Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Donow (“we”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data when you use the Donow platform.

2. Information We Collect

Account Information

• Name, email address, and phone number provided at signup.
• City, state, and pincode for donation location display.
• Profile photo (optional) uploaded by you.

Donation Listings

• Title, description, category, condition, and pickup city of items you list.
• Photos of items uploaded by you (stored on Cloudinary).

Usage Data

• Pages visited and features used (via Firebase Analytics).
• Messages sent through the in-app messaging system.
• Notifications generated by platform activity.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To create and manage your account.
• To display your donation listings to other users.
• To facilitate messaging between donors and recipients.
• To send in-app notifications about activity on your listings.
• To enforce our Terms of Service and keep the platform safe.
• To improve and maintain the Platform.

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. Your name and city are visible to other users when you post a donation or send a message. Your email and phone number are not shown publicly. We use the following third-party services: Firebase (Google) for authentication and database, and Cloudinary for image storage. Each has its own privacy policy governing data processing.

5. Data Retention & Deletion

We retain your personal data only as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. You can delete your account at any time from your profile (“Delete account”). Deletion is immediate and erases:

• Your profile, contact details and uploaded profile photo.
• Your donation listings and their photos.
• Your conversations, messages and notifications.
• Your Firebase authentication account.

Reviews you wrote about others are retained but anonymised (your name is removed) so other users’ rating histories stay accurate. Aggregated, non-identifying analytics may be retained. We may also retain limited records where required by law.

6. Security

We use Firebase’s security infrastructure and Firestore security rules to protect your data. Authentication is handled via Firebase Auth using email magic links. While we take reasonable precautions, no online service is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Cookies

Donow uses browser local storage to maintain your login session (via Firebase Auth). We do not use third-party advertising cookies. Firebase may use cookies for analytics and session management.

8. Children’s Privacy

Donow is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a minor has created an account, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

9. Your Rights

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate data via your profile settings.
• Request deletion of your account and data.
• Withdraw consent for non-essential data processing.

You can delete your account and data instantly from your profile. For any other request, contact us at admin@donow.co.in.

10. Grievance Officer

In accordance with India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 and the Information Technology Act, 2000, you may contact our Grievance Officer for any complaint, data-protection concern, or request regarding your personal data. We aim to acknowledge grievances within 24 hours and resolve them within 30 days.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify users of significant changes. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.