Privacy Policy for "BalUp - Digital Companion for Parents"
Last updated: February 14, 2025

This Privacy Policy describes our policies and procedures on the collection, use, and disclosure of your information when you use our service. It informs you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.
We use your personal data to provide and improve the service. By using the service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

1. Interpretation and Definitions1.1. Interpretation
Words with capitalized initial letters have meanings defined under the following conditions. These definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or plural.

1.2. Definitions

• Account: A unique account created for you to access our service.
• Affiliate: An entity that controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with us.
• Company: Raising Digital Kids with Confidence, referred to as "we," "us," or "our."
• Cookies: Small files stored on your device that contain information about your browsing activity.
• Country: Germany (Berlin).
• Device: Any device that can access the service, such as a computer, mobile phone, or tablet.
• Personal Data: Any information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual.
• Service: The Raising Digital Kids with Confidence website, accessible at www.balup.net.
• Service Provider: Any natural or legal person who processes data on behalf of the company.
• Third-Party Social Media Services: Websites or networks that allow users to sign in or create an account.
• Usage Data: Automatically collected data regarding your use of our service.
• You: The individual accessing or using the service.

2. Legal Basis for Processing Data
According to Article 6 of the GDPR, we process personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR) – If you have given us your permission.
• Contractual Necessity (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR) – If processing is necessary to fulfill a contract with you.
• Legitimate Interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) – If processing is necessary to protect our legitimate interests.
• We rely on legitimate interests for activities such as security improvements, fraud prevention, service analytics, and customer support. You have the right to object to processing based on legitimate interest (see Section 7 on your rights).

3. Collection and Use of Your Personal Data

3.1. Types of Data Collected
We collect the following personal data:

• Email address
• Name (if provided)
• Usage data (see below)

Processing Purposes
We collect the following categories of personal data:

• Account Data (name, email) – Legal Basis: Contractual necessity (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).
• Usage Data (IP address, browser type) – Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) to improve our services.
• Marketing & Newsletter Data (email) – Legal Basis: Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).
• Support Requests (messages you send) – Legal Basis: Legitimate interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) to provide customer support.

Usage Data
Automatically collected information:

• Your device’s IP address
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on them
• Operating system and device type

3.2. Tracking Technologies and Cookies
We use cookies and tracking technologies to analyze service usage:

• Necessary Cookies: Required for service functionality.
• Preference Cookies: Store personal settings.
• Analytics Cookies: Help improve the service.
• Marketing Cookies: Enable personalized ads.

We only store essential cookies without your consent. For all other cookies, we request your explicit permission.
You can change or withdraw your cookie preferences at any time through Cookie Settings or via your browser settings.

4. Data Sharing with Third Parties
We only share your data under certain conditions:

• Hosting Providers: To store and operate the website.
• Analytics Tools: Google Analytics (IP anonymization enabled).
• Marketing Partners: If you have given consent.

4.1. International Data Transfers
Some of our service providers (e.g., Google Analytics) are based outside the EEA, such as in the U.S.
If data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure compliance with GDPR by implementing Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) or other protective measures, such as the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework.

5. Data Retention Period
We retain personal data only as long as necessary:

• Usage Data: 12 months
• Customer Data: Until account deletion
• Legal Obligations: Until statutory retention periods expire

6. Children's Privacy
Our service is not directed to individuals under 16 years old.
If we become aware that we have collected data from a child without parental consent, we will delete it immediately.
Parents can contact us at hello@balup.net to request data deletion or verify their child’s account status.

7. GDPR Rights of Data Subjects
You have the following rights:

• Access (Article 15 GDPR): Request information about stored data.
• Rectification (Article 16 GDPR): Correct inaccurate data.
• Erasure (Article 17 GDPR): Request data deletion.
• Restriction of Processing (Article 18 GDPR).
• Data Portability (Article 20 GDPR).
• Objection (Article 21 GDPR): Object to processing for marketing or legitimate interest.

We will respond to your request within 30 days.
If you are unsatisfied with our response, you can lodge a complaint with the German Data Protection Authority (Berliner Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit, https://www.datenschutz-berlin.de).

8. Data Security
We implement technical and organizational measures to protect your data:

• SSL encryption
• Access controls
• Regular security audits

9. Data Transfers in Case of Business Transition
If our company is acquired or merged, your data may be transferred to the new owner.
We will notify you in advance of any transfer. If you do not agree, you may request the deletion of your data by contacting hello@balup.net.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update this policy.
Significant changes will be communicated via email or prominently displayed on our website.

11. Contact
For questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:
📧 hello@balup.net
© 2025 BalUp