Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Khora ("we," "us," or "our") is a restaurant discovery and review platform operated by Pess AI Technologies, serving users across Ghana. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application, website (mykhora.com), and related services (collectively, the "Service").

By creating an account or using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

Account information: Your name, email address, and password when you register.
Profile information: Profile photo, display name, and bio you choose to add.
Reviews and posts: Content you publish, including reviews, ratings, photos, and community posts.
Merchant information: Business name, address, phone, GPS coordinates, and payment details for restaurant owners claiming listings.
Communications: Messages you send to our support team.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Location data: With your permission, we collect precise or approximate GPS coordinates to show nearby restaurants.
Device information: Device type, operating system, unique identifiers, and browser type.
Usage data: Pages visited, search queries, features used, and interaction events.
Analytics data: Aggregated, anonymized metrics about how the Service is used.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

Google Places data: Restaurant information (name, address, hours) sourced from Google's Places API.
OAuth providers: If you sign in with Google, we receive your name and email.
Payment processor (Paystack): We receive transaction status and reference — never your full card details.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

To create and manage your account and authenticate your identity.
To display nearby restaurants, search results, and personalized recommendations.
To publish your reviews, ratings, and community posts.
To process reservations, pickup orders, and merchant subscription payments.
To send service-related notifications, reservation confirmations, and important policy updates.
To provide merchants with analytics, review management, and business intelligence tools.
To detect, prevent, and address fraud, spam, and security issues.
To improve our Service, develop new features, and analyze user behavior.
To comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests from authorities.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data under the following legal bases:

Consent: When you explicitly agree to data collection (e.g., location access).
Contract: To fulfill our obligations under the Terms of Use (e.g., account management).
Legitimate interest: To operate, secure, and improve the Service in ways that do not override your rights.
Legal obligation: To comply with applicable Ghanaian and international laws.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Account data is kept for the duration of your account. Reviews and community content may be retained indefinitely as part of the platform's public record, even after account deletion, though they will be anonymized.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encrypted data transmission (TLS), secure password hashing, role-based access controls, and regular security reviews. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Your Privacy Rights

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

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Rectification: Correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Erasure: Request deletion of your account and associated data (see our Data Deletion page).
Restriction: Limit how we process your data.
Data portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Objection: Object to certain types of processing.
Withdraw consent: Revoke consent at any time (e.g., disable location access in your device settings).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@mykhora.com.

9. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

10. International Data Transfers

Your data may be processed in countries other than Ghana, including the United States and member states of the European Union, where our service providers operate. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as standard contractual clauses, to protect your data during such transfers.

11. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate, secure, and improve the Service. See our Cookie Policy for detailed information on the types of cookies we use and how to manage them.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page and, where appropriate, through in-app notifications. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent revision.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

Email: privacy@mykhora.com
Website: mykhora.com/contact