necessary technologies

Some technologies are necessary to provide a service you request, such as maintaining a login session, protecting forms against unauthorised requests, remembering a security state or recording a cookie preference. These technologies may be used without consent where a relevant legal exception applies.

10.2 Optional analytics and other technologies

Other technologies, including certain analytics cookies, may require your consent under PECR. Where consent is required, optional technologies should not be activated before the relevant consent is obtained.

Bronva may provide cookie controls allowing you to accept optional categories, reject them or select individual preferences. You should be able to change or withdraw consent where applicable.

Rejecting optional cookies should not prevent access to features that do not depend on those technologies. However, disabling necessary browser storage or certain technical functions may affect the operation of the website.

10.3 Managing your choices

Use the cookie settings interface displayed on Bronva, where available, to review or change your choices. You can also adjust browser settings, although blocking all cookies may interfere with login sessions and other essential functionality.

Some external content or services may use their own technologies when loaded. Their handling of information may be governed by their own policies and applicable consent requirements.

11. Analytics and external services

Bronva may use third-party services to provide selected features, maintain the website, understand technical performance or display external content. The services involved may change as the network develops.

11.1 Website analytics

Website analytics may be used to understand broad patterns of use, identify technical problems and determine which areas of the service need improvement. This can help Bronva make practical decisions about performance, reliability, navigation and future features.

The website may use Google services through Google Site Kit or associated analytics tools. Depending on the configuration, these services may process information such as page views, interaction events, device or browser information, referral information and online identifiers.

Analytics should be configured in accordance with applicable consent requirements and the choices recorded by Bronva’s consent mechanism. The precise data collected, storage settings, retention periods and recipients depend on the services enabled and their configuration.

11.2 GIFs, stickers and embedded content

Bronva may provide access to GIFs, stickers or other external content. For example, GIF search or display features may involve GIPHY or another external provider.

When an external service is contacted, the provider may receive technical information such as an IP address, browser information, a request timestamp and the search query or content identifier required to provide the feature. The provider may also process information under its own privacy policy.

The available GIF content rating is configured as PG-13 – Teens. This rating is a content classification setting, not a guarantee that every result will be suitable for every person or that inappropriate content can never appear.

11.3 IP address lookup services

If an IP lookup service such as BigDataCloud is used within the security administration interface, the relevant IP address may be transmitted to that service to retrieve approximate network or geographical information.

This may help administrators investigate unusual access patterns, but location results can be imprecise. The provider may process the submitted address under its own terms and privacy practices.

11.4 Hosting, infrastructure and technical providers

Hosting companies, security providers, content delivery networks, email delivery services and other technical suppliers may process information as needed to provide their services to Bronva.

These providers may handle network requests, account communications, security events, uploaded files or technical logs, depending on their role. Where they process personal information on our behalf, appropriate contractual and security arrangements should be in place.

11.5 Service-specific privacy information

External providers may act as independent controllers for some processing and as processors for other processing. Their roles depend on the particular service and arrangement. We encourage you to review the relevant provider’s privacy information where its service is involved in an interaction.

We do not control the independent privacy practices of external services and cannot guarantee their availability, security, accuracy or future policies.

12. When we share personal information

We do not treat the operation of a social network as permission to distribute personal information without a legitimate purpose. Information may be shared in the following circumstances.

12.1 With other members and the public

Information may be displayed to other people in accordance with the nature of the feature, the audience you select and the applicable privacy settings. Public posts, public profiles and other publicly available material may be accessed by visitors who do not have an account.

12.2 With service providers

We may share relevant information with service providers that help us host, operate, secure, maintain or support Bronva. Depending on the service, this may include hosting providers, infrastructure providers, email services, analytics providers and external content services.

Information shared with a provider should be limited to what is needed for its role. Where required, we will use appropriate contracts and safeguards governing the provider’s processing.

12.3 With professional advisers

Relevant information may be shared with legal advisers, insurers, auditors or other professional advisers where necessary for legal advice, the establishment or defence of legal claims, security matters or legitimate business administration.

12.4 With public authorities and other parties

We may disclose information where required or authorised by law, in response to a valid legal demand, or where necessary and lawful to address an urgent threat to life, prevent serious harm, investigate suspected criminal activity or protect legal rights.

We will assess the applicable legal requirements and the scope of the request where reasonably possible. A request from an individual or organisation does not automatically entitle that party to receive personal information.

12.5 Business changes

If Bronva or the business responsible for it undergoes a restructuring, transfer, sale or similar transaction, relevant information may need to be disclosed to advisers or a successor operator. Any such disclosure must have a lawful basis and comply with applicable data protection requirements.

12.6 What we do not promise

We cannot guarantee that information will never be disclosed as a result of a valid legal obligation, a security incident, a member’s own sharing choices or the actions of a third party. We will not represent Bronva as a service offering absolute secrecy or immunity from lawful access.

13. International transfers of personal information

Bronva is operated from England, but some service providers, infrastructure systems or external content services may process information outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we will assess the applicable legal requirements. Depending on the destination and circumstances, a transfer may rely on an applicable adequacy regulation or decision, appropriate safeguards such as an approved international data transfer agreement or addendum, or another lawful transfer mechanism available under the relevant legislation.

Where required, we will consider whether additional measures are needed to protect the information and provide information about relevant safeguards.

The countries in which information is processed depend on the providers actually used. We will not assume that all information remains in the UK simply because Bronva is operated from England.

If you require information about a particular international transfer or the safeguards used for it, contact support@bronva.com.

14. How long we keep personal information

We retain personal information for as long as it is reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, taking account of legal obligations, legitimate operational needs, security requirements and the rights of individuals.

There is no single retention period that is suitable for every type of information. For example, an account profile, a message, a security event and a report concerning potentially illegal content may need to be retained for different reasons and for different periods.

The periods described above are retention principles, not a promise that every record is automatically deleted after a particular number of days. Exact retention schedules depend on the systems used and should be documented and implemented in practice.

Where information is no longer needed, we aim to delete it securely or anonymise it where appropriate. Information may be retained for longer where necessary to comply with law, establish or defend legal claims, investigate serious abuse, protect the service or preserve evidence that must lawfully be retained.

Information that has been genuinely anonymised so that individuals can no longer be identified may be retained and used without being treated as personal information under the UK GDPR. Merely removing a name is not always sufficient to achieve anonymisation.

15. Your data protection rights

Depending on the circumstances and the applicable legal requirements, you may have rights concerning the personal information we hold about you.

15.1 Right of access

You may request confirmation of whether we process your personal information and, where the law provides, obtain a copy of that information and relevant details about its processing.

15.2 Right to rectification

You may ask us to correct inaccurate personal information or complete information that is incomplete. Where an account field can be changed through your profile or account settings, you should ordinarily use that facility first.

15.3 Right to erasure

You may request deletion of personal information in circumstances provided by law. This right is not absolute. Some information may need to be retained for legal obligations, security investigations, legal claims or other lawful purposes.

15.4 Right to restrict processing

In certain circumstances, you may ask us to restrict the use of your information while a dispute about its accuracy, lawfulness or processing is resolved.

15.5 Right to object

You may have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests, depending on the circumstances. We must stop the relevant processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds that override your interests, rights and freedoms, or another applicable exception applies.

You have an absolute right to object to the processing of your personal information for direct marketing. Bronva’s operational messages, such as account security notifications, are not automatically direct marketing simply because they are sent by email.

15.6 Right to data portability

Where the legal conditions are met, you may request personal information you provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format, or ask for it to be transmitted to another controller where technically feasible and legally required.

This right does not cover every item of information held by Bronva. It generally applies to information processed by automated means on the basis of consent or contract, subject to the statutory conditions.

15.7 Right to withdraw consent

If we rely on consent for a particular processing activity, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal will not affect the lawfulness of processing before consent was withdrawn.

15.8 Rights concerning automated decisions

You may have rights where a decision is based solely on automated processing, including profiling, and produces legal or similarly significant effects. The precise rights depend on the circumstances and applicable legal provisions.

15.9 How to exercise your rights

Email support@bronva.com and explain the right you wish to exercise. We may need to ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity and protect your account from unauthorised disclosure.

We aim to respond within the period required by law, normally one month for a valid UK GDPR request. In permitted circumstances, this period may be extended for complex or numerous requests, and we will explain any applicable extension. We may refuse or charge a reasonable fee for a request only where the relevant legal conditions permit it.

You do not need to use particular legal terminology. We will assess your request according to its substance and the rights available to you.

16. Account closure and deletion

If account deletion is available in your account settings, you can use that facility to request or initiate the deletion of your account. If you cannot access the facility, contact support@bronva.com.

Closing an account and deleting every record associated with a person are not always the same thing. Depending on the applicable deletion process, account closure may remove or deactivate profile information and prevent further use of the account, while some information may remain temporarily or be retained for a lawful reason.

For example, limited information may need to be retained to:

• Comply with a legal obligation or a valid legal order.
• Investigate serious abuse, threats, fraud or a security incident.
• Establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• Maintain an appropriate record of a safety report or enforcement decision.
• Enforce a valid opt-out or suppression request where retaining a limited identifier is necessary to prevent further unwanted contact.
• Complete the normal expiry or replacement of backup copies where immediate deletion is not technically feasible.

Where a legitimate retention reason applies, we aim to limit the retained information to what is necessary and restrict its use to the relevant purpose.

Content that you have already shared with other members may remain in their possession, including copies of messages or material they have saved. Deleting your account cannot guarantee that those independent copies will be erased.

We will not represent an account deletion as a guarantee that every technical record, backup, report or lawful retention record is immediately and permanently erased.

If you want a copy of your personal information before deleting your account, contact us in advance. A self-service export of all posts, messages, photographs and other account information should not be assumed to be available unless the relevant export feature is actually provided.

17. Age restrictions and younger users

Bronva is for people aged 16 and over. You must be at least 16 years old to register for, access or use the social network.

By creating an account, you confirm that you meet this minimum-age requirement. Do not register on behalf of a person under 16 or provide information intended to circumvent this restriction.

The minimum-age requirement is a condition of access; it does not mean Bronva can independently verify every member’s age in every circumstance. If we become aware that an account is being used by someone under the permitted age, we may investigate and take appropriate action, including restricting or closing the account where justified.

If you believe that a person under 16 has registered or supplied personal information, contact support@bronva.com. Please provide sufficient details to identify the concern without unnecessarily disclosing additional personal information about the person involved.

We will assess any such information and take steps appropriate to the circumstances and applicable law. Where deletion or other action is required, we will address the relevant information in accordance with our legal obligations.

Bronva’s minimum-age rule does not remove any obligations that may apply to the service under the Online Safety Act 2023. The relevant duties depend on the service’s classification, functionality, risk assessments and applicable Ofcom requirements.

18. How we protect personal information

We aim to use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, disclosure and destruction.

Depending on the relevant system and configuration, these measures may include:

• Authentication and access restrictions for accounts and administrative functions.
• Security checks designed to protect sensitive operations and form submissions.
• Restricted administrative access to security logs and moderation tools.
• Technical monitoring and records used to investigate suspicious activity.
• Appropriate handling of passwords and authentication sessions.
• Software maintenance, vulnerability remediation and relevant security configuration.
• Backup and recovery arrangements, where implemented.
• Procedures for assessing and responding to personal data breaches.

The exact measures depend on the website’s current configuration and the services used to operate it. We do not claim that every security technology is enabled at all times or that any system is completely immune to attack.

No website, network, storage system or method of electronic transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We aim to manage risks proportionately, investigate incidents and take appropriate corrective action where necessary.

18.1 Your role in account security

You can help protect your account by:

• Using a strong, unique password that you do not reuse elsewhere.
• Keeping your email account secure because it may be used for account recovery.
• Never sharing your password or authentication codes with another person.
• Logging out on devices that other people can access.
• Reporting suspicious activity or unexpected account changes promptly.
• Being careful about the personal information you publish or send in messages.

If you believe your account has been compromised, contact support@bronva.com promptly and use the available account recovery controls.

18.2 Personal data breaches

If a personal data breach occurs, we will assess the incident and take steps appropriate to its nature and severity. Where the law requires it, we will notify the Information Commissioner’s Office and affected individuals within the applicable statutory timeframes.

Not every security incident is legally reportable. The reporting obligations depend on the circumstances, including the likelihood and severity of risks to individuals.

19. Automated processing and decisions

Bronva may use automated technical processes to deliver content, update feeds, maintain message status, apply member privacy choices, detect repeated requests, enforce rate limits or support security controls.

For example, systems may automatically record an authentication event, suppress a muted member’s content from a feed, prevent an excessive number of invitations or update a notification count. These operations help features behave consistently and reduce opportunities for misuse.

Technical automation does not necessarily constitute a decision with legal or similarly significant effects under data protection law. Where applicable, we will assess the relevant requirements concerning automated decision-making, transparency and individuals’ rights.

We do not promise that every moderation or security assessment is free from automation or technical error. Nor do we claim to use artificial intelligence to make all moderation decisions. The actual processing depends on the features and tools implemented at the relevant time.

If you believe that an automated process has incorrectly affected your account or content, contact support@bronva.com and explain what happened. We will assess the matter and determine whether review or correction is appropriate.

20. External websites, links and content

Bronva may contain links to external websites, services, media or other resources. Members may also include external links in their profiles, posts or messages.

Following an external link may take you to a service that is not operated by Bronva. That service may collect information, use cookies, display content or apply its own terms and privacy practices.

Before providing personal information to an external service, review its privacy policy and consider whether you trust the recipient and understand the purpose of the collection.

Bronva is not responsible for the independent privacy practices of third-party websites merely because a link or embedded feature is available on the network. This does not exclude any responsibility that may arise under applicable law for our own actions or omissions.

External content may change, become unavailable or be removed by its provider. We cannot guarantee that every external link or embedded item will remain available, accurate or appropriate.

21. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in Bronva’s features, the information we process, our service providers, applicable law or the way we operate the network.

The date at the top of the policy identifies the stated version’s update date. We encourage members to review this page periodically.

Where a change is material, or where applicable law requires it, we will take appropriate steps to inform affected members before the change takes effect. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve a notice on the website, an account notification or an email.

We will not treat the mere publication of a revised privacy policy as sufficient consent where the law requires separate, informed consent for a particular activity.

Where a new use of personal information requires a new lawful basis, additional safeguards or a change in the information provided to members, we will assess those requirements before introducing the relevant processing.

22. Contact, complaints and your regulator

If you have a question about this policy, believe that your personal information has been handled incorrectly, or wish to exercise your data protection rights, contact us first.

22.1 Complaining to the Information Commissioner’s Office

If you are concerned about how we have handled your personal information, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s independent data protection regulator.

You can find information about your rights and how to make a complaint at: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint/.

You are entitled to contact the ICO where you consider it appropriate. You do not have to obtain our permission before doing so.

22.2 Online safety concerns

If your concern relates to illegal content or harmful conduct on Bronva, use the relevant reporting tools where available and provide sufficient information for the issue to be assessed.

Ofcom provides information about online safety regulation and complaints concerning regulated online services at ofcom.org.uk/online-safety/. Ofcom’s role is distinct from the ICO’s data protection responsibilities.

If someone is in immediate danger, contact the appropriate emergency service rather than relying on a website report or email response.

23. Privacy questions answered