LocalLinked is built on a simple idea: students should feel connected, and lecturers should be rewarded. We're on a mission to tackle the lack of student engagement within local communities by bridging the gap between university life and the businesses, events, and opportunities around them.
Whether you're looking for great food, things to do, or ways to support your local area, we're here to help make those connections seamless, rewarding, and personal.
Everything we build, from features to partnerships, is shaped by this purpose. And that's why privacy matters to us. We're committed to handling your data responsibly, transparently, and in a way that supports your experience and never disrupts it.
This Privacy Policy for LocalLinked Ltd ("we", "us", or "our") explains how and why we collect, use, store, share, and process your personal information when you use our services ("Services"). These include:
We understand the importance of your privacy and are committed to being transparent about how we handle your information. If you have any questions after reading this, please reach out to us at portsmouth@locallinked.co.uk.
This summary highlights key aspects of our privacy practices. For full details, refer to the numbered sections below:
When you interact with LocalLinked, we collect information you provide directly, and some information automatically generated by your device or activity.
When you register for an account, reach out to us, or use features of the app, we collect personal information, including:
In some cases, and only with your explicit consent or when required by law, we may collect sensitive data—such as proof of student status. This helps us verify your eligibility for student-specific features or offers within the app.
When you register, we may collect and verify your university email address (restricted to ".ac.uk" domains) to confirm your affiliation with a recognised UK higher education institution. This eligibility may include students, staff, lecturers, researchers, and other academic community members. Verification is based solely on your email domain unless otherwise stated. We may periodically require re-verification to maintain eligibility.
We collect your expected graduation date and institution location to verify your ongoing eligibility for the service and to help customise relevant offers based on your academic journey. This information helps us ensure our service remains exclusively available to the academic community.
If you choose to sign up using a social media account (such as Facebook or X), we may access information you've made publicly available through that service, including your name and email address. We only use this information to create and manage your account with us. More detail is available in Section 6.
In addition to your name and contact details, we collect profile-related information you choose to provide, including photos, biographies or university affiliation displayed on your profile.
With your consent, we may access your device's camera, photo library, and push notification system to support certain features.
When you use our app to interact with NFC terminals at partner businesses, we collect data about these interactions, including timestamp, location identifier, and points awarded. This information is necessary to verify your presence at partner locations and properly award points to your account. No personal financial information is collected through these NFC interactions.
Our Services are intended for users who are 16 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 16. By using our Services, you represent and warrant that you are at least 16 years old. If we learn that we have collected personal information from an individual under 16, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 16, please contact us at portsmouth@locallinked.co.uk.
Some technical data is collected automatically when you use our Services, to help us understand usage patterns and keep things running smoothly. This includes:
If we access data through Google APIs, we comply fully with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
We use your personal information to provide, manage, and improve the Services we offer. Here's how:
We use analytics derived from your activity (such as point-earning behaviour) to generate anonymous usage statistics that may be shared with participating local businesses to improve offers and engagement.
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), we only process personal data when we have a valid legal reason. These include:
We limit sharing to only what's necessary, and only with trusted third parties. This may include:
We never sell your data, and we only share it with third parties that agree to protect it in line with this policy.
As a UK-based company, we primarily store and process your data within the United Kingdom. However, some of our service providers may be located outside the UK or European Economic Area (EEA). When we transfer your personal data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information, which may include:
You can request information about these safeguards by contacting us at portsmouth@locallinked.co.uk.
Our Services may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these sites. We encourage you to read their privacy policies before providing any personal data.
We use cookies and similar technologies on both our website and mobile application to enhance functionality, understand user behaviour, personalise content, and improve overall service delivery. These tools may store small pieces of information on your device or browser to recognise you when you return.
We use third-party APIs and SDKs, including but not limited to:
Each of these tools may place cookies or similar identifiers to collect metadata, such as your device type, interaction history, or session time. Analytics data is tied to the "user points" system and is shared only in aggregate or pseudonymised form with businesses featured on our platform.
We integrate with Google Maps API to provide interactive map and location-based features. This may involve collection of:
We comply fully with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including Limited Use requirements. For further transparency, we advise reviewing Google's terms:
You have the right to control your cookie and tracking preferences. Options include:
Please note that disabling cookies or certain APIs may affect your experience, and some functionality may no longer be available.
We also use tracking technologies such as:
We only use these tools in a way that complies with applicable data protection laws, and only for the purposes stated in this Policy.
If you log in via a social account, such as Facebook or X, we only access the profile data you've permitted. This helps you set up your LocalLinked account more easily.
We don't control how those platforms use your data. For more details, review their respective privacy policies.
We retain your personal information only as long as needed for the purposes outlined in this Policy, unless a longer period is required by law.
Verified academic affiliation (linked to your email address) is retained for the duration of your active account and securely deleted within 12 months of account closure unless a longer retention period is required by law.
When we no longer need your data, we will either anonymise or securely delete it.
We apply a range of technical and organisational measures to safeguard your personal data, including:
However, no digital system is 100% secure. By using our Services, you accept this inherent risk.
All data transmitted during NFC interactions is encrypted using industry-standard protocols. The data exchanged is limited to only what's necessary for points verification.
In the unlikely event of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant supervisory authority (such as the UK Information Commissioner's Office) without undue delay and typically within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach. This notification will include details of the breach, its potential consequences, measures we've taken to address it, and recommendations for you to protect yourself from potential effects.
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
We will only send marketing communications with your explicit consent, which you can withdraw at any time via your settings or by contacting us. If you're located in the UK, EEA, or Switzerland, you also have the right to file a complaint with your national data protection authority.
You can manage your data by logging into your account or contacting us at portsmouth@locallinked.co.uk. To unsubscribe from marketing emails, click the unsubscribe link in our emails or contact us directly.
If you are under the age of 16, you may not create an account or use our Services.
While we use analytics to improve our Services, we do not currently engage in automated decision-making or profiling that would produce legal or similarly significant effects on you. If this changes in the future, we will update this policy and obtain appropriate consent where required.
When we rely on legitimate interests as a legal basis for processing your data, we conduct a balancing test to ensure our interests do not override your rights and freedoms. Our legitimate interests typically include:
You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interests at any time.
Many web browsers and devices support Do-Not-Track ("DNT") signals. However, because there's no industry standard yet, we do not currently respond to DNT signals.
Yes, we may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or services. When we do, we'll revise the date at the top of this document. If major changes occur, we may also notify you directly.
Email: portsmouth@locallinked.co.uk
Post:
LocalLinked Ltd
Halpern House, 1 Hampshire Terrace
Portsmouth, Southsea, PO1 2QF
United Kingdom
You can contact us or visit our support page at: http://www.locallinked.co.uk/contact-8 to access, update, or delete your personal information, subject to applicable laws.
This Privacy Policy has been written in accordance with UK GDPR and industry best practices to ensure your data is handled transparently, securely, and with respect.