Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy v1.1

Effective Date: 02/10/2025
Last Updated: 02/06/2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Biya (“we”, “our”, or “us”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects your information when you use our mobile application and related services (the “App”). As a service operating in the United Kingdom, we are committed to complying with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Where users are based in the European Union, we also comply with the EU GDPR. We act as the data controller in respect of your personal data.

1. Purpose of the App

Biya is a marriage-focused platform exclusively for Bangladeshi/Bengali Muslims living in the United Kingdom or Mixed - Bangladeshi/Bengali Muslims living in the United Kingdom, designed to help users find compatible marriage partners. The app does not support casual dating or long-term non-marital relationships.

2. What Information We Collect

We collect the following information to provide our services:

a. Personal Information

Name
Gender
Age
Email address
Location (City, Region – not precise GPS)
Photo Album (blurred by default; visibility can be toggled on/off for individual users)
Religious or cultural background (where provided)

b. Account Type

Bride/Groom (same category)
Parent (can manage up to 8 profiles)
Guardian (can manage up to 8 profiles)
Matchmaker (can manage more than 8 profiles and operate commercially)

c. Usage Data

Chat messages (stored securely; not visible to others unless exchanged)
Profile views, matches, preferences

d. Third-Party Login Data

If you sign in using a third-party service (e.g., Google or Facebook), we may collect certain information from that account in accordance with the service’s privacy policy, such as your name and email address.

3. Profile and Communication Features

Users have a Photo Album where all photos are blurred by default at all times
Users can switch visibility on or off for individual connections at any time
No video calling, photo sharing, or file exchange is allowed in chat

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Create and manage your account
Match you with potential partners based on your preferences
Allow communication between users
Provide customer support
Improve user experience and features
Enforce our Terms of Service and community guidelines

5. Consent and Profile Creation by Others

If a Parent, Guardian, or Matchmaker creates a profile for another individual:

They confirm they have received prior and informed consent from that person
The individual has the right to request the profile be removed or updated
Biya is not responsible for unauthorized profile creation

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with advertisers or third parties for marketing.

We may share data:

With legal authorities when required by law
With service providers (e.g., cloud hosting) under strict data protection agreements
If necessary for user protection or system security
In business transfers, such as mergers, acquisitions, or sales

7. Data Storage and Security

Data is stored securely using encryption and secure access protocols
Only authorized personnel can access data
You can delete your profile and account directly within the App at any time via your account settings. Upon confirmation, your personal data will be permanently and irreversibly removed from our systems. This constitutes your exercise of the right to erasure under UK GDPR (Article 17).
If an account is not accessed within 30 minutes of the initial session during sign-up or re-authentication, all associated personal data will be automatically and permanently deleted from our systems. You will not be able to recover this data once removed. This automated deletion process is designed to protect your privacy in accordance with the data minimisation principles of UK GDPR (Article 5(1)(c)) and ensures we do not retain data beyond what is necessary.

8. Your Rights Under UK GDPR

Your information belongs to you, and we want you to feel in control of it at all times. Under UK data protection law, you have the right to see the information we hold about you, ask us to correct anything that’s wrong, or have it deleted entirely, just delete your account in the App or drop us an email. You can also ask us to stop using your information in certain situations, move it elsewhere, or change your mind about any permission you gave us. Your photos are always in your hands, you can switch who sees them on or off at any time. If you ever feel we haven’t treated your information fairly, you can raise a concern with the UK’s GDPR regulator. For anything else, just email us at Info@biya.co.uk and we’ll get back to you within a month.

9. GDPR – Lawful Basis for Processing

We process your data only where we have a valid legal reason to do so:

Consent: For identity and age verification. You can withdraw this at any time.
Contract: To provide the Biya service and manage your account.
Legal Obligation: Where required by law or a lawful authority.
Legitimate Interests: To keep the platform secure and prevent fraud.

Where we process sensitive data (such as religious background or biometric data for identity checks), we rely on your explicit consent.

10. Children’s Privacy

This app is not intended for children under 18. We do not knowingly collect or solicit data from anyone under the age of 18. If we learn we have collected data from a minor, we will delete that information promptly.

11. Language and Understanding

This Privacy Policy is written in English. If you do not fully understand it, you must have it explained to you by a trusted interpreter or translated into your native language before using the app.

By using Biya, you confirm that you:

Understand this Privacy Policy in a language you are fluent in, or
Have had it explained accurately by someone you trust

This applies to all account types — Bride/Groom, Parent, Guardian, and Matchmaker.
Biya is not responsible for misunderstandings due to language barriers.

12. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we do, we’ll notify you through the app or by email. Continued use of the app means you accept the updated policy.

13. Identity and Security Verification (Didit) & Face Data Policy

Biya uses Didit, a trusted third-party identity verification provider, to keep the platform safe and authentic. Verification is required at sign-up and when unlocking full profiles.

a. Account Sign-Up Verification
when you create an account, Didit performs two checks before your profile is activated:

Liveness Check: A real-time camera check confirms you are a live person. This check temporarily processes facial images and face data (facial geometry) to confirm authenticity. No biometric data or face data is ever received, processed, or stored by Biya on our local MongoDB servers; all data is handled securely by Didit via encrypted HTTPS protocols.
IP Address Check: Your IP address is checked to detect high-risk or fraudulent activity. It is processed by Didit and not stored by Biya beyond what is necessary for this check.

Following successful verification, you will be invited to complete your profile and will be placed on the Biya user dashboard.

b. Full Profile Unlock and Annual Subscription – Identity Verification Options
to unlock full profiles, you must subscribe and complete one of these identity verification options:

Option 1 – Age Estimation by Didit: Didit performs an AI facial scan to confirm you are 18 or over. This scan temporarily evaluates facial data to verify age. Biya only receives a pass/fail result. No biometric or face data is stored by Biya.
Option 2 – Government-Issued ID Verification: Submit a passport, ID card, or driving licence. Didit verifies the document and matches it to a live selfie by processing facial geometry. Biya only receives confirmation of identity; no document copies or face data files are stored by Biya. Didit’s own privacy policy applies to document handling.
Option 3 – National Identity Document (NID) Number: Enter your National Identity Document (NID) number (e.g. Bangladesh National Identity Card). Used only to confirm your identity. Biya stores only your verified status, not the NID number itself.

c. Your Consent, Sharing, and Retention Rights Regarding Face Data
Verification is mandatory. By proceeding, you consent to your face data being processed by Didit. You will be shown Didit’s privacy notice and must agree before verification begins.

Third-Party Sharing: Face data is securely transmitted directly to Didit for real-time verification processing and is never shared, disclosed, or sold to any other third parties.
Data Retention: The retention period for raw face data and biometric images is 0 days. Didit processes the facial scans purely in volatile memory to execute the real-time match and permanently deletes the raw images immediately after the verification session closes.

Biya only controls the verified status outcome. Didit controls the verification data itself. See Didit’s Privacy Policy on their website for full details.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at:
Email: Info@biya.co.uk