This Privacy Policy outlines how Conselho da Diáspora Portuguesa, as the Data Controller, collects, processes, stores, and protects your personal data in connection with your registration and participation in EurAfrican Forum. This policy is governed by applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR).

1. Data We Collect

The types of personal data we collect depend on the tools and platforms used in connection with EurAfrican Forum, such as registration platforms, event apps, or check-in applications. Data may include, but is not limited to:

At registration:

• Full name
• Email address
• Mobile phone number
• Company and job title
• Country or nationality
• Birthdate
• Passport Number (if applicable)

Via the event app or platform (if applicable):

• User profile and preferences
• Session sign-ups or favourites
• In-app messages or chat interactions
• Networking or contact-sharing activities

At check-in or during physical attendance:

• QR code scans or badge ID
• Attendance logs and session participation
• Lead scanning or exhibitor interactions

Post-event (if feedback is collected):

• Satisfaction surveys
• Comments or suggestions regarding the event
• Photo and Video Gallery

Technical and usage data (automatically collected):

• IP address
• Device type and operating system
• Browser information
• Log files and access timestamps
• App usage analytics and interaction patterns

Images and recordings

Photographs and video footage may be captured during the event for organisational and promotional purposes. If you provide explicit consent during registration, we will rely on that. Otherwise, by participating in the event, you acknowledge and accept that your image may be recorded and used for communication and marketing purposes.
If you do not wish to appear in event media, you must inform us in advance. While we will make reasonable efforts to accommodate such requests, refusal may result in exclusion from certain activities or cancellation of your attendance.

1A. Indirect Collection of Personal Data

In some cases, your personal data may have been provided to the event organiser by a third party, such as your employer or an authorised representative, for the purpose of registering you for EurAfrican Forum.

This data is processed under the lawful basis of:

• Legitimate interest (e.g. participation in a corporate event),
• Or performance of a contract between you and the organiser.

You are being informed of this processing in accordance with Article 14 of the GDPR. You may exercise your rights of access, rectification, objection, or erasure as described in Section 6 of this Policy.

2. Purpose and Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data exclusively for purposes directly related to your participation in EurAfrican Forum, under lawful bases defined by applicable data protection regulations.

The purposes may include:

• To process your registration and manage event logistics
• To issue tickets and handle payment processing
• To provide access to event platforms and applications
• To send important communications about the event
• To provide technical or customer support
• To collect feedback and evaluate event quality
• To ensure on-site security and access control
• To comply with legal obligations or respond to official requests

Marketing communications
If you explicitly consent during registration, we may use your contact details to send information about future events or related services. You can withdraw your consent at any time using the unsubscribe link provided in the message, through your user profile in the registration platform or event app, or, as a last resort, by contacting us via email at info@eurafricanforum.org

Opting out of all communications
If you choose to withdraw from all event-related communications — including operational messages necessary for participation — this may result in the cancellation of your registration. By doing so, you acknowledge that we may no longer be able to fulfil our obligations regarding your attendance at EurAfrican Forum. In such cases, any applicable fees will be refunded, subject to our cancellation policy.

3. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as strictly necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or to comply with applicable legal, regulatory, or contractual obligations.

• Personal data:
  Registration details, contact information, and other data directly related to your participation in EurAfrican Forum will be retained for the duration of the event and for a reasonable period thereafter. This is necessary to support post-event operations, resolve potential issues, respond to participant enquiries, and fulfil legal, tax, or contractual requirements.
• Marketing data:
  If you have consented to receive marketing communications, your personal data will be retained until you unsubscribe or request deletion.
• Financial and billing records:
  Invoicing data, payment confirmations, and related documentation will be retained for the period required by applicable tax and accounting regulations.
• Technical and operational data:
  Metadata such as IP addresses, log files, usage analytics, and device identifiers will be retained for no longer than 12 months, unless a longer period is required by law or for specific security or operational purposes.

Once the applicable retention periods have expired, all personal data will be securely deleted or anonymised in accordance with legal requirements and recognised best practices.

4. Data Security

We are committed to protecting your personal data and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risk, in accordance with Article 32 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

These measures are designed to:

• Ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of your data
• Prevent unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction
• Limit access to authorised personnel only, under strict confidentiality obligations

Security controls are reviewed and updated periodically to remain aligned with legal requirements and industry standards.

5. Sharing Your Data

We do not sell or disclose your personal data to third parties for commercial purposes.
Your data may be shared, only when strictly necessary, with:

• Service providers (processors):
  External partners who support us in delivering EurAfrican Forum, such as registration platforms, communication services, payment processors, or technical support providers.
  All processors act under our instructions and are bound by written agreements that ensure compliance with data protection legislation.
• Public authorities or legal bodies:
  When required to comply with legal obligations, court orders, or lawful requests from regulatory or enforcement authorities.

In all cases, we ensure that only the minimum necessary data is shared and that adequate safeguards are in place.

6. Your Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access
• Right to rectification
• Right to erasure (right to be forgotten)
• Right to restriction of processing
• Right to object
• Right to data portability

How to exercise your rights
Whenever available, these rights should be exercised directly through the tools or options provided in the event registration platform or mobile app. If such tools are not available or you are unable to use them, please contact us by email at info@eurafricanforum.org.

Right to lodge a complaint
If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. In the European Union, this is typically the data protection authority of your country of residence. In Portugal, the supervisory authority is the Comissão Nacional de Proteção de Dados (CNPD) – www.cnpd.pt.

7. Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in legal requirements, best practices, or our internal data processing procedures.
When material changes are made, we will take appropriate measures to inform you — for example, by updating the version and date of this document, displaying a notice on the event platform, or sending a notification by email.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how we process and protect your personal data.

7A. International Data Transfers (if applicable)

As part of the event's organisation or supporting services, personal data may be transferred to third countries or international organisations outside the European Economic Area (EEA).
In such cases, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data, in accordance with Articles 44 to 49 of the GDPR. These safeguards may include:

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
• Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs)
• Adequacy decisions issued by the European Commission

You may request further information about applicable safeguards by contacting us at the details provided below.

8. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, you may contact us using the following details:
Email: info@eurafricanforum.org
Company name: Conselho da Diáspora Portuguesa
Address: Edifício Tardoz - Beco do Teatro 2750-320 Cascais - Portugal