PRIVACY POLICY

1. Introduction

At World Aquatics, we attach great importance to your privacy and undertake to protect all personal data that we collect and process in relation to your use of our digital services such as websites, newsletters, registration systems, or online resources offered on the www.worldaquatics.com website (hereinafter "Site") and other digital properties operated by World Aquatics (hereinafter "Services"). The present Privacy Policy, as updated by World Aquatics (hereinafter "we", "us", or "our") from time to time, defines the conditions under which World Aquatics processes your personal data.

We may provide you with additional privacy notices from time to time and due to the nature and purpose of use of certain of Services. This is for instance the case for certain systems for event registration mechanisms managed by World Aquatics, i.e. the General Management System (GMS). In such cases, these specific terms will be brought to your attention before you use the relevant Services and will prevail over the terms of this Privacy Policy in case of any inconsistency.

2. Who is responsible for the processing of your personal data?

The legal entity responsible for processing your personal data as a data controller is:

World Aquatics

Chemin de Bellevue 24 A / 24 B

1005 Lausanne

Switzerland

Email: dataprivacy@worldaquatics.com

3. Definitions

"Personal data" means any information which relates to an identified or identifiable natural person. An identified or identifiable natural person is one who can be identified, directly or indirectly, in particular by reference to an identifier such as names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, etc.

"Special category data" means personal data relating to racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data or biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person's sex life or sexual orientation, as well as data relating to administrative and criminal proceedings or sanctions/convictions and data relating to social security measures.

"Processing" covers all activities relating to the use of personal data or on sets of personal data, whether or not by automated means, such as collection, recording, organization, structuring, storage, adaption or alteration, retrieval, consultation, use, disclosure by transmission, dissemination or otherwise making available, alignment or combination, restriction, erasure or destruction.

"Data subject" means a natural person whose personal data is being processed.

"Data controller" means the organisation which determines the purposes and means of the processing of personal data and ensures that personal data is processed in accordance with data protection laws.

4. Governing laws and fundamental principles

This Privacy Policy stems from and complies with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (hereinafter referred to as "FADP") and, to the extent applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (hereinafter referred to as "GDPR") (together referred to as the "applicable data protection laws").

The fundamental principles of applicable data protection laws and this Privacy Policy are:

Lawfulness, fairness and transparency
Purpose limitation
Data minimisation
Accuracy
Storage limitation
Confidentiality, accessibility and integrity

5. What personal data does World Aquatics collect?

We obtain personal data either directly from an athlete, from a team member of an athlete or the user or from a platform made publicly accessible, from a continental organization such as European Aquatics, from a Member of the National Federations such as the British Swimming Ltd., or from an official partner of us presented on the Site, such as OMEGA or any other publicly available sources.

World Aquatics processes personal data in respect of your use of the Site in order to provide you with Services, to communicate with you and to publish and share information related to the aquatics sports.

The use of certain functionalities of the Site requires that you register with World Aquatics and provide World Aquatics with certain information about yourself, including personal data within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws.

The personal data that World Aquatics processes are:

a.	Personal identification information (first name, last name, title, date of birth, passport or ID card details, gender, etc.);
b.	Contact data (address, email address, phone number etc.);
c.	Financial data (bank account, payment card details, etc.);
d.	Transaction data (details about payments and details of products and services purchased);
e.	Profile data (username, password, your interests, orders made by you, etc.);
f.	Usage data (information about how you use the Site);
g.	Technical data (IP address, information related to your browser, operation system and platform, etc.);
h.	Marketing and communications data;
i.	Cookie and device data.

World Aquatics may implement an automatic tracking process gathering anonymous device and system information to help improve the content of the Site, customize the Site for our visitors and learn more about them and how they use the Site (see section 6 for more information).

World Aquatics commits to always processing your personal data according to the fundamental principles pointed out in Section 4.

6. Cookies

World Aquatics uses automatic tracking mechanisms ("cookies") to process certain data while you are browsing the Site. World Aquatics may also implement third-party cookies including from organisations that provide certain Services to World Aquatics such as content, analytics and advertising.

World Aquatics uses first-party and third-party cookies to improve the content of our Services, customise them according to user preferences, and conduct traffic and audience research and marketing activities.

For more information regarding our use of cookies, please follow this link for our Cookie Policy.

7. What does World Aquatics do with your personal data?

World Aquatics processes your personal data for the following purposes:

Participation in activities

By participating in the competitions and other activities organized by World Aquatics on the Site or otherwise such as our congresses, or when you have a contract with World Aquatics, World Aquatics processes personal data about you, such as your name, your role in the specific activity, your contact information (address, email address) as well as your birthdate, country of origin, gender and a picture of you and your results in the specific activity. We may also process information on your height as well as social media accounts related to you, if provided.

This personal data is used to make available through the Services publicly available information related to Aquatics sports, Olympic Games, Youth Olympic Games, other events, Olympians and other athletes, sports and news stories.

This personal data is processed based on our legitimate interest to provide secure and efficient Services that are consistent with the Site Terms so that visitors, partners and fans may receive high-quality Services and may enjoy Aquatics and Olympic-related content corresponding to their interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

If you have a contractual relation to us, the data are processed based on the necessity for the performance of our contractual obligations (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

When you participate in competitions as an athlete we will need to collect additional information about you in GMS. More information on how we collect, process and store your personal data on GMS, please refer to the GMS Privacy Policy: https://data.worldaquatics.com/TermsAndConditions/TermsAndConditions.htm.

Registration with the Site

If you register for the use of the Site, we process various personal data, such as your name, email address and affiliation. We use these personal data to manage registrations and user accounts.

This personal data is processed based on our legitimate interest in conducting and developing our business and for the performance of the contract (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Contacting World Aquatics

We may process personal data such as your name, email address, query and any other information you provide if you contact us by email or otherwise. In this case, we use your personal data to contact you, answer your query, provide you with Services or information which you or someone has requested on your behalf or in connection with a contract with World Aquatics.

This personal data is processed based on our legitimate interest in conducting and developing our business and answering your queries (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

If you have a contractual relation to us, the data are processed based on the necessity for the performance of our contractual obligations (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

Marketing and Newsletter

You have the option of subscribing to our marketing communications and newsletter. The subscription is based on a registration, which requires the following data: your email address, your first name and your last name. We use marketing communications and newsletters in order to communicate with you in relation to the Services. The processing of your data is also used for evaluation purposes and to display advertising.

Marketing communications and newsletters are sent to you solely based on your consent pursuant to Article 6(1)(a) GDPR, which you can revoke by unsubscribing at any time (in which case you will be removed from our system and will no longer receive our newsletters).

We have partners whom we share personal data with, because they may offer you their services. For more information on the disclosure of personal data to third parties, please see section 11.

Use of the Site

When you visit our website, we collect the following information: version of web browser, IP address, time zone, cookie information, device source, payment references, purchases, what sites or products you view, search terms, and how you interact with our website. We process such personal data for the maintenance and development of the Site. We use the Site in order to secure and develop the Services and for providing you with Services or information which you have requested. We also use certain data to ensure the security of the Site and Services and to maintenance purposes.

In order to achieve the above purposes, we use cookies on our website. For more information on the use of cookies by us, please see section 6 of this Privacy Policy.

This personal data is processed based on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR).

Statistics

For the compilation of statistics in order to improve the quality of the Services offered to users we process anonymized user data collected on the Site. The goal of the statistics is analyzing and improving the Site and our Services and personalising your experience of the Services by customising certain features based on your interests.

This personal data is processed based on our legitimate interest in operating a functioning website and analyzing the use of our website (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

If you have a contractual relation to us, we costumise the features to your interests, the personal data are processed based on the necessity for the performance of our contractual obligations (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

Social Plugins

We use the following social plugins on our website: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Weibo and WeChat ("social network"), which you can recognize by the respective icon which is placed on our website. If you interact with this social network, e.g., if you click on the icon on our website, the information collected by the social plugin will be forwarded to the respective social network. These social plugins are not automatically activated. However, if you have an account with such social network, and if you are logged into your account by clicking on the corresponding icon on our website, this social network can link this information with your profile.

For more information on how our social media partners process the personal information they collect about you, please refer to their respective privacy policies and notices.

This personal data is processed based on our legitimate interest in operating a functioning website (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR).

Recruiting

If you apply for a job or a recruiting event with us, you may need to provide information about you, including personal data such as CVs, diplomas, professional experience, references, as well as special category data such as criminal records, family situation, any disability requiring special arrangements of the workplace. We will use this information to consider your application and to carry out checks to verify the information you provided (including references, identity, suitability, excerpts from the debt enforcements register and criminal record checks, to the extent permitted by law).

Where we need to collect information required for your employment and you fail to provide that information when requested, we may not be able to further consider your employment.

This personal data is processed based on our legitimate interest in recruiting new employees pursuant to article 6(1)(f) GDPR and, in case the application is successful, the conclusion and performance of a contract pursuant to article 6(1)(b) GDPR.

Other processing activities

We process your personal data to the extent we have a legal obligation to do so or to defend, exercise or establish a legal claim which is in our legitimate interest.

This personal data is processed based on the necessity to comply with our legal obligations if World Aquatics is ever obliged to process or share your personal data with judiciary or law enforcement authorities (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR).

8. Data Security

World Aquatics is committed to ensuring the best possible level of security for your personal data and will take adequate technical and organizational measures to protect your data against the risks of damage, improper use or disclosure, destruction, accidental loss or unauthorized access. All personal data provided by you will be held strictly confidential.

Our employees and third-party service providers who have access to confidential information (including your personal data) are subject to confidentiality obligations and have signed the necessary data protection agreements, to the extent required.

World Aquatics will retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes set forth above. Please note that data may be kept for a longer period of time exclusively for mere statistical purposes and World Aquatics shall use anonymous data wherever possible.

9. Data Retention

World Aquatics will retain your personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes set forth above. Personal data is generally deleted when the retention period expires. As a general rule, World Aquatics stores personal data for at least ten years since we were last in contact with you, since you last logged into your account, since you stopped your athletic career etc. That being said, personal data collected for recruitment purposes is deleted after three months if a candidate is not hired by us.

Additionally, World Aquatics is permitted to store personal data for a longer period if you have consented to this and have not revoked your consent or if this is required to fulfil legal or regulatory requirements (for example accounting rules or tax law) and for as long as claims could be brought against us.

Please note that data may also be kept for a longer period of time exclusively for statistical purposes and in such cases World Aquatics uses anonymous personal data wherever possible.

10. Hosting, disclosure and transfer of your personal data

World Aquatics is based in Switzerland and generally, all personal data you submit to World Aquatics will be processed in Switzerland.

Where necessary or useful for the provision of our Services or for other purposes defined in this Privacy Policy, we may share your personal data with third parties such as IT providers, hosts of competitions, National Member Federations, our business partners, sponsors, online streaming providers, our advisors and lawyers, insurance companies, courts and authorities. Additionally, we may share your personal data with third parties if you have consented to us doing so (where necessary), we are under a legal, regulatory, or professional obligation to do so, or, if it is necessary in connection with legal proceedings or to exercise or defend legal rights, or, if it is necessary for the dissolution of the association or a merger with another association.

World Aquatics' activities are international and by registering with World Aquatics, you acknowledge that World Aquatics may transmit your personal data outside Switzerland, the United Kingdom ("UK") or the European Economic Area ("EEA") to countries that do not provide the same level of data protection as your country of residence or Switzerland, if World Aquatics deems it necessary for the purposes defined in this Privacy Policy and is legally permitted to do so.

If the third parties mentioned above are located outside of Switzerland, the UK or the EEA, World Aquatics will ensure that the personal data processed by us is adequately protected according to applicable data protection laws. Therefore, personal data is only transferred abroad if the recipient country provides an adequate level of data protection or the relevant legal requirements have been met if a country does not provide an adequate level of data protection. Third parties abroad are required to maintain the same level of data protection as World Aquatics.

World Aquatics may transfer your personal data to all National Member Federations on all five continents. You will find a list of these countries under this link.

We ensure the protection of your personal data is guaranteed with the appropriate safeguards relating to the transfer, indicated as follows:

For the transfer of personal data from Switzerland, the UK or a member state of the EEA to another member state of the EEA, Switzerland or the UK, there are no additional safeguards required, as these countries provide an adequate level of data protection.

For the transfer of personal data to the US and to the other countries listed here, we use EU standard contractual clauses and any additional addendums or requirements under local data protection law to ensure that your personal data is protected adequately.

In exceptional cases, we may rely on your explicit consent or transfer your personal data abroad if it is necessary for the performance of contract, establishment, exercise, or enforcement of legal claims or overriding public interests.

World Aquatics reserves the right to release your personal data if World Aquatics is so required to do so under the law, or in the good faith believes that such release is necessary to comply with applicable legislation.

11. Your rights

You have the following rights under the applicable data protection laws, which World Aquatics upholds:

The right to be informed about World Aquatics' collection, processing and use of your personal data;
The right of access to the personal data that World Aquatics collects, processes and uses about you;
The right to rectification if any personal data World Aquatics holds about you are inaccurate or incomplete;
The right to be forgotten. The right to ask World Aquatics to delete any personal data World Aquatics holds about you. World Aquatics only holds your personal data for a limited time, but if you would like World Aquatics to delete it sooner, please contact World Aquatics at the email address mentioned below or in section 2;
The right to restrict the processing of your personal data;
The right to data portability. Obtaining a copy of your personal data to re-use it with another service or organization;
The right to object to World Aquatics processing your personal data;
Rights with respect to automated decision-making and profiling This enables you to ask World Aquatics to suspend the processing of your data, for example, if you want World Aquatics to establish its accuracy or the reason for processing it.

In the event consent was given for certain processing activities, you have the right to withdraw such consent given at any time by sending a written notice to dataprivacy@worldaquatics.com. Once we have received notification that you have withdrawn your consent, we will no longer process your personal data for the purpose or purposes you originally agreed to, unless we have another legitimate basis for doing so.

Please note, that we may refuse or limit to grant these rights for legal reasons or based on data protection legislation, in which case we will provide the reasons for our decision as required by law.

In general, you will not have to pay a fee to exercise any of your rights. However, we may charge a fee for access to your personal data if applicable data protection laws allow us to do so, in which case we will also inform you as required by law.

If you feel we have not handled your query or concern to your satisfaction, you can lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. In Switzerland this is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner ("FDPIC") (under www.edoeb.admin.ch) and under this link you may find the competent authorities of the EU Member States

If you would like to exercise these rights or lodge a complaint related to this Privacy Policy or if you have any questions on how we process your personal data, you can contact World Aquatics at the following address: dataprivacy@worldaquatics.com.

12. Final provisions

Contact

World Aquatics

Chemin de Bellevue 24 A / 24 B

1005 Lausanne

Switzerland

Email: dataprivacy@worldaquatics.com

Spamming

World Aquatics will not engage in spamming and will not authorize the use of your personal data for commercial or advertising purposes by third parties, except with your express consent. Where World Aquatics believe

s that certain information about World Aquatics’ activities is of importance to you, World Aquatics informs you by email whilst giving you the choice of opting out of such Services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

If World Aquatics makes changes to this Privacy Policy, World Aquatics will do its best to inform you in advance of such change, for example by posting a notice on the Services, so you can review World Aquatics revised Privacy Policy and decide whether to continue to use the Services or not. Your continued use of the Site and Services after the entry into force of the revised Privacy Policy will constitute your confirmation of your reading and understanding of such changes. World Aquatics encourages you to review our Privacy Policy regularly.

As at: 11 December 2025