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Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 1 August 2026

1. Introduction

Darscover ("We," "Our," or "Us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679) ("GDPR") and the Malta Data Protection Act (Chapter 586 Laws of Malta).

This Privacy Policy applies when you use our website ("Website") and the Darscover platform ("Platform").

2. Data Controller

Darscover is the data controller responsible for your personal data. For all privacy-related inquiries, contact us at:

3. Data We Collect

3.1 User Data

Personal Data refers to any information about an individual from which an individual can be identified. When you use Darscover's Platform and/or Website, we collect:

  • Name, email address, and phone number
  • Property preferences and search history
  • Messages sent through our Platform
  • Account credentials
  • Payment transaction data (if applicable)
  • IP address and device information

3.2 Property Inquiry Data

When you inquire about a property, registered or not, we collect:

  • Name and email address provided in the inquiry form
  • Property details inquired about
  • Date and time of inquiry
  • Message content
  • Any additional contact information

This applies whether or not you create an account, accept cookies, or sign in.

3.3 Property Listing Data

For property listings, we collect:

  • Property location and details
  • Photos and videos
  • Pricing information
  • Availability status

3.4 Automated Data Collection

We automatically collect certain data through your interaction with our Website and Platform via analytics tools, cookies, and server logs, including:

  • Browser type and version
  • Operating system
  • Unique device identifiers (e.g., Android Advertising ID)
  • Access times and dates
  • Pages viewed
  • Technical error logs

4. Legal Basis for Processing

4.1 General Processing

  • Necessary: To provide our property listing services (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR)
  • Legitimate Interests: To improve our services, prevent fraud (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with Maltese and EU laws (Article 6(1)(c) GDPR)
  • Consent: For marketing communications with explicit consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR)

4.2 Property Inquiries

  • Legitimate Interest: To facilitate communications between seekers and listers (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR)
  • Necessary: To provide inquiry services and enable transactions (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR)

These bases apply regardless of account creation or cookies.

5. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for:

  • Creating and managing your account
  • Displaying and managing property listings
  • Processing and storing inquiries
  • Connecting seekers with listers
  • Sending service notifications
  • Operating and improving our Platform and Website
  • Preventing fraudulent activities
  • Complying with legal obligations

For non-registered users, we specifically use data to:

  • Forward inquiries to relevant listers
  • Enable communication about the inquired property
  • Prevent spam and abuse
  • Maintain records of property interest

We also employ automated processing on the Platform for:

  • Recommendation systems based on user behaviour
  • Lead generation analytics for agents
  • Screening of uploaded images for content violations
  • Processing saved searches and favourites
  • Automated notifications when properties match saved criteria
  • Tracking filter changes, searches, and interactions

No automated decisions or profiling produce legal effects without oversight.

6. Data Retention

We retain personal data only as long as necessary for its collection purpose and legal requirements.

6.1 Account Data

  • Active accounts: As long as the account remains active
  • Inactive accounts: 12 months after last activity (agency accounts retained while associated)

6.2 Property Data

  • Sold, rented, or under offer: Retained indefinitely
  • Pending, listed, or unlisted: Retained up to 6 months after status change
  • Messages: 24 months from last interaction
  • Financial records: 7 years (legal requirement)

Users may request manual removal at any time via account settings. Agency-linked listings persist regardless of individual account deletion.

6.3 Inquiry Data

  • Property inquiries: Stored 12 months from date of inquiry
  • Contact details from inquiries: 12 months unless an account is created
  • Inquiry messages: 12 months from last interaction

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

You have the right to:

  • Request access to your personal data (Article 15 GDPR)
  • Request correction of inaccurate data (Article 16 GDPR)
  • Request deletion of data in specific circumstances (Article 17 GDPR)
  • Object to processing based on legitimate interests (Article 21 GDPR)
  • Request data portability (Article 20 GDPR)
  • Request restriction of processing in certain scenarios (Article 18 GDPR)
  • Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

These rights apply to all users whose data we can identify.

To exercise your rights, contact us at legal@darscover.com.

8. Data Sharing

8.1 Third-Party Recipients

We may share data with:

  • Property listers (for inquiry handling)
  • Hosting and cloud service providers
  • Email service providers
  • Analytics services
  • Payment providers
  • Fraud prevention services

We require all third parties to treat your data securely and only as instructed.

8.2 International Transfers

We do not transfer data outside the EU/EEA. If transfers occur, we use EU-approved adequacy decisions or standard contractual clauses and implement appropriate safeguards.

9. Data Security

We implement technical and organizational measures, including:

  • Encryption of personal data
  • Regular security assessments
  • Access controls and authentication
  • Staff training on data protection
  • Incident response procedures

Access is limited to those with a business need to know, under confidentiality obligations.

10. Cookies

We use cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy: Cookie Policy.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect data from minors.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy periodically. Significant changes will be notified via:

  • Email (for registered users)
  • Platform notifications
  • Website postings

Please keep your personal data accurate and inform us of any changes.

13. Specific Rights for EU/Malta Residents

EU/Malta residents have additional rights:

  • Transparency in processing
  • Right to be forgotten
  • Restrictions on processing
  • Objection to automated decision-making

14. Data Protection Officer

While not required, privacy inquiries can be directed to: legal@darscover.com.

15. Complaints

If you have concerns about your data, you can:

  • Contact us at legal@darscover.com to resolve the issue
  • Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority
  • Contact the Malta Information and Data Protection Commissioner

16. Marketing Communications

We only send marketing communications with explicit consent. You can:

  • Opt out at any time
  • Choose communication preferences
  • Unsubscribe from emails

17. Contact Information

For privacy-related matters please contact us on:

18. WhatsApp and Messaging Services

Section added: 31 July 2026.

When you contact us on WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger or Instagram, an automated assistant supervised by our team handles the conversation, and we store it to provide the service:

  • What we store: your phone number or chat id, your messaging profile name, the conversation content (including photos and voice notes you send and buttons you tap), your language, how you found us (for example a Facebook post or ad, including Meta's click identifiers), and message delivery metadata.
  • AI processing: messages are processed by AI language models to run the conversation, detect your language, transcribe voice notes and extract the listing details you provide. Your messages are not used to train AI models, and no automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects are made about you.
  • Legal bases: performance of the service you request (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR) and our legitimate interest in support, dispute resolution, abuse prevention and service quality (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).
  • Retention: conversations are deleted automatically after 12 months; abandoned listing drafts are cleared after 90 days.
  • Processors for this service: Meta Platforms (WhatsApp Business Platform, Messenger, Instagram), OpenAI (AI processing) and Neon (database hosting in the EU).
  • Enquiries: when you enquire about a listing, your enquiry (name, contact details, message) is delivered to the relevant owner or agency, who handle it as independent controllers.
  • Your controls, in the chat: reply DATA for a copy of what we hold, DELETE to erase your chat history and messaging profile, or STOP to stop messages. You can also contact legal@darscover.com.

19. Social Media Publishing and YouTube API Services

Section added: 1 August 2026.

We publish short videos and images about our listings and about the Maltese property market to our own social media accounts, including our YouTube channel. This section explains what that involves for your data.

  • What we publish: videos and images made from listing photographs, listing details, and aggregated market statistics drawn from our own database. Where a video features a specific property, it uses the photographs and details the lister provided for publication.
  • What we do NOT collect: we use YouTube API Services only to upload our own videos to our own channel. We do not access, request, collect, or store any personal data about you or any other YouTube viewer through the YouTube API. We do not read your YouTube account, viewing history, subscriptions, comments, or any other YouTube data.
  • No sign-in required: you never sign in with a Google Account to use Darscover, and our use of YouTube API Services involves no end-user authorisation. The only account authorised is a Darscover staff account used to publish to our own channel.
  • YouTube API Services: by using YouTube API Services we are bound by the YouTube Terms of Service. Google's handling of any data it collects is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.
  • Revoking access: the authorisation our staff account has granted to our own application can be reviewed and revoked at any time via the Google security settings page. If you are a YouTube viewer, no permission of yours is involved and there is nothing for you to revoke.
  • Data stored by us: for each video we publish we store the video identifier, the publication time, and aggregate performance counts (such as view and like totals) supplied by the platform. These are counts, not information about identifiable people. We delete this record when we remove the corresponding post, and in any event within 24 months.
  • If your listing appears in a video: you may ask us to remove it at any time by contacting legal@darscover.com. We will delete the video from the relevant platforms. Note that copies already downloaded or reshared by third parties are outside our control.
  • Other platforms: the same applies to our accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Pinterest and TikTok. We publish our own content to them and do not gather personal data about their users through their APIs.

20. Property Valuation Tool and Agency Introductions

Section added: 11 August 2026.

Our free property valuation tool shows an estimated value range for a property you describe. The range is always shown without asking for any personal data.

  • What we collect, only if you choose: your email address (to send the valuation breakdown you request), what you are considering doing with the property (selling, letting, undecided), and optionally your phone number.
  • Legal bases: sending the breakdown you asked for is performance of a service (Article 6(1)(b) GDPR). Occasional Malta market updates rely on the soft opt-in for existing customers, with the opportunity to object at collection and in every email. An agency introduction happens only with your explicit consent (Article 6(1)(a) GDPR), given on a separate screen that states exactly what will be shared and with how many recipients.
  • Agency introductions: if you ask us to put you in touch with an agency, we share your name, email address, phone number if provided, and the details of the property you valued with up to 4 estate agencies covering your locality, and we tell you which agencies they are. Once shared, each agency handles your data as an independent controller for the purpose of contacting you about selling or letting that property. We record the exact wording you consented to and when you consented.
  • If you decline: nothing is shared with anyone. We record only that you were asked and declined.
  • Withdrawal: email legal@darscover.com at any time. We stop all further sharing immediately and notify each agency that already received your details that you have withdrawn. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of sharing that happened before it.
  • Retention: valuation records follow the periods in Section 6; consent records are retained for as long as we must be able to demonstrate your choice (Article 7(1) GDPR) and are erased when your data is erased.