This Privacy Policy explains how Shannon College of Hotel Management (“we”, “us”, “our”, “the University”) collects, uses, stores, and protects your personal data when you use the Shannon College App mobile application (the “App”). This policy is written in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (“GDPR”) and the Irish Data Protection Act 2018.

1. Data Controller

Shannon College of Hotel Management is the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through this App.

Address: Shannon Airport, Co. Clare V14 DP03 Email: tracy.hegarty@universityofgalway.ie

2. What Personal Data We Collect

Depending on how you use the App, we may collect:

2.1 Account & Identity Data

  • Full name
  • University email address
  • Profile photo (optional)

2.2 Communication Data (Chat Board / Forums)

  • Messages, posts, and comments you submit
  • Timestamps and metadata associated with posts
  • Reports or flags submitted regarding other users’ content

2.3 Technical & Usage Data

  • Device type, operating system, app version
  • IP address
  • App usage analytics (screens visited, features used, crash logs)
  • Push notification tokens

2.5 Location Data (if applicable)

  • Approximate location for campus navigation features (only if you enable this)

We do not knowingly collect special category data (e.g. health, religion, political opinions) unless explicitly provided by you.

3. How We Use Your Data

We process your personal data for the following purposes:

Purpose | Legal Basis (GDPR Art. 6)

Enabling the chat board and peer communication features | Consent / Legitimate interest

App security, fraud prevention, and moderation of chat content | Legitimate interest

Improving the App through usage analytics | Consent (where required) / Legitimate interest

Campus navigation / location-based features | Consent

Responding to support queries | Legitimate interest

4. Chat Board & User-Generated Content

Please be aware:

  • Content posted on the chat board or forum is visible to other students and staff.
  • We reserve the right to moderate, remove, or restrict content that violates our Acceptable Use Policy or Code of Conduct.
  • Do not share sensitive personal data (yours or others’) in chat spaces.
  • Reported content may be reviewed by University staff for safeguarding or disciplinary purposes.
  • Behaviour and content not allowed includes harassment and bullying). We are committed to fighting any form of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation (CSAE), and Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) with zero tolerance. Any content we deem to be CSAM/CSAE, related to inappropriate interactions with children, sexualization of minors, or any violent, inappropriate and/or pornographic content in general will result in the content being removed immediately, followed by reporting you to the proper authorities.

5. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We may share your data with:

  • Internal University departments (IT services) for legitimate administrative purposes.
  • Third-party service providers who support the App (e.g. cloud hosting, push notification services, analytics providers), under data processing agreements compliant with GDPR.
  • Legal or regulatory authorities, where required by law.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties or use it for third-party advertising.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary:

Data Type | Retention Period

Account/profile data | Duration of enrolment + 1 year 

Chat/forum messages | Until account deletion

Analytics/technical logs | 60 months

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject, you have the right to:

  • Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Rectification — request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
  • Erasure — request deletion of your data (“right to be forgotten”), subject to legal/academic record obligations
  • Restrict processing — request limits on how we use your data
  • Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
  • Object — object to processing based on legitimate interest
  • Withdraw consent — where processing is based on consent (e.g. chat features, location), at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [tracy.hegarty@universityofgalwayi.ie]. We will respond within one month, as required by GDPR.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC), Ireland’s independent supervisory authority:

Data Protection Commission 21 Fitzwilliam Square South, Dublin 2, D02 RD28, Ireland Website: www.dataprotection.ie

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit and at rest
  • Access controls limiting staff access to student data on a need-to-know basis
  • Regular security reviews and vulnerability testing
  • Secure authentication (university SSO / student login credentials)

No system is 100% secure; if you believe your data has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

9. Children’s Data / Age Requirement

This App is intended for currently registered students of Shannon College of Hotel Management, University of Galway who are generally aged 18+. If we become aware that a user under the applicable age has provided data without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the App or your university email. Continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.