1. About this policy

This policy explains how IBS Intelligence Limited (“IBSi”, “we”, “us” or “our”) handles personal information when you use the IBSi FinTech Insights mobile application on iOS or Android (the “App”). It covers accounts, subscriptions, content access, enquiries, notifications, usage analytics and technical diagnostics.

The App brings together IBSi’s banking technology and FinTech news, research perspectives, digital Journal, whitepapers, blogs, webinars, podcasts, videos and information about IBSi’s wider activities.

For privacy questions, requests or help using the App, contact support@ibsintelligence.com.

IBS Intelligence Limited (company no. FC032493, WeWork, 119 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5PU, United Kingdom) is the organisation responsible for the personal information described in this policy. Websites and external services you visit from the App may have their own privacy policies. This app policy does not replace information about the separate operation of the IBSi website.

2. Account and sign-in information

When you create an account or sign in, we process your email address, name where supplied, account identifiers and sign-in/verification information. The App supports email/password sign-in and supported third-party sign-in providers, including Apple, Google and Microsoft.

We use Firebase Authentication to operate authentication. If you use a third-party sign-in provider, it supplies the identity information authorised through that sign-in process. We do not receive the password for your Apple, Google or Microsoft account. Email/password authentication is handled by Firebase rather than stored as a password in IBSi’s app database.

We use account information to recognise you, operate your account, synchronise supported features, provide subscription access and respond to account-related requests.

3. Journal subscriptions and purchases

The only products sold in the App are IBSi FinTech Journal subscriptions. Purchases and renewals are processed by the Apple App Store or Google Play.

We process purchase and transaction identifiers, verification information, the selected plan, subscription status and relevant start, renewal and expiry dates. We use this information to verify purchases, restore access, provide the selected Journal editions and included Exclusive access, and resolve subscription issues. Purchase-success events are also measured as described in section 7.

IBSi does not collect your full payment-card or bank-account details through the App. Your store provider handles payment information under its own terms and privacy policy.

4. Reading features, search and free access

We process saved-article and reading-history records to provide your library and help you revisit content. We also record access to metered Exclusive content to apply the free monthly allowance and recognise content already opened.

The App generates an installation identifier for access metering and usage measurement. It is an app-generated identifier, rather than an advertising identifier or hardware serial number. It can be associated with an account when you sign in.

When you search, the search text and selected filters are sent to the content API or website service needed to return results. Recent-search suggestions are stored on your device. The separate analytics events described in section 7 record that a search occurred and the term’s length, not the raw search text. Search requests may also be present in technical logs according to the services’ logging configuration.

App preferences, authentication state and selected content may be stored locally to provide features, keep you signed in and improve loading. An installation identifier stored using the operating system’s secure storage may persist according to that system’s behaviour; uninstalling the App should not be treated as a request to delete your IBSi account.

5. Express Interest and other enquiries

If you select Express Interest or register interest in an event, we process the topic of your request and the relevant contact/account information so the appropriate IBSi team can respond. Requests may be recorded in our systems and delivered through our email provider. If you choose an email-app fallback, the information you send is also processed by your chosen email service.

Submitting an enquiry does not automatically add you to an email marketing list. We use those enquiry details to respond to your request and handle related follow-up.

Research report, Galaxy, advisory and other informational pages do not sell those offerings through the App. Contacting us from those pages is an enquiry, not an in-app purchase.

6. Editorial and promotional push notifications

If you enable push notifications, we process a push token and associated account/platform information to deliver notifications to your device.

Notifications may include editorial updates and announcements promoting IBSi subscriptions, events, newly launched reports and other IBSi services. We use notification interactions to understand delivery and engagement as described in section 7.

You can turn notifications off using the App’s notification setting or your device’s settings. Turning them off does not cancel a subscription or prevent you from using the App. Account and transaction communications may still be sent when needed to operate your account or subscription.

7. App usage analytics

We collect usage information to understand how the App is used, assess features and content, measure subscription journeys and improve the App.

Events can include App opens; news, Journal and Exclusive content opens; paywall views; subscription-button taps; successful purchases; search occurrence; and notification opens. Event information can include content or plan identifiers, event time, platform, app version/build, installation identifier and the account when signed in. The search analytics event records term length and whether filters were used, not the raw term.

These analytics are sent to IBSi’s own API. They are not necessarily anonymous: installation and signed-in account identifiers allow events to be associated with a device installation or account. The reviewed App does not use Firebase Analytics; Firebase Authentication is used for sign-in.

8. Sentry crash and issue reporting

We use Sentry to collect crash reports, error reports and technical diagnostic information so we can investigate issues and improve reliability. Reports can include error messages, stack traces, app version, operating-system/device context and technical breadcrumbs describing activity around an error. Some reports are generated automatically and others are sent when the App catches an issue.

The App is configured to redact email addresses, bearer tokens, signed Journal/whitepaper viewing links and URL query strings from the diagnostic events and breadcrumbs processed by its redaction functions. Default personal-information collection and explicit performance tracing are disabled in the reviewed configuration.

These measures reduce personal information in diagnostics; they do not mean that every report is anonymous. Sentry and its native SDK may process technical identifiers and context according to the deployed SDK and service configuration. We do not use crash reports to add you to marketing lists.

9. Service providers and embedded content

We use service providers to operate the App, including:

• Firebase / Google for authentication, and Apple, Google and Microsoft for the sign-in methods you choose.
• Apple and Google Play for store billing and purchase validation.
• Microsoft Azure and other contracted hosting providers for IBSi’s API, databases and supporting infrastructure.
• Expo and the platform push services for app updates and notification delivery.
• Sentry for crash and issue diagnostics.
• Our email service providers to deliver account-related messages and enquiries.
• YouTube and podcast hosting services, including Buzzsprout, for embedded or streamed media.

These services may receive technical information such as an IP address when content or services are requested. YouTube thumbnail requests may occur when a content card is displayed, before video playback. Video embeds use YouTube’s privacy-enhanced domain; this does not mean the provider receives no data or that playback is free from its own storage and privacy practices.

External providers process information under the applicable service arrangements and, where they act independently, their own privacy policies. We may also disclose information where legally required or necessary to protect rights and investigate misuse.

10. Marketing and tracking

The App uses first-party promotional push notifications as described above. It does not automatically enrol Express Interest contacts in email marketing.

The News feed may show banners, marked “Sponsored”, for IBSi’s own products and for IBSi’s partners and clients. These banners are served by IBSi, not by an advertising network, and are the same for every reader. Tapping one opens the advertiser’s website in your browser; IBSi does not share your personal information with advertisers.

The reviewed first-party App code does not access the advertising identifier or integrate a third-party advertising-network SDK. We do not link App data with other companies’ data for targeted advertising, and we do not sell personal information. First-party usage analytics and promotional notifications are used only by IBSi.

11. Our legal bases

Where UK or EU data-protection law applies, we rely on these legal bases:

• Performing our contract with you: creating and running your account, signing you in, verifying purchases, providing Journal and Exclusive access, applying the free monthly allowance, saved articles and reading history.
• Legal obligations: keeping purchase and transaction records for accounting and tax, and responding to lawful requests.
• Legitimate interests: first-party usage analytics to understand and improve the App, Sentry crash reporting to keep it working and secure, responding to Express Interest and event enquiries you send, and preventing misuse such as account sharing. We have balanced these interests against your rights, and you can object at any time.
• Consent, or legitimate interests where your device does not ask: push notifications, including promotional ones. On iPhone, iPad and Android 13 or later, the device asks your permission first. On older Android versions notifications are allowed by default. Either way, you can turn them off at any time in the App or your device settings.

We do not make decisions about you based solely on automated processing that have legal or similarly significant effects.

12. Retention, deletion and your choices

We keep your account information for as long as your account exists. You can delete your account in the App under Account → Delete account. Deletion takes effect immediately and removes:

• your account profile and sign-in account;
• your saved articles, reading history and free-allowance records;
• your subscription and access records held by IBSi;
• your push-notification registration and linked sign-in methods.

Some records are kept after deletion, no longer linked to your account:

• Express Interest and event enquiries keep the topic, name and email address you sent, so the IBSi team can complete or close the enquiry and keep a record of it. Ask us to delete an enquiry at any time.
• Usage analytics events keep the installation identifier, platform and app version, but no longer the account.
• Store notifications from Apple and Google Play about a subscription are kept for accounting, fraud prevention and dispute handling.
• Crash reports and server logs are kept by our providers for a limited period under their retention settings and are then deleted.

If you request deletion by email instead, we will verify the request and respond within one month.

Deleting your IBSi account does not cancel a store subscription. Manage or cancel renewal through your Apple or Google Play account. Turning off notifications is also separate from cancelling a subscription.

Contact support@ibsintelligence.com to request access, correction or deletion of personal information or to ask about your other privacy rights. Depending on applicable law, you may also have rights to restrict processing, object, obtain portable data or withdraw consent. To object to usage analytics, email us and we will delete the analytics events linked to your account. We respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, please contact us first. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ico.org.uk), to the data-protection authority where you live in the EU, or, in India, to the Data Protection Board of India. For users in India, support@ibsintelligence.com is also the contact for grievances about personal data.

13. Security and international processing

We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the services, including encrypted network connections, authenticated access and access controls. No service can guarantee absolute security.

IBSi and its providers may process information in countries outside your own. Crash reports are processed by Sentry in the European Union. Where personal information is transferred outside the UK or European Economic Area, we rely on appropriate safeguards, such as adequacy regulations, the UK International Data Transfer Addendum or the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.

14. Children

The App is intended for a professional audience interested in banking and financial technology, not specifically for children. Contact us if you believe a child has supplied personal information inappropriately so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

15. Changes and contact

We may update this policy as the App and our practices change. The “Last updated” date at the top shows the current version. Where required, we will provide appropriate notice of material changes.

Privacy enquiries and app support: support@ibsintelligence.com

IBS Intelligence Limited, WeWork, 119 Marylebone Road, London NW1 5PU, United Kingdom