Privacy Policy

Tufike Technologies ("Tufike", "we", "our", or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information we collect and process.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and protect information when you use the Tufike website, mobile application, and related services (collectively, the "Services").

By using the Services, you acknowledge the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

Depending on how you use Tufike, we may collect the following information.

Information you provide directly

This may include:

• Name
• Email address
• Location information that you provide to us
• Business or provider information
• Services, skills, products, or opportunities you provide or are interested in
• Business details and service preferences
• Information you provide when communicating with other users through Tufike
• Chat history within the app
• Information submitted through forms on the Tufike website

Demand requests

The Tufike website allows visitors to tell us what services, businesses, products, skills, or other opportunities they would like to find on Tufike.

When you submit a demand request, we may collect:

• What you are looking for
• The category associated with your request
• The location where you are looking for it
• An optional email address if you choose to provide one
• The date and time the request was submitted

We use this information to understand what people are looking for and to help us identify, source, and onboard relevant businesses, service providers, professionals, organisations, and opportunities onto Tufike.

If you provide an email address with a demand request, we may use it to contact you regarding your request or to let you know when we are able to help with what you requested.

2. Location Information

Tufike may collect location information that you voluntarily provide, such as a country, city, district, neighbourhood, area, or other place.

When you use the location suggestion feature on our website, the location text you enter may be sent to a third-party place-search service to provide location suggestions.

Tufike does not use the website demand form to collect GPS-based location information from your device.

If the Tufike app provides location-related functionality in the future, the relevant collection and use of location information will be disclosed and, where required, permission will be requested.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use information we collect to:

• Create and manage your Tufike account
• Provide and operate the Tufike Services
• Help people discover businesses, services, products, professionals, skills, and opportunities
• Match businesses and providers with potential clients or customers
• Help users discover relevant work and other opportunities
• Facilitate communication between users, businesses, and providers
• Understand what services and opportunities people are looking for
• Identify areas and categories where additional businesses or providers may be needed
• Source and approach relevant businesses, providers, professionals, or organisations based on demand
• Improve the performance, usability, and features of Tufike
• Conduct internal analytics and understand how our Services are used
• Send service-related notifications and updates
• Respond to enquiries and requests
• Protect the security and integrity of the Services
• Detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, security incidents, or other harmful activity
• Comply with applicable legal and regulatory obligations

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

4. Analytics

We use analytics technologies, including Google Analytics, to understand how visitors and users interact with Tufike.

This may include information such as:

• Pages or screens viewed
• Interactions with features
• General usage information
• Referral information
• Device and browser information
• Approximate geographic information derived by the analytics service
• Events such as app downloads or interactions with important website features

We use analytics information primarily to understand usage, measure performance, improve Tufike, and make product decisions.

5. Third-Party Services

Tufike uses selected third-party service providers to operate and improve the Services.

Supabase

We use Supabase for backend infrastructure, database services, authentication, and secure storage of information.

Google Analytics

We use Google Analytics to understand usage of the Tufike website and related digital services.

Firebase Cloud Messaging

We use Firebase Cloud Messaging to deliver push notifications to supported devices.

Photon

We use Photon-based place-search functionality to provide location suggestions when users enter a location on the Tufike website.

The location text entered into the location search field may be processed by the service to return relevant place suggestions.

Third-party providers may process information on our behalf or independently according to their own terms and privacy policies. We take reasonable steps to use service providers that provide appropriate safeguards for personal information.

6. Information Sharing

We may share information when reasonably necessary to provide the Services, including with:

• Service providers and technology partners that support Tufike
• Businesses, providers, or users where sharing is necessary to facilitate a connection or communication requested through Tufike
• Professional advisers or service providers where reasonably necessary to operate our business
• Government authorities, regulators, law enforcement, or other parties where required by law or necessary to protect our legal rights
• Parties involved in a merger, acquisition, restructuring, financing, or sale of all or part of our business, where applicable

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

Where we facilitate communication or connections between users, the information made available to another user will depend on the particular Tufike feature being used and the information you choose or are required to provide.

7. Public and User-Provided Information

Some information you provide to Tufike may be intended to help others discover you, your business, your services, your skills, or your opportunities.

For example, information included in a provider or business profile may be displayed to other Tufike users.

You should therefore avoid submitting information that you do not want to be made available through the Services.

We do not intentionally make private account information publicly available unless necessary for the operation of a particular feature or you have chosen to provide it.

8. Children's Privacy

Tufike is intended for users aged 13 and older.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe that a child under 13 has provided personal information to Tufike, please contact us so that we can investigate and take appropriate action.

Where applicable law requires parental or guardian consent for processing a minor's personal information, we will comply with those requirements.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including providing the Services, maintaining records, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements, preventing abuse, and complying with legal obligations.

Different categories of information may therefore be retained for different periods.

When information is no longer reasonably required, we take appropriate steps to delete, anonymise, or otherwise securely dispose of it, subject to applicable legal, security, and operational requirements.

10. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

These measures may include secure connections, access controls, authentication, database security policies, and other safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information we process.

However, no method of transmission or electronic storage is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Data Transfers

Tufike uses third-party technology and infrastructure providers that may process or store information in countries outside Uganda.

Where personal information is transferred or processed outside Uganda, we seek to use appropriate safeguards and comply with applicable data protection requirements.

Tufike aims to comply with applicable data protection and privacy laws in the jurisdictions in which it operates.

12. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights regarding your personal information, including the right to:

• Request access to personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of personal information where applicable
• Request restriction or cessation of certain processing where applicable
• Object to certain uses of your personal information where applicable
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
• Request information about how your personal information is being processed
• Lodge a complaint concerning our handling of your personal information

Some rights may be subject to legal or other applicable limitations.

If you wish to exercise a privacy right, contact us using the details in Section 16.

13. Marketing and Communications

We may send communications necessary to operate Tufike, including account-related messages, service notifications, security notices, and other important updates.

Where we send promotional or marketing communications, we will provide appropriate options to opt out where required by applicable law.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.

14. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The Tufike website may use cookies, analytics technologies, and similar technologies to operate the website, understand usage, maintain security, and improve the Services.

Third-party services such as Google Analytics may also use technologies that collect information about interactions with the website.

You may be able to control or restrict cookies through your browser settings. Some website functionality may be affected if certain technologies are disabled.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to Tufike, our Services, technology, or applicable legal requirements.

When we make material changes, we will take reasonable steps to notify users through the Services or other appropriate means.

The "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy indicates when the policy was most recently revised.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way Tufike handles personal information, please contact us:

We will make reasonable efforts to respond to privacy-related requests within an appropriate period and in accordance with applicable law.