Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2 June 2026 • Effective immediately

NairaLink is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your personal information when you use our platform. By using NairaLink, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly:
  • Username, email address, and password when you register
  • Profile information such as bio, location, occupation, and profile picture
  • Content you post including threads, replies, and private messages
Information collected automatically:
  • IP address and approximate location when you visit or post
  • Browser type, device type, and operating system
  • Pages visited, time spent, and actions taken on the platform
  • Cookies and session data for keeping you logged in

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:
  • Create and manage your account
  • Display your public profile and content to other members
  • Send you email notifications about replies, mentions, and messages
  • Send account-related emails such as verification and password reset
  • Detect and prevent spam, fraud, and abuse
  • Improve the platform based on usage patterns
  • Comply with legal obligations
We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. Cookies

NairaLink uses cookies to maintain your login session and remember your preferences. These are essential cookies required for the platform to function. We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, but this will prevent you from staying logged in.

4. Public Information

Your username, profile picture, posts, and threads are publicly visible to all visitors — including those who are not registered. Your email address, IP address, and private messages are never publicly displayed.

5. Private Messages

Private messages between members are stored securely in our database. NairaLink staff may access messages only when required to investigate reports of serious abuse, harassment, or illegal activity. We do not read private messages for any other purpose.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical measures to protect your data, including:
  • Passwords are hashed using bcrypt — we never store plain-text passwords
  • All data is transmitted over HTTPS (SSL/TLS encryption)
  • Database access is restricted and authenticated
  • Sessions are protected with CSRF tokens
However, no system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

7. Data Retention

Your account data is retained for as long as your account is active. If you request account deletion, we will remove your personal information within 30 days, though anonymised versions of your posts may remain to preserve discussion context. IP logs are retained for up to 90 days for security purposes.

8. Children's Privacy

NairaLink is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it immediately.

9. Third-Party Services

NairaLink may use the following third-party services which have their own privacy policies:
  • Google Fonts — for typography (font loading)
  • Cloudflare CDN — for icon libraries
  • AI Provider — content moderation and chatbot (no personal data is sent)

10. Your Rights

You have the right to:
  • Access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Correction — update your information via your profile settings
  • Deletion — request deletion of your account and personal data
  • Portability — request your data in a portable format
  • Objection — object to certain uses of your data
To exercise these rights, contact us through the forum or our admin team.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of significant changes via the forum notification system. Continued use of NairaLink after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please contact our admin team through the forum messaging system. We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 5 business days.

Your privacy matters to us. NairaLink does not sell your data, does not display ads, and does not share your personal information with third parties for marketing. We exist to serve the Nigerian community. 🇳🇬