Privacy Policy

Who we are

Review Botswana (reviewbotswana.com) is run by Review International Ltd, a company registered in United Kingdom ("we", "us"). We decide how your personal information is used, which makes us its data controller under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.

This policy covers the Review Botswana website and the Review mobile app. It explains what we collect, why, who we share it with, how long we keep it, and your rights.

What we collect

What you give us

• Account: Your name, email address, phone number if you add one, and your password. Passwords are stored only in a scrambled (hashed) form that we cannot read.
• Signing in with Google or Apple: If you choose to, we receive your name, email address and an account ID from Google or Apple. We never receive your Google or Apple password.
• Your user ID and name setting: The user ID we give your account, and whether your name or your user ID is shown on what you post.
• Business details: For business accounts: the business's details, logo and contact information.
• What you post: Reviews, ratings, photos, comments, questions and answers.
• Messages: What you send us through the contact form or by email.
• Payments: Your plan and billing details. Card details are handled by our payment providers (Stripe) and never reach us.

What we collect automatically

• Device and log information: IP address, browser and device type, operating system, and the pages you request.
• How the site is used: Pages visited and where visitors came from. Searches typed into our search are saved without your name, to improve search results.
• Business page statistics: We count views of business pages and taps on their phone number and website, so business owners can see how their page is doing. Owners see totals, never who you are.
• Cookies: See "Cookies" below.

In the Review app

• Your country: The country you pick, saved on your phone.
• Notifications: If you allow notifications, a notification token for your phone, so we can tell you about replies and answers. You can turn them off at any time in the app or your phone's settings.
• Photos and camera: Only the photos you choose to add. The app uses the camera only when you choose to take a photo.
• Sign-in: Your sign-in is stored encrypted on your phone.
• Crash reports: If the app crashes: the device model, operating system and app version, so we can fix the fault.

How we use it, and why we are allowed to

UK GDPR allows us to use personal information only for a lawful reason. Ours are:

• To provide the service you signed up for: Running your account, publishing what you post, sending verification codes and replies to your reviews, and managing business plans and payments.
• Our legitimate interests: Keeping the platform trustworthy (spotting fake reviews, fraud and abuse), keeping it secure, giving business owners their page statistics and monthly report, and improving the service. We only do this where it does not override your own interests and rights.
• Your consent: Marketing emails, non-essential cookies and app notifications. You can withdraw consent at any time, without affecting what we did before.
• The law: Keeping tax and billing records, and answering lawful requests.

What other people can see

Reviews, ratings, comments, questions and answers are public on Review Botswana, with your first name and surname initial or, if you chose it, your user ID instead. Your full surname and email address are never shown. If you choose your user ID, your first name stays private too: only our staff can see it, and we disclose it only where the law requires.

Your account on other Review sites

Your account is held by Review International Ltd and works on every Review country site and in the app: you can sign in on another country's site with the same email and password. What you post stays on the country site where you posted it. Review Zimbabwe is run by Ratewise International (Private) Limited: if you sign in there, your name, email address and profile are shared with that company for that purpose.

Who we share it with

We never sell your personal information. We share it only with:

• Service providers who run parts of the service for us: DigitalOcean (hosting), Stripe (payments), our email delivery provider, and Apple, Google and Expo (to deliver app notifications). They may use your information only to provide their service to us.
• Google or Apple: When you choose to sign in with them.
• When the law requires it: For example, a court order, or to protect people from harm or fraud.
• If the business changes hands: If we merge with or are bought by another company, which must then keep to this policy.

Where your information is stored

Our servers are run by DigitalOcean, so your information may be stored and processed outside your country and outside the UK. When it leaves the UK, we use the protections UK law requires, such as UK adequacy regulations or the Information Commissioner's International Data Transfer Agreement.

How long we keep it

• Your account: While it is open. When you delete it, your personal details are deleted within 30 days.
• What you posted: Removed when you delete your account.
• Billing records: As long as tax law requires, usually six years.
• Server and security logs: Up to 12 months.
• Search terms: Kept without your name, to improve search.

Deleting your account

In the app, go to Settings and choose Delete account. On the website, email support@reviewinternational.org from the address on your account with the subject "Delete my account". We delete your account and personal details within 30 days, apart from billing records we must keep by law.

Keeping it safe

• Everything between your browser or the app and our servers is encrypted (HTTPS).
• Passwords are stored only in hashed form.
• Only staff who need personal information for their work can see it.
• If a breach puts your information at risk, we will tell the Information Commissioner's Office and, where needed, you, as the law requires.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR you have the right to:

To use any of these rights, email support@reviewinternational.org.

If you are unhappy with how we handled your information, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk) or the data protection authority in your own country.

Children

Account holders must be at least 18, or have a parent's or guardian's consent, as our terms say. If you believe a child has given us information without that consent, email support@reviewinternational.org and we will delete it.

Cookies

• Essential cookies: Needed for the site to work, such as keeping you signed in.
• Preference cookies: Remember your settings.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand how the site is used. Only with your consent.
• Marketing cookies: Used for advertising. Only with your consent.

You can change your choice at any time in the cookie settings, or block cookies in your browser. Blocking essential cookies may stop parts of the site working.

Changes to this policy

We will update the date at the top when this policy changes, and tell account holders by email about any important change before it applies.