Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

BrandedFacts respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal data transparently, lawfully, and securely.

This Privacy Policy explains:

• What personal data we collect
• Why we collect it
• How it is used and stored
• Your rights under applicable data-protection laws

This policy applies globally and is designed to comply with:

• GDPR (EU/UK)
• POPIA (South Africa)
• CCPA/CPRA (United States)

2. Data We Collect

A. Account & Participation Data

• Email address (required for contributors)
• User ID (system-generated)
• Optional display name or alias
• Role selection (for example, contributor, brand representative)

B. Contribution & Activity Data

• Proposed brands and facts
• Votes (agree/disagree)
• Reports or flags
• Moderation interactions
• Attribution choices (for example, Anonymous vs named)

C. Technical & Security Data

For platform integrity and fraud prevention:

• IP address
• Device and browser type
• Timestamps of actions

3. Public vs. Private Data

Publicly visible

• Your display name or alias (if you choose attribution)
• Your contribution history (for example, "Proposed by")
• Fact status outcomes (verified, rejected, archived)

Never public

• Email address
• IP address
• Internal user ID
• Moderation notes
• Legal correspondence

4. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data to:

• Operate and maintain the BrandedFacts platform
• Enable fact proposals, voting, and moderation
• Protect against spam, fraud, and manipulation
• Conduct evidence, policy, or legal reviews
• Maintain audit and transparency records
• Comply with legal obligations

We process personal data only where there is a lawful basis to do so.

We do not sell personal data.

5. Community Voting & Audit Logs

BrandedFacts maintains internal logs of:

• Who proposed content
• How votes were cast
• Moderation and legal actions taken

These logs are used to:

• Ensure accountability
• Investigate abuse or manipulation
• Respond to legal or regulatory requests

Public audit histories may display event summaries (for example, "Fact rejected by community") but never expose private personal data.

6. Legal Review & Data Retention

When content is placed Under Legal Review, access to the content may be restricted and related data may be preserved to comply with legal obligations.

We may retain certain records longer than usual where required by law, necessary to resolve disputes, or required to protect the platform or users.

Some records may be retained after account deletion to preserve transparency and historical accuracy, but may be anonymized where appropriate.

7. Data Sharing

We may share limited data only:

• With service providers (for example, hosting, analytics) under strict confidentiality
• To comply with legal obligations or court orders
• To protect rights, safety, or platform integrity

We do not share or sell personal data for advertising purposes.

8. Cookies and Tracking

BrandedFacts may use essential cookies (authentication, security) and basic analytics (aggregated, non-profiling). We do not use invasive tracking or behavioral advertising cookies.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Request deletion (subject to legal and audit requirements)
• Restrict or object to processing
• Receive a copy of your data

Some data may not be immediately deletable where required for legal compliance or tied to audit, moderation, or dispute resolution.

10. Account Deletion

If you delete your account, your email and private identifiers will be removed or anonymized where possible. Public contributions may remain visible for transparency, attribution, and audit continuity.

Attribution may be converted to Anonymous upon request, where feasible.

11. Data Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect against unauthorized access and prevent data loss or misuse. No system is 100% secure, but we take data protection seriously.

BrandedFacts is not intended for children under the age required by applicable law (typically 13 or 16). We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

12. International Transfers

Your data may be processed or stored outside your country of residence. We take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated clearly on the platform.

14. Contact

For privacy-related questions or concerns, contact: privacy@brandedfacts.com