Data Policy
This policy describes the information we process to support Byzans and other products and features offered by Byzans (Byzans Products or Products).
What kinds of information do we collect?
To provide the Byzans Products, we must process information about you. The types of information we collect depend on how you use our Products.
Things you and others do and provide.
Information and content you provide. We collect the content, communications and other information you provide when you use our Products, including when you sign up for an account, create or share content and message or communicate with others. This can include information in or about the content that you provide (e.g. metadata). Our systems automatically process content and communications that you and others provide to analyse context and what’s in them for the purposes described below.
- Data with special protections: You can choose to provide information about your religious views, political views, who you are “interested in” or your health. This and other information (such as racial or ethnic origin, philosophical beliefs or trade union membership) is subject to special protections under EU law.
Networks and connections. We collect information about the people, pages, accounts, hashtags and groups you are connected to and how you interact with them across our Products, such as people you communicate with the most or groups you are part of. We also collect contact information if you import it from another application (e.g.: Facebook), which we use for things like helping you and others find people you may know and for the other purposes listed below.
Your usage. We collect information about how you use our Products, such as the types of content you view or engage with; the features you use; the actions you take; the people or accounts you interact with; and the time, frequency and duration of your activities. For example, we log when you’re using and have last used our Products, and what posts, videos and other content you view on our Products.
Information about transactions made on our Products. If you use our Products for purchases or other financial transactions , we collect information about the purchase or transaction. This includes payment information, such as your credit or debit card number and other card information; other account and authentication information; and billing, shipping and contact details.
Things others do and information they provide about you. We also receive and analyze content, communications and information that other people provide when they use our Products. This can include information about you, such as when others share or comment on a photo of you, send a message to you, or upload, sync or import your contact information.
Device Information
As described below, we collect information from and about the computers, phones, connected TVs and other web-connected devices you use that integrate with our Products, and we combine this information across different devices you use. For example, we use information collected about your use of our Products on your phone to better personalize the content (including ads) or features you see when you use our Products on another device, such as your laptop or tablet, or to measure whether you took an action in response to an ad we showed you on your phone on a different device.
Information we obtain from these devices includes:
- Device attributes: information such as the operating system, hardware and software versions, battery level, signal strength, available storage space, browser type, app and file names and types, and plugins.
- Device operations: information about operations and behaviors performed on the device, such as whether a window is foregrounded or backgrounded, or mouse movements (which can help distinguish humans from bots).
- Identifiers: unique identifiers, device IDs, and other identifiers, such as from games, apps or accounts you use.
- Device signals: Bluetooth signals, and information about nearby Wi-Fi access points, beacons, and cell towers.
- Data from device settings: information you allow us to receive through device settings you turn on, such as access to your GPS location, camera or photos.
- Network and connections: information such as the name of your mobile operator or ISP, language, time zone, mobile phone number, IP address, connection speed and, in some cases, information about other devices that are nearby or on your network.
- Cookie data: data from cookies stored on your device, including cookie IDs and settings.
Information from partners.
Advertisers, app developers, and publishers can send us information. These partners provide information about your activities off Byzans—including information about your device, websites you visit, purchases you make, the ads you see, and how you use their services—whether or not you have a Byzans account or are logged into Byzans.
Partners receive your data when you visit or use their services or through third parties they work with. We require each of these partners to have lawful rights to collect, use and share your data before providing any data to us.
How do we use this information?
We use the information we have (subject to choices you make) as described below and to provide and support the Byzans Products and related services described in Byzans’ Terms of services. Here’s how:
Provide, personalize and improve our Products.
We use the information we have to deliver our Products, including to personalize features and content (including your feed and ads) and make suggestions for you (such as groups or events you may be interested in or topics you may want to follow) on and off our Products. To create personalized Products that are unique and relevant to you, we use your connections, preferences, interests and activities based on the data we collect and learn from you and others; how you use and interact with our Products; and the people, places, or things you’re connected to and interested in on and off our Products. Learn more about how we use information about you to personalize your Byzans experience, including features, content and recommendations in Byzans Products;
Information across Byzans Products and devices: We connect information about your activities on different Byzans Products and devices to provide a more tailored and consistent experience on all Byzans Products you use, wherever you use them. For example, we can suggest that you read a book that is read by people you follow or communicate with. We can also make your experience more seamless, for example, by automatically filling in your registration information from one Byzans Product when you sign up for an account on a different Product.
Location-related information: We use location-related information -such as your current location, where you live, the places you like to go, and the businesses and people you’re near-to provide, personalize and improve our Products, including ads, for you and others. Location-related information can be based on things like precise device location (if you’ve allowed us to collect it), IP addresses, and information from your and others’ use of Byzans Products (such as check-ins or events you attend).
Product research and development: We use the information we have to develop, test and improve our Products, including by conducting surveys and research, and testing and troubleshooting new products and features.
Ads and other sponsored content: We use the information we have about you-including information about your interests, actions and connections-to select and personalize ads, offers and other sponsored content that we show you.
Provide measurement, analytics, and other business services.
We use the information we have (including your activity off our Products, such as the websites you visit and ads you see) to help advertisers and other partners measure the effectiveness and distribution of their ads and services, and understand the types of people who use their services and how people interact with their websites, apps, and services.
Promote safety, integrity and security.
We use the information we have to verify accounts and activity, combat harmful conduct, detect and prevent spam and other bad experiences, maintain the integrity of our Products, and promote safety and security on and off of Byzans Products. For example, we use data we have to investigate suspicious activity or violations of our terms or policies.
Communicate with you.
We use the information we have to send you marketing communications, communicate with you about our Products, and let you know about our policies and terms. We also use your information to respond to you when you contact us.
How is this information shared?
Your information is shared with others in the following ways:
Sharing on Byzans Products
People and accounts you share and communicate with
When you share and communicate using our Products, you choose the audience for what you share. For example, when you post on Byzans, you select the audience for the post, such as a book club, or a friend. Your network can also see actions you have taken on our Products, including engagement with ads and sponsored content.
Public information can be seen by anyone, on or off our Products, including if they don’t have an account. This includes your Byzans username; any information you share with a public audience; information in your public profile on Byzans; and content you share on a Byzans Page, or any other book club. You, other people using Byzans, and we can provide access to or send public information to anyone on or off our Products, in search results, or through tools and APIs. Public information can also be seen, accessed, reshared or downloaded through third-party services such as search engines, APIs, and offline media such as TV, and by apps, websites and other services that integrate with our Products.
Content others share or reshare about you
You should consider who you choose to share with, because people who can see your activity on our Products can choose to share it with others on and off our Products, including people and businesses outside the audience you shared with. For example, when you share a post or send a message to specific friends or accounts, they can download, screenshot, or reshare that content to others across or off our Products. Also, when you comment on someone else’s post or react to their content, your comment or reaction is visible to anyone who can see the other person’s content, and that person can change the audience later.
People can also use our Products to create and share content about you with the audience they choose. For example, people can share a photo of you, mention or tag you at a location in a post, or share information about you in their posts or messages. If you are uncomfortable with what others have shared about you on our Products, you can report the content.
Information about your active status or presence on our Products.
People in your networks can see signals telling them whether you are active on our Products, including whether you are currently active on Byzans, or when you last used our Products.
New owner.
If the ownership or control of all or part of our Products or their assets changes, we may transfer your information to the new owner.
Sharing with Third-Party Partners
We work with third-party partners who help us provide and improve our Products or who use Byzans to grow their businesses, which makes it possible to operate our companies and provide free services to people around the world. We don’t sell any of your information to anyone. We also impose strict restrictions on how our partners can use and disclose the data we provide. Here are the types of third parties we share information with:
Partners who use our analytics services.
We provide aggregated statistics and insights that help people and businesses understand how people are engaging with their posts, listings, Pages, videos and other content on and off the Byzans Products.
Advertisers.
We provide advertisers with reports about the kinds of people seeing their ads and how their ads are performing, but we don’t share information that personally identifies you (information such as your name or email address that by itself can be used to contact you or identifies who you are) unless you give us permission. For example, we provide general demographic and interest information to advertisers (for example, that an ad was seen by a woman between the ages of 25 and 34 who lives in Madrid and likes software engineering) to help them better understand their audience. We also confirm which Byzans ads led you to make a purchase or take an action with an advertiser.
Measurement partners.
We share information about you with companies that aggregate it to provide analytics and measurement reports to our partners.
Partners offering goods and services in our Products.
When you subscribe to receive premium content, or buy something from a seller in our Products, the content creator or seller can receive your public information and other information that you share with them, as well as the information needed to complete the transaction, including shipping and contact details.
Vendors and service providers.
We provide information and content to vendors and service providers who support our business, such as by providing technical infrastructure services, analysing how our Products are used, providing customer service, facilitating payments or conducting surveys.
Researchers and academics.
We also provide information and content to research partners and academics to conduct research that advances scholarship and innovation that supports our business or mission and enhances discovery and innovation on topics of general social welfare, technological advancement, public interest, health and well-being.
Law enforcement or legal requests.
We share information with law enforcement or in response to legal requests in the circumstances outlined below.
What is our legal basis for processing data?
We collect, use and share the data that we have in the ways described above:
as necessary to fulfill our Byzans Terms of Service;
consistent with your consent, which you may revoke at any time;
as necessary to comply with our legal obligations;
to protect your vital interests, or those of others;
as necessary in the public interest; and
as necessary for our (or others’) legitimate interests, including our interests in providing an innovative, personalized, safe, and profitable service to our users and partners, unless those interests are overridden by your interests or fundamental rights and freedoms that require protection of personal data.
How can you exercise your rights provided under the GDPR?
Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to access, rectify, port and delete your data. You also have the right to object to and restrict certain processing of your data. This includes:
the right to object to our processing of your data for direct marketing, which you can exercise by using the “unsubscribe” link in such marketing communications, and
the right to object to our processing of your data where we are performing a task in the public interest or pursuing our legitimate interests or those of a third party.
Data retention, account deactivation and deletion
We store data until it is no longer necessary to provide our services and Byzans Products, or until your account is deleted – whichever comes first. This is a case-by-case determination that depends on things like the nature of the data, why it is collected and processed, and relevant legal or operational retention needs.
When you delete your account, we delete things you have posted, such as your photos and status updates, and you won’t be able to recover that information later. Information that others have shared about you isn’t part of your account and won’t be deleted.
How do we respond to legal requests or prevent harm?
We access, preserve and share your information with regulators, law enforcement or others:
In response to a legal request, if we have a good-faith belief that the law requires us to do so. We can also respond to legal requests when we have a good-faith belief that the response is required by law in that jurisdiction, affects users in that jurisdiction, and is consistent with internationally recognized standards.
When we have a good-faith belief it is necessary to: detect, prevent and address fraud, unauthorized use of the Products, violations of our terms or policies, or other harmful or illegal activity; to protect ourselves (including our rights, property or Products), you or others, including as part of investigations or regulatory inquiries; or to prevent death or imminent bodily harm. For example, if relevant, we provide information to and receive information from third-party partners about the reliability of your account to prevent fraud, abuse and other harmful activity on and off our Products.
Information we receive about you (including financial transaction data related to purchases made with Byzans) can be accessed and preserved for an extended period when it is the subject of a legal request or obligation, governmental investigation, or investigations of possible violations of our terms or policies, or otherwise to prevent harm. We also retain information from accounts disabled for terms violations for at least a year to prevent repeat abuse or other term violations.
How will we notify you of changes to this Policy?
We’ll notify you before we make changes to this Policy and give you the opportunity to review the revised Policy before you choose to continue using our Products.
How to contact Byzans with questions
If you have questions about this Policy, you can contact the data controller responsible for your information by writing to info@byzans.com.
Alternatively, you can contact him by writing to:
Byzans GmbH
Cauerstrasse 30
10587 Berlin
Germany
