Privacy Policy

SHUQZ (https://www.shuqz.app) is a multilingual local business directory operating in Israel and the Middle East. We connect users with local businesses across categories including restaurants, salons, retail, services, jobs, and promotions.

For privacy inquiries, contact us at: support@shuqz.app

2.1 Information you provide

• Account details: Full name, email address, password (stored as a secure hash), date of birth, gender, and preferred language when you register.
• Phone number: Collected during registration for account verification via one-time passcode (OTP).
• Business information: If you list a business — name, address, category, description, photos, operating hours, social media links, and contact details.
• Profile photo: An optional avatar you may upload.
• Messages: Content of in-app chat messages between users and businesses, or in marketplace conversations.
• Reviews & ratings: Text, star ratings, and photos you submit about businesses.
• Job applications: Cover notes and any documents (e.g., CV) you upload when applying to job listings.
• Marketplace listings: Titles, descriptions, prices, photos, and location data for items you list for sale.

2.2 Information collected automatically

• Location: City or geographic region you select to personalise results. We do not continuously track your GPS location.
• Device & usage data: Browser type, operating system, pages visited, and actions taken within the app, for analytics and improving the service.
• Log data: IP addresses, timestamps, and error logs to maintain security and diagnose technical issues.
• Push notification tokens: Device tokens collected when you grant notification permission, to deliver in-app alerts.

2.3 Information from third parties

• Google & Apple sign-in: When you authenticate via Google or Apple, we receive your name and email address from those providers. We do not receive your password.

We use the information we collect to:

• Create and manage your account and authenticate your identity.
• Display your business listing or marketplace item to other users on the platform.
• Enable in-app messaging between users and businesses.
• Personalise your feed (jobs, promotions, discovery) based on your city, interests, and demographics.
• Send you notifications about messages, review activity, listing updates, and moderation decisions — subject to your notification preferences.
• Process job applications and connect applicants with employers.
• Moderate content, detect fraud, and enforce our Terms of Use.
• Analyse usage trends to improve platform features and performance.
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

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

• Other users: Information you make public on your profile or business listing (name, business details, reviews) is visible to all users of the platform.
• Business owners: When you message a business or apply to a job, the business owner sees the content of that communication.
• Service providers: We use trusted third-party services (cloud hosting, file storage, push notification delivery, analytics) that process data on our behalf under confidentiality agreements.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information when required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of SHUQZ or others.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your data may be transferred as part of that transaction, with notice provided to you.

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. If you delete your account:

• Your profile, messages, and listings are permanently removed within 30 days.
• Reviews you have written may remain visible in anonymised form if removal would impact the integrity of the review system.
• We may retain certain data for longer periods where required by law or to resolve disputes.

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS), hashed password storage, access controls, and regular security reviews. No method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security but commit to promptly addressing any breach.

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request that inaccurate or incomplete data be corrected.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal retention obligations).
• Portability: Request your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Objection: Object to certain processing activities, including marketing communications.
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting prior processing.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@shuqz.app. We will respond within 30 days.

SHUQZ uses session storage and local storage in your browser to maintain your login session, language preference, and theme setting. We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking technologies. Analytics data we collect is used solely to improve the service.

SHUQZ is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Your data may be processed on servers located outside your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place when transferring data internationally, consistent with applicable data protection laws.

Business profiles may contain links to external websites. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. When we make material changes, we will notify you via email or an in-app notice and update the “Effective date” at the top of this page. Continued use of SHUQZ after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact: