Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

• Phone Number: Collected at registration for OTP-based login via Firebase Authentication. OTPs are not stored by us.
• Profile Information: Full name, district, state provided during registration to help buyers find local sellers.
• Location: Used to show nearby listings and calculate distance between buyers and sellers. Stored as coordinates; shown to other users as district/state only.
• Product Listings: Title, description, price, quantity, category, and photos of products you list for sale.
• Product Photos: Images uploaded for listings, stored securely on Cloudinary CDN.
• Chat Messages: Messages exchanged between buyers and sellers within the app, stored on our secure servers.
• Device Information: Basic device data for app functionality and crash reporting.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To verify your identity via phone OTP
• To display your product listings (Anaj, Animals, Dairy, Machines) to buyers
• To enable direct chat between buyers and sellers
• To show nearby listings based on your location
• To send notifications about your listings (approval, rejection, messages)
• To provide weather forecasts and Mandi Bhav (market prices)
• To improve app performance and user experience

3. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We share information only in these cases:

• Other Users: Your name, district, and product listings are visible to other users. Your phone number is never shown publicly.
• Service Providers: Firebase (authentication), Cloudinary (image storage), Railway (backend hosting). Each has their own privacy policy.
• Legal Requirements: When required by law or to protect the safety of our users.

4. Third-Party Services

• Firebase (Google): Phone OTP authentication — Firebase Privacy Policy
• Cloudinary: Product image storage and CDN — Cloudinary Privacy Policy
• Open-Meteo: Weather forecast data — no personal data shared
• Data.gov.in: Mandi Bhav market prices — no personal data shared
• Postal Pincode API: Address auto-fill from pincode — no personal data stored

5. Permissions We Request

• Location: To show products near you and calculate seller distance
• Camera / Photos: To upload product photos when creating a listing
• Internet: Required for all app features

6. Data Security

We use HTTPS encryption, Firebase secure authentication, and Cloudinary's secure CDN to protect your data. Chat messages and user data are stored on password-protected servers. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, but we take all reasonable steps to protect your information.

7. Data Retention

Your data is kept as long as your account is active. Product listings are removed when deleted by you or an administrator. You may request full account deletion by contacting us.

8. Children's Privacy

Apna Baazar is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If we become aware that a minor has registered, we will delete their account.

9. Your Rights

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account and all associated data
• Withdraw location permission at any time via device settings

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. The updated version will be posted on this page with a new date. Continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

For any privacy-related questions or account deletion requests, contact us at: