Privacy Policy

Who We Are

DroneConnect Ltd ("DroneConnect", "we", "us", "our") is a drone services marketplace registered in Ireland, operating the platform at droneconnect.co.

Registered address: 77 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Block C, Grand Canal Docklands, Dublin, Ireland.

Email: contact@droneconnect.ie

For all data protection enquiries, please contact us at the above address or email, marked for the attention of the Data Protection Officer.

Data We Collect

We collect personal data in the following categories:

Account & Identity Data

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Company name (where applicable)
• Profile photograph (optional)
• Username and encrypted password

Pilot Verification Data

• IAA / CAA / EASA certificate numbers and copies
• Public liability insurance documents
• Professional portfolio and work history
• Proof of identity (passport or driving licence)
• Banking details for payment disbursement

Project & Transaction Data

• Project descriptions, locations and timelines
• Proposals submitted and accepted
• Payment records and transaction history
• Communications between Clients and Pilots on Platform
• Ratings, reviews and feedback

Technical & Usage Data

• IP address and device information
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent
• Cookie data and session information
• Log files and error reports

How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Account management: Creating, maintaining and securing your account
• Service delivery: Matching Clients with appropriate Pilots and facilitating projects
• Pilot verification: Checking certifications, insurance and identity
• Payment processing: Managing escrow, disbursements and invoicing
• Communications: Sending project notifications, updates and support responses
• Safety & compliance: Ensuring regulatory compliance across IE, UK and EU
• Platform improvement: Analysing usage to improve features and user experience
• Marketing: Sending promotional communications where you have opted in
• Legal obligations: Complying with applicable laws and regulatory requirements
• Dispute resolution: Investigating complaints and resolving disputes between users

Legal Basis for Processing

Under GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases:

• Contract performance (Art. 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide the Platform services you have requested
• Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)): Processing required to comply with aviation regulations, tax law and financial regulations
• Legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f)): Platform security, fraud prevention, and improving our services
• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)): Marketing communications and non-essential cookies — you may withdraw consent at any time
• Vital interests (Art. 6(1)(d)): In exceptional safety-critical circumstances

Data Sharing & Third Parties

We share your data only where necessary and with appropriate safeguards:

• Between Clients and Pilots: Profile information, project details and communications are shared as necessary to facilitate services
• Payment processors: Stripe and/or other PCI-DSS compliant payment providers for transaction processing
• Cloud infrastructure: AWS / Google Cloud for secure Platform hosting and data storage
• Analytics: Google Analytics (anonymised) for Platform usage analysis
• Email service providers: For transactional and marketing communications
• Regulatory authorities: IAA, CAA, EASA or law enforcement where legally required
• Legal and professional advisors: Where necessary to protect our legal rights

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We do not use your data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

International Data Transfers

DroneConnect primarily stores and processes data within the European Economic Area (EEA). Where data is transferred outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
• Transfer to countries with an EU adequacy decision
• UK International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs) where applicable

US-based service providers we use participate in frameworks that provide equivalent protection for personal data transferred from the EU/UK.

Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

• Active accounts: For the duration of your account plus 2 years
• Transaction records: 7 years (Irish tax and financial reporting obligations)
• Pilot certification records: Duration of account plus 3 years
• Communications & project data: 3 years from project completion
• Marketing consent records: Until consent is withdrawn plus 1 year
• Technical logs: Maximum 12 months

When data is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised. You may request early deletion of your data subject to legal retention obligations.

Your Rights Under GDPR

Under the GDPR and applicable national law, you have the following rights:

• Right of access (Art. 15): Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you
• Right to rectification (Art. 16): Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to erasure (Art. 17): Request deletion of your data ('right to be forgotten') where no overriding legal basis exists
• Right to restrict processing (Art. 18): Request that we limit how we use your data
• Right to data portability (Art. 20): Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to object (Art. 21): Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
• Rights related to automated decision-making (Art. 22): Not to be subject to solely automated decisions with significant effects

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (Ireland) at dataprotection.ie, or the Information Commissioner's Office (UK) at ico.org.uk.

Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies on our Platform. By category:

• Strictly necessary cookies: Required for Platform functionality — session management, security, login. Cannot be disabled.
• Performance cookies: Google Analytics and similar — help us understand how users interact with the Platform. Anonymised where possible.
• Functional cookies: Remember your preferences (e.g. dark/light mode, language settings).
• Marketing cookies: Used only where you have explicitly opted in. Can be withdrawn at any time.

You can manage cookie preferences at any time through our Cookie Settings panel or your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect Platform functionality.

Children's Privacy

The DroneConnect Platform is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 18.

If you believe a child under 18 has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately at contact@droneconnect.ie and we will take prompt steps to delete that data.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction or alteration, including:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data transmitted to and from the Platform
• AES-256 encryption for sensitive data at rest
• Password hashing using industry-standard bcrypt algorithms
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Staff data protection training and access controls
• ISO 27001-aligned information security practices
• Automatic session timeout and multi-factor authentication options

In the event of a personal data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the Data Protection Commission within 72 hours and will notify affected users without undue delay.

Contact & Complaints

For all privacy-related queries, data subject requests or complaints, please contact us:

• Email: contact@droneconnect.ie (subject: Privacy / Data Request)
• Post: Data Protection Officer, DroneConnect Ltd, 77 Sir John Rogerson's Quay, Block C, Grand Canal Docklands, Dublin, Ireland

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the relevant supervisory authority:

• Ireland / EU: Data Protection Commission — dataprotection.ie
• United Kingdom: Information Commissioner's Office — ico.org.uk