Buildhive Privacy & Cookie Policy
Effective date: 23/06/2025
At Buildhive ("we", "our", "us"), accessible via Buildhive.be, we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy and Cookie Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal data, and informs you about your rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR") and Belgian law (Law of 30 July 2018).
1. About Buildhive
Buildhive will act as the controller of your personal data. We report to the Belgian Data Protection Authority (DPA).
For all questions regarding your data, you can reach us at:
2. Personal Data We Process
2.1 Direct Marketing
We may process your personal data to send you information about our services and updates.
Personal Data:
- Identification and contact details: surname, first name, address, telephone number
- Personal characteristics: language
- Information obtained from third-party sources (e.g., LinkedIn)
Legal Basis:
- If you are a client: our legitimate interest (freedom of entrepreneurship)
- If you are not a client: your consent
Retention Period:
Up to 3 years after the last meaningful contact, extendable with your consent.
2.2 Customer Management
We process data to manage our relationship with customers and deliver our services.
Personal Data:
- Identification and contact details
- Financial data (payment information)
- Language
- Professional data (occupation, career)
Sources:
Including public databases such as Banque-Carrefour des Entreprises and social networks like LinkedIn.
Legal Basis:
- Contractual necessity
- Legal obligation
Retention Period:
10 years after the end of the contractual relationship, unless longer retention is required by law.
2.3 Legal Obligations
We process personal data to comply with legal obligations, including accounting and tax requirements.
Personal Data:
- Identification and contact details
- Financial data
Legal Basis:
Legal obligation.
Retention Period:
As required by applicable law.
2.4 Statistical Purpose
We may process data for statistical analysis. Specific privacy statements will apply to each separate activity.
2.5 Email link interactions
When you receive a quote or message from Buildhive, the email may include a unique link to access that information directly. If you click the link, we may log that action to help the sender track the status of the request (e.g., viewed or not).
2.6 Google User Data (Gmail Integration)
When you connect your Google account to Buildhive, we request access to your Gmail data through the Google API Services. This access is used solely to provide the features you explicitly request within Buildhive (e.g., sending project quotes or communications directly from your Gmail address). Buildhive's use and transfer of information received from Google APIs to any other app will adhere to Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Data Accessed:
- Email content: to send, read, or modify emails on your behalf as triggered by you within Buildhive
- Email metadata: sender, recipients, subject line, and timestamps
How We Use It:
- To send emails on your behalf through your connected Gmail account when you initiate an action in Buildhive
- To read or modify emails only when you explicitly trigger a feature requiring it
Storage:
We do not store the content of your emails on Buildhive servers beyond what is strictly necessary to complete the requested action. No email content is retained after the action is performed.
Sharing:
Google user data is never sold, rented, or shared with third parties. It is never used for advertising, profiling, or any purpose other than the specific Buildhive features you choose to use.
Our use of information received from Google APIs complies with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements (https://developers.google.com/terms/api-services-user-data-policy).
2.7 Microsoft User Data (Outlook / Microsoft 365 Integration)
When you connect a Microsoft account to Buildhive (including personal, work, or school accounts where your organisation allows it), we access your mailbox through Microsoft APIs (such as Microsoft Graph) solely to provide features you explicitly enable, for example sending project-related messages from your Microsoft email address or synchronising mail when you request it. We do not use this access for unrelated purposes.
Data Accessed:
- Email content: to send, read, or update messages on your behalf when you trigger the action in Buildhive
- Email metadata: sender, recipients, subject line, and timestamps
- Identifiers needed to maintain and refresh the connection to your Microsoft account
How We Use It:
- To send email on your behalf through your connected Microsoft mailbox when you initiate an action in Buildhive
- To read or update messages only when you explicitly use a feature that requires it
Storage:
We do not store the content of your emails on Buildhive servers beyond what is strictly necessary to complete the requested action. No email content is retained after the action is performed, except where you explicitly save content inside Buildhive as part of normal product use (e.g. attachments or records you choose to keep in your project workspace).
Sharing:
Data obtained from Microsoft is never sold, rented, or shared with third parties for their own advertising or profiling. It is used only for the Buildhive features you choose. Where Microsoft processes data on our behalf as a sub-processor, that processing is governed by applicable agreements and Microsoft's privacy commitments for its services.
Organisation administrators may control or revoke third-party access to Microsoft 365 data; if access is revoked, related Buildhive features will stop working until you reconnect or use another integration.
2.8 Custom IMAP and SMTP (Your Own Mail Server)
Instead of Google or Microsoft, you may configure Buildhive to use your own email infrastructure by providing IMAP settings (for receiving and synchronisation) and, where applicable, SMTP settings (for sending). You choose the server hostname, ports, encryption mode, and credentials. Buildhive uses this configuration only to operate the mailbox connection you set up and to perform actions you explicitly initiate.
Data Involved:
- Connection details you supply: mail server hostnames, ports, encryption preferences, and authentication credentials (e.g. username, password, or app-specific password)
- Email content and metadata processed when you use Buildhive features that interact with that mailbox (e.g. send, read, or sync on your instruction)
How We Use It:
- To connect to your mail server over the protocols you configure and carry out operations you explicitly start in Buildhive
- To maintain the integration (e.g. token refresh where supported by your server) until you disconnect it
Storage:
Credentials and server settings are stored using strong encryption and industry-standard safeguards. They are not used for any purpose other than operating your configured integration. Email message content is not retained on our servers beyond what is strictly necessary to complete each requested action, unless you deliberately store material in the product as part of your workflow.
Sharing:
We do not sell, rent, or disclose your IMAP/SMTP credentials or mailbox contents to third parties for marketing. Access is limited to what is needed to provide the service and may involve technical subprocessors (e.g. hosting) who are bound by contract to protect your data.
You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to connect the mailbox you configure and for any obligations toward your email provider or employer. You can remove the integration at any time from Buildhive; we will then delete or invalidate stored credentials according to our retention practices.
3. Cookie Policy
We use cookies to improve your browsing experience, analyze website traffic, and provide you with relevant content and advertisements.
Types of Cookies:
- Essential Cookies: Required for website functionality.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand website usage (e.g., via Google Analytics).
- Marketing Cookies: Used to deliver personalized ads.
Managing Cookies:
You can manage your cookie preferences at any time by adjusting your browser settings or through our Cookie Consent Tool available on our website.
4. Sharing Your Personal Data
We may share your data with:
- Service providers (processors)
- National and European public authorities
- Financial institutions, insurers, and payment providers
- Professional and legal advisers
International Transfers:
Where personal data is transferred outside the European Economic Area (EEA):
- For the United States: EU-US Privacy Shield and/or Standard Contractual Clauses
- For other countries: Standard Contractual Clauses
We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for any international transfers.
5. Your Rights under GDPR
You have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Right of access (Article 15 GDPR)
- Right to rectification (Article 16 GDPR)
- Right to erasure ("Right to be forgotten") (Article 17 GDPR)
- Right to object (especially to direct marketing)
- Right to restrict processing
- Right to data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
- Right to withdraw your consent at any time
- Right to lodge a complaint with the Belgian Data Protection Authority
To exercise your rights:
Contact us at info@buildhive.be. In case of reasonable doubt about your identity, we may request proof of identity.
6. Data Security
We implement technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, or destruction.
However, no system is completely secure. You are also responsible for maintaining the security of your personal account information, including the use of strong passwords.
7. Data Breaches
In the unlikely event of a data breach affecting your personal data and causing significant risk, we will notify the Belgian Data Protection Authority and affected individuals in accordance with GDPR requirements.
8. Automated Decision-Making
We do not use personal data for automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or significantly affects you.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy and Cookie Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on our website with a new effective date. We encourage you to review this page regularly.
Contact Us
For any questions, concerns, or to exercise your rights, please contact: