Privacy Policy

Aioby ("we", "us", "our") operates the Aioby platform at aioby.com, aioby.in, and aioby.app — a social marketplace connecting local businesses and communities in India and the UAE. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share your personal data when you use our platform and services.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and complying with applicable data protection laws, including India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 (DPDPA), the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL, Federal Decree-Law No. 45/2021), and where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Account data: Name, email address, password (hashed and never readable by us), profile photo, and optional bio when you register.

Business data: Store name, description, address, phone, operating hours, and business category when you create a store profile.

Listing data: Photos, prices, descriptions, and other content you add to your listings.

Transaction data: Order details, booking records, and payment references. We do not store card details — these are held securely by our payment processors (Razorpay for India, Stripe for UAE).

Content data: Posts, reviews, comments, messages, and any content you share on the platform, including content imported from social media platforms at your request.

Location data: City or area you select for local discovery. If you use GPS-based features, your approximate location is used only for that session and not stored.

Usage data: Pages visited, searches performed, listings clicked, and time spent on the platform — used to improve our service and personalise your experience.

Device data: Browser type, IP address, and device identifiers for security, fraud prevention, and analytics.

• To provide, operate, and improve the Aioby platform
• To process transactions, bookings, and payment references
• To send transactional emails (booking confirmations, order updates, password resets)
• To personalise your experience and show locally relevant content
• To power AI features including search, translations, listing suggestions, and review replies
• To detect and prevent fraud, abuse, spam, and security threats
• To comply with legal obligations including tax reporting
• To send marketing communications — only with your explicit consent, and you may opt out at any time

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only as strictly necessary to operate the platform:

• Supabase: Database, authentication, and file storage infrastructure. Data is hosted in the EU region.
• Vercel: Website hosting and global edge network (US-based with EU/Asia edge nodes).
• Razorpay: Payment processing for India transactions (INR). Subject to Razorpay's privacy policy.
• Stripe: Payment processing for UAE and international transactions (AED/USD). Subject to Stripe's privacy policy.
• Google (Gemini API): AI features — content you submit for translation, listing generation, or search is processed by Google's Gemini API. Google may use API inputs to improve their models per their API terms unless enterprise data processing terms apply.
• Google Analytics (GA4): Website usage analytics. Anonymised usage data is sent to Google's servers in the US. You may opt out via your browser's cookie settings.
• Mapbox: Map and location search features. Your location queries are processed by Mapbox servers (US-based). Subject to Mapbox's privacy policy.
• Sentry: Error monitoring and crash reporting. Error logs (which may include technical metadata) are sent to Sentry's servers. We configure Sentry to minimise personal data in error reports.
• Resend / Zoho Mail: Transactional email delivery (account confirmations, password resets, order notifications).
• Legal authorities: When required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of our users or the public.

Aioby includes AI-powered features including listing description generation, review reply suggestions, price suggestions, translation, and semantic search — all powered by Google Gemini. Content you submit for AI processing (listing details, review text, search queries) is sent to Google's Gemini API for processing.

AI-generated content is provided as suggestions only. You are responsible for reviewing, editing, and approving any AI-generated content before publishing. Aioby does not guarantee the accuracy of AI outputs.

Aioby offers a feature allowing store owners to import their own posts from social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter/X) into their store feed. By using this feature, you confirm that you own or have the rights to the content you are importing. Imported content metadata may be stored in our database to display the preview card on your store page.

When you use the WhatsApp contact button on a store page, your message is routed through Aioby's WhatsApp Business number before being forwarded to the store. This allows Aioby to maintain a record of enquiries for security and dispute resolution purposes. The store owner will receive your message and contact details. By initiating WhatsApp contact via Aioby, you consent to this routing.

• Account data: Retained while your account is active. Deleted within 30 days of account deletion request.
• Transaction data: Order records are retained for 7 years for tax and financial compliance (anonymised after account deletion).
• Usage and device data: Retained for up to 12 months for analytics and security purposes.
• Marketing consent records: Retained for 3 years after consent or withdrawal.

You can delete your account and all associated personal data at any time via Settings → Account → Delete Account. See our Return Policy for transaction-related data obligations.

Depending on your location, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten") — available directly via account settings
• Portability: Receive your data in a portable, machine-readable format
• Objection: Object to or restrict processing of your data for marketing purposes
• Withdrawal of consent: Withdraw marketing consent at any time via your notification settings or by emailing us

EU/EEA residents have additional rights under the GDPR, including the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Grievance Officer at privacy@aioby.com.

In accordance with the Information Technology Act 2000, the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021, and the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023, we have appointed a Grievance Officer for India:

Grievance Officer: Noorulameen K T
Email: privacy@aioby.com
Response time: We will acknowledge your grievance within 24 hours and resolve it within 15 days.

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the platform, remember your preferences (theme, country, location), and analyse usage via Google Analytics. See our Cookie Policy for full details. You can manage cookie preferences via your browser settings.

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your data, including encrypted connections (TLS/HTTPS), row-level security in our database, hashed passwords, and regular security reviews. However, no system is 100% secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Please report any security concerns to privacy@aioby.com.

Aioby is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you believe a minor has provided data to us, contact us immediately at privacy@aioby.com and we will delete it promptly.

Your data may be processed in countries outside your own, including the United States (Vercel, Google, Mapbox, Sentry) and the EU (Supabase). We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, consistent with applicable data protection laws. By using Aioby, you acknowledge that your data may be transferred to and processed in these countries.

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes by email or via a prominent notice on the platform. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when this policy was last revised. Continued use of Aioby after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

For privacy-related questions, to exercise your rights, or to reach our Grievance Officer:

• Email: privacy@aioby.com
• General enquiries: Contact page