Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

SpotBiz Solutions is a technology company based in Pune, Maharashtra, India. We operate the SpotBiz mobile web application — a hyperlocal business discovery platform that connects consumers with local businesses.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

• Mobile number: Required for OTP authentication. Used to identify your account.
• Business information (business owners): Name, WhatsApp number, location, category, services description, Instagram handle, and up to 4 photos — submitted when creating or editing a business listing.
• Wishlist data (customers): Business IDs you save to your wishlist, stored per your account.
• Support communications: If you contact us by email or phone, we retain correspondence to resolve your query.

Information collected automatically

• Location data: GPS coordinates used to show nearby businesses in distance order. Location is used only for real-time distance calculation and is not permanently stored on our servers without your explicit action (e.g., setting your business address).
• Usage analytics: Anonymised data about which categories and features are used, to help improve the app. This data is not linked to your identity.
• Device & browser info: Basic technical information (browser type, OS) used for security and performance monitoring.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Authenticate your account securely via OTP.
• Display your business listing to customers in your area.
• Enable customers to contact your business via WhatsApp.
• Manage your listing plan, boost status, and account settings.
• Show you businesses near your location (for customers).
• Maintain your wishlist across sessions (for customers).
• Send service notifications (e.g., listing expiry reminders) via the app.
• Respond to your support queries promptly.
• Improve, maintain, and secure the SpotBiz platform.
• Comply with applicable Indian legal obligations.

We do not use your data for behavioural advertising, cross-site tracking, or profiling. We do not sell your data to any third party for any purpose.

4. Information We Share

Publicly visible (business listings): Your business listing data — name, location, category, services, photos, and Instagram handle — is publicly visible to all SpotBiz users. Your WhatsApp number is accessible to logged-in users who tap the contact button. You control what you publish by creating and editing your listing.

Third-party service providers: We use the following services to operate SpotBiz. Each is bound by its own privacy policy and data protection standards:

• Firebase / Google Cloud — Authentication (OTP via Firebase Auth), database (Firestore), and file storage (Firebase Storage). Google's Privacy Policy applies.
• Google Maps Platform — Location search, place autocomplete, reverse geocoding. Google's Privacy Policy applies.

Legal obligations: We may disclose your information if required by Indian law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of SpotBiz, our users, or the public.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party for commercial or marketing purposes.

5. Data Storage & Security

Your data is stored in Firebase (Google Cloud) infrastructure, which employs:

• TLS/SSL encryption for all data in transit.
• AES-256 encryption for data at rest.
• ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II certified data centres.

Business photos are stored in Firebase Storage with unique access tokens per file. Our backend uses server-side Firebase authentication to ensure only authorised users can read or modify their own data.

While we implement appropriate and industry-standard security measures, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of data transmitted over the internet. We encourage you to use a secure device and keep your phone number confidential.

In the event of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law.

6. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal data held by SpotBiz:

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Correction: Update your business details at any time in the app (Profile → My Business → Edit, once every 30 days).
• Right to Deletion: Delete your account and all associated data at any time (Profile → Delete Account). Business listing data, photos, and wishlist data are permanently removed from our database and file storage.
• Right to Portability: Request a portable copy of your data by contacting us.
• Right to Object: Object to specific uses of your data by contacting us.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at spotbizapp@gmail.com. We will respond within 30 calendar days. We may ask you to verify your identity before processing requests.

7. Cookies & Tracking

SpotBiz uses Firebase authentication tokens (stored in your browser's local session/storage) to keep you logged in. These are essential for the app to function and cannot be disabled without logging out.

We do not use third-party advertising cookies, cross-site tracking pixels, or behavioural analytics tools. Any analytics we collect are anonymised and used solely to improve the app's performance and usability.

8. Children's Privacy

SpotBiz is not designed for or directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors.

If you believe a minor has registered an account on SpotBiz without appropriate parental consent, please contact us immediately at spotbizapp@gmail.com and we will promptly delete the account and associated data.

9. Third-Party Services & Links

SpotBiz integrates with and links to the following external services. Each has its own independent privacy policy:

• Google / Firebase Privacy Policy
• Google Maps Platform Privacy Policy
• WhatsApp Privacy Policy — when you tap a contact button, you are redirected to the WhatsApp app or website. SpotBiz does not have access to your WhatsApp messages.

SpotBiz is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external services.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active, plus a short period thereafter for legitimate business purposes (e.g., resolving disputes, complying with legal obligations).

When you delete your account, we delete your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by applicable law.

Anonymised analytics data (not linked to your identity) may be retained indefinitely to help improve the platform.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. We will notify you of significant changes through the app or via email. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision.

Continued use of SpotBiz after an update constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.

12. Contact & Grievances

If you have any questions, concerns, or complaints about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact our Grievance Officer: