Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: full name, phone number, email address, password, and profile picture.
• Professional Information: profession, skills, specialization, work experience, service area, and portfolio.
• Membership Information: membership category, branch, and payment information.
• Communications: messages, reviews, comments, and feedback you send us.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device Information: device model, operating system, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Log Data: IP address, access times, pages viewed, and app usage data.
• Location Data: approximate location based on IP address or GPS (with your permission) to show nearby professionals.

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Payment processors (e.g., ClickPesa, M-Pesa) — transaction confirmation only.
• Push notification services (e.g., Firebase Cloud Messaging).

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and membership profile.
• Verify your identity and professional credentials.
• Connect customers with professionals and facilitate service requests.
• Process payments and maintain transaction records.
• Send notifications, updates, and security alerts.
• Improve, personalize, and expand our Service.
• Comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

• Consent: You have given us permission to process your data for specific purposes.
• Contract: Processing is necessary to fulfill our agreement with you.
• Legal Obligation: We are required by law to process your data.
• Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests.

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• With authorized staff who need access to perform their duties.
• With other users (limited info) when you are listed as a professional — name, profession, rating, service area.
• With service providers (payment processors, SMS gateways) strictly to provide the Service.
• When required by law, regulation, or valid legal process.
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of ChamaLink, our users, or the public.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

• Firebase (Google) — push notifications
• ClickPesa — mobile money payment processing
• M-Pesa, Tigo Pesa, Airtel Money — mobile money networks
• Twilio — SMS notifications (if applicable)

We recommend reviewing their privacy policies for complete information on their data practices.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS) and at rest.
• Secure servers with restricted access controls.
• Regular security audits and monitoring.
• Password hashing (bcrypt) and two-factor authentication support.

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. Specifically:

• Account data: retained until account deletion request.
• Transaction records: retained 7 years for legal/tax compliance.
• Reviews and comments: retained unless deletion is requested.
• Log data: retained 90 days.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of your data.
• Right to Correction: Update or correct inaccurate data.
• Right to Deletion: Request deletion of your data.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data.
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured format.
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at the details below.

9. Account Deletion

You can request deletion of your account and associated personal data at any time by:

1. Logging into the app and going to Profile → Settings → Delete Account.
2. Sending a request to info@chamarauta.co.tz from the email associated with your account.

Your account and personal data will be deleted within 30 days of your request, except where we are legally required to retain certain information (such as transaction records).

10. Cookies & Tracking

Our website and mobile app may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Keep you signed in.
• Remember your preferences and settings.
• Analyze usage patterns to improve the Service.

You can control cookies through your browser or device settings. Disabling cookies may affect functionality.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately.

12. International Transfers

Your information may be transferred to, and maintained on, computers located outside of your country where data protection laws may differ. By using our Service, you consent to such transfers. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: