1. Introduction

Welcome to shotokan-world.com ("we", "our", "the Website"), operated by a Shotokan Karate organization based in Greece.

We are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) and applicable European data protection laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you use our website.

2. Data Controller

Data Controller:
[Full Legal Name of Organization]
[Registered Address — Greece]
Email: Contact Us

3. Personal Data We Collect

3.1 Data provided by users

When submitting dojo or instructor listings, or creating an account:

• Full name
• Karate rank / title
• Dojo name and address
• Federation / association affiliations
• Profile photos
• Email address
• Phone number (optional)
• Website URL (optional)

3.2 Account data

• Username
• Password (securely hashed and not readable by us)

3.3 Contact form data

When you contact us:

• Name
• Email address
• Message content

3.4 Automatically collected data

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device information
• Usage data (via cookies and analytics tools)

4. Purpose of Processing

We process personal data to:

• Create and manage user accounts
• Publish dojo and instructor listings
• Review and approve submitted content (moderation)
• Allow users to edit or delete their listings
• Respond to inquiries submitted via contact forms
• Improve website functionality and performance
• Analyze website usage (Google Analytics)
• Process voluntary donations

5. Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on the following legal bases:

• Consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR) — When users submit listings or choose to display personal information publicly
• Contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) — For account creation and website functionality
• Legitimate Interest (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR) — For moderation, platform integrity, and analytics
• Legal Obligation (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR) — Where required by law

6. Public Listings and Visibility

The Website is a public directory.

By submitting a listing, users acknowledge that:

• Their submitted information may be publicly displayed
• This may include: name, dojo address, rank and affiliations, photos

Contact details (email and phone number) are optional and will only be displayed if the user chooses to make them visible.

Users can edit or remove their data at any time via their account.

7. User Responsibility for Submitted Data

Users who submit information about themselves or others confirm that:

• They have the right to publish that data
• They have obtained consent where required

We reserve the right to remove content that violates privacy or legal requirements.

8. Data Sharing

We do not sell or rent personal data.

We may share data with:

• Hosting providers within the European Union
• Technical service providers supporting the website
• Payment processors (PayPal, Stripe)
• Authorities when required by law

9. Payments and Donations

Donations are processed securely by PayPal and Stripe. We do not store full payment details.

These providers process personal data according to their own privacy policies: PayPal Privacy Policy, Stripe Privacy Policy.

10. Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the website. This may include IP address (anonymized where possible), device and browser data, and pages visited.

We implement IP anonymization (where applicable) and cookie consent mechanisms. See Google's Privacy Policy.

11. Cookies

We use cookies for essential website functionality (login sessions) and analytics (Google Analytics). Users will be asked to consent to non-essential cookies. See our Cookie Policy.

12. Data Retention

We retain personal data as long as the user account is active, as long as listings remain published, or until the user deletes their data. Contact form data is retained only as long as necessary to respond to the request.

13. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures including password hashing, secure EU hosting, HTTPS encryption, and access controls. Despite these measures, no system is completely secure.

14. User Rights (GDPR)

Under GDPR, users have the right to access, rectify, delete, restrict, or port their personal data, and to object to processing or withdraw consent at any time. Users can manage their data directly through their account or submit a request via our contact page.

15. International Data Transfers

Some service providers (e.g. Google, PayPal, Stripe) may process data outside the EU. Where this occurs, appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses are used.

16. Children's Data

This website is not intended for individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

17. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised date.

18. Contact

For any privacy-related inquiries, please use our contact page.