Privacy Policy

iLocalize is a local-first community platform operated by [LEGAL ENTITY NAME — e.g., iLocalize, LLC]. We help people in real neighborhoods discover news, projects, organizations, shops, classifieds, gallery posts, and community discussions ranked by community participation—not hidden algorithms.

Contact us about privacy: [PRIVACY@ILOCALIZE.COM]
Mailing address: [BUSINESS ADDRESS]

This policy applies to iLocalize websites, apps, and services that link to it (collectively, the "Service"). It does not apply to third-party sites you reach through links on iLocalize.

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use.

Account and profile information. When you register, we collect your email address and password (stored securely by our auth provider) or authenticate you via a one-time magic link sent to your email. We do not offer third-party social login (no Google, Apple, or Facebook OAuth on iLocalize).

We create and maintain:

• profiles — shared Boxels account record (name, username, email, avatar, signup source marked "iLocalize")
• ilz_user_profiles — iLocalize-specific profile (bio, reputation score, verification status, section activity counters, default geo scope)
• ilz_user_roles — platform roles (user, admin, superadmin) where applicable
• ilz_user_prefs — preferences such as your home section after login

Geo and location preferences. You may set a global default location and optional per-section overrides (city, county, state, zip code) so feeds and listings match your area. Verification flows may collect a deliverable mailing address for identity verification (see Section 6).

Content you create. Depending on which sections you use, we store posts, comments, votes, media, organization profiles, shop listings, project bids, messages, and related metadata you submit. Content may include text, images, and other files uploaded to our storage buckets (e.g., ilz-media).

Organizations. If you create or manage an organization (business, school, club, nonprofit, etc.), we store organization details, locations, service areas, member roles, and org-scoped content.

Community participation (Weight System). When you vote, comment, or otherwise weigh in on content, we record those actions and computed weight scores used for community-driven ranking. Verified users' contributions may carry different weight than non-verified users, as described in our public ranking model.

Usage and device data. We automatically collect technical information such as IP address, browser type, device identifiers, pages viewed, and timestamps. Our infrastructure provider logs requests for security and reliability.

Communications. We retain emails we send (account confirmation, password reset, magic links, verification mailings) and messages you send through platform features where implemented.

Payment information (when enabled). Paid features such as address verification or premium themes may be processed by a payment provider. We do not store full payment card numbers on iLocalize servers; the provider handles card data according to its own policy. Paid-theme checkout is planned; schema exists but live checkout may not yet be available.

We use information to:

• Provide, operate, and improve the Service
• Authenticate you and maintain your session
• Display geo-relevant content based on your preferences
• Enable organizations, shops, projects, news, and other section features
• Apply the Weight System so community participation determines visibility
• Process verification (including mailing verification codes to physical addresses)
• Moderate content, enforce our Terms, and protect users
• Respond to support requests and legal obligations
• Send transactional emails (not marketing unless you opt in where offered)

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use hidden engagement algorithms to suppress or boost content for payment—ranking is driven by documented community weight rules.

Public content. Information you post publicly (news articles, org profiles, shop products, comments, usernames) is visible to other users and may be indexed by search engines.

Service providers. We use trusted vendors who process data on our behalf, including:

• Supabase — authentication, database, file storage, and realtime infrastructure (Boxels shared project). Auth session data is stored in secure HTTP-only cookies.
• Email delivery — transactional email for signup, login, and password recovery
• Payment processing (when live) — e.g., Stripe for verification fees or paid themes; governed by the processor's privacy policy
• Postal / address validation (verification) — APIs and carriers to validate addresses and deliver verification mailings

Organizations and members. Org admins may see membership and org-management data for organizations they administer.

Legal and safety. We may disclose information if required by law, to protect rights and safety, or to investigate fraud or Terms violations.

Business transfers. If iLocalize is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, user information may transfer subject to this policy.

iLocalize offers optional identity verification (paid physical mail with a one-time code) and optional hometown attestation through connections. Verification affects contribution weight and certain perks—it does not lock basic platform access.

Verification may involve collecting and storing mailing addresses, verification status, timestamps, and related audit data. We use this only to confirm identity and locality signals described in our product documentation.

We use cookies and browser storage for essential operation, preferences, and UX. See our Cookie Policy for details, including auth session cookies (sb-*-auth-token), theme cookies (ilz-theme), light/dark mode preference, and localStorage keys such as ilz_post_as_actor and draft autosave.

We retain information while your account is active and as needed to provide the Service, comply with law, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. You may request deletion of your account subject to legal retention requirements and the need to preserve certain public content or audit logs (e.g., moderation records).

Draft content stored only in your browser (such as news compose drafts) is controlled by you and expires locally after a short period.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing.

You can update profile and geo preferences in account settings. You can sign out to end your session. To exercise privacy rights, contact [PRIVACY@ILOCALIZE.COM]. We may verify your identity before responding.

California residents may have additional rights under the CCPA/CPRA. Where applicable, we will honor valid requests within required timeframes.

We use industry-standard measures including encrypted transport (HTTPS), access controls, and Row Level Security on database tables. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

The Service is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact [PRIVACY@ILOCALIZE.COM].

iLocalize is operated from the United States. If you access the Service from other regions, your information may be processed in the U.S. and other countries where our providers operate.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the revised version on this page and update the effective date. Material changes may be communicated by email or in-product notice where appropriate.

Questions about this Privacy Policy:
[PRIVACY@ILOCALIZE.COM]
[LEGAL ENTITY NAME — e.g., iLocalize, LLC]
[BUSINESS ADDRESS]