Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 19, 2026
Deespora (“Deespora,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) helps people find African and Caribbean businesses, events and community across the United States. This policy explains what information we collect through the Deespora app, why we collect it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. We have tried to write it in plain language. If anything is unclear, email info@deespora.com and we will explain it.
By creating an account or using Deespora, you agree to the practices described here.
1. Information we collect
We collect information you give us, information the app collects to work, and information from third parties that help us run the service.
| What we collect | Why we collect it |
|---|---|
| Name, email address, phone number | To create and identify your account and to contact you about it |
| Password | To secure your account. Passwords are hashed; we never store or view them in plain text |
| Sign-in codes | We email you a one-time code to confirm your email address and to sign you in |
| Device location (GPS, city, state) | To show you businesses and events near you |
| Push notification device token | To deliver notifications to your device, if you turn them on |
| Notification preferences | To remember whether you opted in to push and email notifications |
| Saved businesses and events | To keep your saved items available across sessions |
| Questions you type into Deespora AI | To generate an answer from the Deespora directory |
| Listings, claims, photos, menus, hours and event details you submit | To review and publish them, and to let verified owners keep their listing up to date |
We do not intentionally collect payment card details, government ID numbers, or other sensitive identifiers through the app.
2. How we use your information
- Show you relevant businesses and events using your city and state, resolved from your device location.
- Answer your questions in Deespora AI using businesses from our directory.
- Review submissions and claims. Our team reviews new listings and ownership claims before they are published or approved.
- Send push notifications about app activity and local updates, only if you have enabled them.
- Send account emails such as sign-in codes, a confirmation that we received your submission, and updates on a listing or claim.
- Maintain your account, including your saved items and preferences.
- Keep the app secure and detect misuse, fraud or technical problems.
We do not use your data to build advertising profiles for third parties, and we do not use your location for anything beyond showing nearby businesses and events and city-targeted notifications.
3. Push notifications and email
Push notifications are opt-in. You can turn them off at any time in your device settings or in the app’s notification preferences. We use Firebase Cloud Messaging to deliver them. We send account emails (sign-in codes, submission and claim updates) regardless of your marketing preference, because they relate directly to actions you took.
4. AI assistant
Deespora AI answers your questions using businesses from the Deespora directory. To produce an answer, the text of your question and the relevant directory listings are sent to our AI provider, Anthropic. Please do not put sensitive personal information in your questions. AI answers can be incomplete or wrong; see our Legal & Disclaimers.
5. Third parties we work with
We rely on established providers to run Deespora. Each processes data on our behalf for a specific purpose:
| Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Railway | Hosts our backend server and our database (MongoDB) |
| Namecheap (cPanel hosting) | Stores photos and menu images uploaded to Deespora |
| Firebase (Google) | Push notification delivery |
| Resend | Delivers our emails |
| Anthropic | Generates Deespora AI answers |
| Ticketmaster and Eventbrite | Source of event listings |
| Google Maps and Apple Maps | Directions, when you choose to open them |
These providers receive only the data needed for their function. We may also disclose information if required by law, to protect the rights and safety of our users, or in connection with a merger, acquisition or sale of assets, in which case we will make reasonable efforts to notify you.
6. Do we sell your data?
No. We do not sell, rent or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.
7. What is public
Business listings are public by nature. If you submit or claim a business, the business name, address, contact details, description, photos, menu and hours you provide may be shown to everyone in the app. Do not include personal information you do not want to be public.
8. How long we keep it, and deleting your data
We keep your account information for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time in the app: Profile, then Delete account. This removes your account and associated personal data from our systems. You can also request deletion by email; see how to delete your account. Some information may be kept for a limited period where we are legally required to, or where needed to resolve disputes or enforce our agreements. A business listing you submitted stays in the directory but is disconnected from your account.
9. How we protect your data
- Passwords are hashed and never stored in plain text.
- Data in transit is encrypted using industry-standard protocols (HTTPS/TLS).
- Access to our database and servers is restricted to authorized personnel.
No system is completely secure and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a breach involving your personal data, we will notify affected users as required by law.
10. Your rights and choices
- Access or correct your information by editing your profile in the app or emailing us.
- Delete your account in the app, or by email.
- Turn off location access in your device settings. This limits our ability to show nearby results.
- Turn off push notifications in the app or your device settings.
If you live somewhere with specific data protection laws, such as California (CCPA/CPRA) or the EU and UK (GDPR), you may have additional rights, like requesting a copy of your data or objecting to certain processing. Email info@deespora.com and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
11. Children’s privacy
Deespora is intended for people aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, contact us and we will delete it promptly.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app evolves. If we make material changes, we will update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, tell you in the app or by email.
13. Contact us
Email info@deespora.com or call (469) 655-2028.