Privacy Policy for Zelulu
Effective Date: July 2026
Last Updated: July 2026
1. Introduction & Overview
Welcome to Zelulu ("Platform," "We," "Us," or "Our"). Zelulu operates a local online classifieds marketplace connecting buyers and sellers. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data in accordance with applicable privacy laws and regulatory frameworks.
This Privacy Policy explains how Zelulu collects, uses, stores, discloses, and protects your personal information when you use our website, mobile applications, built-in communication tools, and related services (collectively, the "Services").
By registering an account, posting an advertisement, searching for items, messaging other users, or otherwise accessing Zelulu, you agree to the collection and use of your information in accordance with this policy.
2. Information We Collect
We collect several categories of information to provide, secure, and improve the Zelulu platform.
A. Information You Provide Directly to Us
- • Account Registration Data: When you create an account, we collect your full name, email address, mobile phone number, and account password.
- • Profile & Seller Verification Information: Depending on your account type or verification requirements, we may collect profile photos, physical addresses, business names, and national identity documents (e.g., government ID, passport, or business registration certificates for verified store badges).
- • Ad Content & Media: Text descriptions, titles, pricing data, category selections, location details, and photographs or video media you upload when creating an ad listing.
- • In-App Communications: Text messages, voice notes, attachments, image uploads, and transaction discussions sent through Zelulu’s built-in chat system between buyers and sellers.
- • Customer Support Interactions: Support tickets, email correspondence, fraud reports, feedback forms, and call logs provided when you contact customer service.
- • Payment & Transaction Data: If you purchase premium ad placements, subscriptions, or seller boosts, our third-party payment processors collect transaction records, billing details, and mobile money/card metadata. (Note: Zelulu does not store raw credit card numbers or banking PINs on its servers).
B. Information Collected Automatically
- • Geolocation Data: Precise or approximate physical location derived from your device’s GPS, Wi-Fi networks, cellular towers, or IP address. Location data is used to display local ads nearby and set your search preferences.
- • Device & Identifier Information: IP address, device hardware model, operating system version, unique device identifiers (UUID, IMEI, IDFA), mobile network information, browser type, and system language settings.
- • Usage & Analytics Data: Pages or listings viewed, search terms entered, time spent on specific pages, click streams, referring URLs, ad interactions, app crashes, and diagnostic reports.
- • Cookies & Tracking Technologies: Cookies, local storage, web beacons, and pixel tags used to keep you logged in, save your search preferences, remember your filters, and track marketing attribution.
3. How We Use Your Information
We process your personal information strictly for legitimate operational, contractual, and legal purposes:
| Purpose |
Personal Data Used |
Legal Basis |
Account Management |
Name, email, phone number, credentials |
Contractual Necessity |
Facilitating Classified Ads |
Ad titles, photos, descriptions, local area |
Contractual Necessity |
Connecting Buyers & Sellers |
In-app messages, contact buttons |
Contractual Necessity |
Trust, Safety & Fraud Prevention |
ID verification, chat logs, device IDs |
Legitimate Interest & Legal Compliance |
Location-Based Search |
GPS data, IP address, city/neighborhood |
Consent & Legitimate Interest |
Payment Processing for Ads |
Billing history, transaction IDs |
Contractual Necessity |
Platform Optimization & Analytics |
Usage logs, clickstreams, crash reports |
Legitimate Interest |
Marketing & Communications |
Email address, SMS/push tokens |
Consent (Opt-out available) |
4. How Your Information is Displayed & Shared
A. Information Visible to Other Users
To make local classifieds work, certain information must be publicly visible:
- • Public Profile Information: Your display name, account registration month/year, response rate, and verification badges.
- • Public Ad Information: Ad titles, photos, descriptions, price, and public city/neighborhood location.
- • Contact Details: Depending on your privacy settings, your phone number or WhatsApp button may be displayed on your listing, or kept hidden behind the in-app messaging portal.
- • Reviews & Ratings: Ratings or feedback left by other buyers or sellers regarding your transactions.
Privacy Control: Zelulu does not publicly display your exact home street address—only the broader neighborhood, town, or city you select.
B. Third-Party Service Providers
We share necessary data with trusted third-party vendor partners who help operate the Platform:
- • Cloud Hosting & Infrastructure: Servers and databases hosted on secure cloud providers (e.g., Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform).
- • Payment Gateways: Secure payment and mobile money partners processing purchases for boosted ads and vendor subscriptions.
- • SMS & Communication Services: Telecom and SMS API gateways used to send account verification codes (OTP) and chat notification alerts.
- • Fraud Detection & Analytics: Security providers and analytics platforms (e.g., Google Analytics, Firebase) analyzing suspicious traffic and bot activity.
C. Legal Compliance & Safety Disclosures
We may disclose your personal information to law enforcement agencies, regulatory bodies, or legal authorities if required to do so by law or in good-faith belief that such disclosure is necessary to:
- • Comply with court orders, subpoenas, or legal processes.
- • Investigate, prevent, or address suspected fraud, online scams, identity theft, or safety threats.
- • Enforce our Terms & Conditions and protect the legal rights, safety, or property of Zelulu, its employees, or users.
5. In-App Messaging & Communication Monitoring
To protect our community against fraud, advance-payment scams, harassment, and illegal items:
- • Automated system filters analyze chat messages exchanged on Zelulu for suspicious patterns (such as phishing links, fraudulent bank transfer claims, or dangerous keywords).
- • Authorized customer support agents or security reviewers may manually inspect reported chat conversations in response to a user dispute, abuse ticket, or law enforcement request.
6. Data Security Measures
Zelulu employs industry-standard administrative, physical, and technical safeguards to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure:
- • Encryption: Data transmitted between your browser/app and our servers is encrypted using Transport Layer Security (TLS/SSL). Sensitive database records are encrypted at rest.
- • Access Control: Internal access to user data is strictly restricted to authorized Zelulu personnel who require access to perform their job duties.
- • System Auditing: Regular security reviews, vulnerability scans, and database access logs are maintained to detect abnormal activity.
However, please note that no transmission over the internet or electronic storage system is 100% secure. You are responsible for keeping your account password confidential.
7. Data Retention & Account Deletion
- • Retention Period: We retain your personal data for as long as your account remains active or as needed to provide you with Services.
- • Legal Holds: Certain transaction records, communication logs, or device IDs may be retained after account closure for a reasonable period to comply with tax laws, audit requirements, or fraud prevention mandates.
- • Account Deletion: You have the right to request account deletion at any time through your account settings. Upon account deletion, your profile, active ads, and personal details will be permanently removed or anonymized, subject to our legal retention requirements.
8. Your Data Rights & Choices
Depending on your country or state of residence, you hold specific rights regarding your personal data:
- • Right to Access / Portability: Request a copy of the personal data Zelulu holds about you.
- • Right to Correction: Correct inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information in your user profile settings.
- • Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request the deletion of your personal information.
- • Right to Restrict or Object: Limit or object to how we process your data for direct marketing purposes.
- • Marketing Opt-Out: You can opt out of promotional emails or push notifications at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link in emails or disabling notifications in your device settings.
To exercise any of these rights, send an email to us.
9. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
Zelulu uses cookies and similar storage technologies to operate smoothly.
- • Essential Cookies: Required for core functions such as user login sessions, security authentication, and page navigation.
- • Preference Cookies: Remember your settings, chosen language, and preferred location/search filters.
- • Analytics & Performance Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with Zelulu so we can fix bugs and improve usability.
- • Advertising Cookies: Used to deliver relevant local ads and measure marketing campaign performance.
You can manage or disable cookies through your web browser options. However, disabling essential cookies may prevent parts of Zelulu from functioning properly.
10. Third-Party Links & External Sites
Our Platform may contain links to external third-party websites, social media channels, or advertiser links. Zelulu is not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security policies of these external websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any third-party site you visit.
11. Children's Privacy
Zelulu is strictly intended for individuals aged 18 and older (or the age of legal capacity in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from children under 18. If we learn that we have collected personal data from a minor without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information immediately.
12. Updates to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our services, technology, or legal requirements. When updates occur, we will modify the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. For significant modifications, we will provide a prominent notice on our website, in-app notification, or via email.
13. Contact Us & Data Protection Officer
If you have questions, privacy complaints, or data rights requests regarding this policy, please contact our privacy compliance team: