Privacy Policy
Who We Are
The Viral Group Ltd (Company No. 12295038, trading as HYPD Live) ("HYPD", "we", "us", "our") is the data controller responsible for your personal data. We operate the HYPD Live website at hypd.live and The Hub by HYPD gaming community platform at hypd.live/the_hub.
The Viral Group Ltd (Company No. 12295038, trading as HYPD Live) is a company registered in England and Wales. Our registered office and data controller contact details are set out in Section 14 below.
We are committed to protecting your personal data and processing it in accordance with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the Data Protection Act 2018, and all applicable data protection legislation.
Data We Collect
We collect and process the following categories of personal data depending on how you interact with our services:
2.1 Data you provide directly
| Category | Examples | When collected |
|---|---|---|
| Identity data | First name, last name, username, gaming handle | Registration, contact forms |
| Contact data | Email address | Registration, enquiry forms |
| Account data | Username, password (encrypted), profile information, gaming preferences | Hub registration |
| Content data | User-generated posts, forum content, comments, submitted gaming clips and media | Hub activity |
| Transaction data | Tournament entry details, event registrations | Event sign-up |
| Communications data | Messages sent via contact forms, enquiries submitted | Contact form submissions |
| Marketing preferences | Consent to receive marketing, unsubscribe requests | Sign-up, profile settings |
2.2 Data collected automatically
| Category | Examples | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Technical data | IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, time zone | Server logs, cookies |
| Usage data | Pages visited, time spent on pages, links clicked, referring URLs | Analytics tools |
| Cookie data | Session cookies, preference cookies — see Section 5 | Cookies on your device |
2.3 Special category data
We do not intentionally collect any special category personal data (such as health information, race, religion, or biometric data). Please do not submit such information through our services.
How We Use Your Data
We use your personal data for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Data used |
|---|---|
| To register and manage your Hub account | Identity, contact, account data |
| To operate and improve the HYPD Live website and Hub platform | Technical, usage data |
| To respond to enquiries and contact form submissions | Communications, identity, contact data |
| To administer tournaments, events, and competitions | Identity, contact, transaction data |
| To send service-related communications (e.g., account confirmations, event updates) | Contact data, marketing preferences |
| To send marketing communications where you have consented | Contact data, marketing preferences |
| To ensure the security of our platform and prevent fraud or abuse | Technical, usage, account data |
| To comply with legal and regulatory obligations | All categories as required |
| To display community content on the Hub platform | Content data, account data |
| To approach brands and partners with aggregated audience insights (no individual data is shared) | Anonymised, aggregated usage data |
Legal Basis for Processing
Under UK GDPR, we must have a lawful basis for processing your personal data. We rely on the following bases:
- Contract (Article 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to perform a contract with you, including providing your Hub account, processing tournament entries, and operating the platform.
- Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): Processing necessary for our legitimate interests, including improving our platform, ensuring security, analytics, and fraud prevention. We always balance these interests against your rights.
- Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): Where you have given clear, freely given, and withdrawable consent — for example, receiving marketing emails or placing non-essential cookies on your device.
- Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): Processing necessary to comply with UK law, including financial record-keeping, responding to lawful requests from authorities, and safeguarding obligations.
Where we rely on consent as our legal basis, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal. To withdraw consent, contact us at [email protected] or use the unsubscribe link in any marketing email.
Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies on our website and Hub platform. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device when you visit a website.
5.1 Types of cookies we use
| Type | Purpose | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Strictly necessary | Session management, security (e.g., WordPress login cookies, CSRF tokens). Cannot be disabled. | Legitimate interests |
| Functional | Remember your preferences (e.g., logged-in status, language). | Legitimate interests |
| Analytics | Understand how visitors use our site (e.g., pages viewed, time on site). Data is anonymised where possible. | Consent |
| Marketing | Track visits from marketing campaigns, retargeting. Only used where you have consented. | Consent |
5.2 Third-party cookies
Third-party services we use — including BuddyBoss (community platform), Formspree (forms), and any embedded social media or video content (Twitch, TikTok, YouTube) — may also set their own cookies governed by those providers' privacy policies.
5.3 Managing cookies
You can control and delete cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the Hub platform (e.g., you may not be able to stay logged in). For more information, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.
Sharing Your Data
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to third parties. We share your data only in the following circumstances:
6.1 Service providers (processors)
We use trusted third-party service providers who process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements:
| Provider | Service | Data shared |
|---|---|---|
| Krystal Hosting | Web hosting and server infrastructure | All website data stored on servers |
| Automattic (WordPress) | Content management system | Account data, content |
| BuddyBoss | Community platform (The Hub) | Hub account data, community content |
| Formspree | Contact form processing | Form submission data |
| LearnDash | Learning management (if applicable) | Account data |
| Google Fonts | Web font delivery | IP address, browser data |
6.2 Legal requirements
We may disclose your personal data if required by law, court order, or regulatory authority, or where necessary to protect our legal rights or prevent fraud.
6.3 Business transfers
If The Viral Group Ltd (Company No. 12295038, trading as HYPD Live) is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.
6.4 Public community content
Any content you post publicly on The Hub (posts, profile information, forum activity) is visible to other registered users of the platform. Please exercise care about what personal information you share publicly.
International Transfers
Some of our third-party service providers are based outside the United Kingdom. Where we transfer personal data outside the UK, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR, including:
- Transfers to countries with UK adequacy decisions
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the ICO
- International Data Transfer Agreements (IDTAs)
You can request details of the specific safeguards in place for any international transfers by contacting us at [email protected].
Data Retention
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary for the purposes set out in this policy or as required by law.
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Hub account data (active accounts) | For the duration of your account, plus 2 years after deletion request |
| Hub account data (inactive accounts) | 3 years from last login, then we will notify you before deletion |
| Contact form submissions | 2 years from date of submission |
| Tournament / event entry data | 3 years from event date |
| Financial records (if any transactions occur) | 7 years (legal requirement under UK tax law) |
| Analytics / technical logs | 26 months |
| Marketing consent records | Until consent withdrawn + 2 years |
After the applicable retention period, your data is securely deleted or anonymised.
Your Rights
Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request). We will respond within 1 month.
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete personal data we hold about you.
Ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances (the "right to be forgotten").
Ask us to restrict processing of your data in certain circumstances, for example while we verify its accuracy.
Request your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format to transfer to another service.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes at any time.
Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent, without affecting prior lawful processing.
Not to be subject to solely automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected] with your name, email address, and a description of your request. We will respond within one calendar month. In some cases we may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
Right to complain
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK's supervisory authority:
Information Commissioner's Office (ICO)
Website: ico.org.uk
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Address: Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns before you approach the ICO, so please contact us first.
Children
The HYPD Live website and The Hub platform are intended for users aged 13 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please do not use our services or submit any personal information.
Users aged 13–17 should obtain parental or guardian consent before registering for The Hub or participating in events.
If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 13 without appropriate verification, we will take steps to delete that data promptly. If you believe we hold data about a child under 13, please contact us immediately at [email protected].
Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration, including:
- SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted to and from our websites
- Encrypted password storage using industry-standard hashing
- Access controls limiting who within HYPD can access personal data
- Regular security reviews and updates to our hosting infrastructure
- Secure hosting on Krystal's UK-based servers
While we take reasonable precautions, no internet transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee the security of data transmitted to us over the internet.
In the event of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and, where required, notify you directly.
Third-Party Links
Our website and Hub platform may contain links to third-party websites, social media platforms (Twitch, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and external content. These links are provided for your convenience and information.
We have no control over the content or privacy practices of third-party websites and are not responsible for their privacy policies. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any website you visit.
Our social media presence on Twitch, TikTok, Facebook and Instagram is governed by the respective platforms' privacy policies in addition to this policy.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, services, or applicable law. When we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
- For Hub account holders: send an email notification to your registered address
- Display a notice on our website for a period of 30 days after the change
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our services after any update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.
Contact Us
For any questions, concerns, or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal data, please contact us:
Data Controller
The Viral Group Ltd (Company No. 12295038, trading as HYPD Live)
Email: [email protected]
General enquiries: [email protected]
Website: hypd.live
We aim to respond to all data subject requests and privacy enquiries within one calendar month of receipt. If your request is complex, we may extend this by a further two months and will notify you accordingly.