This Privacy Policy explains how BooksAfrrik ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, discloses and protects personal information when you use our services (websites, mobile apps, and APIs) as an author, reader, or visitor. It also explains the rights and choices available to you regarding your personal information.
1. Scope
This policy applies to personal information collected through BooksAfrrik properties and services, including our websites, applications, APIs, and support channels. It applies to authors, readers, visitors, and partners who interact with BooksAfrrik.
2. Personal information we collect
We collect the categories of personal information described below, to the extent necessary for the functions listed under How we use data.
Account & identity
Full name, display name, username
Email address, phone number
Profile details (bio, author page, social links)
Profile & publishing data
Biography, author photo, published titles, ISBNs, series information
Book metadata you submit (title, description, categories, keywords)
Payment & tax
Bank account details, mobile money details, tax identification numbers (TIN)
Payment history and payout preferences
Content & manuscripts
Manuscripts, cover images, supplementary files and metadata you upload. You retain ownership of your content; we process and store it to provide the service.
Usage & device data
IP address, device and browser information, operating system
Support requests, messages, and feedback you send to us.
Derived & aggregated data
Analytics, recommendations and anonymized aggregates that do not identify you personally.
3. How we use personal information
We use personal information for the following primary purposes:
Provide and operate the service: Create and manage accounts, host manuscripts, deliver content to readers, process uploads and downloads.
Payments & tax: Process payouts, collect tax information, and comply with financial and regulatory obligations.
Support & communications: Respond to support requests, send transactional messages, security notices, and policy updates.
Improvements & personalization: Provide recommendations, book and author pages, and site personalization.
Fraud prevention & legal compliance: Detect and prevent abuse, respond to lawful requests, and comply with applicable laws.
Marketing (where permitted): Send promotional communications when you opt in; allow you to manage your preferences.
4. Legal bases for processing (where applicable)
If you are located in a jurisdiction that requires us to state a legal basis for processing personal data (for example the EU GDPR), we rely on the following bases depending on the purpose:
Performance of a contract: To provide services you requested (e.g., hosting, distribution, payouts).
Legal obligation: To comply with tax, financial reporting or other laws.
Legitimate interests: For fraud prevention, platform security, analytics, and improving our services, balanced against user rights and freedoms.
Consent: For optional marketing communications and certain cookies where required.
5. Sharing and third parties
We may share personal information with:
Service providers: Payment processors, cloud hosting and storage providers, email and messaging providers, analytics platforms, and other trusted vendors who process data on our behalf under contract.
Marketplaces & distribution partners: When you opt to distribute a book to a marketplace, we share required metadata and files with those marketplaces to enable distribution and sales reporting.
Legal, regulatory and safety: When required by law or to protect rights and safety.
Business transfers: In the event of a sale, merger, financing or acquisition, personal information may be transferred as part of the transaction subject to confidentiality obligations.
We do not sell personal data for money. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide required notices.
6. Cookies and tracking
We use cookies and similar technologies to operate the platform, authenticate users, remember preferences, and deliver analytics. You can manage cookie preferences through your browser and, where provided, our cookie controls.
Categories of cookies we use include:
Essential: Required for login, security and core site functionality.
Functional: Remember preferences and improve user experience.
Analytics: Aggregate usage to understand and improve the platform.
Marketing: Deliver and measure the effectiveness of promotions (only with consent where required).
7. Security
We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse or alteration. Measures include encryption in transit (TLS), access controls, regular security reviews, and secure hosting.
While we strive to protect your data, no system can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. If we become aware of a data breach that poses a risk to your rights or freedoms, we will notify you and regulators as required by law.
8. International data transfers
BooksAfrrik operates and uses service providers in multiple countries. Data may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We take steps to ensure adequate protection for international transfers, such as using standard contractual clauses or relying on approved transfer mechanisms where required.
9. Data retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to provide services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Retention periods vary by data type — for example:
Account and profile data: retained while account is active and for a reasonable period after account closure to meet legal or operational needs;
Payment and tax records: retained to meet financial and tax reporting obligations;
Support communications and logs: retained for a period consistent with resolving issues and improving service.
10. Your rights and choices
Subject to local law, you may have rights including:
Access: Request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data (account closure and legal limitations may apply).
Restriction or objection: Ask us to limit processing or object to certain uses.
Portability: Receive your data in a commonly used, machine-readable format.
Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior processing.
To exercise rights, contact us using the details in Contact. We may need to verify your identity and may decline requests that are unlawful, frivolous, or conflict with other obligations.
11. Children
Our services are not intended for children under the age required by applicable law to hold an account (typically 13–16). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent. If you believe we have collected a child's personal data, contact us and we will take steps to remove it.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will post the revised policy with a new effective date. For material changes, we will provide additional notice where required by law (for example, via email or prominent notice on the site).
13. Contact
If you have questions, requests or complaints about this policy or our handling of personal data, contact:
If you are located in a jurisdiction with a supervisory authority (for example, in the EU), you may also lodge a complaint with your local data protection regulator.