Last updated: 6 August 2026
Namakkal Connect ("the app", "we", "us") is a local discovery app for Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu. It lists local businesses, job vacancies, area updates, vehicles for hire, acting drivers and home services.
This policy explains what we collect, why we collect it, who can see it and what control you have. If anything here is unclear, write to namakkalconnect@gmail.com.
1. Who is responsible for your data
Namakkal Connect is operated by an independent developer based in Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, India. For any privacy question, request or complaint, contact namakkalconnect@gmail.com.
2. Information we collect
2.1 Account information
You sign in with Google or with your phone number and a one-time password (OTP), both handled by Firebase Authentication. Depending on the method you choose we receive:
- your Google account's name, email address and profile photo; or
- your mobile number.
We never see or store your Google password. OTP delivery and verification are performed by Firebase; we receive only the result.
2.2 Profile information
You may add a display name, a profile photo and the area of the district you live in. All of it is optional except the area, which the app uses to decide what to show you. You can change or remove any of it at any time from the Profile screen.
2.3 Content you submit
- Business listings — trading name, category, address, area, phone and WhatsApp numbers, website, opening hours, photographs, an optional Google Maps link and an optional map pin.
- Job postings — job title, employer, salary, location, description, contact details and any photographs.
- Area updates — notices, events and announcements you post, with any photographs.
- Vehicle and acting-driver listings — vehicle type and number, availability, experience and contact details.
- Enquiries and reports — messages you send us, advertisement enquiries and reports you file about other listings.
Content you submit is public. Once approved by a moderator, a listing — including the phone number on it — is visible to every user of the app. Please do not put anything in a listing that you would not want a stranger to see or call.
2.4 Location
Location is optional. If you grant permission, the app reads your device's location to sort nearby businesses, vehicles and drivers by distance and to show how far away each one is.
- Your location is used on your device only to calculate distances.
- We do not store your location on our servers, and we do not keep a history of where you have been.
- If you refuse permission the app works normally — you simply see no distances and no "Nearby" ordering.
- You can withdraw the permission at any time in your device settings.
Separately, if you choose to place a map pin on a business you list, that pin is part of the listing and is stored and shown publicly. The app never guesses a location: a listing with no saved pin or link shows no map and no directions.
2.5 Photographs
Photographs you attach to a listing, a job, an update or your profile are uploaded to Firebase Storage and served publicly as part of that content. Please only upload images you have the right to share.
2.6 Notifications
With your permission, the app uses Firebase Cloud Messaging to notify you when your own submission is approved, rejected or suspended, and to send updates for the area you follow. A device token is stored so the message can reach your phone. You can turn notifications off in your device settings at any time.
2.7 Technical and diagnostic information
Firebase records standard technical information needed to run the service, such as your account identifier, timestamps of your requests and basic device information. We do not use this to build an advertising profile of you.
3. What we do not do
- We do not sell your personal information to anyone.
- We do not show third-party advertising in the app, and we do not use any advertising network.
- We do not read your contacts, messages, call logs, photos library beyond the images you deliberately choose to upload, or any other app's data.
- We do not track your location in the background.
"Featured Businesses" are paid placements bought directly from us by a local business. They are chosen by an administrator, marked as sponsored, and shown to everyone in the relevant area — they are not targeted using your personal data.
4. Why we use your information
| Purpose | Information used |
|---|---|
| Signing you in and keeping your session | Account identifier, email or phone number |
| Showing content relevant to where you live | Chosen area |
| Publishing your listings, jobs and updates | Content you submit, including photographs |
| Sorting results by distance | Device location (on your device only) |
| Telling you what happened to your submission | Notification token, account identifier |
| Moderating content and preventing misuse | Content you submit, reports filed, account identifier |
| Answering your enquiries | Contact details and message you send |
5. Who can see your information
- Other users see your approved listings, jobs and updates, including the contact details on them, and the display name and photo on your public profile.
- Moderators and administrators see submissions awaiting review, reports filed about content, and the account that submitted each item, so they can approve, reject or remove it.
- Google Firebase processes and stores the data on our behalf, as our infrastructure provider.
- Nobody else. We do not share your information with advertisers, data brokers or analytics companies.
We may disclose information if we are legally required to do so by a competent authority, or where it is necessary to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.
6. Where your data is stored
Namakkal Connect is built on Google Firebase — Firebase Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Firebase Storage and Firebase Cloud Messaging. Your data is stored on Google's infrastructure and may be processed on servers located outside India, under Google's own security and privacy commitments. Access is restricted by Firebase Security Rules, which enforce who may read and write each collection.
7. How long we keep it
- Your account and profile — until you ask us to delete them.
- Your listings, jobs and updates — until you or a moderator removes them, or until your account is deleted.
- Photographs — for as long as the content they belong to exists.
- Moderation and audit records — retained for a reasonable period so decisions about content remain traceable.
- Enquiries you send us — retained while we deal with them and for a reasonable period afterwards.
8. Your rights and choices
You can, at any time:
- Access and correct your profile from the Profile screen in the app.
- Edit or remove any listing, job or update you have posted.
- Withdraw the location permission in your device settings.
- Turn off notifications in your device settings.
- Delete your account and data — see Delete Account.
- Ask for a copy of the personal data we hold about you, by writing to the address below.
9. Children
Namakkal Connect is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from a child under 13. If you believe a child has given us their information, write to us and we will delete it.
10. Security
Access to data is controlled by Firebase Security Rules and by role-based permissions: an ordinary account cannot read moderation queues, other users' private profile fields, or administrative collections. Transport is encrypted in transit. No system is perfectly secure, but we design each collection so that the least-privileged answer is the default.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app changes. The date at the top always shows when it was last revised. Significant changes will be announced in the app.
12. Contact
For any privacy question, data request or complaint:
namakkalconnect@gmail.com
We aim to reply within 7 working days.