MerkatoSphere – Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

MerkatoSphere (“we,” “our,” or “us”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information of our users (“User” or “you”). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use the MerkatoSphere mobile application (iOS and Android).

By creating an account or using the Platform, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect information that helps us provide our marketplace and community services.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected data for the following purposes:

• To Provide Services: Creating and managing your account, displaying your listings, and facilitating communication.
• To Improve the App: Analyzing usage trends to fix bugs and improve user experience.
• Communication: Sending you administrative emails (e.g., password resets, account updates).
• Security: Detecting and preventing fraudulent listings or spam.

4. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share information only in the following situations:

• With Other Users: Any information you voluntarily post on public listings (e.g., your seller name or public contact info) is visible to other users.
• Service Providers: We may use third-party services (e.g., Google Firebase, AWS, Analytics) to host data and analyze app performance.
• Legal Obligations: If required by law or to protect the rights and safety of MerkatoSphere and its users.

5. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your personal data only as long as your account is active.

• Your Right to Delete: You have the right to request the deletion of your account and all associated data at any time.
• In-App Deletion: You can navigate to Settings > Delete Account within the app to permanently remove your data.
• Manual Request: You may also contact us at merkatosphere@gmail.com to request deletion.

Once an account is deleted, all personal data is permanently removed from our active databases, though some technical logs may remain for a short period as required by law.

6. Security of Your Data

We use administrative, technical, and physical security measures to help protect your personal information. However, please be aware that no electronic transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Children’s Privacy

MerkatoSphere does not knowingly collect data from children under the age of 13. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child under 13 without parental verification, we will delete that information immediately.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. You are advised to review this policy periodically for any changes.

9. Contact Us