Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Knights Vanguard ("we," "us," or "our") is operated by an Italian private association (associazione non riconosciuta) in formation, acting as data controller. We are committed to protecting your privacy in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Italian data protection law (D.Lgs. 196/2003, as amended). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or apply for membership in The Order.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information you voluntarily provide to us, including:

• Name and email address (when registering interest, applying for membership, or contacting us)
• Professional background and biographical information (provided as part of a membership application)
• X (Twitter) handles or other social profile information (optional, if provided)
• Any messages or communications you send to us

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including browser type, IP address, pages visited, and time spent on pages. This data is collected by Cloudflare (our hosting provider) and used for security and analytics purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Evaluate membership applications and manage the admission process
• Notify registered candidates when The Trial becomes available
• Communicate with members about The Order, governance decisions, and events
• Improve and maintain our website and services
• Comply with legal obligations
• Prevent fraud and protect the security of The Order

3.1 Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Contractual necessity: processing required to evaluate your application and manage your membership
• Legitimate interests: website security, fraud prevention, and improving our services
• Legal obligation: compliance with applicable laws and regulations
• Consent: where you have explicitly provided it (e.g. optional fields in application forms)

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy:

• Unsuccessful applications: deleted or anonymised within 12 months of the decision
• Trial interest registrations: retained until The Trial has been made available and you have been notified, then deleted within 6 months
• Active member data: retained for the duration of membership and for 3 years thereafter
• Financial records: retained for 10 years in accordance with Italian accounting law

5. Information Sharing and Data Processors

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We use the following third-party service providers who process data on our behalf:

• Formspree (formspree.io) — processes all form submissions, including membership applications and trial registrations. Formspree Privacy Policy
• Cloudflare — provides website hosting, CDN, and security services. Cloudflare Privacy Policy
• Legal authorities — when required by law
• Other members — only to the extent necessary for governance and community operations, with appropriate protections in place

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information. Application data is treated as confidential and accessible only to those within The Order who have a legitimate need to review it. No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Your Rights

Under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal obligations).
• Portability: Request transfer of your data in a machine-readable format.
• Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Restriction: Request that we restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances.

To exercise these rights, write to us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Italian data protection authority: Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali — www.garanteprivacy.it.

8. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. For details about how we use cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

9. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites (such as X). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies.

10. Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your rights, please write to us at [email protected].