UAE Privacy Notice
Updated: July 15, 2025

Introduction and Scope of this Privacy Policy

At SquadMatch (referred to as “the Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), a UAE-incorporated entity with its principal place of business at Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates (“company”, “we”, “our”, or “us”), we take our responsibilities regarding the protection of your personal data seriously and are committed to handling your information in accordance with the applicable data protection laws of the United Arab Emirates, including Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data ("UAE PDPL").

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data when you access or use our online platform, digital services, or otherwise interact with us, including through our at https://squad-match.com (the “Site”) (referred to as "the Site", "the Website") mobile applications, and communication channels.

Applicability of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to all users (including registered and unregistered visitors) whose personal data is collected, stored, or otherwise processed by the Company in connection with the services we offer.

By using our platform or providing us with personal data — such as your name, contact details, account credentials, payment information, or any other information that can directly or indirectly identify you — you agree that we may process your data as outlined in this Policy and in accordance with UAE PDPL.

This Policy covers personal information collected:

  • On this Site, via forms, cookies, and other technologies
  • In email, text, or other electronic messages between you and the Site
  • Through any mobile or desktop apps we may offer in the future
  • When you interact with our advertisements on third-party sites that link to this Notice

Use of Anonymized and Aggregated Data

We may collect, generate, and use anonymized or aggregated data for analytical, research, reporting, or statistical purposes. This may include patterns of usage, performance metrics, and general behavioral data that has been stripped of any identifiers that could reasonably be used to identify a specific individual.

Providing Your Personal Data

Providing your personal data is generally voluntary. However, in some cases, certain information may be required in order for you to access or use specific features of our services — for example, to submit the quiz.

What Personal Data Do We Collect About You

"Personal Data" means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, as defined under Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (PDPL) of the United Arab Emirates. This includes data you provide directly to us or that is collected automatically when you use the Site, interact with our website or services, or contact our support team.

Contact Information

  • Name (as entered in the “Your name” field)
  • Email address (to save your responses and, if needed, follow up with you)

Demographic & Preference Information

  • Age range (e.g. 18–24, 25–34, etc.)
  • Gender identity (free-text entry)
  • Relationship status (Single, In a relationship, Married, Other)
  • Partner preferences (selected age ranges, interests, relationship types)

Survey Responses

  • Satisfaction ratings (scale questions, e.g. 0–5)
  • Open-ended feedback (frustrations, concerns, feature requests)
  • Feature prioritization choices

Technical & Usage Data

  • IP address
  • Device and browser information (User-Agent string)
  • Pages viewed and time stamps (to help us understand form flow and performance)
  • Session identifiers (essential cookies such as session ID, CSRF tokens)

Essential Cookies

  • Only those strictly necessary for site functionality and form security (no third-party advertising cookies)

We do not collect any payment information, location data beyond your IP address, or use your email for marketing purposes. We do not knowingly collect the following categories of information through our platform:

  • Biometric information
  • Sensory data (e.g., audio or video recordings)
  • Background or criminal history
  • Sensitive demographic attributes such as race or health-related information or other sensitive personal information

We do not collect or process Sensitive Personal Data as defined by UAE law, such as:

  • Biometric identifiers (e.g., facial image, fingerprints)
  • National identifiers (e.g., Emirates ID, passport number)
  • Racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, or health data
  • Data relating to children or individuals under 18 years of age

We only collect the minimum personal data necessary to operate our Site efficiently, fulfill our contractual obligations, and comply with legal requirements under UAE data protection regulations.

How Is Personal Data Collected

We collect your personal data by the following means:

Directly from You

  • Form Submissions: When you voluntarily enter your name, email address, demographic details, and quiz responses on our Site’s survey form.
  • Contact Requests: If you choose to submit questions or feedback.

Automatically from Your Device

  • Server Logs: We record your IP address, timestamps, and pages viewed to maintain Site performance and security.
  • Browser & Device Information: Your User-Agent string (browser type, version, and operating system) is captured automatically.

Cookies & Similar Technologies

  • Essential Cookies: We use only strictly necessary cookies (session identifiers, CSRF tokens) to preserve your form progress and protect against fraud.
  • No Advertising Cookies: We do not deploy third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

Third-Party Service Providers

We collect only what is necessary for product research, Site functionality, and security, and we retain personal data no longer than required for these purposes.

  • Hosting Provider: Webflow collects and processes certain technical data (logs, cookies) under our direction to serve and secure the Site.
  • Email & Form Services: Our DR email/form vendors receive your name, email, and survey data strictly to store responses and send one-time follow-up messages.

How We Use Your Personal Data

We use the personal data we collect for the following purposes:

Product Research & Improvement

  • Identify user needs and preferences
  • Prioritize new features and enhancements
  • Refine our matching algorithms and user experience

Site Functionality & Performance

  • Preserve your quiz progress and form state
  • Optimize load times and form flow
  • Diagnose and fix technical issues

Security & Abuse Prevention

  • Fraudulent activity (e.g., automated bot submissions)
  • Unauthorized access
  • Other malicious or abusive behavior

Administrative Communication

  • Send a one-time follow-up if we need clarification on your responses
  • Reply to any privacy or support inquiries you submit

Legal & Compliance

  • Comply with applicable laws and valid legal processes (e.g., subpoenas)
  • Enforce our Terms of Use and protect our rights or those of our users

We will never use your email address or any other personal data to send promotional or marketing communications unless you have explicitly opted in to receive such messages.

Legal Basis for Processing Your Personal Data

We respect your right to data privacy and are committed to processing your personal data lawfully, fairly, and transparently, as required by Federal Decree Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data ("PDPL").

We process your personal data only for legitimate purposes and based on one or more of the lawful bases outlined in the PDPL. The main lawful grounds under which we may process your data are described below.

1. Compliance with Legal Obligations

We may process your personal data when required to comply with a legal obligation under the laws of the United Arab Emirates, including to:

  • Comply with requests from competent regulatory authorities, including data localization or reporting obligations.
  • Conduct identity verification or fraud screening where mandated by law.
  • Respond to valid legal requests, such as subpoenas or government investigations.

2. Consent

Where required, we will ask for your explicit consent before processing your personal data for the following purposes:

  • Product Research & Improvement: Collecting and analyzing your quiz responses (including name, email address, age range, gender identity, relationship status and partner preferences) to understand potential user needs and refine the Squad-Match product and matching algorithm.
  • One-Time Administrative Follow-Up: Sending you a single email to clarify or expand on your survey responses (for example, if we need more detail to interpret your feedback).
  • Marketing Communications (if and when introduced): Sending you promotional or newsletter content—only if you explicitly opt in to receive such communications via a clear checkbox or subscription form.

You may withdraw your consent at any time as outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Note on Data Minimization and Proportionality

All data processing activities are conducted in accordance with Article 5 of the PDPL, which mandates that data must be:

  • Collected for specified, clear, and legitimate purposes.
  • Adequate, relevant, and limited to what is necessary.
  • Retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the stated purpose.

Your Personal Data and Your Legal Rights

As a data subject, you have specific rights regarding your personal data processed by Us. These rights are described below:

Right to Be Informed

You have the right to be informed, in a clear and transparent manner, about how the Company collects, uses, shares, stores, and protects your personal data.

Right to Access Your Personal Data

You may request access to the personal data we hold about you. This includes the purposes of processing, the categories of data, and any third parties to whom the data has been disclosed.

You have the right to request that we provide you a copy of your personal information that we hold, and you have the right to be informed of the source of your personal information; the purposes, legal basis, and methods for processing that information; the data controller’s identity; and the entities or categories of entities to whom your personal information may be transferred.

You have the right to obtain a copy of personal information safeguards used for transfers outside your jurisdiction.

Right to Rectification

You may request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data be corrected or completed.

Right to Restriction of Processing

You have the right to request the suspension or restriction of your personal data processing in certain cases, including:

  • When the accuracy of the data is contested.
  • When processing is unlawful and you oppose deletion.
  • When the data is no longer needed but is required by you for legal claims.
  • When you have exercised your right to object and verification of overriding grounds is pending.

We may still process your personal data if:

  • It is stored for archival purposes.
  • It is necessary to establish or defend legal claims.
  • It is required to protect the rights of others.
  • It is in the public interest.

Right to Data Portability

Where technically feasible, you have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, machine-readable format, and to have it transmitted to another data controller—provided the processing is based on your consent or a contract and carried out by automated means.

Right to Stop/Object to Processing

You have the right to object, at any given time and without any justification, in the following cases:

  • Processing of your Personal Data is for direct marketing purposes, including profiling related to direct marketing
  • Processing is carried out to conduct statistical surveys unless it is necessary to achieve public interest
  • Processing is in violation of the data protection standards under article 5 of UAE Data Protection law

Right Not to Be Subject to Automated Processing

You have the right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, where such decisions produce legal effects or significantly impact you.

Note: Choosing to exercise this right may limit Company’s ability to offer personalized features or services tailored to your preferences.

Right to Erasure (Right to Be Forgotten)

You may request the deletion of your personal data in the following cases:

  • The data is no longer necessary for its original purpose.
  • You withdraw your consent and no other legal basis exists.
  • You object to the processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds.
  • The data has been unlawfully processed.

We are not required to comply with your request to erase personal information:

  • If the request is related to the erasure of Personal Data related to public health in private facilities.
  • If the request affects the investigation procedures and claiming and defending rights.
  • If the request contradicts other legislations to which the Controller is subject.
  • In any other cases determined by the Executive Regulation of this Decree by Law.

Right to Withdraw Consent

You may withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data at any time. Once we receive your withdrawal request, we will stop processing the data for the purpose for which consent was originally given.

Right to Lodge a Complaint with Your Local Supervisory Authority

You have a right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority if you have concerns about how we are processing your personal information.

Although you have a right to contact your supervisory authority at any time, we ask that you please attempt to resolve any issues with us before lodging a complaint.

You may have other rights depending upon the country you are in.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights under the PDPL, please contact us at hello@squad-match.com or by mail to Dubai Media City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

How We Share Your Personal Data

The Company shares your personal data only where it is lawful, necessary, and proportionate in accordance with the UAE Federal Decree Law No. 45 of 2021 on the Protection of Personal Data (“PDPL”), and only for the purposes outlined in this Privacy Notice.

1. With Our Service Providers

We share your data with trusted third-party service providers who process personal data on our behalf under appropriate contractual and confidentiality agreements. These may include:

  • Hosting and cloud infrastructure providers (e.g., AWS);
  • Customer service and technical support providers;

These third parties are only permitted to process your data for the purpose of providing the contracted service and must implement appropriate security measures under Article 21 of the PDPL.

2. With Legal Authorities and Regulators

We may disclose personal data to government authorities, regulatory agencies, law enforcement bodies, courts, or other competent authorities:

  • When required to comply with applicable laws or legal obligations;
  • Upon receipt of valid legal requests such as subpoenas or regulatory orders;
  • In relation to fraud prevention, cybersecurity, or public health mandates;
  • To respond to national security, public safety, or law enforcement investigations.

International Transfers of Personal Data

Your personal data may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. These countries may have data protection laws that are different from the laws of your country and, in some cases, may not be as protective.

We will ensure that adequate safeguards, as required by the PDPL, are in place before transferring personal data internationally. This may include:

  • Using contracts with standard data protection clauses approved by the UAE Data Office;
  • Transferring data only to countries that are deemed to offer an adequate level of protection under UAE law;
  • Obtaining explicit consent from you prior to transfer, where required.

Cookies and Similar Technologies

We only use essential cookies on our Site to:

  • Enable form progress and navigation;
  • Protect against Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF);
  • Maintain basic session functionality.

We do not use cookies for advertising or analytics purposes, nor do we place third-party trackers or persistent identifiers beyond the session.

You can disable cookies through your browser settings, but some features of the Site may not work properly.

Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Notice and in accordance with applicable law.

  • Survey response data is retained no longer than 12 months from the date of collection.
  • Technical logs (e.g., IP addresses, browser headers) are retained for a maximum of 180 days unless required longer for legal or security reasons.
  • If you request deletion, we will honor your request in accordance with Article 15 of the PDPL.

Security of Your Personal Data

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal data from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include:

  • Encryption of personal data in transit and at rest where applicable;
  • Access controls and authentication for staff and systems;
  • Monitoring for abnormal access or malicious activity;
  • Strict vendor vetting and confidentiality agreements with third parties.

Personal Data Breaches

If we discover a breach that may significantly impact your privacy, we will notify the UAE Data Office and affected users without undue delay, in accordance with Article 9 of the PDPL.

Notifications will include a description of the nature of the breach, likely consequences, and steps we are taking to mitigate the risks.

Children’s Data

This Site is not directed to children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If we become aware that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete it promptly.

Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in response to changing legal, technical, or business developments. When we update our Privacy Policy, we will take appropriate measures to inform you, consistent with the significance of the changes we make.

You can see when this Privacy Policy was last updated by checking the "Effective Date" at the top of this document.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us:

Effective Date: July 10, 2025