Privacy Policy
Alpha Plus by Alpha – Privacy Notice
Privacy Notice version: July 2024
The Alpha Plus App for Android and iOS operating systems (the App) is provided by Alpha International (‘we’, ‘our’ or ‘us’).
We take your privacy very seriously. Please read this privacy notice carefully as it contains important information on who we are and how and why we collect, store, use and share any information relating to you (your information).
It also explains your rights in relation to your information and how to contact us or the relevant regulator in the event you have a complaint. Our collection, storage, use and sharing of your information is regulated by law, including under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR).
We are the controller of your information obtained via the app, meaning we are the organisation legally responsible for deciding how and for what purposes it is used.
If you are aged under 18 you must not use the app as it is not designed for you. We do not intend to collect the information of anyone under 18. If you are aware that any information of anyone under 13 has been shared with the app, please let us know so that we can delete that data.
The app is distributed across the world.
What this notice applies to
This privacy notice relates to your use of the app only.
The app links to other Alpha platforms. Please read the Terms and Conditions and the Privacy Notice of those platforms as your data may be collected for other purposes that are different from the data collections purposes stipulated below for the use of the App.
Information we collect about you
The information we collect about you depends on the particular activities carried out through the app. We will collect and use the following information about you:
| Category of data | In more detail |
| Data collected when you permit the collection of location data | details of your location, see the section ‘Location services/data’ below |
| Other data the app collects automatically when you use it | your activities on, and use of, the app which reveal your preferences, interests or manner of use of the app and the times of use such as IP Address device information such as device ID, model, device type, operating system version, settings, language and user actions throughout the app. |
Sometimes you can choose if you want to give us your information and let us use it. Where that is the case we will tell you and give you the choice before you give the information to us. We will also tell you whether declining to share the information will have any effect on.
We collect and use your information for the purposes described in the section ‘How and why we use your information’ below.
Location services/data
We require access for reporting purposes and to help us understand the App usage across various regions.
If you do not consent to us using your information, please delete the app.
How your information is collected
We collect information from you directly from you when you download and use the App.
How and why we use your information
Under data protection law, we can only use your information if we have a proper reason, eg:
- where you have given consent
- to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
- for the performance of a contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into a contract, or
- for our legitimate interests or those of a third party
A legitimate interest is when we have a business or commercial reason to use your information, so long as this is not overridden by your own rights and interests. We will carry out an assessment when relying on legitimate interests, to balance our interests against your own. You can obtain details of this assessment by contacting us (see ‘How to contact us’ below).
The table below explains what we use your information for and why.
| What we use your information for | Our reasons |
| Connecting you with the course administrator | When you provide your information for next steps, we will use that information, with your consent, to share our personal information such as name and contact information with your course administrator. |
| Providing the functionalities of the App to you | we will use data relating to your location only based on your consent as described in ‘Location services/data’ (above). To assign you to the correct course on the App. To help us receive data when there is crash or error in the App that affects the functionality of the App which will help us resolve the error. To tracking user actions on the app for us to monitor areas of App usage which will help us improve the functionality and user experience of the App. |
| Communications with you not related to marketing, including about changes to our terms or policies or changes to the app or service or other important notices | Depending on the circumstances: —to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations —in other cases, for our legitimate interests, ie to provide the best service to you |
| Protect the security of systems and data used to provide the app and its services | To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations We may also use your information to ensure the security of systems and data to a standard that goes beyond our legal obligations, and in those cases our reasons are for our legitimate interests, ie to protect systems and data and to prevent and detect criminal activity that could be damaging for you and/or us |
Who we share your information with
We routinely share your information with:
- service providers we use to help us run our business or provide the services or functionalities in the app, such as Branch.io, Crashlytics and Matomo.
- We will also share your personal information with your course administrator if you have consented to such activity.
We only allow the companies referred to above to handle your information if we are satisfied, they take appropriate measures to protect your information. We also impose contractual obligations on service providers to ensure they can only use your information to provide services to us and to you.
How long your information will be kept
Different retention periods apply for different types of your information.
Following the end of the of the relevant retention period, we will delete or anonymise your information.
Transferring your information out of the UK
Countries outside the UK have differing data protection laws, some of which may provide lower levels of protection of privacy.
It is sometimes necessary for us to transfer your information to countries outside the UK. In those cases, we will comply with applicable UK laws designed to ensure the privacy of your information.
We will transfer your information from the UK:
- our service providers located outside the UK, and
- to your course administrators located outside the UK where you give us permission to do so.
- Under data protection laws, we can only transfer your information to a country outside the UK where:
- the UK government has decided the particular country ensures an adequate level of protection of your information (known as an ‘adequacy regulation’) further to Article 45 of the UK GDPR
- there are appropriate safeguards in place, together with enforceable rights and effective legal remedies for you, or
- a specific exception applies under relevant data protection law.
Your rights
You generally have the following rights, which you can usually exercise free of charge:
| Access to a copy of your information | The right to be provided with a copy of your information. |
| Correction (also known as rectification) | The right to require us to correct any mistakes in your information. |
| Erasure (also known as the right to be forgotten) | The right to require us to delete your information—in certain situations. |
| Restriction of use | The right to require us to restrict use of your information in certain circumstances, eg if you contest the accuracy of the data. |
| Data portability | The right to receive your information that you provided to us, in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and/or transmit that data to a third party—in certain situations. |
| To object to use | The right to object: —at any time to your information being used for direct marketing (including profiling) —in certain other situations to our continued use of your information, eg where we use your information for our legitimate interests unless there are compelling legitimate grounds for the processing to continue or the processing is required for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. |
| Not to be subject to decisions without human involvement | The right not to be subject to a decision based solely on automated processing (including profiling) that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you We do not make any such decisions based on data collected by the app. |
| The right to withdraw consents | If you have provided us with a consent to use your information, you have a right to withdraw that consent easily at any time. You may withdraw consents by emailing [email protected] Withdrawing a consent will not affect the lawfulness of our use of your information in reliance on that consent before it was withdrawn. |
For further information on each of those rights, including the circumstances in which they do and do not apply, please contact us (see ‘How to contact us’ below). You may also find it helpful to refer to the guidance from the UK’s Information Commissioner on your rights under the UK GDPR.
If you would like to exercise any of those rights, please email [email protected]. When contacting us please:
- provide enough information to identify yourself e.g. your full name, address and any additional identity information we may reasonably request from you, and
- let us know which right(s) you want to exercise and the information to which your request relates to.
Keeping your information secure
We have appropriate security measures to prevent your information from being accidentally lost, or used or accessed unlawfully. We limit access to your information to those who have a genuine business need to access it.
We also have procedures in place to deal with any suspected data security breach. We will notify you and any applicable regulator of a suspected data security breach where we are legally required to do so.
How to complain
Please contact us if you have any queries or concerns about our use of your information (see below ‘How to contact us’). We hope we will be able to resolve any issues you may have.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner.
The Information Commissioner can be contacted using the details at here or telephone: 0303 123 1113.
Changes to this privacy notice
We may change this privacy notice from time to time. When we make significant changes, we will take steps to inform you, for example via the app or by other means, such as email.
How to contact us
You can contact us by email, [email protected] or telephone, at +44 (0)20 7052 0200 if you have any questions about this privacy notice or the information we hold about you, to exercise a right under data protection law or to make a complaint.
Do you need extra help?
If you would like this notice in another format (for example audio, large print, braille) please contact us (see ‘How to contact us’ above).