Privacy Policy – BNI Event App

1. Introduction

Welcome to the BNI Event App ("App"), operated by BNI Greater Surat ("we", "our", or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you use our App and related services.

By downloading, installing, or using the App, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

      This App is intended exclusively for attendees, exhibitors, and organizers of BNI events. Access is restricted to individuals whose phone numbers have been pre-registered by event organizers.
    

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account & Profile Information

Data	Why we collect it	Required?
Mobile phone number	Identity verification via OTP; primary login credential	Yes
Full name	Display on your profile and on e-badges	Yes
Email address	Optional contact information on your profile	No
Company / organization name	Shown on your profile and in the attendee directory	Yes
Designation / job title	Shown on your profile	No
Company category, type, GST number	Business classification for exhibitor listing	No
Company email, mobile, landline	Contact details visible on exhibitor profiles	No
Company address, city, state, country, PIN	Location details on exhibitor listing	No
Profile photo	Shown on your profile and at-event badge	No

2.2 Event Participation Data

Event registration records (which events you are registered for, your role: attendee / exhibitor / organizer)
E-badge QR code data (used for on-site scanning by other attendees to capture leads)
Meeting schedules and agenda sessions you save

2.3 User-Generated Content (UGC)

Posts, photos, and text you publish on the BNI Wall
Comments and reactions on Wall posts
Lead notes and contact details you capture via the QR scanner
Messages sent via the in-app chat
Connection requests and accepted connections

2.4 Device & Technical Data

Authentication tokens (stored securely on-device)
Crash logs and error reports (for debugging purposes only)
App version and OS version

2.5 Camera Access

The App requests camera permission only for two explicit purposes:

QR scanning: To scan attendee E-Badge QR codes and save them as leads. The camera is opened only when you tap the scan button on the Leads screen.
Profile photo upload: To let you take a photo for your profile. Initiated only by tapping "Upload photo" in your profile settings.

We do not record video, capture audio, access your camera roll without your consent, or use the camera in the background.

3. How We Use Your Information

Authenticate your identity via one-time password (OTP) sent to your phone number
Display your profile in the attendee and exhibitor directory to other event participants
Generate and display your digital E-Badge QR code
Enable networking features: connections, leads, in-app messaging, meeting scheduling
Publish Wall posts and event announcements you create
Show event-specific agendas, galleries, and session information
Send you OTP messages via SMS (Fast2SMS) and/or WhatsApp for authentication
Maintain session security using short-lived JSON Web Tokens (JWT)
Respond to support requests and resolve technical issues

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only as described below:

4.1 With Other Event Participants

Your name, company, designation, profile photo, and phone number are visible to other verified attendees within the same event. This is core to the networking purpose of the App. If you do not wish to be discoverable, you may choose not to complete your profile or contact the event organizer.

4.2 With Third-Party Service Providers

Service	Purpose	Data shared
Fast2SMS	OTP delivery via SMS	Phone number, OTP message text
ChatSpire / api-wa.co (WhatsApp)	OTP delivery via WhatsApp	Phone number, OTP, your first name

These providers act as data processors. We do not authorize them to use your data for any purpose other than delivering the OTP.

4.3 Legal Disclosure

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or to protect the rights and safety of BNI, its members, or the public.

5. Data Storage & Retention

Your data is stored on secure servers hosted in India. We retain your data as follows:

OTP records: Automatically invalidated after 10 minutes; deleted upon account deletion
Profile data: Retained while your account is active
Event content (posts, leads, messages): Retained for the duration of the event and a reasonable period after
All data: Permanently deleted upon account deletion (see Section 7)

      Authentication tokens (JWTs) are stored only on your device and expire automatically (access token: 7 days, refresh token: 30 days).
    

6. Security

All API communication uses HTTPS (TLS encryption in transit)
OTPs are stored as bcrypt hashes — never in plain text
Authentication uses short-lived signed JWTs
Cleartext HTTP traffic is blocked at the Android network security policy level
Access to the App is restricted to pre-registered phone numbers — no open sign-up

Despite these measures, no system is 100% secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at priyansharora0106@gmail.com.

7. Your Rights & Account Deletion

You have the right to:

Access the personal data we hold about you
Correct inaccurate profile information (via the Edit Profile screen)
Delete your account and all associated data
Object to certain uses of your data

How to Delete Your Account

You can permanently delete your account directly from the App:

Open the App and go to Profile
Scroll down and tap Delete My Account
Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears

      Deleting your account is permanent and irreversible. We will erase all of the following within seconds of your request: your profile, posts, comments, likes, messages, connections, leads, meeting records, event registrations, and OTP history.
    

If you are unable to access the App, you may also request account deletion by emailing priyansharora0106@gmail.com from the phone number or email on your account. We will process the request within 7 business days.

8. User-Generated Content & Moderation

The BNI Wall allows verified event participants to post text and images. All content is visible only to participants of the same event.

You may delete your own posts at any time from within the App
Other users can report posts using the Report option on any post
Reported content is reviewed by event organizers and may be removed if it violates our community guidelines
We prohibit spam, harassment, false information, and inappropriate content

When you delete your account, all your Wall posts, comments, and likes are permanently deleted.

9. Children's Privacy

This App is designed for use by business professionals attending BNI events and is not directed at children under the age of 13 (or 18 where applicable under local law). We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a minor has provided personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

10. Third-Party Links & Services

The App may display links to external websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the App after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy. For material changes, we will attempt to notify you within the App.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact:

BNI Greater Surat
Email: priyansharora0106@gmail.com
App support: Available through the event organizer contact listed in the App

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 7 business days.