Privacy Policy

We respect your privacy and are committed to handling your information responsibly and in accordance with applicable Pakistani law, including the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, 2016 (as amended by the Prevention of Electronic Crimes (Amendment) Act, 2025), the Digital Nation Pakistan Act, 2025, and any data-protection legislation in force from time to time (including the Personal Data Protection Bill / Act once enacted). This Policy applies to shoppers and shopkeepers and to all information we process through the Platform. It does not apply to third-party services we link to, which have their own policies.

Information you give us

• Account details — name, email address, phone number, profile photo, password (managed by our authentication provider), and the city you select.
• Shop details (shopkeepers) — business name, category, description, address and map location, opening hours, contact numbers, products, prices, offers, and photos you upload.
• User content — reviews, ratings, photos, saved shops, and messages or enquiries you send.
• Communications — information you provide when you contact support or reach us by email or WhatsApp.

Information we collect automatically

• Usage & activity— searches you run, shops and products you view, taps on “Call”, “WhatsApp” and “Directions”, and other interactions, recorded as events to operate and improve the Platform.
• Device & technical data — IP address, browser and device type, operating system, app version, and similar diagnostic data.
• Location— approximate location derived from your city selection and, only with your permission, more precise device location used for directions and “near me” results.
• Cookies & local storage — used to keep you signed in, remember preferences (such as theme), and measure usage.

We collect information (a) directly from you when you register, list a shop, post content or contact us; (b) automatically as you use the Platform, through cookies, local storage and analytics events; and (c) from third parties such as our authentication provider (Google / Firebase) when you sign in with them, which may share your name, email, profile photo and a unique identifier with us.

We use your information to:

• create and manage your account and authenticate you;
• operate, provide and personalise the Platform, search and recommendations;
• display Listings, reviews and contact options, and connect shoppers with shops;
• process and support any paid services you choose;
• analyse usage and trends, measure and improve performance, develop new features, and produce aggregated/anonymised insights and reports;
• communicate with you about your account, security, updates and (where permitted) relevant features or offers, with notification preferences you can control;
• detect, prevent and address fraud, abuse, security issues and violations of our Terms; and
• comply with legal obligations and enforce our rights.

We process your information on the basis of your consent (which you give by using the Platform and may withdraw), the performance of our contract with you (these Terms), our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Platform and keeping it secure, and compliance with legal obligations. Where the law requires consent for a specific use (such as precise location or certain communications), we will ask for it.

We do not sell your personal information. We share it only as described below:

• With other users, as intended. Your public profile, listings, reviews and ratings are visible to others. When you contact a shop (call, WhatsApp, enquiry), the relevant details are shared with that shopkeeper so they can respond.
• Service providers. With trusted vendors who process data on our behalf — for example authentication and hosting (Google / Firebase), cloud hosting and storage, mapping/directions, image storage, analytics, and (for paid services) payment processors — under obligations to protect your data.
• Legal & safety. Where we believe in good faith that disclosure is required to comply with law, legal process, or a lawful request by authorities (including the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency (NCCIA), the Digital Rights Protection Authority (DRPA), or any other competent authority), to enforce our Terms, or to protect the rights, safety or property of Dhundhlo, our users or the public.
• Business transfers. In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganisation or sale of assets, your information may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to this Policy.
• Aggregated/anonymised data that does not identify you may be shared or published freely.

Shopkeepers can see the reviews, ratings and enquiries directed to their shop and may receive your name and the contact method you choose to use (for example your WhatsApp number when you message them). We may also provide shopkeepers with aggregated, non-identifying insights — such as how many people viewed their shop or which search terms surfaced it. Shopkeepers are independent third parties responsible for their own handling of any information you share with them directly.

The Platform relies on third-party services including Google / Firebase (authentication), mapping and directions providers, WhatsApp, cloud hosting and content-delivery providers, and payment processors for paid services. These providers process certain data under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third parties.

We use cookies and local storage to keep you signed in, remember preferences (such as your chosen theme and city), enable core functionality, and understand and improve how the Platform is used. You can control or clear cookies through your browser settings, but disabling them may affect how the Platform works. By using the Platform, you consent to our use of cookies and local storage as described in this Policy.

We keep your personal information for as long as your account is active and you use the Platform, so that we can provide and personalise the service for you. We do not automatically delete an active user’s account information or activity simply because time has passed.

• While your account is active — we retain your profile, listings, reviews and activity history to operate, personalise and improve the Platform.
• You stay in control — you can clear specific activity (such as your browse history) yourself at any time, and you can ask us to delete your account.
• When you delete your account — we delete or anonymise the personal information and activity associated with it, except anything we are required to keep by law or need to resolve a dispute or enforce our agreements.
• Anonymous activity — usage events that are not linked to a registered account are kept only for a limited period and are then deleted or anonymised.
• Long-dormant accounts — we may delete or anonymise data from accounts that have been inactive for an extended period.

Aggregated or anonymised statistics that do not identify you may be retained indefinitely to understand trends and improve the Platform.

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information — including encryption in transit (HTTPS), access controls, and reputable infrastructure providers. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your login credentials confidential.

Subject to applicable law, you may:

• access, review and update your account information in your profile settings;
• request correction of inaccurate information or deletion of your account;
• manage your notification and communication preferences;
• control location and other device permissions through your device settings; and
• withdraw consent for optional processing (this will not affect processing already carried out, or processing on other lawful grounds).

To exercise any of these, contact us at [email protected]. We may need to verify your identity, and some information may be retained where the law allows or requires.

The Platform is not intended for children under 18, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us at [email protected] and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

We and our service providers may store and process your information on servers located in Pakistan and in other countries. Where information is transferred across borders, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is treated in line with this Policy and applicable law.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes we will update the “Last updated” date and, where appropriate, notify you through the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after a change takes effect means you accept the updated Policy.

This Privacy Policy is governed by the laws of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Any dispute relating to it is subject to the governing-law, jurisdiction and dispute- resolution provisions of our Terms & Conditions.

For privacy questions or requests, contact us at:

• Email (privacy): [email protected]
• Email (support): [email protected]
• WhatsApp: +92 303 6960827
• Dhundhlo — Pakistan