Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how BitBay ("us," "we," or "our") collects, uses, and discloses your information when you use our marketplace (the "Service"). Our fundamental principle is to collect only the minimum information necessary to provide the Service and to afford you control over that information.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information essential for the operation of the Service. Our systems are engineered to minimize data collection.

• Account Information: To create an account, we require a username, email address, and a hashed password. This information is stored securely. For users utilizing Google Sign-In, we receive and store profile information (such as your name and email) as provided by Google.
• Listing & Transaction Data: When you list an item, its details (title, description, price, etc.) are stored. To maintain the integrity and transparency of the marketplace, we retain a record of transactions, which includes the buyer, seller, and the item involved.

2. How We Use Information

The limited information we collect is used exclusively for the following purposes:

• To Provide and Maintain the Service: Your account and listing information is utilized to authenticate your access, display your content, and facilitate your interaction with the marketplace.
• To Facilitate Transactions: We use transaction data to connect buyers and sellers and to maintain a history of your activity on the platform.
• For Account Management: We may use your email address for account recovery purposes or to send critical service-related notifications.

BitBay does not sell your personal data. We do not employ third-party tracking cookies for advertising or analytics purposes.

3. Data Storage and Third-Party Services

• Firebase Platform: The Service operates on Google's Firebase platform. We use Firebase Authentication for secure sign-in and account management, and Cloud Firestore as our primary database for storing all user data, including account information and listings.
• Blockchain Transactions: Transactions conducted on public blockchains are, by their nature, public records and are not controlled by BitBay. The security and privacy of your personal cryptocurrency wallets remain your responsibility.

4. Cookies and Local Storage

BitBay does not utilize cookies for analytics or user tracking. The only cookies employed by the Service are those essential for managing user authentication sessions, as handled by Firebase Authentication. We use your browser's `localStorage` solely to store your display preference (i.e., light or dark theme); this information is not transmitted from your device.

5. Data Retention and Deletion

Users retain full control over their data. The deletion of an account is an irreversible action. Upon deletion, all personal account information, such as your username and email address, is permanently erased from our systems. To maintain the integrity of the marketplace, anonymized transaction records may be retained but will be fully disassociated from any personal identifiers.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable measures to protect the information we store. However, no online service can be considered entirely secure, and we cannot guarantee the absolute security of your data. Users are responsible for maintaining the security of their account credentials.

7. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

8. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please visit our contact page.