Privacy & Cookie Policy

 

AFRICANII PRIVACY NOTICE & COOKIE DISCLOSURE NOTICE, SCOPE, COLLECTION, AND USE

 

NOTICE AT COLLECTION (CALIFORNIA CPRA): Pursuant to the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), Africanii, Inc. provides this Notice at Collection to inform users that we collect the categories of personal information described herein for the purposes stated in this Privacy Notice. We do not sell personal information. Where applicable, users may exercise the right to opt out of the sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising via the mechanisms described in this Notice. By accessing, registering for, or otherwise using the Africanii Platform, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Notice and consent to the data practices described herein, to the extent such consent is required under applicable law.

 

1. ABOUT AFRICANII AND THIS NOTICE

Africanii, Inc. (“Africanii,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a Texas corporation with its principal place of business at 2219 Blackoak Bend, San Antonio, Texas 78248.

Africanii operates a digital community marketplace, social networking platform, and related services designed to connect users across the African diaspora communities within the United States. The Platform is accessible via africanii.com, iOS applications, Android applications, and any related digital or electronic interfaces (collectively, the “Platform”).

This Privacy Notice and Cookie Disclosure (“Notice”) governs the collection, use, storage, disclosure, retention, and protection of personal information across all Africanii services, including but not limited to:

• the website and mobile applications.
• email and electronic communications.
• SMS and text messaging communications.
• customer support interactions.
• community forums, groups, and messaging features.
• marketplace listings and transactions between users.
• housing, event, and business directory features.
• offline or in-person Africanii-sponsored events where data is collected.
• third-party service providers and integrations used in connection with Platform operations.

This Notice applies to all users of the Platform regardless of geographic location within the United States.

Africanii reserves the right to amend this Notice from time to time as described in Section 16.

 

2. PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

Africanii collects personal information that you voluntarily provide, information collected automatically through your use of the Platform, and information obtained from authorized third-party service providers.

For purposes of this Notice, “personal information” means information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We may collect the following categories of personal information directly from users:

Account Information

• Full name
• Email address
• Telephone number
• Password (stored in hashed form)
• Profile photograph and account preferences

Profile and Community Information

• Cultural affiliation or country-of-origin identifiers (voluntarily provided)
• Community group memberships
• Profile descriptions and biographical content
• User-generated content, including posts, comments, and media

Marketplace and Listing Information

• Listing titles, descriptions, and photographs
• Item or service details
• Pricing information
• Availability and condition data
• Communication preferences related to listings

Housing and Event Information

• Event details including date, location, and organizer information
• Housing listings including property descriptions and location information
• Business directory submissions including contact and operational details

Communications

• Messages sent through the Platform
• Support inquiries and correspondence with Africanii
• Feedback, survey responses, and dispute submissions

Authentication and Third-Party Login Data

• Data received via third-party authentication providers (e.g., Google OAuth), including name and email address subject to the provider’s privacy settings

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access or use the Platform, Africanii automatically collects certain technical and usage data, including:

• Internet Protocol (IP) address
• Device type, operating system, and browser type
• Mobile device identifiers and application version data
• Usage logs, navigation patterns, and interaction data
• Pages viewed, features used, and time spent on the Platform
• Search queries and content interaction behavior
• Approximate geolocation derived from IP address
• Cookies, SDKs, and similar tracking technologies

2.3 Sensitive Personal Information

Certain categories of information may be considered “Sensitive Personal Information” under applicable law, including:

• Precise geolocation data (where explicitly enabled)
• Account credentials (hashed passwords)
• Private communications within the Platform
• Cultural or national origin information voluntarily provided by users

Africanii processes Sensitive Personal Information only for purposes permitted by law, including providing requested services, ensuring platform security, and preventing fraud or abuse.

2.4  What We Do Not Collect

• Payment card numbers, bank account details, or any financial information. Africanii has no payment or transaction processing layer. All commercial arrangements between users are made directly between those users off-Platform.
• Social Security numbers or government-issued ID numbers (except where separately required for identity verification features.
• Information from children under age 18.

2.5  Consent to Receive Messages

You will only receive SMS messages after providing your express consent through one of the following methods:

• Completing an online form

• Signing up on our website

• Entering your phone number during checkout

• Completing a QR code registration

• Participating in a promotional campaign

• Providing written consent at an event

• Sending a keyword to our designated SMS number

Consent to receive marketing messages is not a condition of purchasing any product or service.

3. HOW WE USE YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION

Africanii uses personal information for legitimate business, operational, security, and legal purposes, including but not limited to:

3.1 Platform Operations

• Creating and managing user accounts
• Providing access to marketplace, community, and messaging features
• Enabling listings, searches, and content discovery
• Facilitating user-to-user communications

3.2 Service Provision and Performance

• Delivering requested services and platform functionality
• Processing user requests and support inquiries
• Maintaining system integrity and performance
• Ensuring platform availability and functionality

3.3 Safety, Security, and Fraud Prevention

• Detecting and preventing fraud, spam, and abusive behavior
• Investigating violations of community standards
• Enforcing Platform policies and applicable legal requirements
• Protecting users, third parties, and Africanii’s systems

3.4 Communications

• Sending service-related notifications
• Providing updates regarding Platform features or policy changes
• Responding to user inquiries and support requests
• Sending marketing communications where permitted by law and user preference settings

Users may opt out of non-essential marketing communications as required under applicable law.

3.5 Platform Improvement and Analytics

• Monitoring usage trends and system performance
• Improving user experience and feature design
• Conducting internal analytics and service optimization
• Debugging, testing, and maintaining Platform functionality

3.6 Legal Compliance and Enforcement

• Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and lawful requests
• Enforcing contractual terms and Platform policies
• Preserving legal rights and defending against claims
• Responding to subpoenas, court orders, or regulatory inquiries

3.7 AI-Powered Features

We may use AI-powered features to support content moderation, generate and improve listing recommendations, detect fraudulent or suspicious activity, and enhance semantic search functionality across the platform. These tools help us maintain platform safety, improve user experience, and deliver more relevant results. Processing for these purposes is based on our legitimate interests in operating and securing the platform, and where applicable, on the performance of our contract with users to provide requested services and functionality.

 

3.8 LEGAL ENHANCEMENT

To the maximum extent permitted by law, users acknowledge that:

• information submitted publicly or through interactive features may become visible to other users or third parties;
• Africanii cannot guarantee that information shared in public or semi-public areas will not be accessed, copied, or redistributed by third parties;
• use of the Platform is undertaken at the user’s discretion and risk with respect to voluntarily disclosed information; and
• Africanii’s systems, while designed with reasonable safeguards, cannot be guaranteed to be free from unauthorized access or security compromise.

Africanii does not use sensitive personal information, including cultural affiliation, national origin, or private communications, for targeted advertising or cross-context behavioral profiling.

4. HOW WE SHARE AND DISCLOSE PERSONAL INFORMATION

Africanii does not sell personal information in exchange for monetary consideration. However, Africanii may disclose personal information to third parties in accordance with this Notice and applicable law.

4.1 Disclosure to Other Users

Certain information is intentionally shared with other users as part of the Platform’s core functionality, including:

• public profile information (e.g., name, profile photo, community affiliation);
• marketplace listings and related content;
• event and business postings;
• comments, posts, and other user-generated content;
• messages between users, limited to the intended recipients.

Users acknowledge that any information disclosed in public or semi-public areas of the Platform may be viewed, collected, or used by other users or third parties beyond Africanii’s control.

4.2 Disclosure to Service Providers

Africanii may share personal information with third-party service providers that perform functions on our behalf. These providers are contractually obligated to process personal information solely for the purpose of providing services to Africanii and are prohibited from using such information for independent commercial purposes.

Such service providers may include:

• cloud hosting and infrastructure providers;
• data storage and database management providers;
• analytics and performance monitoring providers;
• customer support and ticketing systems;
• email and communication delivery providers;
• security, fraud prevention, and moderation tools;
• identity verification or authentication services (where applicable).

4.3 Disclosure for Legal, Safety, and Compliance Purposes

Africanii may access, preserve, and disclose personal information where we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to:

• comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request;
• enforce our Terms of Service or other contractual agreements;
• investigate or prevent fraud, abuse, security incidents, or unlawful activity;
• protect the rights, property, or safety of Africanii, users, or the public;
• respond to emergency situations involving potential harm.

Where legally permitted, Africanii may provide notice to users prior to or after such disclosure.

4.4 Business Transfers

Africanii may disclose or transfer personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of:

• mergers or acquisitions;
• sale of company assets;
• financing transactions;
• corporate restructuring or reorganization;
• bankruptcy, receivership, or dissolution proceedings.

In such circumstances, personal information may be transferred as part of the business assets, subject to customary confidentiality protections and applicable law.

4.5 Third-Party Platforms and External Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services that are not controlled by Africanii.

Africanii is not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of such third parties. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any third-party services they access.

 

5. DATA SECURITY

Africanii implements commercially reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Such safeguards may include:

• encryption of data in transit using secure protocols (e.g., TLS);
• encryption of sensitive data at rest where appropriate;
• access controls limiting employee and contractor access to personal information;
• authentication and monitoring systems;
• regular security assessments and system testing;
• incident detection and response procedures.

However, no system, network, transmission, or electronic storage method is completely secure. Accordingly, Africanii cannot and does not guarantee absolute security of personal information.

Users acknowledge that transmission of information via the internet is at their own risk.

5.1 Breach Notification Deadline

In the event of a confirmed data breach involving personal information, Africanii will provide notice to affected users without unreasonable delay and, where feasible, within 72 hours of confirmation, subject to law enforcement restrictions or legal obligations.

6. DATA RETENTION

Africanii retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Notice, including:

• providing and maintaining Platform services;
• complying with legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations;
• resolving disputes;
• enforcing agreements;
• maintaining security and preventing fraud.

Retention periods may vary depending on the type of data and context of collection. When personal information is no longer required, Africanii will delete, de-identify, or aggregate such information in accordance with applicable law.

6.1 Account and Data Deletion:

You have the right to request the deletion of your account and associated personal information at any time. Because we require identity verification to safely process these requests, you must log in to initiate the deletion. Please visit our Account Deletion Page for full instructions on how to remove your data. Please note that even after a deletion request, we may retain certain limited information as described above (such as for dispute resolution or legal compliance).

6.2 Data Deletion Timeline

Upon a verified deletion request, Africanii will delete or de-identify personal information within 45 days, except where retention is required for legal compliance, fraud prevention, or dispute resolution.

 

7. COOKIES AND TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES

Africanii uses cookies, web beacons, SDKs, pixels, and similar technologies to operate and improve the Platform.

7.1 Types of Cookies Used

Strictly Necessary Cookies
Required for authentication, security, and core platform functionality. These cannot be disabled.

Functional Cookies
Enable enhanced functionality such as remembering preferences and user settings.

Analytics Cookies
Used to understand usage patterns, improve performance, and analyze Platform interaction trends.

Advertising and Targeting Cookies (if enabled)
May be used to measure engagement or deliver relevant content. Users may opt out where required by law.

7.2 Cookie Controls

Users may control cookie preferences through:

• browser settings;
• device settings (mobile applications);
• Africanii Cookie Preference Center (where available).

Disabling certain cookies may limit functionality or user experience. Cookie consent preferences are retained for a period of 12 months unless modified or withdrawn earlier by the user.

7.3 Global Privacy Control (GPC)

Africanii recognizes and honors Global Privacy Control (“GPC”) signals where required by applicable law. Where a valid GPC signal is detected, it will be treated as a request to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising purposes. Africanii treats GPC signals as valid opt-out requests for both the sale and sharing of personal information and for cross-context behavioral advertising under applicable U.S. state privacy laws.

7.4 Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers may transmit “Do Not Track” signals. Africanii does not currently respond to such signals, as there is no uniform industry standard for compliance. However, users may exercise available privacy rights through the mechanisms described in this Notice.

 

8. USER RESPONSIBILITY AND LIMITATION OF CONTROL

Users acknowledge and agree that:

• any personal information voluntarily disclosed in public or interactive areas of the Platform may be collected, copied, or used by third parties beyond Africanii’s control;
• Africanii does not control, and is not responsible for, the privacy practices of other users or third parties;
• users are solely responsible for safeguarding their account credentials and limiting disclosure of sensitive personal information; and
• Africanii shall not be liable for unauthorized access to information resulting from user disclosure, third-party actions, or circumstances beyond reasonable control.

 

9. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING

Africanii utilizes artificial intelligence systems and automated processing technologies to operate, secure, and improve the Platform. These systems are designed to support, not replace, human oversight in consequential decisions.

Such systems may be used for:

• content moderation and policy enforcement;
• fraud detection and abuse prevention;
• search ranking and content relevance;
• recommendation of listings, events, and communities;
• semantic search and content classification;
• customer support automation tools (chatbots);
• identity verification and account integrity checks.

9.1 Human Oversight and Review

Where automated systems are used to flag content or user behavior for enforcement action, Africanii applies human review prior to final adverse decisions affecting account access or content removal, except where immediate action is required to prevent imminent harm, fraud, or security risk.

Users may request human review of automated determinations where applicable under law.

9.2 No Solely Automated High-Stakes Decisions

To the extent required by applicable law, Africanii does not make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects without appropriate notice and user rights to contest such decisions.

9.3 Training Data and Model Use

Where AI systems are trained or improved, Africanii uses:

• de-identified or aggregated platform data;
• anonymized usage patterns;
• moderated and labeled content datasets.

Africanii does not sell personal information for AI model training purposes. Africanii does not use private messages, precise geolocation data, or identifiable personal information for AI model training. Only de-identified or aggregated datasets are used for AI improvement purposes.

9.4 Legal Compliance for AI Systems

Africanii complies with applicable AI governance requirements under state laws, including but not limited to California, Colorado, and Texas frameworks governing automated decision systems, where applicable.

 

10. PRECISION GEOLOCATION DATA

Africanii may collect precise geolocation data from users’ devices only where explicitly enabled and consented to by the user.

10.1 Purpose of Collection

Precise geolocation data may be used for:

• displaying nearby listings, events, or users (where enabled);
• improving marketplace relevance and search functionality;
• fraud prevention and security monitoring.

10.2 Consent Requirement

Precise geolocation is collected only upon affirmative opt-in consent via device-level or in-application permission controls. Users may withdraw consent at any time through device settings or Platform controls.

10.3 Retention of Location Data

Where collected, precise geolocation data is retained only as long as reasonably necessary for operational purposes and is subject to deletion or de-identification in accordance with Africanii’s retention policies.

 

11. CHILDREN’S PRIVACY

The Africanii Platform is not directed to individuals under the age of 18.

Africanii does not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 18 years of age.

If Africanii becomes aware that personal information has been collected from a person under 18 without verified parental consent, such information will be deleted, and the account will be terminated where applicable.

 

12. PRIVACY RIGHTS OF CONSUMERS

Subject to applicable law, users may have the following rights:

• right to know what personal information is collected, used, disclosed, or shared;
• right to access personal information held by Africanii;
• right to request correction of inaccurate personal information;
• right to request deletion of personal information;
• right to opt out of sale or sharing of personal information (where applicable);
• right to limit use of sensitive personal information;
• right to data portability;
• right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights;
• right to appeal certain privacy decisions (where applicable under state law).

Requests may be submitted via:

• privacy portal: africanii.com/privacy-portal
• email: privacy@africanii.com
• telephone: (210) 712-2892

Africanii may require verification of identity before processing requests.

 

13. STATE-SPECIFIC PRIVACY DISCLOSURES

13.1 California (CPRA)

California residents may request:

• access to specific pieces of personal information;
• disclosure of categories of personal information collected;
• deletion of personal information;
• correction of inaccurate data;
• limitation on use of sensitive personal information;
• opt-out of sale or sharing of personal information.

Right to Limit Sensitive Personal Information Use - Users may direct Africanii to limit the

use and disclosure of sensitive personal information (including geolocation, cultural affiliation, and private communications) to only what is necessary to provide requested services.

Africanii honors Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals as opt-out requests where required.

13.2 Texas, Colorado, Virginia, and Other State Laws

Where applicable, residents of states with comprehensive privacy laws may exercise similar rights including access, correction, deletion, portability, and opt-out rights as recognized under their respective statutes. Texas residents are additionally entitled to request confirmation of processing, deletion of personal data, and opt-out of targeted advertising and profiling, subject to applicable exemptions under the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act (TDPSA). Colorado residents may exercise the right to opt out of targeted advertising, sale of personal data, and profiling used in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects

13.3 Authorized Agents

Where permitted by law, users may designate an authorized agent to submit privacy requests on their behalf, subject to verification requirements.

13.4 General Privacy Coverage and Limitation

The availability and scope of privacy rights may vary depending on the type of personal information processed and the legal thresholds established under applicable state law. Where multiple state privacy laws apply to the same processing activity, Africanii applies the highest level of privacy protection required under applicable U.S. state privacy laws.

14. CROSS-BORDER DATA TRANSFERS

Africanii is operated in the United States and is intended primarily for U.S. users.

If users access the Platform from outside the United States, they acknowledge that their information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed within the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in their jurisdiction.

15. NO DISCRIMINATION

Africanii will not discriminate against users for exercising their privacy rights, including by:

• denying goods or services;
• charging different prices;
• providing a different level or quality of service.

16. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

Africanii reserves the right to amend, modify, or update this Privacy Notice at any time, in whole or in part, in its sole discretion, subject to applicable law.

Where material changes are made, Africanii will provide notice through one or more of the following methods:

• posting a prominent notice on the Platform;
• updating the “Effective Date” of this Notice;
• notifying registered users via email or in-app communication; or
• providing additional notice where required by applicable law.

Non-material changes, including clarifications or administrative updates, may be made without prior notice. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of any revised Notice constitutes acknowledgment and acceptance of the updated terms to the extent permitted by law.

17. LIMITATION OF LIABILITY AND RELIANCE

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Africanii disclaims liability for:

• unauthorized access to personal information resulting from circumstances beyond Africanii’s reasonable control;
• actions, omissions, or conduct of third-party users of the Platform;
• interception or misuse of data transmitted over the internet;
• security breaches despite the implementation of commercially reasonable safeguards; and
• any indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from use of the Platform or reliance on information disclosed therein.

Users acknowledge that no system of data transmission or storage can be guaranteed to be completely secure, and that any transmission of personal information is undertaken at the user’s own risk.

 

18. USER REPRESENTATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITY

By using the Platform, users represent and warrant that:

• all information provided is accurate to the best of their knowledge;
• they will maintain the confidentiality of their account credentials;
• they understand that information voluntarily disclosed may become publicly accessible; and
• they accept responsibility for their own use of the Platform, including interactions with other users.

Africanii shall not be responsible for disputes arising between users or for the conduct of users outside the scope of Platform operations.

 

19. THIRD-PARTY SERVICES DISCLAIMER

The Platform may rely on or integrate with third-party service providers, including hosting providers, analytics services, communication tools, and security vendors.

Africanii does not control and is not responsible for the privacy practices, policies, or content of third-party services. Users are encouraged to review the privacy policies of any third-party services they access through or in connection with the Platform.

 

20. BUSINESS TRANSFERS AND SUCCESSORS

In the event of a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, sale of assets, financing transaction, or similar corporate event, personal information may be transferred as part of such transaction.

Africanii reserves the right to transfer personal information to a successor entity or affiliated organization, provided that such successor agrees to maintain protections consistent with this Notice, subject to applicable law.

Where required by law, Africanii will provide advance notice and, where applicable, an opportunity for users to exercise deletion rights prior to the completion of such transfer.

 

21. ENTIRE NOTICE; SEVERABILITY

This Privacy Notice constitutes the entire understanding between Africanii and its users with respect to the subject matter herein and supersedes any prior or contemporaneous communications relating to privacy practices, to the extent permitted by law.

If any provision of this Notice is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect.

 

22. CONTACT INFORMATION

All inquiries regarding this Privacy Notice, including privacy rights requests, data protection concerns, or general questions, may be directed to:

Africanii, Inc.
2219 Blackoak Bend
San Antonio, Texas 78248
United States

Email: privacy@africanii.com
Phone: (210) 712-2892.
Privacy Portal: https://africanii.com/privacy-portal

Hours of support: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM Central Time

 

23. EXECUTION AND ACKNOWLEDGMENT

This Privacy Notice & Cookie Disclosure is duly authorized, adopted, and published by Africanii, Inc., a Texas corporation, and is intended to govern the processing of personal information across all Africanii services, platforms, and related operations within the United States.

By making this Notice available, Africanii represents that it has undertaken reasonable efforts to align its data practices with applicable federal and state privacy laws, including but not limited to the California Consumer Privacy Act (as amended by the CPRA), the Texas Data Privacy and Security Act, and other emerging state privacy frameworks.

Continued use of the Platform following publication of this Notice constitutes acknowledgment of its terms, to the extent permitted by applicable law.