Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how IKESON Technology Solutions (“HalalNearby,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), the operator of halalnearby.com, collects, uses, discloses, and protects your personal information when you use the HalalNearby website and services (the “Service”). We are based in Ontario, Canada, and we handle personal information in accordance with Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

1. Information we collect

We collect the following categories of information:

• Account data. When you create an account, we collect your name and email address. If you sign in with Google, we receive basic Google profile information (name, email, and avatar). We do not store reusable passwords from the legacy 2019 platform — those credentials were never migrated, and returning users must sign in with Google or reset their password.
• Content you create. Reviews, ratings, halal confirmations, reports, photos, restaurant submissions, and your saved favorites.
• Technical & usage data.IP address, device and browser information, approximate location (from a “near me” search you initiate, or from GeoIP), and first-party view-tracking when you browse listings.

2. How we use your information

We use your information to:

• provide, operate, and maintain the Service and your account;
• authenticate you and keep your account secure;
• display and moderate the content you submit;
• improve our data health, listings, and search relevance;
• prevent fraud, abuse, and misuse of the Service;
• send you transactional email (for example, email verification or account notices).

3. Cookies & tracking

We use essential cookies and browser storage to keep you signed in, remember your preferences (such as cookie-consent choices and favorites), and operate the Service. We also run first-party view-tracking to understand which listings are useful. For full detail, see our Cookie Policy.

4. Third-party services

We rely on a limited set of third parties to run the Service:

• Google — for OAuth sign-in, and (as an internal admin reference only) Google Places business information used to verify listings. We do not re-publish Google data.
• Email / SMTP provider — to send transactional and verification email.
• Bot-protection and error-monitoring providers — where enabled, to keep the Service secure and reliable.

Our application, database, and uploaded media are hosted on our own self-managed infrastructure (including S3-compatible object storage via MinIO). We do not run on third-party application or database platforms at runtime.

5. Hosting & international transfers

We operate from Canada and store data on infrastructure we control. If you access the Service from outside Canada, your information may be processed in Canada.

6. Data retention & deletion

We keep personal information only as long as necessary to provide the Service and meet legal obligations. You may request deletion or a copy of your personal information by contacting us at info@ikeson.com.

7. Your privacy rights (PIPEDA)

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• access the personal information we hold about you;
• request correction of inaccurate information;
• withdraw consent to certain processing;
• file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) if you believe your privacy rights have not been respected.

8. Security

We protect account credentials using modern password hashing (via Better Auth) and store data on infrastructure we manage. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to safeguard your information against unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

9. Children

The Service is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will delete it.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date above.

11. Contact

For privacy questions, requests, or complaints, contact us at info@ikeson.com, or write to IKESON Technology Solutions, 231 Oak Park Blvd, Suite 301, Oakville, ON L6H 7S8, Canada. You may also file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.