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Privacy Policy

How we protect and process your data under UK GDPR and Data Protection laws.

Effective Date: May 22, 2026Jurisdiction: United Kingdom (UK GDPR)Version: 2.1

1. Data Controller & Compliance

Travel Kin Ltd (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is a company registered in England and Wales under Company Registration Number 14782390, with its registered office in London, UK. We are the **Data Controller** in respect of your personal data processed through the Travel Kin platform under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

We are registered with the **Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)**, the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues. You can verify our registration on the ICO website using our registration certificate.

2. Information We Collect

To facilitate safe and vetted solo travel, we collect and process the following categories of data:

  • Identity & Verification Data: Government ID scans, biometric face matches (selfies), full legal names, and birth dates. This is processed securely via our UK-vetted biometric verification partner and is deleted within 30 days of verification.
  • Location & Safety Data: Live GPS coordinates. While using our emergency SOS button, real-time tracking is enabled to guide local emergency teams (vital interest).
  • Community Profile Data: Travel history, preferred destinations, verified social links, ratings, reviews, and crew communications.
  • Technical & Usage Data: IP addresses, browser fingerprint, device type, cookie preferences, and interaction details.

UK Case Context — Location Vetting:

Following the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) guidelines on location data processing, Travel Kin only accesses background GPS coordinates when an active trip is logged and the safety tracking feature is specifically toggled on by the user, or when an SOS trigger is initiated.

3. Legal Bases under UK GDPR

Under Article 6 of the UK GDPR, we rely on the following legal bases to process your information:

A. Contractual Necessity (Art 6(1)(b))

To set up your account, process payments, and connect you with matching Crews and verified local guides for your booked trips.

B. Legitimate Interests (Art 6(1)(f))

To verify user profiles, monitor platform safety, moderate reviews, prevent fraudulent activities, and maintain community trust.

C. Vital Interests (Art 6(1)(d))

To share location coordinates with regional search-and-rescue teams during critical, life-threatening safety events or SOS triggers.

D. Consent (Art 6(1)(a))

For deploying non-essential analytics and marketing cookies, or when sharing optional media content within the travel feed.

4. Data Sharing & International Transfers

We do not sell your personal data. We only share data with:

  • Local Safety Teams & Rescue Crews: Essential profile and GPS data during emergencies in Southeast Asia.
  • Vetted Service Providers: Secure payment processors (Stripe), email providers, and ID validation tools.
  • Other Community Members: Limited to profile details (first name, vetted badge, travel preferences) and reviews you choose to make public.

Because Travel Kin connects users for trips in Southeast Asia, some data transfers occur outside the UK. When transferring data to countries without an adequacy decision, we use **Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)** approved by the UK Government, alongside supplementary technical measures to ensure equivalent safeguards.

5. Your Legal Rights

Under the UK GDPR, you have the following rights which you can exercise at any time:

Right to Access (SAR): Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you.
Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete details.
Right to Erasure: Ask us to delete your personal data (the “right to be forgotten”).
Right to Object/Restrict: Object to processing for direct marketing or restrict processing.

To make a **Subject Access Request (SAR)** or exercise any other right, contact our Data Protection Team at privacy@travelkin.co.uk. We respond to all valid requests within one calendar month, free of charge.

6. Contact & Regulatory Appeals

If you have questions about this policy or our data practices, please write to:

Data Protection Officer
Travel Kin Ltd
27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom
Email: dpo@travelkin.co.uk

You also have the right to lodge a complaint at any time with the **Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)**. However, we appreciate the chance to address your concerns directly before you contact the regulator:

ICO Helpline: 0303 123 1113 | Website: ico.org.uk