Privacy Policy
Virtual Asset Industry Alliance of Pakistan (VAAP)
Website: https://vaap.org.pk
Effective Date: 9 November 2026
Last Updated: 9 November 2026
1. Introduction
The Virtual Asset Industry Alliance of Pakistan (“VAAP,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) is an industry-led platform established to support responsible development, industry representation, investor awareness, cybersecurity education, research, and collaboration within Pakistan's virtual asset and blockchain ecosystem.
VAAP respects the privacy of its members, website visitors, event participants, industry opinion leaders, advisers, and other stakeholders.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, protect, share, and manage personal information through our website, membership platform, events, governance activities, and related services.
By using our services, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. Where consent is required, we will request it separately.
2. Scope of This Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to:
Visitors to www.vaap.org.pk
Registered website users and community members
Paid and unpaid membership applicants
Event registrants and participants
Verified Industry Opinion Leaders
Advisory Board and committee members
Governance and voting participants
Newsletter subscribers
Individuals submitting articles, reports, complaints, or inquiries
Participants in voluntary research and industry surveys
This policy also applies to authorized VAAP representatives handling personal information on behalf of the organization.
3. Information We Collect
Depending on your interaction with VAAP, we may collect the following categories of information.
A. Personal and contact information
Full name, email address, telephone number, country, city, professional designation, organization, and other information voluntarily provided.
B. Membership information
Membership application details, membership category, registration date, membership status, payment status, renewal history, membership identification number, and eligibility information.
C. Professional information
Company name, business sector, professional biography, public social media profiles, industry experience, and other information submitted for professional verification.
D. Identity verification information
Where necessary for a specific and legitimate purpose, we may request identity or business verification documents, including CNIC or passport details, company registration information, or relevant professional credentials.
VAAP will seek to minimize the collection of sensitive identity information. Identity documents will not be displayed publicly.
E. Event and participation information
Event registrations, attendance records, participation preferences, submitted questions, and event-related communications.
F. Governance and voting information
Membership voting eligibility, committee participation, nomination information, election participation records, and voting-system audit information.
Where confidential ballots are used, VAAP will aim to separate voter authentication from ballot selections.
G. Payment information
Membership fees, transaction references, payment confirmation, billing information, and applicable refund records.
Payments may be processed by third-party payment providers. VAAP should not collect or store complete payment-card numbers or security codes on its own servers.
H. Website and technical information
IP address, browser type, device information, approximate location derived from technical data, website activity, cookies, and security logs.
I. Voluntary research information
Information submitted through industry surveys, consultations, or research programs, including professional participation and general virtual asset usage patterns.
VAAP does not require members to disclose cryptocurrency wallet private keys, seed phrases, or account passwords.
4. How We Use Personal Information
VAAP may use personal information to:
Create and manage website accounts.
Process membership applications and renewals.
Verify membership eligibility and professional credentials.
Manage event registration and participation.
Operate governance and voting processes.
Maintain membership and committee records.
Publish approved professional profiles.
Communicate membership updates, event information, and administrative notices.
Respond to inquiries, complaints, and support requests.
Conduct voluntary industry research and produce statistical reports.
Improve website functionality and cybersecurity.
Detect fraud, unauthorized access, and misuse of VAAP services.
Maintain accounting and transaction records.
Meet applicable legal and regulatory obligations.
We will not use personal information for materially unrelated purposes without an appropriate basis, including additional consent where necessary.
5. Membership Privacy and Public Profiles
VAAP may provide public member directories, professional listings, and verified Industry Opinion Leader profiles.
Publicly displayed information may include:
Member or professional name
Organization and professional title
Membership or verification status
Approved professional biography
Public social media links
Professional photograph, where authorized
VAAP will not publicly disclose members' private contact details, identification documents, payment information, residential addresses, or confidential membership records without appropriate authorization or a lawful requirement.
Members may request changes to their publicly displayed information.
Public directory participation and publication of optional profile details should be controlled through clear settings or separate consent.
6. Verified Industry Opinion Leaders
VAAP may operate a verification program for industry experts and opinion leaders.
Applicants may submit professional credentials, social media accounts, audience statistics, biographies, and supporting evidence.
This information will be used to assess applications, maintain verification records, and display approved professional information.
Verification does not constitute government approval, regulatory licensing, investment endorsement, or a guarantee of the accuracy of an individual's public statements.
Applicants may request correction or removal of optional publicly displayed information, subject to applicable recordkeeping requirements.
7. Voting and Governance Data
VAAP may provide digital voting for eligible members, governance participants, and committees.
Personal information may be processed to verify eligibility, prevent duplicate voting, manage nominations, record participation, and maintain election integrity.
VAAP will implement appropriate access controls and audit procedures.
For confidential elections, individual ballot choices should not be publicly disclosed or made accessible to candidates or unauthorized administrators.
Aggregated election results may be published in accordance with VAAP's governance policies.
8. Research and Industry Data Collection
VAAP aims to support evidence-based research into Pakistan's virtual asset and blockchain ecosystem.
Participation in voluntary research will be explained clearly, including the purpose of data collection and any proposed sharing of results.
Where possible, VAAP will use aggregated or anonymized information in published reports.
VAAP will not represent voluntary membership figures, website registrations, or survey responses as a verified count of Pakistan's total cryptocurrency investors.
Any personal-level research data shared with government institutions, researchers, or partners will require an appropriate lawful basis, purpose limitation, and privacy safeguards.
Anonymized research findings may be shared publicly or with relevant stakeholders.
9. Communications and Email Notifications
VAAP may send essential service communications, including account verification, membership confirmations, payment notifications, event registration confirmations, governance notices, and security alerts.
Optional newsletters, promotional announcements, and partner communications will be managed separately from essential service messages.
Users may unsubscribe from optional marketing emails through the unsubscribe mechanism or by contacting VAAP.
Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not necessarily stop essential account or transaction notifications.
10. Cookies and Website Analytics
VAAP may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality, account authentication, security, performance monitoring, and analytics.
Cookies may include:
Essential cookies required for website operation
Preference cookies
Analytics cookies
Optional marketing cookies, if enabled
Where applicable, users will be offered appropriate cookie choices.
VAAP will provide information about non-essential tracking technologies and obtain consent where required.
11. Sharing Personal Information
VAAP may share limited personal information with authorized service providers where necessary to operate its services.
These may include website hosting providers, email delivery platforms, payment processors, event-management systems, security providers, and technical support contractors.
Personal information may also be shared with relevant authorities when required by applicable law or a valid legal process.
VAAP will not sell members' personal information or provide identifiable membership databases to commercial third parties for independent marketing.
International advisers and partners will not receive unrestricted access to private membership records.
Any sharing must be limited to an appropriate purpose and subject to relevant confidentiality and security safeguards.
12. International Data Transfers
Because VAAP works with international stakeholders, certain information may be processed or stored outside Pakistan.
Where international transfers occur, VAAP will take reasonable steps to assess the destination, service provider, security measures, and applicable legal requirements.
International cooperation does not automatically authorize the sharing of members' identity documents, private financial information, or individual research responses.
13. Data Security
VAAP is committed to implementing appropriate technical and organizational safeguards, including:
Encrypted connections
Access controls based on administrative responsibilities
Secure account authentication
Restricted access to sensitive records
Security monitoring and audit logs
Secure backups
Appropriate service-provider oversight
Incident response procedures
No online platform can guarantee absolute security.
Users are responsible for protecting their account credentials and reporting suspected unauthorized access.
VAAP representatives will never request a cryptocurrency wallet seed phrase or private key.
14. Data Retention
VAAP will retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, subject to legal, accounting, security, and dispute-resolution requirements.
Membership records may be retained while membership remains active and for a justified period afterward.
Payment and accounting records will be retained according to applicable recordkeeping obligations.
Research information will be anonymized or deleted when identifiable records are no longer necessary.
VAAP will maintain an internal retention schedule for different categories of information.
15. Your Privacy Choices and Requests
Subject to applicable law and reasonable verification, users may request to:
Access personal information held about them.
Correct inaccurate or outdated information.
Update their membership or professional profile.
Withdraw consent for optional processing.
Unsubscribe from marketing communications.
Request deletion of information no longer required.
Request removal of optional public profile information.
Raise concerns about how their information is used.
Certain records may need to be retained for legal compliance, fraud prevention, accounting, governance integrity, or dispute resolution.
VAAP will review privacy requests and respond within a reasonable period.
16. Children's Privacy
VAAP's membership and governance services are intended primarily for adults and eligible professional participants.
Individuals under 18 should not submit identity documents, payment information, or sensitive financial information through the platform without appropriate authorization.
If VAAP becomes aware that personal information from a child has been collected without an appropriate basis, it will review the information and take appropriate corrective action.
17. Event Photography and Media Coverage
VAAP events may involve photography, video recording, interviews, and media coverage.
Where recording is planned, participants should be informed through event notices and registration materials.
VAAP may publish event photographs or recordings for legitimate event documentation and communications, subject to applicable law and appropriate consent where required.
Participants may contact VAAP regarding privacy concerns involving identifiable images or recordings.
18. Third-Party Websites
VAAP may link to external websites, social media platforms, payment providers, and partner organizations.
These third parties may operate under their own privacy policies.
VAAP is not responsible for the privacy practices of independently operated third-party websites.
Users are encouraged to review the relevant privacy policies before submitting personal information.
19. Data Breaches and Security Incidents
If VAAP identifies a suspected personal data breach, it will assess the nature of the incident, affected information, potential risks, and appropriate corrective measures.
Where required by applicable law, VAAP will notify relevant authorities and affected individuals.
VAAP will maintain incident records and take reasonable steps to reduce the risk of recurrence.
20. Legal Compliance
VAAP intends to operate its website and information-handling practices in accordance with applicable Pakistani laws and relevant legal obligations.
This includes applicable provisions relating to unauthorized access, misuse of identity information, cybercrime, and electronic communications.
Where additional data protection obligations apply because of users, services, or processing activities in other jurisdictions, VAAP will assess those requirements.
This policy does not claim that VAAP is a government regulator, financial institution, or licensed virtual asset service provider.
21. Changes to This Privacy Policy
VAAP may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in its services, governance, technology, or applicable law.
The revised policy will be published on the website with an updated effective date.
Where material changes require additional notice or consent, VAAP will take appropriate steps.
22. Contact Us
For privacy questions, personal information requests, corrections, deletion requests, or security concerns, please contact:
Virtual Asset Industry Alliance of Pakistan (VAAP)
Website: https://vaap.org.pk
Privacy Email: [email protected]
General Contact: Website Contact Form
