Privacy policy

1. About this policy

This policy explains how El Barrio collects, uses and protects your personal information. We handle your information in line with the Australian Privacy Principles in the Privacy Act 1988.

2. What we collect

• Account: first name, last name, email and password (stored hashed; we can't see it). If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email and photo from Google.
• WhatsApp: your phone number, if you add it.
• Profile: photo, home city and country, when you arrived in Australia, languages, occupation, age, a description, and what you're looking for (area, budget, dates, who you're coming with, pets, whether you smoke and preferences).
• Listings: the house's suburb, state and postcode, an approximate area on the map, house and room details, and photos. If you look up the street address when listing, we keep it for you only: nobody else sees it, and the listing shows just the area.
• Inquiries and messages you send and receive, and the stay dates you give.
• Saved: the rooms you save, your lists and notes.
• Reports: if you report a listing, user or conversation, we keep the reason and what you tell us. The person reported isn't told who reported them.
• Activity: we count how many times a listing is viewed and how many times its WhatsApp button is tapped, without recording who did it.
• Technical data: IP address, browser and logs our hosting providers create when serving the site.

3. How we use it

• To run El Barrio: your account, listing and finding rooms, messages and saved rooms.
• To show your profile to the people you're talking to, so they can decide.
• To send account emails (confirmation, password reset) and notices about your inquiries.
• To show hosts statistics about their listings.
• To prevent scams and abuse, review reports (including the messages in a reported conversation) and enforce the terms.
• To comply with the law.

We don't sell your information or use it for advertising.

4. Who can see what

• Anyone: your name, photo, home city and country, languages, when you arrived in Australia and, if you're a host, your response time. Also your published listings and their photos.
• People you have a conversation with: also your age, occupation, description and what you're looking for.
• Your WhatsApp number: if you're looking for a room, only the person you choose to share it with in a conversation. If you're a host, anyone who's signed in can see it from your listings.
• Your messages: only you and the other person in the conversation.
• Your saved rooms and notes: only you.

Once you move a conversation to WhatsApp, what you share there is covered by WhatsApp's privacy policy.

5. Who we share it with

We use providers that process data on our behalf, only to run the service:

• Supabase: database, accounts and photo storage. Data is stored in Sydney, Australia.
• Vercel: hosts the site. It may process requests outside Australia, including in the United States.
• Google Maps: maps load from its servers, so Google receives your IP address. When you list a room, what you type in the address search is sent to Google to suggest addresses.
• OpenStreetMap: if you type the suburb by hand when listing, we send it only the suburb, state and postcode to place the area on the map.
• Email providers, to send account emails and notices.

We may also share information if the law requires it, or to protect someone from serious harm.

6. Data outside Australia

Because some providers operate outside Australia (mainly in the United States), some of your information may be processed there. We choose providers with appropriate security and data protection measures.

7. Cookies and storage

We use a cookie to keep you signed in. While you fill in a listing, we save the draft in your browser so you don't lose it. We don't use analytics or advertising cookies.

8. How long we keep it

We keep your information while you have an account. If you delete it, we remove your profile, listings, messages and saved rooms, except anything we must keep by law or to deal with a report or dispute (reports you made are kept without your name). Backups expire on their own after a limited time.

9. Security

The site uses encrypted connections (HTTPS), passwords are stored hashed, and database rules limit access so each user only sees what they should. No system is 100% secure: if we find an incident likely to cause you serious harm, we'll notify you as the law requires.

10. Your rights

• Access and correct your information: you can edit most of it in your profile. To request a copy of everything we hold, email us.
• Delete your account: from Edit profile, whenever you like.
• Complain: if you think we've mishandled your information, email us and we'll reply within 30 days. If you're not satisfied, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

For any of these requests: admin@elbarrio.online.

11. Under 18s

El Barrio is for people 18 and over. If you think a minor has created an account, email us and we'll delete it.

12. Changes

If we change this policy in a significant way, we'll tell you by email or on the site before it takes effect.

13. Contact

Privacy questions: admin@elbarrio.online.