Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Instabus Limited ("we", "our", or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our platform, available at instabus.co.uk.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

• Name and contact details (email, phone number)

• Location data (manually entered or via IP geolocation)

• Account credentials and preferences

• Uploaded media and documents from Operators

• IP address and browser user-agent

• Session activity and authentication metadata

• Payment information (processed by Stripe)

• Cookies and analytics data (Google Analytics, Ads, reCAPTCHA)

3. How We Collect Your Data

We collect your data when you:

• Create an account as a Customer or Operator

• Submit an enquiry or listing

• Upload documents or media

• Use our platform (automatically via cookies and APIs)

• Interact with our emails or contact forms

4. How We Use Your Data

We process your data to:

• Provide and improve our services

• Facilitate customer-operator communication

• Enable secure authentication and login sessions

• Comply with legal obligations

• Prevent fraud, spam, or abuse

• Display relevant content and adverts (Google Ads)

5. Legal Bases for Processing (UK GDPR)

We rely on the following lawful bases under the UK GDPR:

• Consent (e.g., marketing or cookies)

• Contract (e.g., account creation or bookings)

• Legal obligation (e.g., financial recordkeeping)

• Legitimate interest (e.g., fraud prevention, service improvement)

6. Data Sharing & Third Parties

We share data only when necessary for the operation of the Platform, including with:

• Stripe (payment processing)

• Google (Analytics, Maps API, reCAPTCHA, Ads)

• Trusted service providers (e.g., email, hosting, CDN)

• Law enforcement or regulators if legally required

7. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to:

• Remember user preferences and sessions

• Analyse usage with Google Analytics

• Support ad personalisation via Google Ads

• Protect the platform via Google reCAPTCHA

You can manage cookie consent via our cookie banner or browser settings.

8. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary for legal, operational, or contractual purposes. Operator content may be retained until deactivation or termination. Customer data may be retained for a minimum of 12 months after last activity.

9. Security Measures

We implement technical and organisational safeguards to protect your data, including:

• Encrypted HTTPS traffic

• Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) support

• IP logging and session monitoring

• Server-level protection (e.g., Fail2Ban, Plesk hardening)

10. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data

• Rectify inaccuracies

• Request deletion (“right to be forgotten”)

• Object to processing or direct marketing

• Withdraw consent where applicable

• Complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)

11. International Transfers

Some services (e.g., Google, Stripe) may process your data outside the UK or EEA. In such cases, we ensure adequate safeguards via standard contractual clauses or certified frameworks.

12. Children

Our platform is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect data from minors.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via the Platform or email. Last updated: [Insert current date]

14. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions or data requests, contact us at:

Instabus Limited
United Kingdom
Email: support@instabus.co.uk