PRIVACY POLICY

Last Updated: 26th January, 2026

Welcome to LitAmb (“we,” “our,” or “us”). We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our mobile application or services (collectively, the “Platform”).

By accessing or using the Platform, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you register on the Platform, express an interest in obtaining information about us or our products and services, or otherwise contact us.

A. Personal Information Provided by You

  • Account Data: Name, email address, phone number, and password.
  • Profile Data: Profile pictures (avatars), reading preferences, and bio information.
  • Identity Verification: We may collect verification documents (e.g., government ID) to verify your identity for safety purposes.
  • Shipping Information: Physical address, city, and state for the purpose of receiving books.
  • Social Media Login: If you choose to register using Google or other social media accounts, we collect the information associated with that account (e.g., name, email, profile picture).

B. Transaction & Financial Data

  • Payment Information: We use third-party payment processors (Paystack, Flutterwave) to process subscription fees and other payments. We do not store your credit/debit card numbers on our servers.
  • Transaction History: We maintain records of your points balance, subscription status, books exchanged, and points history (Ledger).

C. Content & Communications

  • User-Generated Content: Books you list (titles, descriptions, photos) and reviews/ratings you leave for others.
  • Messages: We store communications sent through our internal messaging system between you and other users for the purpose of facilitating swaps and resolving disputes.

D. Automatically Collected Information

  • Technical Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device information, and log data.
  • Cookies: We use cookies to maintain your session, remember your preferences, and ensure the security of the Platform.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  1. To Facilitate Peer-to-Peer Exchanges:
    • To match you with other users who want your books or have books you want.
    • Crucial Note: We only share your full shipping address with another user after a transaction has been confirmed and points have been secured in escrow.
  2. To Manage Your Account: To create and manage your account, track your points wallet, and process your subscription.
  3. To Process Payments: To facilitate billing via our third-party payment gateways.
  4. To Ensure Safety & Security:
    • To verify user identities and prevent fraud.
    • To monitor messaging for harassment or scams.
    • To mediate disputes between users regarding shipping or book condition.
  5. To Communicate with You: To send you transaction notifications (e.g., “Book Requested,” “Points Received”), subscription reminders, and marketing updates (which you can opt-out of).

3. Sharing Your Information

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

  1. With Other Users (Conditional): Your username, profile photo, and general location (e.g., “Lagos”) are visible to the public. Your exact shipping address is shared only with the specific user sending you a book once a request is accepted.
  2. Service Providers: We share data with third-party vendors who perform services for us, such as:
    • Payment Processing: Paystack, Flutterwave.
    • Hosting & Database Services: [e.g., AWS, DigitalOcean].
    • Email Services: [e.g., Mailgun, SendGrid] for sending notifications.
  3. Legal Requirements: We may disclose your information where we are legally required to do so to comply with applicable law, governmental requests, a judicial proceeding, court order, or legal process.
  4. Business Transfers: If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

4. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

  • Account Data: Retained as long as your account is active.
  • Transaction Logs: We retain records of points transactions and book swaps for tax, legal, and dispute resolution purposes even after an account is closed.

If you request to delete your account, we will delete your personal information, subject to the retention of certain data required for legal obligations or fraud prevention.

5. Data Security

We have implemented appropriate technical and organizational security measures designed to protect the security of any personal information we process.

  • We use encryption (SSL/TLS) for data in transit.
  • Passwords are hashed and salted.
  • Points balances are secured via our internal ledger system.

However, please remember that no electronic transmission over the internet or information storage technology can be guaranteed to be 100% secure.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location (including rights under the Nigeria Data Protection Act), you may have the following rights:

  1. Right to Access: You can request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  2. Right to Correction: You can update or correct your information via your User Dashboard settings.
  3. Right to Deletion: You can request that we delete your personal information (subject to specific legal limitations).
  4. Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are relying on your consent to process your personal information, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [Insert Support Email].

7. Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so that we can take steps to delete such information.

Users between 13 and 18 require parental consent to use the Platform.

8. Third-Party Websites

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., social media links, payment gateways). We are not responsible for the safety or privacy practices of such third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies directly.

9. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will be indicated by an updated “Revised” date and will be effective as soon as it is accessible. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy frequently to be informed of how we are protecting your information.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions or comments about this policy, you may contact our Data Protection Officer (DPO) at:

LitAmb Support

Email: [Insert Support Email Address]

Address: [Insert Physical Address if applicable]