Privacy policy

ChezSûr is operated from Yaoundé, Cameroon, and complies with Cameroon Law No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 on cybersecurity and cybercrime, together with its implementing regulations. This policy explains what data we collect, why, who we share it with, and how long we keep it.

Data we collect

We only collect data needed to run the app. No sensitive information is requested beyond the cases listed below.

• WhatsApp number : Serves as your account identifier and the authentication channel (OTP sent via WhatsApp). Stored in E.164 format.
• Profile : Full name, profile photo and a short bio, optional for renters, required for agents.
• Search preferences : City, neighborhoods, price range, property type, entered by you when creating an alert or favorite.
• In-app activity : Listings viewed, agent contacts initiated, visit requests, favorites and alerts, used to personalize your feed and measure listing performance.
• WhatsApp conversations : Messages exchanged with our assistant (agent signup, visit qualification, follow-up). Kept to handle your requests and improve the service.
• Identity verification (agents only) : Front and back photo of an ID card, passport or receipt, used to validate your agent account, then stored under restricted access. These images are checked automatically (Google Gemini) to confirm they are a readable identity document, before our team reviews them.
• Payment data : Mobile Money reference (transaction number) when you subscribe to a plan, a Verified badge, or a featured slot. We never store PIN codes or MoMo credentials.
• Technical data : IP address, approximate city (derived from IP), device model, app version, used for security and incident resolution.
• Precise location (optional) : Only if you allow it from the app. Your GPS coordinates are used to determine your city and neighborhood so that listings near you rank first. We never store your exact coordinates: they are converted into a city and neighborhood, then discarded. We do keep a daily statistic recording which neighborhood the app was used from, to measure where ChezSûr is being used; it cannot be used to reconstruct a journey. You can withdraw this permission at any time in your phone settings: the app keeps working normally.

How we use your data

Your data is used strictly for the following purposes:

• Run the features you access (search, favorites, agent contact, alerts).
• Authenticate your account and secure sessions (OTP via WhatsApp).
• Notify you of relevant events (new listing matching your alert, request update, agent reminder).
• Moderate the platform: detect misleading listings, verify agent identity, handle reports.
• Improve the service: anonymized aggregates on feature usage, listing conversion rates.

We do not sell or rent your data. One exception, which we would rather state plainly: if you reach ChezSûr from a Facebook or Instagram ad, we send Meta your phone number in hashed, non-reversible form, solely to measure which ads actually bring in users. See the Technical processors section.

Technical processors

To operate, ChezSûr uses technical providers that may process certain data on our behalf. Each acts within a limited scope:

• WhatsApp / Meta : Hosting and delivery of messages sent by our assistant. WhatsApp messages remain subject to WhatsApp / Meta Platforms' own terms.
• Google (Gemini) : Language processing for signup messages, listings sent over WhatsApp, and visitor questions (Gemini models). Also used to automatically check that the ID photo you send during agent signup is a readable document: in that specific case, the image is sent to Google for analysis.
• Google (Firebase Cloud Messaging) : Delivery of push notifications to your phone. We transmit a device identifier and the notification content.
• Cloudflare R2 : Storage of listing photos, avatars, and ID verification documents. Data encrypted at rest.
• Google (Geocoding) : Only if you allow access to your location. We then send your GPS coordinates to Google to turn them into a city and neighborhood, so we can show you listings near you. Only the coordinates are sent: not your name, your number, or any account identifier. The result is kept on your phone. If you decline the permission, nothing is sent to Google and we fall back to the approximate city derived from your IP address (see MaxMind below).
• MaxMind GeoLite2 : IP-based geolocation database, used to prioritize listings in your city when you have not allowed access to your location. Gives an approximate city, never your exact position. The database is queried on our own server: no data is transmitted to them.
• Linode / Akamai : Hosting of our application server and database (European data center). Encrypted backups.
• Sentry : Technical error reports from the app and the server, used to diagnose failures. Phone numbers and login codes are stripped before sending.
• Meta (Conversions API) : Measuring how well our ads perform. When you reach ChezSûr from a Facebook or Instagram ad, we send Meta your phone number in hashed form (an irreversible fingerprint), your IP address and the ad identifier, so we can tell which ads actually work. This data is not used to target advertising at you beyond that measurement.

Retention periods

• User account: kept as long as your account is active. You can request deletion at any time from the app (Profile → "Delete my account") or by messaging us on WhatsApp at +237 657 16 66 87 (or see the "Delete my account" page). The account is then deactivated and permanently erased 30 days later. During that window, just tell us to cancel the request.
• WhatsApp messages: we keep the text of your exchanges for as long as it remains useful to the service (moderating a listing, the history of a visit request). The raw technical metadata WhatsApp sends is discarded on receipt: we keep only the few fields the service needs.
• ID documents (agents): kept as long as the agent account is active. They are erased, along with the rest of the account, 30 days after a deletion request.
• Visit requests and conversations: kept for the duration of the relationship, then erased with the account if deletion is requested.
• Payment data (MoMo references): kept for 10 years to meet accounting obligations. These references contain no banking details.

Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data: TLS encryption in transit, encryption at rest for stored files, and ID documents reachable only through short-lived signed links. In the event of a breach, we will inform affected users and the competent authority within the timeframes required by law.

Your rights

Under Cameroonian law, you have the following rights at any time:

• Right of access: obtain a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Right of rectification: correct inaccurate or outdated information.
• Right to erasure: request deletion of your account and associated data. Message us on WhatsApp at +237 657 16 66 87; the procedure is set out on our "Delete my account" page.
• Right to object: refuse certain processing (e.g. optional notifications).

To exercise your rights, write to us via the contact page. We respond within 30 days.

Cameroon compliance

ChezSûr is subject to Law No. 2010/012 of 21 December 2010 (cybersecurity and cybercrime) and to the provisions of the Cameroonian Penal Code regarding personal data. The data controller is ChezSûr, reachable via the contact page.

Minors

ChezSûr is not intended for persons under 18. If you become aware that a minor has created an account, contact us for deletion.

Changes

This policy may evolve. Significant changes will be notified via WhatsApp or in-app notification. The last-updated date appears at the top of this page.