Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to BuzzWatch ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our AI-powered brand intelligence and monitoring platform (the "Service").

By accessing or using our Service, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use our Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, including:

• Account Information: Email address, organization name, phone number (if you opt for SMS notifications), and password
• Brand Information: Brand names, brand websites, industry/category, competitor information, and custom monitoring prompts
• Billing Information: Payment details processed through our third-party payment processor (Stripe). We do not store complete credit card information on our servers
• Communications: Messages, feedback, and support requests you send to us
• Profile Information: Any additional information you choose to add to your profile

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access our Service, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Usage Data: Information about how you interact with our Service, including pages visited, features used, time spent on pages, and click patterns
• Device Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, and unique device identifiers
• Log Data: Server logs, error reports, and diagnostic information
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience. See our Cookie Policy section below for details

2.3 Information from Third-Party Sources

We collect brand monitoring data from:

• AI Platforms: ChatGPT, Google AI Overview, Perplexity, and other AI platforms to monitor brand mentions
• Authentication Providers: If you choose to authenticate using third-party services
• Public Sources: Publicly available information about brands and competitors for competitive intelligence

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 Service Delivery

• Provide, maintain, and improve our brand monitoring and analytics services
• Monitor AI platform mentions of your brand across multiple platforms and languages
• Generate insights, sentiment analysis, and competitive intelligence reports
• Send notifications, alerts, and reports about brand mentions and performance
• Customize and personalize your experience based on your preferences

3.2 Account Management

• Create and manage your account
• Authenticate your identity and prevent unauthorized access
• Process payments and manage subscriptions
• Provide customer support and respond to your inquiries

3.3 Communication

• Send you service-related emails, including account confirmations and password resets
• Send weekly or daily reports as configured in your settings
• Send SMS notifications if you have opted in for WhatsApp or SMS-based authentication
• Send marketing communications (you can opt out at any time)

3.4 Analytics and Improvement

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our Service and develop new features
• Conduct research and development to enhance our AI monitoring capabilities
• Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues and security threats

3.5 Legal and Compliance

• Comply with legal obligations, court orders, and regulatory requirements
• Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements
• Protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and that of our users

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

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

4.1 Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including:

• Payment Processing: Stripe for payment and subscription management
• Database and Hosting: Supabase for secure data storage and authentication
• Communication Services: Email service providers and SMS providers (e.g., Twilio) for sending notifications
• Analytics Providers: Tools to help us understand how users interact with our Service
• AI Platform APIs: To collect brand mention data for monitoring purposes

These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only as necessary to provide services to us and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

4.2 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change and the choices you may have.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or if we believe that such action is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
• Enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements
• Protect and defend our rights or property
• Prevent fraud or security issues
• Protect the personal safety of users or the public

4.4 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

4.5 Aggregated and Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated or anonymized information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. This may include industry benchmarks, usage statistics, or research insights.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Our security measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit using SSL/TLS protocols
• Encryption of sensitive data at rest
• Secure authentication mechanisms, including magic link and OTP verification
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Access controls and authentication requirements for our team members
• Secure hosting infrastructure with Supabase

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Account Information: Retained while your account is active and for a reasonable period thereafter for record-keeping purposes
• Brand Monitoring Data: Retained to provide historical analytics and trend analysis as part of our Service
• Transaction Records: Retained for accounting and legal compliance purposes, typically for 7 years
• Usage Logs: Retained for a limited period for security, debugging, and analytics purposes

When we no longer need your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time (see Your Rights section below).

7. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

7.1 Access and Portability

You can access and update most of your information through your account settings. You may also request a copy of your personal data in a portable format.

7.2 Correction

You can correct or update your personal information at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.

7.3 Deletion

You may request deletion of your account and personal information. We will delete your information, subject to certain legal and operational retention requirements.

7.4 Opt-Out of Marketing Communications

You can opt out of marketing emails by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or by updating your email preferences in your account settings. Note that you cannot opt out of service-related communications (e.g., account verification, transaction confirmations).

7.5 Cookie Preferences

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. However, disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features of our Service.

7.6 Do Not Track

Some browsers have a "Do Not Track" feature. Our Service does not currently respond to Do Not Track signals.

7.7 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe as required by applicable law.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to, and maintained on, servers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

If you are located outside the United States and choose to provide information to us, please note that we transfer data, including personal information, to the United States and process it there. By using our Service, you consent to this transfer.

We take appropriate measures to ensure that your personal information remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy, including using standard contractual clauses or other lawful transfer mechanisms.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of consent in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from children without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information.

10. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Service and hold certain information. Cookies are files with a small amount of data that may include an anonymous unique identifier.

10.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function properly, including authentication and security
• Performance Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our Service by collecting anonymous usage data
• Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings to enhance your experience
• Analytics Cookies: Help us analyze traffic and usage patterns to improve our Service

10.2 Managing Cookies

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

11. Third-Party Links and Services

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services.

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites or services before providing them with your information.

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have specific rights regarding your personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to Know: You can request information about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you
• Right to Delete: You can request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
• Right to Opt-Out: We do not sell personal information. If we ever do in the future, you will have the right to opt out
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your CCPA rights

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will verify your identity before processing your request.

13. GDPR Rights (European Users)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain data protection rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right of Access: You can request access to your personal data
• Right to Rectification: You can request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Right to Erasure: You can request deletion of your personal data
• Right to Restrict Processing: You can request limitation of processing of your personal data
• Right to Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: You can object to processing of your personal data in certain circumstances
• Right to Withdraw Consent: You can withdraw consent for processing based on consent at any time

Legal Basis for Processing

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

• Contract Performance: To provide our Service and fulfill our contractual obligations
• Legitimate Interests: To improve our Service, prevent fraud, and ensure security
• Consent: Where you have provided explicit consent for specific processing activities
• Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

To exercise your GDPR rights, please contact us at [email protected]. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date
• Sending you an email notification (if you have an account)
• Displaying a prominent notice on our Service

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Service after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Us

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

We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 30 days.

16. Additional Information for Specific Jurisdictions

16.1 Australia

Australian residents have rights under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy complaint, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

16.2 Canada

Canadian residents have rights under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) or applicable provincial privacy legislation.

16.3 Other Jurisdictions

If you are located in a jurisdiction with specific privacy laws, you may have additional rights. Please contact us for more information about your rights.

17. Consent

By using our Service, you consent to the collection, use, and sharing of your information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use our Service.