Privacy Policy

1. What We Collect (And What We Don't)

We only collect information to make trading safer and simpler:

Account Information

• Name: For your profile display
• Email: For account notifications
• WhatsApp number: Verified for security and communication (never shared publicly)
• General Location: Your area in Lilongwe (e.g., "Area 11") for local trading

Listing Information

• Photos of items you're selling
• Item descriptions, prices, and categories

Automatically Collected

• Device and browser type
• Pages visited

2. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used for one purpose: making MalondaPlace work better for you.

• ✅ Verification: Confirm your WhatsApp number via OTP
• ✅ Platform functionality: Enable listing creation, search, and browsing
• ✅ Local trading: Show listings near you in Lilongwe
• ✅ Security: Prevent fraud and fake accounts
• ✅ Communication: Send important account updates
• ❌ We NEVER sell your data to third parties
• ❌ We NEVER ask for ID for basic trading

3. Information Sharing

We share information only when necessary:

• With other users: Your name, verified badge, and listing details (photos, description, price, general area)
• With trusted partners: Only those helping us operate the platform (WhatsApp Business API, hosting services)
• Legal reasons: Only if required by Malawian law or to protect users

Important: Your WhatsApp number stays private. Buyers contact you through our platform's click-to-WhatsApp feature.

4. Your Rights

As a MalondaPlace user, you have these rights:

• Access: See what data we have about you
• Correction: Update your information
• Deletion: Delete your account anytime
• Export: Get your listing data
• Opt-out: Stop non-essential messages

5. Security

We protect your information with:

• ✅ All data encrypted (HTTPS)
• ✅ WhatsApp numbers stored securely
• ✅ Regular security checks
• ✅ Minimal data stored
• ✅ No sensitive documents

6. How Long We Keep Data

We keep information only as long as needed:

• Active accounts: While you're using MalondaPlace
• Inactive accounts: Deleted after 24 months
• Deleted accounts: All data removed within 30 days
• Listings: Removed when sold or deleted

7. For Users 18+ Only

MalondaPlace is for adults (18+). We delete any accounts found to belong to underage users.

8. Policy Updates

We'll tell you about important changes:

• Updates posted here with new "Last Updated" date
• Major changes sent via WhatsApp
• Using MalondaPlace means accepting updates

9. Contact Us

Questions? Contact our Lilongwe team:

• Email: support@malondaplace.com
• WhatsApp: 24/7
• Address: Lilongwe, Malawi

We respond to all privacy questions.