Privacy Policy (Akaw Platform)

Effective date: 2024-01-01
Last updated: 2024-01-01

1. Who We Are

Akaw operates a fundraising platform that connects campaign creators and supporters. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect personal data.

2. Data We Collect

• Account and Identity Data: name, username, email, phone number, and optionally profile name, profile type, and verification documents (photos/files you upload).
• Campaign Data: campaign reason, descriptions, images, fundraising targets, timelines, updates, and related links.
• Contribution Data: donation amounts, payment method, account or phone number used for payment, transaction references, fees, timestamps, chosen visibility mode (anonymous, first name, full name, etc.).
• Usage and Device Data: log data from our services (e.g., IP address, browser/device info, pages viewed), cookies or similar technologies where used.
• Support Data: messages and attachments you send to support, and preferences/legal consents where provided.

3. How We Use Data

• Provide, operate, and secure the platform; create and manage accounts; enable campaigns, contributions, payouts, and verifications.
• Communicate about account activity, campaign updates, payments, receipts, verifications, incidents, and product changes.
• Prevent fraud and abuse; enforce our Terms; comply with legal and financial obligations.
• Improve the service (analytics, quality, performance), using aggregated or de-identified data where possible.

4. Legal Bases (where applicable)

• Performance of a contract (providing the platform and payment flows).
• Legitimate interests (fraud prevention, service improvement, customer support).
• Legal obligations (financial record-keeping, compliance, law-enforcement requests).
• Consent when required (certain communications, cookies, or optional data).

5. Sharing and Recipients

• Payment and payout processors to handle contributions, fees, and withdrawals.
• Identity/verification partners when we need to verify profiles or payouts.
• Notifications providers (email, messaging) to send service messages.
• Service vendors (hosting, logging/monitoring, analytics) under appropriate safeguards.
• Legal or compliance disclosures when required by law, regulation, or to protect rights, users, or the platform.

6. International Transfers

If data is transferred across borders, we use appropriate safeguards permitted by applicable law (such as contractual protections) and take steps to protect your information.

7. Retention

We keep personal data as long as needed for the purposes above: operating your account, maintaining campaign and transaction records, meeting legal/financial obligations, resolving disputes, and enforcing agreements. When no longer needed, we delete or de-identify data.

8. Your Choices and Rights

• Access, update, or correct account information.
• Choose contribution visibility levels during donations.
• Manage certain notifications where settings allow; essential service messages may still be sent.
• Request deletion or objection where applicable by law; some data (e.g., transaction records) may be retained for legal reasons.
• Opt out of non-essential marketing where applicable.

9. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect data (secure hosting, access controls, logging, and review). No system is perfectly secure; please keep your credentials safe.

10. Children

The platform is not intended for children under the legal age of consent. If we learn we have data from a child without proper consent, we will delete it.

11. Third-Party Links and Content

Campaign pages may contain external links. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party sites or services.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Material changes will be communicated where feasible. Continued use of the platform after updates means you accept the revised Policy.

13. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, reach us at support@akaw.org or through the support contacts listed in the Help page. We aim to respond promptly and within any timelines required by applicable law.