Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

UCP Market ("we," "our," or "us"), operated at ucpmarket.org, respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and use our services ("the Service").

This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors, users, and others who access the Service. Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We may collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Submit your store for listing in our directory
• Contact us with inquiries, feedback, or support requests
• Report issues or inaccuracies in store listings
• Subscribe to our newsletter or blog updates
• Apply for job listings posted on our platform

This information may include: name, email address, company name, website URL, job title, and any other information you choose to provide.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing activity, including:

• IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type, version, and language preferences
• Operating system and device information
• Pages visited, time spent on pages, and navigation paths
• Referring website URLs and search terms
• Click patterns and interaction data
• Date and time of access

2.3 Information from Third-Party Sources

We may receive information about merchants and stores from publicly available sources, including UCP manifest files hosted on merchant domains, publicly accessible business information, and domain registration data. This information is used solely for the purpose of maintaining our directory of UCP-enabled merchants.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• To provide, maintain, operate, and improve the Service
• To process and manage store listings and directory entries
• To communicate with you about updates, features, and changes to the Service
• To respond to your inquiries and provide support
• To analyze usage patterns, trends, and optimize user experience
• To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, security threats, or fraudulent activity
• To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service
• To generate aggregated, anonymized analytics and reporting
• To send promotional communications (with your consent, where required by law)

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage patterns, and deliver relevant content. For detailed information about the cookies we use, their purposes, and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

The types of cookies we use include:

• Essential Cookies: Necessary for the Service to function properly (e.g., theme preferences, session management).
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting information anonymously.
• Functional Cookies: Enable enhanced functionality and personalization (e.g., language preferences).

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of the Service.

5. Third-Party Services and Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We may share your information with the following categories of service providers who assist us in operating the Service:

• Supabase: We use Supabase as our database and backend infrastructure provider. Supabase stores and processes data related to merchant listings, user interactions, and Service operations. Supabase processes data in accordance with their privacy policy and applicable data protection agreements.
• Vercel: Our website is hosted on Vercel, which processes server logs and request metadata. Vercel may collect IP addresses and usage data as part of its hosting services.
• LogoKit: We use LogoKit to provide store logo images in our directory. LogoKit may process requests related to logo retrieval.

We may also share your information in the following circumstances:

• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as a business asset.
• Legal Requirements: We may disclose information when required by law, subpoena, court order, or government request.
• Protection of Rights: To protect the rights, property, safety, or security of UCP Market, our users, or the public, as required or permitted by law.
• With Your Consent: We may share your information with third parties when you have given us explicit consent to do so.

6. AI Crawlers and Automated Access

Our Service permits access by automated web crawlers, including AI crawlers from services such as Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Perplexity, Apple, Amazon, and others. These crawlers may index publicly available content on our site, including merchant directory listings, blog posts, and informational pages. This indexed content may appear in AI-generated search results and summaries.

No personal user data is exposed to crawlers. Only publicly accessible merchant directory information (store names, domains, categories, compliance status) is available for indexing.

7. Public Information

Store listings, including store names, domains, descriptions, categories, compliance status, and performance metrics, are publicly accessible on UCP Market. This information is intended for public discovery and may be indexed by search engines and AI crawlers. Merchant data is derived from publicly available UCP manifest files and is not considered private information.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL
• Secure database storage with access controls (via Supabase Row Level Security)
• Regular security reviews and monitoring
• Access limited to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Specifically:

• Contact and inquiry data is retained for up to 2 years after your last interaction with us
• Store listing data is retained as long as the merchant remains in our directory
• Analytics and log data is retained for up to 12 months
• Legal compliance data is retained as required by applicable law

When personal data is no longer necessary, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your location, applicable privacy laws may grant you certain rights regarding your personal information. We respect these rights and are committed to complying with applicable privacy laws in the jurisdictions where we operate.

We do not sell your personal information. If you wish to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data, please reach out to us and we will respond in accordance with applicable law.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States, where our service providers operate. By using our Service, you acknowledge and consent to such transfers.

13. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 16 without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to promptly delete that information.

14. Third-Party Websites

Our Service contains links to third-party websites, including merchant stores listed in our directory. We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or data collection of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit through links on our Service.

15. Do Not Track Signals

Some web browsers transmit "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals to websites. We currently honor Do Not Track signals and will not track, plant cookies, or use advertising when a Do Not Track browser mechanism is in place. We do not engage in cross-site tracking.

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. For significant changes, we may also provide additional notice (e.g., a prominent notice on our website). You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.