Data Retention Policy
Effective date: To be set on launch
Governing language. This document is written in English and the English version is the original and legally binding version. Translations into other languages are provided for convenience only and are generated by DeepL machine translation. In the event of any inconsistency or dispute between a translated version and the English original, the English version shall prevail.
This document explains what data Zensus holds, why we hold it, and how long we keep it. It also explains what happens to your data when you close your account.
1. Why we retain data
We retain personal data only for as long as it is needed for the purpose it was collected, or for as long as we are required to keep it by law. Once a retention period expires, data is deleted or irreversibly anonymised.
2. Data we hold while your account is active
| Category | What it includes | Retained until |
|---|---|---|
| Account and profile | Email, name, date of birth, country, language, unit preferences | Account deletion |
| Health and nutrition | Food logs, calorie and nutrient records, nutrition targets, macro tracking | Account deletion |
| Activity and exercise | Exercise logs, activity records, cardio and resistance training history | Account deletion |
| Measurements | Body weight, body fat, and other body measurement logs | Account deletion |
| Sleep | Sleep logs and sleep quality records | Account deletion |
| Teams and social | Team membership, leaderboard entries, community translations | Account deletion |
| Team messages | Messages posted to a team's message board | 24 hours after posting — retained longer only if reported for review (see Teams Community Guidelines) |
| Avatars | Avatar selections and purchase history (free claims and purchases) | Account deletion |
| Notification preferences | Push and email notification settings | Account deletion |
| Games and quizzes | Quiz attempts and correctness history | Account deletion |
All data in this table is deleted permanently when your account is closed, at the latest — team messages are normally already gone well before that, on their own 24-hour cycle.
3. What happens when you delete your account
When you request account deletion in the app (Profile → Account → Delete Account):
- Your account is scheduled for deletion and marked as inactive immediately.
- You have 30 days to change your mind. During this window, your data is not yet deleted and you can cancel the deletion by logging back in.
- After 30 days, all data listed in §2 above is permanently and irreversibly deleted from our systems. This cannot be undone.
- You will receive a confirmation email when deletion is complete.
4. Data retained after account deletion
The following records are retained after your account is deleted. They are anonymised — your name and email are removed — but a reference to your former account ID is kept where legally required.
| What | Why | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Consent records | We are required under UK GDPR Article 7 to be able to demonstrate that you gave informed consent before we processed your data. | Indefinitely (anonymised) |
| Focus group opt-out records | If you had ever subscribed to focus group or weekly report emails, we retain proof of your unsubscribe to comply with anti-spam law and to ensure we never contact you again. | Indefinitely (anonymised) |
| Financial transaction records | Payment transactions (subscription payments, avatar purchases) are retained for tax, VAT, and financial compliance. | 7 years |
| Security audit records | Login history, account lockouts, and other security events are retained for fraud prevention and legal liability purposes. | 3 years |
| Account and privacy audit records | Records of account creation, privacy consent, and deletion are retained for compliance and regulatory purposes. | 1 year |
| General operational logs | System-level activity logs not related to your identity. | 90 days |
4.1 Creator applications and agreements
These are not tied to your app account, so deleting your account does not delete them (an application you made while logged in is unlinked from the account instead). You can still ask us to delete an application at any time — see Section 7.
| What | Why | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Creator applications that are declined or withdrawn | To follow up and avoid duplicate approaches | 12 months after the last update, then deleted automatically |
| Applications that lead to a signed agreement, and the agreement itself | Contract record | 6 years after the agreement ends |
| Creator avatars, with the creator's handle and food style, in the App | The open-beta creator programme | Removed from the App, including every user's collection, when the open beta ends (or the agreement ends, if sooner) |
| Creators' reference photos | Only needed to produce the avatar | Deleted within 90 days of the avatar being approved |
5. Anonymised contributions
If you contributed a community translation to a health article in the Learn section, your name is removed from that contribution when your account is deleted. The contribution itself may remain visible, attributed to "Community Member".
6. Analytics
We use PostHog for product analytics. When your account is deleted, your analytics profile is also deleted from PostHog. Aggregated, non-personal analytics data (e.g. "100 users logged a meal today") may be retained indefinitely as it cannot be linked to any individual.
7. How to request deletion
Delete your account at any time: Profile → Account → Delete Account.
If you need help or believe data about you has not been correctly deleted, contact us at support@zensus.co.uk.
Under UK GDPR and EU GDPR, you have the right to request erasure of your personal data. We will respond within 30 days. Note that some data listed in §4 above is retained by legal obligation and cannot be erased early.
8. Contact
Questions about this policy: support@zensus.co.uk
This document is informational. It does not create or modify any contractual rights. Refer to the Privacy Policy for the full legal basis for data processing.