Introduction
Welcome to UNIPORT Market ("we", "us", or "our") — the trusted student marketplace for the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Nigeria. We are committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy.
This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you use our platform at www.uniportmarket.com, how we use it, and the choices you have regarding your information. Please read it carefully before using our services.
By creating an account or using UNIPORT Market, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our platform.
Information We Collect
We collect information in the following ways:
Account Data
When you register on UNIPORT Market, we collect and store the following account information:
- Full name — used to personalise your experience and display on your public profile
- Username — your unique public identifier on the platform
- Email address — used for account verification, important notifications, and account recovery
- Department — used to verify your UNIPORT student status and show relevant listings
- Password — stored securely as a hashed value (we never store plain-text passwords)
- WhatsApp number — optional, displayed on your listings to enable direct buyer contact
- Profile photo — optional, displayed on your public profile and listings
Listing Information
When you post an item for sale, we collect and publicly display the following information on the marketplace:
- Item title, description, and tags
- Asking price and whether it is negotiable
- Category and item condition
- Pickup location (general area — not your home address)
- Date and time the listing was posted
- Number of views on each listing
Uploaded Images
Images you upload to UNIPORT Market — including product photos and profile pictures — are stored on our servers and may be publicly viewable as part of your listings or profile.
Please be mindful of the following when uploading images:
- Do not upload images containing personal identification documents
- Do not upload images that reveal your home address or other sensitive locations
- Images should be relevant to the item being listed
- We reserve the right to remove images that violate our community guidelines
When you delete a listing or your account, associated images are removed from our servers within 30 days.
Email & Phone Number Usage
We use your contact information for the following purposes only:
| Purpose | Phone / WhatsApp | |
|---|---|---|
| Account verification | ||
| Password reset | ||
| Important platform notices | ||
| Buyer contact (shown on listings) | Optional | |
| Marketing & promotions | Only with your consent | Never |
Your WhatsApp number is only displayed on the platform if you choose to add it to your profile or listing. It is never shared with third parties or used for marketing.
Cookies
UNIPORT Market uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to make the platform work properly and improve your experience.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential cookies — Required for the platform to function. These include session cookies that keep you logged in while you browse. You cannot opt out of these.
- Preference cookies — Remember your settings and preferences, such as your preferred category filters or sort order.
- Analytics cookies — Help us understand how users interact with the platform so we can improve it. These are anonymous and do not identify you personally.
You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling essential cookies may affect your ability to log in and use the platform.
Data Protection
We implement reasonable security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:
- Password hashing using bcrypt encryption
- HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your device and our servers
- Secure session management with Flask-Login
- CSRF protection on all forms using Flask-WTF
- Regular security reviews of our codebase
We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary to provide our services or as required by law. When you delete your account, your personal data is removed within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal reasons.
Third-Party Services
UNIPORT Market may use the following third-party services that have their own privacy policies:
- WhatsApp (Meta) — Used for buyer-seller communication. When you click a WhatsApp contact button, you are directed to WhatsApp's platform, which has its own privacy policy independent of ours.
- Google Fonts & Bootstrap CDN — Used to deliver fonts and styling. These services may log basic request data.
- Image hosting — Product and profile images are stored on our own servers or a designated cloud storage provider.
We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes — ever.
Your Rights
As a user of UNIPORT Market, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@uniportmarket.com. We will respond to all requests within 14 business days.
Policy Updates
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we do:
- We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page
- For significant changes, we will notify you by email or through a notice on the platform
- Continued use of UNIPORT Market after the changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please reach out to us: