Last updated: 7 October 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how uzanow collects, uses, shares and protects your personal data when you use the uzanow app and website at uzanow.com (the "Platform").
1. Who we are
uzanow is owned and operated by SPM Africa Limited, a company in Kenya ("SPM Africa", "we", "us", "our"). We are the data controller responsible for your personal data under the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019 and its regulations.
SPM Africa Limited
Chiromo Lane, Westlands Business Park, 5th Floor
Nairobi, Kenya
Email: privacy@uzanow.com
2. What uzanow does
uzanow is a video-first marketplace where people discover products and contact sellers directly. Buyers and sellers arrange payment and delivery between themselves. uzanow does not currently process payments, hold money in escrow or collect card or M-Pesa payment details. If we introduce payments in future, we will update this policy before doing so.
3. The personal data we collect
Information you give us
- Account details: your name, email address, username and password (passwords are stored securely and are never visible to us). If you sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and profile picture from Google.
- Profile and store details: display name, store or business name, location, profile photo, phone number and WhatsApp number, and your choices about whether your phone or WhatsApp number is shown publicly.
- Listings: product photos, videos, titles, descriptions, prices and categories you post.
- Messages: messages you send and receive through uzanow's in-app chat.
- Creator and live shopping information: if you apply to be a creator or host a live session, the details you submit in your application and the content of your live sessions.
- Reports and support requests: information you include when you report a listing or contact us.
Information collected automatically
- Activity on the Platform: products you view, like, save or share, searches, and creators you interact with.
- Device and usage information: browser and device type, IP address, approximate location derived from your IP address, pages visited, and dates and times of access.
- Information stored on your device: we store some information in your browser (for example recently viewed products, your interests and unsent listing drafts) to make the Platform work and personalise your feed. You can clear this by clearing your browser data.
We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data (such as health, religious or biometric data). Please don't include it in listings or messages.
4. How we use your personal data, and why
| Purpose | Legal basis |
|---|---|
| Creating and managing your account, and signing you in | Performance of our contract with you |
| Showing your listings, store and public profile to other users | Performance of our contract with you |
| Letting buyers and sellers message each other | Performance of our contract with you |
| Verifying your phone number by SMS code | Performance of our contract; our legitimate interest in preventing fraud |
| Personalising your feed and recommendations | Our legitimate interest in providing a relevant service |
| Keeping the Platform safe: detecting fraud, scams, spam and abuse, reviewing reports, and enforcing our rules | Our legitimate interests; compliance with legal obligations |
| Sending service messages (for example password resets and security alerts) | Performance of our contract with you |
| Sending marketing messages | Your consent, which you can withdraw at any time |
| Improving the Platform and understanding how it is used | Our legitimate interests |
| Complying with the law and responding to lawful requests from authorities | Compliance with legal obligations |
We do not sell your personal data.
5. What other users can see
- Public by default: your display name, username, store name, profile photo, location (if you add one), your listings and their photos and videos, and your public creator or shop page.
- Public only if you choose: your phone number and WhatsApp number. If you keep them private, other users cannot see them.
- Private: your email address, your private phone and WhatsApp numbers, your messages (visible only to you and the person you are chatting with), and your saved items.
Please think carefully before sharing personal details in listings, videos or messages. Anything you make public can be seen by anyone using the Platform.
6. Who we share personal data with
We share personal data only as needed to run the Platform:
- Other users: as described in section 5, and the people you message.
- Service providers who process data on our behalf, under contracts that require them to protect it:
- Supabase (database, authentication and file storage)
- Lovable (website and app hosting)
- Twilio (sending SMS verification codes)
- Google (if you choose to sign in with Google)
- Authorities and legal requests: where required by Kenyan law, a court order or a lawful request, or where necessary to protect the rights, safety or property of our users, the public or SPM Africa.
- Our group companies and business transfers: with companies in the SPM Africa group, or if SPM Africa Limited is involved in a merger, acquisition or sale of assets. Any recipient must continue to protect your data in line with this policy.
7. Transfers outside Kenya
Some of our service providers store or process data on servers outside Kenya. When we transfer personal data outside Kenya, we do so in line with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, relying on appropriate safeguards such as contractual protections with our providers, and only to providers that maintain strong security standards.
8. How long we keep your data
- Account and profile data: for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymise your personal data within 30 days, except where we need to keep some of it longer for the reasons below.
- Listings: until you delete them or your account is deleted.
- Messages: for as long as either participant's account is active, so the other person keeps their conversation history.
- Reports, safety and fraud records: for up to 2 years after the matter is closed, or longer if needed for a legal claim or investigation.
- Records we must keep by law: for as long as the law requires.
9. How we protect your data
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encrypted connections (HTTPS), secure password storage, access controls that limit who can see each type of data (for example, private phone numbers cannot be read by other users), and restricted staff access. No system is completely secure, so please use a strong, unique password and keep it private.
If a personal data breach is likely to put your rights at risk, we will notify the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, and we will inform you where required by law.
10. Your rights
Under the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019 you have the right to:
- be informed about how your personal data is used;
- access the personal data we hold about you;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- ask us to delete your data;
- object to our use of your data, including for marketing;
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent;
- ask for your data in a portable format.
Many details can be updated directly in Me → Settings. To make any other request, including deleting your account, email privacy@uzanow.com. We may ask you to confirm your identity. We will respond within the time required by law.
If you are not satisfied with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner (ODPC) at odpc.go.ke.
11. Children
uzanow is not intended for anyone under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has created an account, please contact us at privacy@uzanow.com and we will delete it.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will change the "Last updated" date and, for significant changes, notify you in the app or by email before they take effect.
13. Contact us
Questions about this policy or your personal data:
SPM Africa Limited — Chiromo Lane, Westlands Business Park, 5th Floor, Nairobi, Kenya — privacy@uzanow.com