Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1st October 2025

At Youghal Directory (www.youghaldirectory.ie), we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data when you use our website and services.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide to Us

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

  • Create a business listing (free or premium)

  • Contact us via email or Facebook

  • Subscribe to our services or newsletters

  • Submit enquiries or feedback

This information may include:

  • Business name and description

  • Contact details (name, email address, phone number, physical address)

  • Business category and operating hours

  • Website URL and social media links

  • Payment information (for premium listings)

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

  • IP address and browser type

  • Device information and operating system

  • Pages visited and time spent on our site

  • Referring website addresses

  • Cookies and similar tracking technologies

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To create and maintain business listings on the Youghal Directory

  • To process payments for premium listings

  • To communicate with you about your listing or enquiries

  • To improve our website functionality and user experience

  • To send service-related updates and notifications

  • To analyse website traffic and usage patterns

  • To comply with legal obligations

  • To prevent fraud and maintain website security

3. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), we process your personal data based on:

  • Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your personal data for specific purposes

  • Contract: Processing is necessary to fulfil our contract with you (e.g., providing listing services)

  • Legal Obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with the law

  • Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (e.g., improving our services)

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

4.1 Public Business Listings

Information included in your business listing (business name, address, contact details, description) will be publicly visible on our website to help customers find local businesses.

4.2 Service Providers

We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, including:

  • Website hosting providers

  • Payment processors

  • Analytics services (e.g., Google Analytics)

  • Email service providers

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests from public authorities.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us:

  • Remember your preferences and settings

  • Understand how you use our website

  • Improve website performance and functionality

  • Provide relevant content and advertising

You can control cookie settings through your browser preferences. However, disabling cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of our website.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

  • Secure server infrastructure

  • Encryption of sensitive data

  • Regular security assessments

  • Access controls and authentication

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. When you request deletion of your business listing, we will remove your information from our active database, though some data may be retained in backup systems for a limited period.

8. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you

  • Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data

  • Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data (“right to be forgotten”)

  • Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation on how we use your data

  • Right to Data Portability: Request transfer of your data to another service

  • Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal data

  • Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on consent

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided below.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, including business websites listed in our directory. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the updated policy on our website with a new effective date. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Youghal Directory
Email: info@youghaldirectory.ie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Website: www.youghaldirectory.ie

14. Supervisory Authority

If you are located in the EEA and believe we have not addressed your concerns adequately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority. In Ireland, this is the Data Protection Commission (www.dataprotection.ie).