1. What We Collect
Account information. When you register, we collect your email address, a username you choose, and your password — your password itself is never stored by us; it's handled entirely by Firebase Authentication, which stores only a securely hashed version.
Location information. With your permission, we collect your device's location to center the map and show nearby shops and events. Sellers may also save a business address, a general community/neighbourhood name, or their current location so buyers can find them — entirely optional and seller-controlled.
Photos and content you upload. Profile photos, shop logos and cover photos, item listing photos, and event photos are uploaded to our storage and linked to your account.
Messages. If you message another user, we store the conversation and its messages so both people can see their chat history.
Marketplace activity. The listings, events, and reviews you create; the appointments (bookings) you request or receive; the shops/items/events you favourite; and any users you choose to block.
Reports and support requests. If you report content, another user, or a bug, we store what you submitted so our moderators can review it.
Usage and device information. We collect basic usage events tagged with a session ID, your app version, and platform, and — if signed in — your account ID. We also use Google Analytics for Firebase for standard app-usage analytics. A device push-notification token is stored so we can deliver notifications; you can turn individual notification types off in the app at any time.
2. How We Use It
To run the marketplace — show listings and events on the map, connect buyers and sellers, and handle bookings. To enable messaging between users. To send notifications based on your preferences. To keep the platform safe — review reports, enforce blocks, and take moderation action when needed. To understand and improve the app through aggregate usage analytics. And to verify requests are genuine, using Firebase App Check to confirm requests come from a real, unmodified copy of the app rather than a bot or tampered client.
4. Where It's Stored
Our primary database is hosted in Google Cloud's Toronto, Canada region. Some backend processing — including authentication and certain automated functions — runs on Google's broader global infrastructure, which can include servers in the United States, handled under Google's own data-protection commitments as our service provider.
5. How Long We Keep Information
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account: your profile, shop, listings, events, saved locations, favourites, notification settings, uploaded photos, and username reservation are deleted. Bookings and conversations you were part of are kept — with your name replaced by "Deleted user" — because the other party has a legitimate reason to keep their booking or chat history. Reviews you wrote about others, and reports you filed or that were filed about you, are kept as part of the platform's public record and moderation history. Usage analytics events are kept but anonymized rather than deleted, so we retain aggregate insight without keeping it tied to you. This cleanup starts automatically as soon as your account is deleted and usually completes within minutes.
6. Deleting Your Account
You can delete your account from within the app at any time. Doing so permanently removes your login and triggers the cleanup described above — this cannot be undone. If you'd rather just stop using the app without deleting anything, you can simply sign out; nothing is deleted unless you choose to delete your account.
7. Your Choices
You can access and correct most of your profile and content directly in the app. You can control location sharing at any time in your device settings, and sellers can independently turn off their shop's visible location. You can manage each notification type individually in the app's settings. You can delete your account at any time (see section 6). For anything not covered by an in-app control — for example, requesting a copy of your data — contact us using the details in section 12; we aim to respond within 30 days.
8. Children's Privacy
LocaL is not directed at children and is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 16. We set this age deliberately, in line with Canada's proposed federal legislation restricting social media access for users under 16 — LocaL includes messaging and public user-generated content, so we're applying the same standard even ahead of any law requiring it.
We do not knowingly collect information from anyone under 16, and an account found to belong to someone under 16 will be closed. If a minor under 16 wants to sell items, offer a service, or run a shop on LocaL, that must be done through an account created and controlled by a parent or legal guardian — see our Terms & Conditions for what that means. If you believe someone under 16 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.
9. Security
Data in transit between the app and our servers is encrypted (HTTPS/TLS), and data at rest in our database and file storage is encrypted by Google Cloud by default. Access to your private data is enforced by server-side rules — your email address and moderation status, for example, are readable only by you and by administrators, never by other users. We also use Firebase App Check to help block automated or tampered clients from accessing our backend. No system is perfectly secure, and we can't guarantee absolute security, but we take reasonable, industry-standard steps to protect your information.
10. International Data Transfers
Our core database is stored in Canada. Because we rely on Google's global cloud infrastructure for authentication and some backend processing, your information may be processed on servers located outside Canada, including in the United States, subject to Google's own data-protection safeguards as our service provider.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy as the app changes. If we make a material change, we'll update the "last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app.
12. Contact Us
Questions about this policy, or requests about your personal information, can be sent to:
LocaL
Email: localecalgary@gmail.com