Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 21 August 2025
Adamstown Residents’ Association (ARA), an unincorporated association based in Adamstown, Ireland (c/o Corresponding Officer, acts as the data controller for the personal data processed through our website (www.adamstownresidentsassociation.ie) and member platform. We are committed to protecting your privacy in compliance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (Regulation (EU) 2016/679) and other applicable data protection laws in Ireland and the EEA. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal data.

Information We Collect

We collect both personal and non-personal information, including:

• Information you provide directly: This may include your name, email address, contact details (e.g., phone number), profile information (e.g., address for verification), and any content you submit such as community discussions, suggestions, petitions, event registrations, or membership applications.
• Automatically collected information: This includes your IP address, browser type, operating system, time zone, device identifiers, and browsing activity on our site (e.g., pages visited). Some of this is gathered via cookies and similar technologies.
• Communications: If you contact us (e.g., via email or the contact form), we may keep a record of your correspondence for reference and service improvement.

Lawful Basis for Processing

We only process your personal data where we have a lawful basis under GDPR Article 6. The specific bases we rely on include:

• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): For example, operating our community platform, facilitating interactions (e.g., votes and events), improving user experience, ensuring security, and preventing fraud. We balance our interests against your rights and freedoms, and you can object at any time (see Your Rights below).
• Performance of a contract (Art. 6(1)(b)): To provide membership services, process registrations, or deliver notifications you have requested.
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): For optional processing, such as sending non-essential updates or newsletters. Consent is freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous; you can withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.
• Legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c)): For example, complying with record-keeping requirements for disputes or financial reporting.

We do not process special categories of personal data (e.g., health or political opinions) under GDPR Article 9 unless you provide it voluntarily for a specific purpose (e.g., accessibility support) and we have your explicit consent or another lawful basis.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for purposes such as:

• Operating and maintaining our website and member platform (e.g., enabling logins and profiles).
• Facilitating community interactions, including events, discussions, suggestions, petitions and crime watch incidents.
• Sending notifications and updates relevant to your membership or interests (e.g., event reminders).
• Improving our website’s functionality and user experience (e.g., analytics).
• Ensuring site security and preventing fraudulent activity.
• Complying with legal obligations and resolving disputes.

Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. However, we may share your information with:

• Trusted third-party service providers (e.g., hosting providers, email services like Resend, or voting tools) who assist in operating our website and services. These providers are contractually bound to protect your data (e.g., via data processing agreements under GDPR Art. 28).
• As required by law, regulation, or legal process (e.g., court orders or requests from authorities).
• To protect our rights, property, or the safety of our community (e.g., in cases of suspected fraud or harm).

International Transfers

We do not transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area (EEA). All our service providers and processors are based within the EEA or use EEA-compliant protections. If this changes in the future, we will only transfer data where safeguards are in place (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses under GDPR Chapter V or to countries with adequacy decisions).

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience, analyze site usage, and tailor content to your preferences. Essential cookies are used for site functionality; others require your consent via our cookie banner. For more details, please refer to our Cookies Policy.

Your Rights

If you are located in the EEA or other regions with similar data protection laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal data under GDPR Articles 15-22:

• The right to access and obtain a copy of your personal information.
• The right to request corrections or updates to inaccurate or incomplete information.
• The right to request deletion of your data ('right to be forgotten'), subject to legal requirements (e.g., if we need to retain it for compliance).
• The right to object to or restrict certain processing activities (e.g., based on legitimate interests); we will assess and respond, which may limit services if applicable.
• The right to data portability (receiving your data in a structured, machine-readable format).
• The right to withdraw consent at any time (where processing is consent-based), without affecting prior lawfulness.

We do not engage in automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or significantly affects you.

To exercise these rights, submit a request to us at support@adamstownresidentsassociation.ie. We will respond free of charge within one month (extendable by two months for complex requests, with notice). Requests that are manifestly unfounded or excessive may be refused or charged a reasonable fee.

The supervisory authority responsible is the Data Protection Commission (DPC) in Ireland. You have the right to lodge a complaint with the DPC at www.dataprotection.ie or by phone (01 765 0100) if you believe we have not complied with GDPR. We encourage you to contact us first to resolve any issues.

Children's Data

Our services are not directed at children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children without verifiable parental or guardian consent. If we become aware of such data, we will delete it promptly.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with legal obligations (e.g., 6 years for financial records under Irish law), resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. Specific examples include:

• Membership and profile data: For the duration of your membership plus 2 years after resignation/deletion.
• Communications and query records: Up to 3 years, or longer if needed for legal claims.
• IP addresses and browsing logs: 6 months for security purposes.
• Event or vote data: Until the event/vote concludes plus 1 year for record-keeping.

When data is no longer needed, we will securely delete, anonymize, or pseudonymize it in line with our data retention procedures.

Security

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, use, alteration, or destruction (e.g., encryption, access controls, and regular security audits). However, no online transmission or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected individuals and the DPC as required by GDPR Article 33/34.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. We will post the revised policy on this page with the "Last Updated" date, and where appropriate (e.g., material changes), notify you via email, the platform, or a site notice. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. This page was last updated on 21 August 2025.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your information is handled, please contact us at: support@adamstownresidentsassociation.ie. For privacy-specific queries, you may also reach our designated privacy lead (the Corresponding Officer) at the same address.