Privacy notice

Alpacora (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is the controller of the personal information described in this notice. This notice applies when you visit the website, apply for early access, create an account, or use the Platform.

We collect information you provide and information created as you use Alpacora, including:

• Account information, such as your name, email address, password credential, verification status, and account security information.
• Early-access application information, including your design-work description, profile image, links, application status, and review communications.
• Profile information, such as your display or business name, biography, profile image, craft information, and website or social-profile links.
• Pattern-test information, including project details, pattern files, images, invitations, applications, answers, milestones, check-ins, progress updates, and feedback.
• Content you share with designers, makers, team members, or Alpacora, including feed posts, replies, reports, and support messages.
• Technical and security information, such as IP address, browser and device information, request dates and times, and server or security logs.

A designer or team member may give us your email address to invite you to a pattern test, and other participants may create project records or communications that refer to you. We use that information only to provide and safeguard the relevant Platform feature.

Alpacora does not ask you to provide sensitive personal information. Please avoid including information about health, beliefs, identity, or other sensitive matters in free-text fields, messages, or uploads unless it is genuinely needed and you are comfortable sharing it with the people who can access that part of a project.

We use personal information for the following purposes and lawful bases:

• To create accounts, provide profiles and pattern-test tools, authenticate users, process applications, and deliver requested features. We rely on performance of our contract with you or steps taken at your request before entering a contract.
• To review early-access applications and manage the testing group. We rely on our legitimate interests in operating a safe, manageable early-access programme.
• To send verification, password-reset, service, application, invitation, support, and security messages. We rely on our contract, legitimate interests, or legal obligations depending on the message.
• To protect accounts, prevent misuse, diagnose faults, enforce our rules, and maintain service records. We rely on our legitimate interests and legal obligations.
• To understand feedback and improve Alpacora. We rely on our legitimate interests, using the least personal information reasonably needed.
• To establish, exercise, or defend legal claims and comply with applicable law. We rely on legal obligations and legitimate interests.

Fields marked as required are needed to process an application, create or secure an account, or provide the feature you requested. If you do not provide them, we may be unable to provide that feature. Optional profile and project information can be left out.

Some designer-profile and shared project information may be visible publicly. Information inside a pattern test is shared only with people whose role and access allow them to see it, such as the relevant designer team and participating makers. Before posting or uploading content, check who the feature says it will be shared with.

We may share personal information:

• With designers, team members, and makers where needed for the pattern test or feature you choose to use.
• With providers that host the Platform, store uploaded files, deliver email, or help us operate and secure the service. They may process information only for the agreed service and under appropriate data-protection terms.
• Where required by law, to protect legal rights or safety, or in connection with a reorganisation or transfer of the Platform subject to appropriate safeguards.
• We do not sell personal information and do not share it with advertisers or data brokers.

Some service providers may process information outside the United Kingdom. Where UK data-protection law requires it, we use an adequacy decision, approved contractual safeguards, or another lawful transfer mechanism. You may contact us for more information about safeguards relevant to your information.

Alpacora does not use advertising or analytics cookies. The web application currently uses:

• alpacora-session: an encrypted, HttpOnly, SameSite=Lax cookie used to sign you in and protect your account. It is removed when you sign out and is otherwise a browser-session cookie.
• alpacora-color-theme: a SameSite=Lax appearance-preference cookie that remembers light, dark, or system mode for up to one year. Choosing system mode removes it.
• A short-lived browser session-storage marker may be used after you leave a pattern test so that restored browser pages do not show project information you should no longer access. It remains on your device for that browser tab or session.

If we introduce analytics, advertising, or other non-essential cookies or storage, we will update this notice and provide any consent controls required by law before using them.

We keep personal information only for as long as needed for the purposes described here. Retention depends on whether your account or application remains active, whether project records are needed by participants, security and backup cycles, and legal or dispute-resolution requirements. When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymise it. You may contact us to ask about a particular record or request deletion.

Depending on the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Ask for a copy of your personal information.
• Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Ask us to delete your information.
• Ask us to restrict how we use your information.
• Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Receive certain information in a portable, machine-readable form.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent, without affecting earlier lawful processing.

To exercise a right, contact us using the address below. We may need to confirm your identity. Some rights are subject to legal exceptions.

Alpacora does not use solely automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects. Early-access applications are reviewed by a person.

We use technical and organisational safeguards intended to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction. No internet service can guarantee absolute security.

Alpacora is not intended for anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Contact us if you believe a child has provided personal information to Alpacora.

Contact us first if you have a privacy question, want to exercise a data-protection right, or wish to complain:

You also have the right to complain to the UK Information Commissioner’s Office.

support@alpacora.com

Visit the Information Commissioner’s Office

We may update this notice as Alpacora develops or legal requirements change. We will publish the new version here and update the date above. If a change materially affects how we use account information, we will take reasonable steps to tell account holders.