Privacy Policy

1. Information you provide

• Account and profile: your name, username, email address, phone number, profile photo, description and privacy preferences. Sign-in providers also supply identifiers needed to connect your account.
• Content and activity: listings, photos, item requests, messages, stories, posts, comments, shops, groups, reactions, follows, blocks and reports you create or send.
• Location: a location you choose or device location you allow us to access, used for nearby discovery and location-based features.
• Support: your name, email address, enquiry topic, message and consent when you use the website contact form, along with correspondence you send to our team.
• Purchases: purchase identifiers, subscription status and entitlement information. App stores and payment providers handle the payment details you supply to them.

Please share only information needed for the feature or enquiry. Do not put passwords, verification codes, financial credentials or other sensitive personal information in listings or messages.

2. Device and service information

When you connect to Nikela, our services and providers may process your IP address, device and app details, request and error logs, and notification tokens. These support delivery, troubleshooting, security and abuse prevention. Advertising providers may also process device identifiers and ad interaction information where ads are shown in the app.

The app uses local storage for preferences and session-related information. Integrated sign-in, map, purchase and advertising services may use their own storage or similar technologies. Your browser and device settings offer controls over storage, permissions and advertising preferences.

3. How and why we use information

• Create and manage accounts, sign-in and privacy preferences.
• Show relevant listings and communities, connect users, and deliver messages, requests and notifications.
• Provide shops, groups, stories and other features you use.
• Recognise purchases and manage access to paid features.
• Respond to enquiries, feedback and account or data requests.
• Investigate reports, prevent abuse and fraud, troubleshoot problems and maintain the service.
• Meet applicable legal obligations and resolve disputes.

Depending on the purpose and applicable law, processing is based on providing the service you request, a legal obligation, legitimate interests such as service security, or your consent. Where consent is required, it can be withdrawn. Using Nikela does not replace a specific consent or permission required for a particular feature.

4. What other people can see

Profile information and content may be visible to other users or to visitors opening shared web links, depending on the feature and its visibility settings. Messages are shared with their recipients. Listings may include the location and contact information you choose to publish. Review your account and content privacy settings before sharing.

Other people can copy, save or share content they can access. Removing content from Nikela cannot remove copies held outside our service.

5. Service providers and other disclosures

We use providers to host and operate Nikela, authenticate accounts, deliver notifications, display maps, manage purchases and show app advertising. Current integrations include Google Firebase, Google Maps, Google AdMob, RevenueCat, Google Play and Apple services. The information processed depends on which features you use and the permissions and choices available to you.

Providers process information under their applicable terms and privacy policies. You can review Google's privacy policy, RevenueCat's privacy policy and Apple's privacy policy. External websites you visit through Nikela have their own policies.

Information may also be disclosed where required by law, to respond to a lawful request, or to protect rights and safety. If ownership of the service changes, information may transfer with it subject to applicable data protection requirements.

6. Permissions and your choices

• Edit your profile and account privacy in the app's Settings.
• Control location, camera, photo access and notification permissions in your device settings. Features needing a permission may be limited when it is disabled.
• Use the app's block and report tools for unwanted interactions.
• Manage advertising preferences using the controls provided by your device and advertising provider.
• Manage recurring subscriptions through the store that billed you.

7. Account deletion and retention

You can delete your account through Account → Settings → Delete account, or request account and associated personal data deletion by email. Our account deletion page gives the steps and explains how to request deletion without signing in.

The in-app process marks your account as deleted and starts removal of selected profile fields, including your name, username, email, phone number, profile-photo reference and location. It also starts deletion of listings, item requests, reactions, follows and blocks, and removal of your sign-in account. Cleanup may continue after the initial request.

This does not automatically erase all associated data. Messages, group or shop content, stories, support enquiries, purchase records and archived records may remain. Copies held by other users or independent providers are outside this in-app process.

Retention depends on the purpose of the record and any applicable legal requirement, including payment reconciliation, disputes and safety investigations. Contact us to request deletion of remaining personal data, or to ask what is held, why and for how long. We may need to verify your identity and assess any lawful reason for retention. Uninstalling the app does not delete your account or cancel a subscription.

8. Your data protection rights

Subject to applicable law, you may ask to access or correct your personal information, request erasure, object to or restrict certain processing, withdraw consent, or receive a portable copy of your information where that right applies. Withdrawing consent does not affect processing that was lawful before withdrawal.

Send a request to nikela@owo.tech. Include enough information to identify your account, but do not send passwords or verification codes. You may also raise a data protection complaint with Kenya's Office of the Data Protection Commissioner or the relevant authority in your jurisdiction.

9. Security and international processing

We use safeguards intended to protect personal information, but no online service is completely secure. Keep your sign-in credentials private and contact us if you suspect unauthorised access.

Our providers may store or process information outside Kenya or your country of residence. Applicable data protection requirements and safeguards apply to those transfers. Contact us with questions about where your information is processed.

10. Children

Nikela is intended for people aged 18 or older. If you believe a child has provided personal information or created an account, contact us so we can investigate and address it.

11. Updates and contact

We may update this policy as the service or applicable requirements change. The date above identifies the latest revision. Where required, material changes will be communicated through the service or another appropriate channel.

For privacy questions or requests, contact Nikela at Owo Technologies, Nairobi, Kenya: nikela@owo.tech. Read the Terms and Conditions for the rules that apply to using Nikela.