Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 2026

1. Data Controller

This application is provided by the Arise Education Foundation, Ghana. We operate "Family Trade" as a non-profit student project dedicated to fostering educational exchange.

2. Data Collection & Minimization

We are committed to data minimization and community safety. We collect only the information strictly necessary to operate the platform:

• Account Details: Full name, email address, and encrypted passwords.
• Profile Data: Profile pictures (optional).
• Trading Activity: Book listings (titles, authors, uploaded images), transaction history, and virtual credit balances.
• Location Data: We do not continuously track user locations. We only process the designated physical "hotspots" (school library, etc.) where you choose to drop off or pick up books.

3. Purpose of Data Processing

We use your data solely to enable the core functionality of Family Trade: securely creating your account, facilitating book trades using virtual credits, generating QR codes for safe exchanges at designated hotspots, and maintaining a secure environment for our student community.

4. Third-Party Services

To provide our services, we rely on carefully selected third-party providers:

• Supabase: For secure database hosting, user authentication, and image storage.
• MapLibre: An open-source mapping tool used strictly to display the locations of our community hotspots.

5. Children's Privacy & Community Safety

As a school-focused initiative, the safety of students is our top priority. We do not sell data to third parties or use it for targeted advertising. Users under the applicable legal age in Ghana must obtain verifiable parental consent to use the platform.