1. Information We Collect
We collect information to provide and improve our local discovery platform. The types of information we collect include:
Information You Provide
- Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and password.
- Profile Information: Optional details you add to your profile, such as a photo, bio, or location preferences.
- Business Listings: If you submit a business listing, we collect business name, address, phone number, hours of operation, photos, and description.
- Reviews & Ratings: Content you post, including reviews, ratings, and photos of businesses.
- Communications: Messages you send to us through our contact form, email, or support channels.
Information Collected Automatically
- Usage Data: Pages visited, searches performed, listings viewed, and interactions with features.
- Device Information: Browser type, operating system, device type, and screen resolution.
- Location Data: Approximate location based on IP address, used to show relevant local results.
- Cookies: Small data files stored on your device to remember preferences and improve your experience.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Provide Our Services: Display local business listings, enable search and discovery, and personalize your experience.
- Account Management: Create and manage your account, authenticate your identity, and maintain security.
- Communication: Send you service-related notifications, respond to inquiries, and provide customer support.
- Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to improve our platform, features, and content quality.
- Business Verification: Verify business listing information for accuracy and trustworthiness.
- Safety & Security: Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, and security issues.
- Legal Compliance: Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.
We do not sell your personal information to third parties. We will never use your data for purposes incompatible with those described in this policy without your consent.
3. Information Sharing
We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:
- Public Content: Reviews, ratings, and profile information you choose to make public are visible to other users.
- Business Listings: Business information submitted for listing is publicly displayed on our platform.
- Service Providers: We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our platform (hosting, analytics, email delivery). These providers are contractually bound to protect your data.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request.
- Safety: We may share information when we believe it's necessary to protect the rights, safety, or property of Loceno, our users, or the public.
- Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.
4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience on Loceno. These include:
- Essential Cookies: Required for the platform to function properly — authentication, security, and basic features.
- Preference Cookies: Remember your settings, such as language, location preferences, and display options.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our platform so we can improve it. We use privacy-respecting analytics tools.
You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our platform. We do not use cookies for targeted advertising.
5. Data Security
We take the security of your information seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect it, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Access controls limiting who can view personal data
- Secure password hashing and storage
- Regular backups and disaster recovery procedures
While we strive to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please report it to [email protected].
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to provide our services and fulfill the purposes described in this policy. Specifically:
- Account Data: Retained for the duration of your account. When you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
- Reviews & Ratings: May be retained after account deletion in anonymized form to maintain the integrity of our review system.
- Business Listings: Retained as long as the business is active on our platform. Business owners can request removal at any time.
- Usage Logs: Typically retained for up to 12 months for analytics and security purposes, then deleted or anonymized.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal obligations.
- Portability: Request a machine-readable copy of your data to transfer to another service.
- Objection: Object to certain types of data processing, including profiling.
- Restriction: Request that we limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
- Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw it at any time.
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
8. Third-Party Links
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites, including business websites, social media profiles, and mapping services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
9. Children's Privacy
Loceno is not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately at [email protected], and we will promptly delete the information.
10. International Users
Loceno operates globally and your information may be processed in countries other than your own. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers, including:
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by relevant authorities
- Data processing agreements with all service providers
- Compliance with applicable data protection laws, including GDPR for European users
By using Loceno, you acknowledge that your information may be transferred to and processed in jurisdictions with different data protection laws than your own.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
- Notify registered users via email for material changes
- Display a notice on our platform when changes take effect
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of Loceno after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please reach out to us:
We take every inquiry seriously and aim to respond within 30 days. For urgent privacy matters, please include "Privacy – Urgent" in your email subject line.