Privacy Policy — Kowalink

1. Who this applies to

Kowalink is a product of Adscod Ltd, a company registered in Uganda ("we", "us", "our"). Kowalink is a social commerce platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect personal information provided by sellers who register on Kowalink and customers who place orders through a seller's shop link.

2. Information we collect

From sellers

Account data: name, email address, password (hashed), shop name, and handle.
KYC data: government-issued ID document uploaded during verification. Stored securely in encrypted object storage.
Phone number: used for WhatsApp order alerts and identity verification via OTP.
Payment details: payout method (mobile money number or bank account) for receiving funds from customers.
Shop content: product listings, images, pricing, and discount codes you create.

From customers (buyers)

Order data: name, phone number, delivery address, and order items submitted when placing an order through a seller's shop.
We do not create buyer accounts or store payment card details. Payment is arranged directly between buyer and seller.

Automatically collected

IP addresses and browser information for security and fraud prevention.
Shop page view counts (aggregated, not linked to individual visitors).

3. How we use your information

To create and maintain your seller account.
To verify your identity as required by our platform policies.
To deliver order notifications via email and WhatsApp.
To process subscription payments through Flutterwave.
To send transactional emails (verification, password reset, order alerts, digest reports).
To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
To improve our product and measure usage analytics in aggregate.

We do not sell your personal data to third parties.

4. How we share your information

We share personal data only in these limited circumstances:

Flutterwave — to process subscription payments. Subject to Flutterwave's privacy policy.
Resend — to deliver transactional emails on our behalf.
Flutterwave (WhatsApp) — to deliver one-time verification codes and order notifications via WhatsApp.
Cloudflare / hosting provider — infrastructure hosting and CDN delivery.
Law enforcement — when required by applicable law or valid legal process.

5. Data retention

Seller account data is retained for as long as your account is active.
After account deletion or cancellation, we retain data for up to 90 days before permanent deletion, unless longer retention is required by law.
KYC documents are deleted once your account is permanently removed.
Order data associated with buyer orders is retained for 12 months for dispute resolution purposes.

6. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data: encrypted connections (HTTPS), hashed passwords, and access controls. KYC documents are stored in encrypted object storage with restricted access. No system is perfectly secure — please use a strong, unique password and keep it confidential.

7. Cookies

Kowalink uses session cookies for authentication only. We do not use advertising trackers or cross-site tracking cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser, but doing so will prevent you from staying logged in.

8. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

Access a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correct inaccurate data via your account settings.
Request deletion of your account and associated data.
Object to or restrict certain processing of your data.

To exercise these rights, email us at support@kowalink.app. We will respond within 30 days.

9. Children

Kowalink is not intended for users under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a minor has registered, please contact us and we will delete the account promptly.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you via email before material changes take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact

Questions or concerns about your privacy? Email us at support@kowalink.app. You may also write to Adscod Ltd, Kampala, Uganda.