Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Giving Free ("we", "us", or "our") handles personal data when you use the Giving Free website and services. Giving Free is the data controller responsible for your personal data.

Giving Free is intended for adults aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact support@givingfree.org and we will delete it.

2. Personal data we collect

• Account data: your name or username, email address, email and phone verification status, an authentication identifier from our login provider, and your account status.
• Profile data: your display name and, if you provide them, city, region, and avatar, plus activity indicators such as completed giveaways.
• Listing data: item title, description, category, condition, the public pickup area you provide, photos you upload, and the listing status.
• Messaging and interaction data: expressions of interest, conversations and messages with other users, recipient selections, presence timestamps used to show when someone is active in a chat, and notifications.
• Reports and moderation data: reports you file or that concern you, and records of moderation decisions.
• Technical data: IP address, device and browser information, log and diagnostic data, and security signals used to prevent abuse.
• Support data: messages you send to support@givingfree.org and related correspondence.

3. How and why we use your data

• To create your account and authenticate you securely (necessary to provide the Service).
• To let donors post items and receivers browse, express interest, message, and arrange pickup (necessary to provide the Service).
• To display public listings, search results, and the "Given away" showcase.
• To send account and activity emails (interest received, new messages, moderation outcomes, welcome), and, if you opt in, alerts when new items are posted. You control these in your dashboard.
• To review listings, messages, reports, and account signals for safety, fraud prevention, and policy enforcement (our legitimate interest in a safe platform, and to comply with law).
• To operate, secure, debug, and improve the Service, and to comply with legal obligations.

4. Legal basis

We process personal data in accordance with Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012 (Act 843). Depending on the activity, we rely on: performance of our agreement with you (to provide the Service); your consent (for optional emails, which you can withdraw at any time); our legitimate interests in operating a safe, functioning platform and preventing abuse; and compliance with legal obligations. Where other data protection laws apply to you, we rely on equivalent bases.

5. What is visible to others

Some information is shared with other users so the Service can work. Public listings show the item details, category, condition, the public pickup area, photos, and the posted date, and the giver's display name may be visible to a receiver during a conversation. Completed and claimed items may appear on the public "Given away" showcase.

Do not put exact home addresses, national ID numbers, financial details, passwords, one-time codes, or other sensitive information in listing text or messages.

6. Service providers who process your data

We use trusted third-party providers to run Giving Free. They process personal data only to provide their services to us, under their own terms and security measures:

• Clerk, for account authentication and identity management.
• Neon, for hosting our database.
• Cloudflare R2, for storing and serving listing photos.
• Resend, for sending transactional and notification emails.
• Upstash, for rate limiting and abuse prevention.
• Vercel, for hosting the application and DNS.

7. When we share or disclose data

• With other users, as needed for listings, messaging, and pickup coordination, as described above.
• With the service providers listed above, to operate the Service.
• When required by law, court order, or regulatory process, or to investigate safety issues, prevent fraud or harm, or protect the rights and safety of users, the public, or Giving Free.
• In connection with a merger, acquisition, or transfer of the Service, subject to this policy.
• We do not sell your personal data, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

8. International data transfers

Some of our providers store or process data on servers located outside Ghana, including in Europe and the United States. Where personal data is transferred across borders, we take steps intended to ensure it remains protected consistent with Act 843 and applicable law.

9. Your email and notification choices

You can control which emails you receive from your dashboard: emails about your listings and messages, and, separately, alerts when new items are posted. Some essential messages, such as security and account notices, may still be sent. You can also request changes by contacting support@givingfree.org.

10. Cookies and sessions

We use cookies and similar technologies that are necessary to sign you in and keep your session secure, and to protect the Service from abuse. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies. You can control cookies in your browser, but disabling necessary cookies may prevent you from signing in.

11. How long we keep data

We keep personal data for as long as needed to operate the Service, provide support, enforce our rules, resolve disputes, keep safety and moderation records, and comply with law. When data is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it. Some records may be retained after account closure where a legitimate or legal reason requires it.

12. Your rights

Under Ghana's Data Protection Act, 2012, and other laws that may apply to you, you may have the right to access your personal data, ask us to correct or delete it, object to or restrict certain processing, and withdraw consent for optional communications.

To exercise a right, contact support@givingfree.org. We may need to verify your identity first. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission of Ghana.

13. Security

We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal data, including authentication through a specialist provider, encrypted connections, access controls, and abuse prevention. No online service can guarantee perfect security. Protect your login credentials, avoid sharing unnecessary personal information, and report suspicious activity to support@givingfree.org.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Please review this policy periodically.

15. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact support@givingfree.org.