iFency is a digital platform for fencing equipment management, competition armoury operations, athlete equipment records and education. This Privacy Notice explains how personal data is collected, used, stored, shared and protected when you use iFency.
It applies to athletes, parents and guardians, competition organisers, federation representatives, armourers, technical officials, coaches, Academy learners and other people who interact with the platform.
1. Who is responsible for your personal data?
iFency is operated by TMVIC Group Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 15039121.
The organisation responsible for your personal data depends on the service you use and the purpose for which your information is processed.
Data controlled by TMVIC Group Ltd
TMVIC acts as the data controller for personal data used to operate and manage your iFency account and the services it provides independently of a particular competition. This includes:
- Account registration, authentication and account administration.
- Your Athlete Passport and personal equipment cabinet.
- Your Academy learning progress, assessment results and certificates.
- Your professional profile and platform-related appointments where TMVIC determines the purpose of processing.
- “If Found” equipment identification and associated messages.
- Platform security, technical operations, customer support and applicable administrative records.
Data controlled by a competition organiser or federation
When a federation, competition organiser or other authorised organisation uses iFency to manage a competition, that organisation normally acts as the data controller for the personal data processed for its competition.
This can include participant registration, competition accreditation, equipment declarations, inspections, readings, defects, repair and reinspection records, station activity, signatures, equipment custody, collection, and authorised handovers between armoury personnel, technical officials and other competition staff.
In these circumstances, TMVIC acts as a data processor, handling the information on the organiser’s documented instructions and under the applicable data processing agreement.
The organiser or federation is responsible for determining the purposes and lawful basis of its competition-related processing, providing any required notices, defining appropriate retention periods and responding to data rights requests relating to its records.
If your request concerns a particular competition, contact the organiser or federation first. You may also contact TMVIC at [email protected], and we will help direct your request to the appropriate responsible organisation.
The allocation of responsibilities depends on the actual processing activity. If TMVIC independently determines a separate purpose for using competition-related information, its responsibilities for that activity will be assessed accordingly.
2. What personal data do we collect?
The information collected depends on your role, the features you use and the competition or organisation involved.
| Data category | Examples | Typical source |
|---|---|---|
| Account and authentication | Name, email address, account identifier, authentication records and account role | You and the authentication service |
| Athlete Passport | Athlete name, country, club, iFency identifier and optional licence or accreditation details | You or an authorised organisation |
| Personal equipment cabinet | Equipment type, make, brand, identifying marks, photographs and return instructions | You |
| Competition and accreditation | Entries, accreditation identifiers, declarations, assigned stations and competition participation | You and the organiser |
| Equipment-control records | Inspection outcomes, readings, defects, failure reasons, repairs, rechecks and clearance records | Authorised competition personnel |
| Reception and custody | Equipment or bag identifiers, reception and collection records, timestamps and electronic signatures | You and authorised staff |
| Officials and professionals | Name, contact details, role, professional profile, appointments and qualifications where supplied | You or an authorised organisation |
| Fency Academy | Learning activity, lesson progress, assessment attempts, scores and certificates | Your use of the Academy |
| Vera AI assistant | Questions submitted and the information required to generate Academy explanations | You and the Academy service |
| If Found | Equipment identification details, finder messages, report timestamps and associated case information | You and the finder |
| Technical and security data | IP address, browser and device information, diagnostic events, access records and security logs | Your device and our service providers |
Not every category applies to every user. The exact information collected depends on the functionality being used and the configuration of the relevant service.
We do not intentionally request government identification numbers, home addresses, payment-card details or health records as standard Athlete Passport information. Information you or an organiser voluntarily provide may nevertheless contain personal or sensitive details. Please do not upload information that is unnecessary for the relevant purpose.
Equipment photographs, signatures, professional credentials and inspection records may themselves constitute personal data when they identify or relate to an individual.
3. Why do we use personal data?
TMVIC uses personal data only where there is an identified purpose and an applicable lawful basis.
| Purpose | Potential lawful basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and maintaining your account | Contract, where processing is necessary to provide the requested service |
| Providing your Athlete Passport and equipment cabinet | Contract or another applicable lawful basis, depending on the feature |
| Delivering Academy lessons, recording progress and issuing certificates | Contract or another applicable lawful basis |
| Managing professional profiles and appointments | Contract, legitimate interests or another applicable lawful basis |
| Providing If Found reports and equipment-return communications | Legitimate interests or another applicable lawful basis |
| Protecting accounts, investigating abuse and maintaining security | Legitimate interests or legal obligation, as applicable |
| Maintaining records required by law | Legal obligation |
| Responding to rights requests and legal claims | Applicable legal obligation or legitimate interests |
| Managing a competition through iFency | The lawful basis determined by the organiser or federation, with TMVIC processing on its instructions |
The applicable lawful basis must be assessed for the specific processing activity. A contractual relationship with one user does not automatically establish a lawful basis for every other use of their information.
Where consent is relied upon, it must be valid, informed, specific and freely given. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
4. Competition equipment control and remote operations
iFency supports digital equipment-control workflows, including equipment declarations, inspection outcomes, recorded defects, repairs, rechecks, station activity and equipment reception and collection.
Authorised organisers, armourers and technical officials may access the information necessary for their assigned responsibilities. Access should be restricted according to role, organisation and competition.
Where remote operations are enabled, authorised personnel may access relevant competition records without being physically present at the venue. This does not automatically make the information public or permit access beyond their assigned permissions.
Equipment-control decisions, including PASS or FAIL outcomes, are made by authorised human personnel. iFency records and communicates those outcomes; it is not a substitute for the professional judgement or applicable rules of the responsible competition officials.
Competition records may be needed to establish what was inspected, what action was taken, who recorded the result and whether equipment was subsequently cleared or collected. The organiser determines the appropriate retention period, subject to applicable law and its contractual arrangements with TMVIC.
5. Athlete Passports and personal equipment
Your Athlete Passport and equipment cabinet allow you to maintain information about yourself and equipment associated with your account.
Depending on the features you use, this may include equipment descriptions, identifying marks, photographs and return instructions. You should only add information you are authorised to provide and should keep it accurate.
Personal equipment records are distinct from competition-specific inspection results. An item recorded in your cabinet is not automatically approved for competition use. Any official inspection or clearance must be recorded through the applicable competition workflow by authorised personnel.
Where equipment is linked to an event, the event organiser may receive access to the information necessary to manage the event. Visibility should be limited to the intended purpose and authorised recipients.
6. Fency Academy and artificial intelligence
Fency Academy provides educational material, learning activities, assessments and certification-related features.
The platform may use an AI assistant, Vera, to explain educational concepts or help learners understand training results. AI-generated information may be incomplete or incorrect and should be checked against applicable official rules and guidance.
Vera is an educational support tool, not a competition official, certification authority or substitute for qualified professional judgement.
Do not enter unnecessary personal information, confidential competition information or information about other people into AI prompts.
Academy questions and answers may be processed by the AI service provider where required to generate a response. The applicable provider, processing location, data-retention arrangements and any model-training restrictions must be described accurately in the relevant provider disclosures and Trust Centre.
AI is not used by iFency to make decisions solely by automated means that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals. Equipment PASS/FAIL decisions remain the responsibility of authorised human personnel.
7. Children and young fencers
iFency may be used by young athletes. Their information must be handled with appropriate care, taking account of their age, understanding, applicable law and the purpose of the service.
Where required by applicable law, a parent or legal guardian must provide or authorise consent for the relevant processing. The applicable requirements depend on the user's location and the service involved.
Parents and legal guardians should use the designated process to exercise rights on behalf of a child where legally authorised. iFency should not assume that a club, coach or federation representative is a child's legal guardian merely because that person is involved in the sport.
Competition organisers remain responsible for ensuring that their collection and use of young participants' information complies with the laws and safeguards applicable to their activities.
For more information, see our Young Fencers and Children's Privacy Policy.
8. Who can receive your information?
Depending on the service and the purpose, personal data may be shared with:
- Competition organisers and federations: information necessary to administer their competitions and fulfil their responsibilities.
- Authorised armourers and officials: records required to perform assigned competition duties.
- Technology and hosting providers: information required to host, secure, maintain and operate iFency.
- Authentication, communications and AI providers: information required for the relevant service, where enabled.
- Professional advisers and authorities: information where necessary for legal advice, regulatory obligations, legal claims or lawful requests.
Service providers are permitted to process information only under the applicable contractual arrangements and instructions, subject to their legal obligations.
TMVIC does not sell personal data or use personal data to serve behavioural advertising.
We do not permit unrelated third parties to access personal data simply because they are involved in fencing. Access must have a legitimate purpose and an appropriate legal and contractual basis.
The current service-provider list, including relevant processing locations, should be available in the Trust Centre.
9. International data transfers
iFency serves users and organisations in different countries. Some service providers may process personal data in locations outside the country in which you live.
Where applicable, iFency's production infrastructure may involve hosting and storage in the European Union, together with global content-delivery, security or network services.
Where a transfer is subject to UK GDPR or EU GDPR, the relevant transfer must comply with the applicable legal requirements. Depending on the circumstances, safeguards may include an adequacy decision, the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses, the UK's International Data Transfer Agreement or UK Addendum, and supplementary measures where required.
The appropriate safeguard depends on the recipient, the destination and the applicable legal framework. We will identify relevant transfer arrangements in the Trust Centre or provide further information upon request, subject to applicable law.
10. How we protect personal data
TMVIC uses technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, alteration, disclosure and destruction.
These measures may include:
- Role-based access controls and organisation-level separation.
- Authentication and access restrictions for authorised personnel.
- Database permissions and policies designed to prevent unauthorised access across organisations.
- Private storage and restricted access for evidence photographs and other files.
- Security monitoring, diagnostic logs and audit records.
- QR codes and other identifiers designed to avoid unnecessarily exposing personal information.
- Backup, recovery and incident-response procedures.
- Agreements and access controls for relevant service providers.
No internet-based service can guarantee absolute security. We regularly assess and improve our safeguards as the platform develops.
Where a personal data breach occurs, TMVIC and the relevant organiser will fulfil their respective notification and response obligations under applicable law.
11. Cookies and similar technologies
iFency may use essential cookies or similar technologies needed for authentication, security, session management and platform functionality.
We do not use personal data for behavioural advertising. Any analytics, optional tracking or non-essential cookies must be disclosed and managed in accordance with applicable consent requirements.
For further information, see our Cookie Notice.
12. How long do we keep your information?
We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to applicable legal obligations and legitimate recordkeeping requirements.
Retention periods vary by category:
- Accounts: while the account remains active and for a defined period afterwards where needed for security, support or legal claims.
- Athlete Passports and equipment cabinets: while needed to provide the service and for any defined period required to close or resolve outstanding matters.
- Academy records and certificates: for the period necessary to provide learning services, verify achievements and address legitimate certification or dispute needs.
- Competition records: for the period determined by the responsible organiser or federation, taking account of sporting integrity, applicable rules, disputes and legal obligations.
- Security and diagnostic logs: for defined periods proportionate to their security and operational purposes.
- Rights requests and legal records: for the period necessary to demonstrate compliance or handle relevant claims.
Where information is no longer required, it will be deleted or anonymised, unless a lawful reason requires continued retention. Backups and technical copies may remain for a limited period under the applicable deletion and recovery procedures.
The organiser or federation is responsible for establishing appropriate retention periods for competition data processed on its behalf. TMVIC will support those arrangements under the applicable data processing agreement.
A detailed retention schedule should be made available through the Trust Centre once the operational periods have been approved and implemented.
13. Your privacy rights
Depending on the applicable law and the circumstances, you may have the right to:
- Request access to your personal data.
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion of your information.
- Request restriction of processing.
- Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Receive certain information in a portable format.
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
- Complain to a competent data protection authority.
These rights are not absolute in every circumstance. For example, certain records may need to be retained to comply with legal obligations, establish or defend legal claims, or protect sporting integrity. Where a request cannot be fully granted, the responsible controller should explain the applicable reason, subject to legal restrictions.
For information controlled by TMVIC, submit a request through Privacy Requests or email [email protected].
For competition-specific data, you may need to contact the relevant organiser or federation. TMVIC will assist in directing the request to the appropriate controller.
We aim to respond within one month of receiving a valid request, subject to the applicable legal rules. Where the law permits an extension, we will notify you accordingly.
You will not be charged for ordinary rights requests unless applicable law permits a reasonable fee or refusal in exceptional circumstances.
14. Complaints and supervisory authorities
If you have concerns about how your information is handled, please contact [email protected] so that we can review the matter or direct it to the responsible controller.
You may also complain to the supervisory authority competent for your circumstances.
In the United Kingdom, this may be the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): https://ico.org.uk/.
If you are in the European Economic Area, you may generally complain to the data protection authority in your country of habitual residence, place of work or the place of the alleged infringement, subject to applicable law.
Other jurisdictions may provide additional rights and complaint routes.
15. Changes to this Privacy Notice
We may update this Notice when iFency's features, service providers, legal obligations or data-processing practices change.
The latest version will be published on the iFency website with its revision date. Where a change is material, we will provide additional notice or seek consent where required by law.
This Notice does not replace any separate privacy notice provided by a competition organiser or federation. Where both notices apply, they should be read together.
16. Contact us
Data protection and privacy enquiries
TMVIC Group Ltd Company number: 15039121 United Kingdom
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://ifency.com
For competition-specific requests, please include the name of the competition and the organiser or federation, if known. Please do not include passwords, unnecessary identity documents or other sensitive information in your initial message.