Privacy Statement

1. Who We Are

GetSparked is a private network in Europe for people who build, run, research or fund AI. Membership is by application and invitation. The founders review applications.

GetSparked is an unincorporated community run by the founders of GetSparked. GetSparked is the controller responsible for the personal data described in this statement. Contact us at members@getsparked.ai for every privacy question or request. A postal address is available on request through that email address.

2. Information We Collect

When you apply, we store:

Your name, email address, phone number and LinkedIn URL.
Your primary role in AI, years of AI experience and level of involvement in AI.
Your answer about what you would bring to the community, up to 500 characters.
The page you submitted the form from, campaign parameters (UTM) if present, and the submission time.
A hashed, unreadable form of your IP address for abuse prevention. This is still treated as personal data.

When you subscribe to the weekly digest, we store your email address with a pending status. Your subscription becomes active only when you click the confirmation link. Members and non-members can subscribe.

When you register for events or contact us, we collect the details you provide, such as your name, email address, job title, company and message. Please do not include sensitive personal data in forms or messages to us.

If you agree to analytics, Google Analytics collects website usage information, such as pages visited and browser or device information. Section 7 explains your choices.

Forms may use Cloudflare Turnstile for spam protection. When enabled, it loads only with the form and processes technical information needed to check for abuse, such as IP address and browser information.

The community runs in a private WhatsApp group. Other group members can see messages and the profile and contact details that WhatsApp makes visible in the group. WhatsApp/Meta also processes data under its own terms and privacy policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use personal data for the following purposes and legal bases:

Assessing your application and contacting you about it: steps at your request before entering into a membership agreement, and our legitimate interest in reviewing applications and managing admission to a private community.
Preventing form abuse: our legitimate interest in protecting the website and keeping submissions reliable. This includes the hashed IP address and optional Turnstile checks.
Managing membership, responding to messages and organising member events: performing our agreement with you where needed to provide the service, and our legitimate interest in running the community and answering enquiries.
Sending the digest newsletter: your consent, confirmed through double opt-in. We do not send the newsletter while your subscription is pending.
Measuring website use through Google Analytics: your consent.
Keeping records where the law requires this: compliance with a legal obligation.

The application information helps us assess your request. Without enough information, we may be unable to assess it or contact you. Newsletter subscription and analytics consent are optional and are not conditions of membership.

The founders review applications. Admission decisions are not made solely by automated processing.

The weekly digest summarises group discussions. We do not export or share member messages. We do not name members in the digest unless they have agreed.

We use the following providers:

Hetzner: hosting on a server in Germany. GetSparked builds and hosts the website itself using this server. We do not use a third-party website builder.
Resend: sending email, including confirmation emails and newsletters. Resend is a mail provider in the United States. We use a data processing agreement with EU standard contractual clauses for these transfers.
Cloudflare: optional Turnstile spam protection on forms.
Google: Google Analytics, which loads only after you consent.
WhatsApp/Meta: the private community group. WhatsApp/Meta processes messages under its own terms and privacy policy, rather than solely on our instructions.

Providers acting as our processors handle data under data processing agreements. They receive the data needed for their services. Some services may involve processing outside the European Economic Area. Where we transfer data, we must use a valid GDPR transfer mechanism, such as an adequacy decision or EU standard contractual clauses. You can contact us for details or a copy of the applicable safeguards.

We do not share member data with sponsors, recruiters or external partners without your consent. We may disclose information where the law requires it.

5. Data Storage and Retention

We store website and application data on our server in Germany. Email delivery and other provider processing are described in section 4. We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal data.

Application records are kept for the duration of membership. Rejected or withdrawn applications are deleted after [12] months from rejection or withdrawal.
Pending newsletter addresses are kept only as long as needed to complete the confirmation process. Active subscription data is kept while you subscribe. After you unsubscribe, we retain only what is needed to record your withdrawal and prevent further newsletter emails.
Event records and correspondence are kept only as long as needed to organise the event, answer your request and resolve related matters.
Analytics data is kept only as long as needed to understand website use. Security data is kept only as long as needed to prevent or investigate abuse.
If a legal obligation requires longer retention, we keep only the required records for the period required by law.

You can request deletion or end your membership by emailing members@getsparked.ai. Deletion rights are subject to applicable legal exceptions. Leaving the group does not delete copies of messages already held by other members or data held by WhatsApp/Meta under its own policy.

6. Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you can, where the relevant conditions apply:

Access your personal data and receive a copy.
Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Request deletion or restrict how we use your data.
Receive data you provided in a portable format, and ask for it to be transferred to another controller, where processing is automated and based on consent or a contract.
Object to processing based on legitimate interests because of your circumstances. You can always object to direct marketing.
Withdraw consent at any time. This does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
Complain to a data protection authority, including the Dutch Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens or the authority where you live or work.

Email members@getsparked.ai to exercise your rights. We may ask for information needed to verify your identity. We respond without undue delay and within one month. If the complexity or number of requests requires an extension, we will explain why within that month. The extension can be up to two further months. These time limits follow the GDPR rules on handling requests.

Unsubscribe from the digest using the link in every newsletter email or by emailing members@getsparked.ai. Change or withdraw analytics consent at any time through the “Cookies” link in the footer.

7. Cookies and Tracking

Google Analytics loads only after you agree in the consent banner. Before you agree, no analytics cookies are set. You can decline analytics and still use the website.

You can change your choice at any time through the “Cookies” link in the footer. You can also remove stored cookies through your browser settings.

Optional Cloudflare Turnstile spam protection loads only with a form. Its purpose is to check for abuse, not to measure website usage.

8. Updates to This Policy

We may update this statement when our services or data practices change. We publish the revised statement on this page with its updated date. We will explain material changes where required and ask for fresh consent if needed. Continuing to use the website does not give consent to new processing that requires it.

9. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact:

GetSparked, run by the founders of GetSparked
members@getsparked.ai