BIZWATCH

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: May 5, 2026

BizWatch ("we," "us," or "our") operates the BizWatch mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your data.

1. Information We Collect

When you create an account, we collect:

Account information: your name, business name, email address, and password (stored securely via Firebase Authentication)
Business information: business type, phone number, hours, description, and profile photo (optional)
Location information: your ZIP code, which we use to determine your approximate city, county, and state for placing your business on the local network map

When you use the Service, we also collect:

Messages and alerts: content you post in channels, direct messages, group chats, and safety alerts
Usage data: your online/offline status within the app
Push notification tokens: a device token used to deliver push notifications to your device (mobile only, if you grant permission)

2. How We Use Your Information

To create and maintain your business profile on the local network
To display your business on the map and in channels relevant to your location
To enable communication between businesses in your area
To send you safety alerts and messages from nearby businesses
To deliver push notifications when you receive new messages or alerts (if enabled)
To provide customer support and respond to your requests

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored using Google Firebase, including Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Firebase Realtime Database, and Firebase Storage. Firebase applies industry-standard encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest. We restrict write access so that only authenticated users can modify their own profile data.

4. Third-Party Services

Google Firebase – authentication, database, file storage, and push notifications (Firebase Privacy Policy)
Expo (Expo Push Notifications) – used to deliver push notifications to mobile devices (Expo Privacy Policy)
Mapbox – used to render the business map (Mapbox Privacy Policy)
Zippopotam.us – free ZIP code geocoding API used to convert ZIP codes to city/state/coordinates. No personal data is sent to this service.

5. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Messages and alerts may be retained in our database after posting. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time (see Section 7).

6. Children's Privacy

BizNet is intended for use by business owners and operators. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.

7. Your Rights – Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time:

In the mobile app: Settings → Delete Account
On the web: Settings → Account → Delete Account
By email: contact us at the address below

Deleting your account removes your business profile from the network and deactivates your login credentials. Some content (such as messages you sent) may remain in other users' chat history.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by updating the effective date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to request deletion of your data, contact us at:

jakebarnett2000@gmail.com