Privacy Policy
Last updated: May 2026
1. Who we are
This website is operated by Ems, based in Salford, England, UK. The site aggregates publicly available tech events and communities in Manchester into one central directory.
For privacy-related queries, contact: hello@buildwithems.co.uk
2. What data we collect
Event and community data
We collect publicly available event and community information from third-party platforms, details of which are listed on our website. This includes event titles, dates, locations, descriptions, and links back to the original source. We do not collect or store private messages, personal profiles, or any data that requires a login to access.
Website usage data
We may collect anonymised analytics data such as page views, referral sources, and general geographic region (country/city level). We do not use cookies to track individual users across other websites.
Contact and submission data
If you submit an event or community via our submission form, we collect the information you provide (event name, date, description, contact email). Your email address is used only to follow up on your submission and is not shared with third parties or added to any mailing list without your explicit consent.
Newsletter subscribers
If you sign up to our weekly email digest, we collect your email address. You can unsubscribe at any time via the link in any email we send.
3. Legal basis for processing (UK GDPR)
We process data under the following lawful bases:
- Legitimate interests — aggregating and displaying publicly available event information to help Manchester's tech community discover events in one place
- Consent — for newsletter subscriptions and event submissions, where you actively provide your information
- Legal obligation — where required by applicable law
4. How we use your data
- To display tech events and communities on the website
- To send the weekly email digest (newsletter subscribers only)
- To follow up on event or community submissions
- To improve the website based on anonymised usage patterns
We do not sell your data. We do not use your data for advertising purposes.
5. Third-party sources
Event data is sourced from third-party platforms, details of which are listed on our website. We link back to the original event page and do not reproduce full event content. Each platform has its own privacy policy governing the data they hold — we encourage you to review the privacy policies of any platform you visit via links on this site.
6. Data retention
- Event data — retained until the event date has passed, after which records may be archived or deleted
- Submission contact emails — deleted after the submission is reviewed and processed (within 30 days)
- Newsletter email addresses — retained until you unsubscribe
7. Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate data
- Request deletion of your data
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests
- Withdraw consent at any time (where consent is the basis for processing)
- Request removal of an event or community listing from our site
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@buildwithems.co.uk. We will respond within 30 days.
If you are unsatisfied with our response, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
8. Data security
We take reasonable technical measures to protect data stored on our servers, including secure database access controls and encrypted connections (HTTPS). No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The "last updated" date at the top of this page will reflect any changes. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Contact
For any privacy-related questions or to request removal of a listing:
Email: hello@buildwithems.co.uk
Website: buildwithems.co.uk