Privacy policy

French Daina respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information responsibly. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, when it may be shared, and the choices available to you when you use our website.

French Daina provides a platform for discovering company information, reading founder stories, and sharing reviews of businesses. By using our website, you acknowledge that you have read this policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information that is necessary to operate our platform, manage user accounts, publish content, verify reviews, and maintain website security.

Information you provide

Depending on how you use French Daina, we may collect:

• Account information: Your email address, display name, and other details you provide when creating or managing an account.

• Reviews and ratings: The reviews, ratings, comments, and other feedback you submit about companies.

• Stories and submissions: Founder stories, articles, business information, photographs, and other content you submit for consideration or publication.

• Verification documents: Invoices, bills, receipts, order confirmations, or screenshots submitted to support a verified purchase request.

• Communications: Information contained in messages, support requests, enquiries, and other correspondence with our team.

• Business information: Information provided when a company claims its profile, updates its details, or uses business-related services.

Please avoid including passwords, payment card details, government identification numbers, or other sensitive personal information in publicly visible reviews or stories.

Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, we may collect certain technical and usage information, including:

• IP address and general connection information.

• Browser type, device information, and operating system.

• Pages visited and interactions with website features.

• Dates, times, and technical logs associated with website access.

• Information collected through cookies or similar technologies, where applicable.

We use this information to maintain website functionality, identify technical issues, understand usage patterns, and help detect suspicious activity.

2. How We Use Your Information

French Daina may use collected information to:

• Create and manage user accounts.

• Verify email addresses and support account security.

• Publish reviews, ratings, stories, and other approved submissions.

• Assess documents submitted for verified purchase badges.

• Detect suspicious activity, spam, fake reviews, and attempts to manipulate ratings.

• Review reports about content that may violate our guidelines.

• Respond to questions, complaints, and support requests.

• Operate, maintain, and improve our website.

• Protect users, businesses, and the integrity of our platform.

• Meet applicable legal and regulatory obligations.

• Send service-related notifications and other communications you request or have agreed to receive.

We do not use personal information for purposes incompatible with the applicable legal requirements without an appropriate basis.

3. Public Reviews and Published Content

French Daina allows users to publish reviews, ratings, comments, and stories about companies.

Information you choose to publish may be visible to the public. Depending on the feature you use, this may include your display name, review text, rating, photographs, and other information included in your submission.

Public content may be viewed, copied, indexed by search engines, or shared by other people. We cannot guarantee that information published publicly can be completely removed from third-party websites, search engine caches, or independent copies.

Please consider carefully what you include in a public submission. Do not publish another person's private information without appropriate authorisation.

Where possible, use a display name that does not unnecessarily disclose your personal identity.

4. Verified Purchase Documents

Users may submit invoices, receipts, order confirmations, or other evidence to support a verified purchase request.

These documents are used to assess whether the submitted evidence supports the claimed transaction. Access should be limited to authorised personnel who need the information to perform verification or related operational tasks.

Verification documents are not intended to be displayed publicly.

We may retain submitted documents for as long as reasonably necessary to complete verification, address disputes, prevent abuse, maintain appropriate records, or meet legal obligations, subject to applicable requirements.

Please avoid submitting unnecessary personal or financial information. Where appropriate, redact details that are not needed to verify the transaction.

A verified purchase badge indicates that supporting evidence has been reviewed. It does not establish that every statement in the associated review is independently verified.

5. Cookies and Similar Technologies

French Daina may use cookies and similar technologies to support website functionality and improve the user experience.

Depending on the technologies enabled on our website, cookies may be used to:

• Maintain sessions and account functionality.

• Remember preferences.

• Help protect against suspicious activity.

• Understand website traffic and performance.

• Support other disclosed website features.

Where required by law, we will seek consent before using non-essential cookies or similar technologies.

You can manage cookies through your browser settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect the functionality of some website features.

For further information, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

6. How We Share Information

French Daina does not sell your personal information to third parties.

We may share information in limited circumstances, including:

Service providers: We may use third-party providers for website hosting, email delivery, security, analytics, technical support, and other services necessary to operate our platform. These providers should receive only the information necessary for their assigned functions and be subject to appropriate safeguards.

Public content: Reviews, ratings, stories, and other material you choose to publish may be accessible to website visitors and third parties.

Legal requirements: We may disclose information when required by applicable law, a valid legal process, or a lawful request from an authorised authority.

Security and protection: We may share relevant information when reasonably necessary to investigate suspected fraud, protect our users, enforce our policies, or protect the rights and security of French Daina and others.

Business changes: If our business undergoes a merger, restructuring, acquisition, or similar transaction, relevant information may be transferred where legally permitted and subject to appropriate protections.

We do not authorise third parties to use personal information obtained through us for unrelated purposes without an appropriate legal basis.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, subject to applicable legal requirements.

Retention periods may depend on:

• Whether your account remains active.

• Whether a review, story, or other submission remains published.

• The need to verify transactions or investigate suspected abuse.

• Security, dispute-resolution, and recordkeeping requirements.

• Applicable legal obligations.

Public reviews and stories may remain published after an account becomes inactive or is closed, where permitted by law and our applicable policies. We will assess deletion requests in accordance with the applicable requirements.

Where information is no longer required, we will take appropriate steps to delete it or anonymise it, subject to legal and operational limitations.

8. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, loss, and misuse.

Depending on the information and the risks involved, these measures may include access restrictions, technical safeguards, secure transmission, monitoring, and procedures for handling suspected security incidents.

No website, electronic transmission, or storage system can be guaranteed to be completely secure. We therefore cannot promise absolute security, but we aim to maintain safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information we handle.

If a personal data breach occurs, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

9. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

Depending on applicable law and the circumstances, you may have the right to:

• Request information about personal data we process about you.

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

• Request deletion of personal information where legally permissible.

• Withdraw consent where processing relies on consent.

• Raise concerns about how your information is handled.

• Exercise other rights available under applicable data-protection laws.

Some information may need to be retained where required by law, necessary to resolve a dispute, or otherwise permitted under applicable requirements.

To submit a privacy request, contact us at hello@frenchdaina.com. Please explain your request and provide sufficient information for us to identify the relevant account or data.

We may need to verify your identity before processing a request. We aim to respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

10. Email Communications

We may send emails necessary to operate your account or provide services you request, such as email verification codes, account notifications, responses to enquiries, and updates relating to your submissions.

Where we send promotional or marketing communications, we will follow applicable consent and communication requirements. You may opt out of promotional emails using the unsubscribe instructions provided, where available.

Opting out of promotional communications does not necessarily stop essential service-related emails.

11. Children's Privacy

French Daina is intended for people who can lawfully use the platform under applicable age and data-protection requirements.

We do not knowingly collect children's personal information in violation of applicable law. If we become aware that personal information has been collected unlawfully from a child, we will take appropriate steps to address the situation in accordance with applicable requirements.

Parents or lawful guardians who have concerns about a child's personal information may contact us.

12. Third-Party Websites and Services

Our website may contain links to external websites, company profiles, or third-party services.

French Daina does not control the privacy practices, security, or content of external websites. Visiting an external website is subject to that website's own terms and privacy policy.

We encourage users to review the relevant privacy information before providing personal information to third parties.

13. International Data Transfers

Depending on the service providers and infrastructure used to operate French Daina, personal information may be processed or stored in locations outside your state or country.

Where information is transferred across jurisdictions, we will take steps required by applicable law to ensure appropriate protections and safeguards.

14. Compliance with Applicable Indian Privacy Laws

French Daina aims to handle personal information in accordance with applicable Indian data-protection and privacy requirements, including the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023, and applicable rules and commencement provisions, as relevant.

The specific rights, obligations, and timelines applicable to a particular request may depend on the provisions in force and the circumstances involved.

This policy is intended to explain our privacy practices in clear language. It does not replace any rights or obligations established by applicable law.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, technologies, business operations, or legal obligations.

When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date on this page. Where required, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent for material changes.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we handle personal information.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise a privacy right, or wish to raise a concern about the handling of your personal information, please contact us:

Website: French Daina

Email: hello@frenchdaina.com

Please include enough information to help us understand and address your enquiry. Do not include passwords, full payment card details, or other unnecessary sensitive information in your email.

French Daina is committed to handling personal information responsibly, protecting the privacy of our users, and maintaining transparency about how our platform operates.