Privacy Policy

1Who we are

These policies relate to Freeshop, the free giveaway community ("Freeshop", "we", "us").

We are the data controller of the personal data described in this Policy.

For any privacy question or to exercise your rights, email us at freeshopappuk@gmail.com or use the in-app account settings.

2Who can use Freeshop

Freeshop is for adults only. You must be 18 or over to use the app. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 18. If we learn that an account belongs to a person under 18, we will close the account and delete the associated personal data.

3What data we collect

We collect only what we need to run the service:

Account data — email address, username/display name, date of birth (used solely to confirm you are 18+), password (stored in hashed form), and optional profile photo.

Listing data — the title, description, photos, category and approximate location/area of items you post, and the date the listing was created, responded to, confirmed or closed.

Interaction data — responses you send to listings, confirmations of pick-up/hand-over, and your karma score (a reputation indicator generated from completed exchanges and community feedback).

Reports and moderation data — reports you submit about listings or users, reports submitted about you, and our moderation decisions and records.

Technical data — device type, operating system, app version, IP address, crash logs and basic usage analytics.

We do not collect special category data (health, religion, politics, etc.), and we ask you not to include such information in listings or messages. We do not process payments — Freeshop is free to use.

4Why we use your data and our lawful bases (UK GDPR Art. 6)

5Who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data and never will.

We share data only with:

• Service providers (processors) acting on our instructions under contract — for example cloud hosting, email delivery and analytics/crash reporting providers;
• Other users, to the limited extent inherent in the service — your username, profile photo, karma score, listings and the approximate area of an item are visible to other users; your email, date of birth and exact address are not shown;
• Law enforcement, regulators or courts, where we are legally required to do so or where disclosure is necessary to protect users or the public;
• A buyer or successor, if Freeshop's business is sold or restructured (you would be notified).

6International transfers

We aim to store data in the UK/EEA. If any processor stores data outside the UK, we rely on UK adequacy regulations or the UK International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum to ensure equivalent protection.

7How long we keep data

• Account and profile data — while your account is active, then deleted or anonymised within [30 days] of account deletion;
• Listings and interaction records — while the listing is live, then retained in archived form for up to [12 months] to handle disputes and abuse, then deleted or anonymised;
• Reports and moderation logs — up to [2 years], for safety, accountability and legal compliance;
• Records we must keep by law (e.g. relating to illegal content referred to the authorities) — as long as legally required;
• Technical logs — up to [90 days].

8Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

• access a copy of your personal data;
• rectify inaccurate data;
• erase your data ("right to be forgotten");
• restrict or object to processing based on legitimate interests;
• data portability for data you provided to us;
• withdraw consent at any time (where processing is based on consent);
• complain to the ICO — ico.org.uk, helpline 0303 123 1113.

To exercise any right, email us at freeshopappuk@gmail.com or use the in-app account settings. We respond within one month. You can delete your account in the app at any time; deletion removes your profile and listings as set out in section 7.

9Security

We protect data with encryption in transit (TLS), hashed passwords, access controls limiting staff access on a need-to-know basis, and regular backups. No system is completely secure; please use a strong, unique password. If a personal data breach occurs that is likely to result in a risk to you, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and inform affected users where the risk is high.

10Cookies and similar technologies

The Freeshop app uses local device storage and analytics SDKs as described in section 3. If you use any Freeshop website, we will present a cookie banner and obtain consent for non-essential cookies in accordance with PECR.

11Automated decision-making

Karma scores are calculated automatically from completed exchanges and feedback, but no decision producing legal or similarly significant effects is made solely by automated means. Account suspensions are reviewed by a human.

12Changes to this Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes in the app or by email before they take effect.