Privacy policy

Who we are

LocalArena (“we”, “us”) is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy. If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your data, email us at info@localarena.appand we'll get back to you.

What we collect

Account & profile

You sign in with Google or Apple. When you do, we receive basic profile information from that provider — such as your name, email address, and, where available, your profile picture — so we can create your LocalArena account. With Sign in with Apple you can choose to hide your email, in which case Apple gives us a private relay address instead. You can add more to your profile — such as a display name, photo, and the sports you play — and any of that is up to you.

Activity in the app

We store the groups you follow, the sessions and events you join, and the content you create — for example messages or notes within a group, and your availability for a session's rota. Organisers of a group or session can see who has joined and who is attending.

Location

To show groups and sessions near you, the app uses your location. On a mobile device this only happens with your permission, which you can change at any time in your device settings — and you can always search by entering a place name instead. When an organiser sets a venue for a session, that venue's location is stored as part of the session.

Photos you upload

When you upload a photo — a profile or group image, for example — we store it on our hosting provider. Uploaded images are checked by an automated content-moderation service to detect inappropriate or unsafe content before they appear in the app. This check is automated and is used to keep the community safe; it does not make any decision that has a legal or similarly significant effect on you.

Payments

When you pay a session, group, or tournament fee, the payment is processed by Stripe. Your card details go directly to Stripe and are handled under Stripe's own security and privacy terms — we do not see or store your full card number. We keep a record of the payments you make (such as amount, date, and what they were for) so organisers can manage their group's finances and so we can support you if something goes wrong.

Safety & moderation

If you report a group, session, profile, or message, we keep the report and the related content so our moderation team can review it and take action. We may also keep records of moderation decisions to protect the community and to comply with our legal obligations.

Device & usage data

To run the service we process basic technical data such as your device type, app version, and — if you turn them on — a push notification token so we can send you alerts about your groups and sessions. You can turn notifications off at any time in your device settings.

How we use your data

We use your personal data to:

• — Provide the service: create your account, show you nearby groups and sessions, and let you join and take part.
• — Process payments and help organisers manage their group's finances.
• — Send you notifications about the groups, sessions, and events you're involved in.
• — Keep the community safe — including moderating content and handling reports.
• — Support you, fix problems, and improve how LocalArena works.
• — Meet our legal obligations, such as keeping records of transactions.

Our legal bases for this are: performing our contract with you (to provide the app and process payments you ask for); our legitimate interests (keeping the service safe, secure, and working well); your consent (for things like device location and notifications, which you can withdraw at any time); and compliance with our legal obligations.

Who we share it with

We don't sell your personal data. We share it with service providers who help us run LocalArena, and only as far as they need it to do so:

• — Google — for sign-in, and for maps and place search.
• — Apple — for Sign in with Apple.
• — Stripe — to process payments securely.
• — Amazon Web Services — for hosting, storage, and automated image moderation.

Some content you share is visible to other people by design — for example, your profile and activity are visible to members and organisers of the groups and sessions you join. We may also disclose data where the law requires it, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of our users or others.

International transfers

Some of our providers process data outside the UK. Where they do, we rely on appropriate safeguards — such as the UK's International Data Transfer Agreement or adequacy regulations — so your data receives an equivalent level of protection.

How long we keep it

We keep your personal data for as long as you have an account, and afterwards only as long as we need it — for example to keep financial records, resolve disputes, handle safety matters, or meet a legal obligation. When you delete your account, we remove or anonymise your personal data so you can no longer be identified, while keeping the minimum records the law requires.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to access a copy of your data, to correct it if it's wrong, to ask us to delete it, to object to or restrict how we use it, and to data portability. Where we rely on your consent, you can withdraw it at any time. To exercise any of these rights, email us at info@localarena.app.

You can delete your account from within the app, or by following our account deletion instructions. If you believe we've mishandled your data, you can complain to the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk — though we'd appreciate the chance to put things right first.

Children

LocalArena isn't intended for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their data. Some groups and sessions may set their own minimum ages. If you believe a child has given us their data, contact us and we'll remove it.

Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data — including encrypted connections and storing authentication tokens securely on your device. No system is ever completely secure, but we work to keep your data safe and to respond quickly if something goes wrong.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we make significant changes, we'll update the date at the top and, where appropriate, let you know in the app.

Contact

Questions about your privacy? Email info@localarena.app or use our contact page.