Privacy Policy

1. Privacy Overview

At Social Circle Agency, we are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data when you use our social media management services.

We believe in transparency and want you to understand exactly what information we collect, why we collect it, and how you can manage your privacy preferences.

Key Privacy Principles

• Transparency: We clearly explain what data we collect and how we use it
• Control: You have control over your data and privacy settings
• Security: We use industry-standard security measures to protect your data
• Minimal Collection: We only collect data necessary for our services
• User Rights: We respect your rights to access, modify, and delete your data

2. Information We Collect

We collect different types of information to provide and improve our services. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the information we may collect:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Account Information: Name, email address, phone number, company name
• Profile Data: Profile pictures, bio, website, social media handles
• Payment Information: Billing address, payment method (processed securely by Stripe)
• Content: Videos, images, text, and other media you upload or create
• Communications: Messages you send to our support team or feedback you provide

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage Data: How you interact with our platform, features used, time spent
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• Log Data: Server logs, error reports, performance metrics
• Analytics Data: Page views, click patterns, user journey analytics

2.3 Information from Connected Social Media Accounts

When you connect your social media accounts to our platform, we may collect:

• Profile information (username, follower count, profile picture)
• Content you've posted (with your permission)
• Engagement metrics (likes, comments, shares, views)
• Audience demographics and insights
• Account permissions and authentication tokens

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for legitimate business purposes to provide, maintain, and improve our services:

3.1 Service Provision

• Create and manage your account
• Process payments and billing
• Generate AI-powered content and recommendations
• Schedule and publish social media posts
• Provide automation and growth tools
• Generate analytics and performance reports

3.2 Communication and Support

• Send service-related notifications and updates
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries
• Send marketing communications (with your consent)
• Notify you about new features or changes to our service

3.3 Improvement and Security

• Analyze usage patterns to improve our platform
• Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• Conduct research and development for new features
• Ensure compliance with legal obligations
• Personalize your experience and recommendations

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We only share your information in limited circumstances and with appropriate safeguards in place:

4.1 Service Providers

We work with trusted third-party service providers who help us operate our platform:

• Payment Processing: Stripe for secure payment processing
• Cloud Services: AWS for hosting and data storage
• Analytics: Google Analytics for usage analytics (anonymized)
• Customer Support: Support tools for managing customer inquiries
• Email Services: Email service providers for transactional emails

4.2 Social Media Platforms

When you use our automation features, we share content with social media platforms according to your instructions and their respective APIs.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations or court orders
• Protect our rights, property, or safety
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of our users
• Prevent fraud or security threats

5. Data Security Measures

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction:

5.1 Technical Safeguards

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit (TLS 1.3) and at rest (AES-256)
• Access Controls: Role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication
• Network Security: Firewalls, intrusion detection, and DDoS protection
• Regular Updates: Security patches and software updates applied promptly
• Monitoring: 24/7 security monitoring and threat detection

5.2 Organizational Safeguards

• Employee background checks and security training
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Incident response procedures and breach notification protocols
• Third-party security certifications and compliance

5.3 Data Backup and Recovery

We maintain secure, encrypted backups of your data and have disaster recovery procedures in place to ensure business continuity and data protection.

6. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

You have several rights regarding your personal information. The specific rights available to you may depend on your location and applicable privacy laws:

6.1 Universal Rights

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal obligations)
• Portability: Request a copy of your data in a machine-readable format
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time

6.2 Enhanced Rights (GDPR/CCPA)

If you're located in the EU, UK, or California, you may have additional rights:

• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to Restrict: Request restriction of processing in certain circumstances
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing
• Right to Lodge Complaints: File complaints with data protection authorities

6.3 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, you can:

• Log into your account and use the privacy controls in your settings
• Contact our Data Protection Officer at privacy@socialcircle.com
• Use our online privacy request form
• Send a written request to our mailing address

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience, analyze usage patterns, and provide personalized content:

7.1 Types of Cookies We Use

7.2 Third-Party Tracking

We may use third-party analytics and advertising services that use their own cookies:

• Google Analytics: Website usage analytics (anonymized)
• Facebook Pixel: Advertising optimization and measurement
• LinkedIn Insight: Professional advertising and analytics

7.3 Managing Cookies

You can control cookie settings through:

• Your browser settings (most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies)
• Our cookie preference center (available on our website)
• Opt-out tools provided by advertising networks
• Privacy settings in your account dashboard

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers:

8.1 Transfer Safeguards

• Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission
• Adequacy decisions for countries with equivalent privacy protections
• Binding Corporate Rules for intra-group transfers
• Certification programs and codes of conduct

8.2 Data Processing Locations

Our primary data processing locations include:

• United States: Primary servers and data processing
• European Union: EU user data processing and storage
• Canada: Backup and disaster recovery

9. Data Retention Policies

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this policy, comply with legal obligations, and resolve disputes:

9.1 Retention Periods

9.2 Secure Deletion

When we delete your data, we use secure deletion methods that make the data unrecoverable using commercially reasonable efforts. This includes:

• Cryptographic erasure of encrypted data
• Secure overwriting of storage media
• Physical destruction of decommissioned hardware
• Removal from all backup systems within 90 days

10. Policy Updates and Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service offerings. Here's how we handle policy changes:

10.1 Notification of Changes

• Email notification for material changes
• In-app notifications when you next log in
• Updated "Last Modified" date on this page
• 30-day advance notice for significant changes

10.2 Your Choices

If you don't agree with changes to this Privacy Policy, you may:

• Contact us to discuss your concerns
• Adjust your privacy settings
• Close your account before the changes take effect