Privacy Policy

THE WEST GROUP PTY LTD is an Australian company operating as a media and discovery platform focused on Greater Western Sydney. Our registered address is 56 John Street, Camden NSW 2570, Australia.

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2. Information we collect
 

2.1 Information you provide to us

When you use the WEST app or website, we may collect:

• Name — to identify you in the app and for personalisation.

• Email address — for account creation, authentication, and communications.

• Phone number — optional, provided for account contact and (with your consent) marketing communications.

• Social media handles — optional, provided by approved Ambassadors on their profiles.

• Demographic information — such as age confirmation (you must be 18 or over to use WEST), and any additional details you choose to share.

• Payment information — collected securely via our payment processor if you make a purchase or subscribe. We do not store your full payment card details on our systems.

• User-generated content — including photos, videos, posts, itineraries, saved locations, and other content created by approved Ambassadors or submitted by users.

• Any other information you voluntarily provide to us — including through contact forms, support requests, or applications to become an Ambassador.
   

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you use our app or website, we may automatically collect:

• Location information — precise and approximate location data, used to personalise content and power location-based features such as the explore map (see Section 4).

• Device and technical information — including device type, operating system, browser type, app version, and language preferences.

• Usage information — including pages visited, features used, content viewed, time spent, search history within the app, and interactions with Ambassador content (likes, saves, shares). Ambassadors are provided with analytics on engagement with their own content (such as post likes, profile views, itinerary saves, and shares).

• Identifiers — including an internally generated user identifier (UUID) and auto-generated username used to associate activity with your account.

• Diagnostic and performance information — including crash logs, performance metrics, and error reports used to maintain service reliability and improve app stability.

• Cookies and similar technologies — used on our website to remember preferences, analyse usage, and improve experience. You can control cookie settings through your browser.
   

2.3 Information from third parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, including:

• Authentication providers (such as Apple or Google) when you choose to sign in using those services. We only receive the information necessary to authenticate you and create your account.

• Publicly available sources (such as event listings and venue information) when aggregated to provide local discovery content.
   

3. How we use your information

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

• To create and manage your account and verify your eligibility (including age confirmation)

• To provide and personalise the WEST experience, including the home feed, explore map, search results, and recommendations

• To enable core app features such as Ambassador posts, itinerary creation, saved lists, and content sharing

• To process transactions and manage subscriptions where applicable

• To communicate with you about your account, service updates, support requests, and (with your consent) marketing and editorial content

• To analyse usage and diagnostics to improve our service, fix bugs, and measure performance

• To detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, security incidents, and misuse

• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
   

4. Location information

WEST uses your location to power core features of the app. You will be asked to grant location permission when you first use the app. There are two levels of location access:

• "While Using the App" — we access your location only while you are actively using WEST. This is used to show nearby events and venues, personalise your home feed, and power the explore map.

• "Always Allow" (optional) — if you choose to enable this, WEST may access your location in the background to support features such as proximity-based notifications for events and venues you have saved or favourited. In the current version of the app, location functionality primarily operates while the app is in use; background access is offered to support future features.

You can change or revoke location permissions at any time through your device settings. Disabling location may reduce the personalisation and functionality of some features.
 

5. Marketing communications

With your consent, we may send you marketing communications about WEST, including newsletters, event highlights, Ambassador spotlights, and promotional content. Marketing communications may be sent via email, SMS, or push notification.

You can opt out of marketing communications at any time:

• Email — click the unsubscribe link included in every marketing email.

• SMS — reply "STOP" to any marketing SMS.

• Push notifications — disable notifications in the app settings or your device settings.

• Website newsletter — use the unsubscribe link in any email or contact us at the address below.

Opting out of marketing communications will not affect essential service-related messages such as account notifications, security alerts, or transactional confirmations.
 

6. How we store and protect your information

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, and disclosure.

• Data storage location — user account data, app content, and associated information are stored with trusted cloud infrastructure providers located in Australia. Website visitor data may be processed through global content delivery and analytics providers.

• Security measures — we use industry-standard encryption in transit (HTTPS/TLS), access controls, and secure authentication methods to protect your information.

• Payment security — payment information is processed by PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment processors. We do not store your full payment card details.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
 

7. How we share your information

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

• Service providers — trusted third parties who assist us in operating the app, website, and business, such as cloud infrastructure providers, payment processors, customer support tools, analytics providers, and crash reporting services. These providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the services we engage them for.

• Ambassadors and other users — content you publicly share through WEST (such as Ambassador posts, profile information, or comments) is visible to other users of the app.

• Legal and safety — where required by law, court order, or regulatory obligation, or where we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect rights, property, or safety, detect and prevent fraud, or enforce our Terms of Service.

• Business transfers — in the event of a merger, acquisition, restructure, or sale of assets, information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to equivalent privacy protections.

Some of our service providers may process data overseas. Where data is processed outside Australia, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles.
 

8. Third-party tracking and advertising

WEST does not currently run third-party advertising within the app or share user data with advertising networks or data brokers. Some diagnostic and performance data collected through crash reporting and analytics services may be classified as "tracking" under Apple's App Tracking Transparency framework; this data is used solely to maintain app reliability and is not used for cross-app advertising. You will be asked to allow or deny this when you first use the app, and you can change your choice at any time in your device settings.
 

9. Data retention and deletion

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including service delivery, legal and regulatory compliance, and legitimate business operations.

• Account and profile data is retained for the duration of your relationship with WEST.

• When you delete your account, your profile and associated personal data will be deleted as soon as practicable, typically within 7 business days.

• Some information may be retained for longer where required by law, for legitimate record-keeping purposes, or in de-identified form for analytics.
   

To delete your account:

• In the app: go to Home Screen → Tap Profile (to the right of search bar) → Request account deletion. 

• By email: email support@thewestjournal.com.au with the subject "Delete my account", including the email address associated with your account.
   

10. Your rights

Under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you

• Correct any inaccuracies in your personal information

• Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal and operational constraints)

• Opt out of marketing communications at any time (see Section 5)

• Withdraw consent where consent is the basis for processing

• Make a complaint about our handling of your personal information

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at the details in Section 13.

If you are unsatisfied with our response to a privacy complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au

• Phone: 1300 363 992
   

11. Age restrictions

WEST is intended for users aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18. If you believe we have collected information from a person under 18, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to delete it.
 

12. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Policy and, where appropriate, notify you through the app, email, or website. Your continued use of our services after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy.
 

13. Contact us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact us:

• Email: enquiries@thewestjournal.com.au

• Support email: support@thewestjournal.com.au

• Phone: 02 9127 3003

• Address: The WEST Journal, 56 John Street, Camden NSW 2570, Australia