Privacy & Cookie Policy

How we collect, use, and protect your information.

Last updated: July 2025

1. Data Controller

The Data Controller for personal data collected through this website is:

Balouo Salo ETS
Via Timparosa 9 — 95021 Acicastello (CT), Italy
Email: info@kairalooro.com
Fiscal Code: 90054350872

Balouo Salo is a non-profit humanitarian organization registered in Italy, and the organizer of the event called Kaira Looro Architecture Competition. For any questions regarding this privacy policy or the processing of your personal data, you may contact us at the email address above.

2. Data We Collect

We collect and process the following categories of personal data, provided voluntarily by you during registration, newsletter subscription, or participation in the Kaira Looro Architecture Competition:

Identification data: first name, last name, date of birth, nationality.
Contact data: email address, country of residence.
Professional data: university affiliation, graduation year, team composition (for competition registration).
Payment data: transaction identifiers (full payment details are processed exclusively by our third-party payment providers and are not stored on our servers).
Technical data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referring URL, pages visited, and time spent on the site (collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies).

All personal data is collected for the purposes described in Section 3 and is limited to what is strictly necessary for those purposes, in compliance with the principle of data minimization under Article 5(1)(c) of the GDPR.

3. How We Use Your Data

Your personal data is processed for the following purposes, based on the legal grounds specified by the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR — Regulation 2016/679):

3.1 Competition Registration & Participation

Legal basis: Performance of a contract (Art. 6.1.b GDPR).
To manage your registration, process your payment, identify your project submission, and communicate competition results.

3.2 Newsletter & Promotional Communications

Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6.1.a GDPR).
To send you updates about Kaira Looro editions, deadlines, jury announcements, winner reveals, and humanitarian projects by Balouo Salo. You may withdraw your consent at any time using the unsubscribe link in every email.

3.3 Publication of Winners & Awarded Projects

Legal basis: Legitimate interest (Art. 6.1.f GDPR).
The names of winners, finalists, and awarded participants, along with their project images and descriptions, may be published on the Kaira Looro website, social media channels, competition book, and partner architecture magazines. This is an essential part of the competition's mission to promote young architectural talent globally.

3.4 Website Functionality & Security

Legal basis: Legitimate interest (Art. 6.1.f GDPR).
Technical data is processed to ensure the proper functioning of the website, prevent fraud, and improve user experience.

When you subscribe to the Kaira Looro newsletter, your email address is stored securely and used exclusively to send you:

Announcements about upcoming Kaira Looro competition editions
Key dates, deadlines, and registration openings
Jury member announcements
Winner reveals and project showcases
News about Balouo Salo humanitarian projects

Your email address is never sold, rented, or shared with third parties for marketing purposes. Our newsletter list is managed internally and is not accessible to any external organization.

Every newsletter email includes a clearly visible unsubscribe link at the bottom. Clicking this link will immediately and permanently remove your email address from our mailing list. You may also request removal at any time by writing to info@kairalooro.com.

We use third-party email delivery services (such as JotForm and Mailchimp) to manage newsletter subscriptions and send emails. These providers act as Data Processors on our behalf and are contractually bound to process your data only according to our instructions.

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal data to anyone. We share data only with the following categories of third-party service providers, who act as Data Processors under strict contractual obligations:

Payment processors (for competition registration fees)
Email delivery services (JotForm, Mailchimp — for newsletter distribution)
Web hosting and analytics providers (Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel — for aggregated site statistics)
Jury members (anonymized project submissions for evaluation purposes only)

All Data Processors are carefully selected and are bound by written agreements that guarantee compliance with GDPR. We do not transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area unless adequate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) are in place.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected:

Competition registration data: retained for the duration of the competition edition plus 5 years for legal and archival purposes.
Newsletter subscriptions: retained until you unsubscribe or withdraw your consent.
Winner and finalist names and projects: retained indefinitely for historical archive and portfolio purposes.
Technical data (cookies): retained as specified in Section 9.

After the retention period expires, your personal data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

7. Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right of access (Art. 15): You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification (Art. 16): You may request that inaccurate or incomplete data be corrected.
Right to erasure (Art. 17): You may request that your data be deleted ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal retention obligations.
Right to restriction of processing (Art. 18): You may request that we limit how we use your data.
Right to data portability (Art. 20): You may request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to object (Art. 21): You may object to the processing of your data based on legitimate interest, including objection to direct marketing.
Right to withdraw consent (Art. 7.3): Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.
Right to lodge a complaint (Art. 77): You have the right to file a complaint with the Italian Data Protection Authority (Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali) or your local supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@kairalooro.com. We will respond within 30 days, as required by law.

8. Cookie Policy

This website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to ensure proper functionality, improve user experience, and analyze site traffic. This section explains what cookies are, which ones we use, and how you can control them.

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website places on your device (computer, tablet, or smartphone) when you visit it. Cookies allow the website to recognize your device on subsequent visits, remember your preferences, and provide certain functionalities. Cookies do not damage your device and do not contain viruses.

9.1 Strictly Necessary Cookies (Technical Cookies)

These cookies are essential for the website to function properly. They enable core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility. The website cannot function properly without these cookies. Legal basis: Legitimate interest (Art. 6.1.f GDPR). Consent is not required for these cookies.

Session cookies: Maintain your session while navigating the site. Deleted when you close your browser.
Language preference cookies: Remember your chosen language for the multilingual index pages.
Cookie consent cookie: Stores your cookie preferences (accept/reject).

9.2 Analytics Cookies

These cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the website by collecting and reporting information anonymously. We use them to improve the site structure and content. Legal basis: Consent (Art. 6.1.a GDPR).

Google Analytics (Universal Analytics): Collects anonymized data about page views, traffic sources, and user behavior. No personally identifiable information is stored. Data retention: 26 months. Google Privacy Policy.
Facebook Pixel: Helps us measure the effectiveness of our social media communications by understanding actions people take on our website. No personally identifiable information is shared with third parties for advertising purposes. Facebook Privacy Policy.

9.3 Third-Party Cookies

Some services integrated into our website may set their own cookies. These are subject to the privacy policies of the respective providers:

JotForm: Used for newsletter subscription and contact forms. JotForm Privacy Policy.
Font Awesome (CDN): Delivers icons used across the website. May collect usage statistics. Font Awesome Privacy Policy.

When you first visit our website, a cookie banner is displayed, allowing you to accept or reject non-essential cookies (analytics and third-party cookies). Strictly necessary cookies are always active and cannot be disabled.

You can also manage or delete cookies at any time through your browser settings:

Google Chrome: Settings → Privacy and Security → Cookies and other site data
Mozilla Firefox: Options → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data
Safari: Preferences → Privacy → Cookies and website data
Microsoft Edge: Settings → Site permissions → Cookies and site data

Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the website and your ability to use some of its features, including the registration process.

11. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorized disclosure, or access. These measures include:

SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through the website
Secure servers located within the European Union
Access controls and authentication mechanisms for administrative areas
Regular security assessments and updates
Staff training on data protection obligations

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy & Cookie Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal obligations. The date of the most recent update is indicated at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. In the event of material changes, we will notify you via the email address you provided (if you are a registered user or newsletter subscriber) or through a prominent notice on our website.

13. Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy & Cookie Policy or the processing of your personal data, please contact us:

Email: info@kairalooro.com
Postal address: Balouo Salo ETS, Catania, Italy

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In Italy, the competent authority is the Garante per la Protezione dei Dati Personali (www.garanteprivacy.it).