Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 25, 2026

1. Introduction

AIDIRECTORY ("we", "us", or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you use our website and services (the "Platform").

By using the Platform, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with our practices, please do not use the Platform.

This policy applies to all users of the Platform, including visitors, registered users, and product owners. Your use of the Platform is also subject to our Terms & Conditions.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Name and email address (provided directly or via third-party sign-in).
• Profile picture (if you sign in with a third-party provider).

2.2 Profile Information

If you choose to create a public profile, we collect additional information you voluntarily provide, including:

• Username, bio, and job role.
• Interests and category preferences.
• Social links (website, Twitter/X, LinkedIn, GitHub, etc.).
• Profile avatar (if you upload one).

2.3 Product Submissions

When you submit a product for listing, we collect:

• Product name and website URL.
• Any optional notes you provide with your submission.
• Your name and email address as the submitter.

2.4 Reviews and Reports

When you post a review or submit a report, we collect:

• Review content, rating, and any proof images you upload.
• Report type, message, and your email address.

2.5 Newsletter Subscription

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address. Registered users are automatically subscribed to the newsletter. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in each email.

2.6 Payment Information

If you purchase a premium listing or advertisement, your payment is processed by a trusted third-party payment processor. We do not store your credit card number or full payment details on our servers. We only receive confirmation of the transaction, including the amount paid and the associated product.

2.7 Automatically Collected Information

When you use the Platform, we may automatically collect:

• Session data: IP address and browser user agent, stored temporarily as part of your authentication session.
• Analytics data: We use a privacy-focused analytics provider for product analytics, session recordings, and error tracking. This may include anonymised usage data and, for authenticated users, may link events to your account to improve the user experience.
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, and screen resolution.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain, and improve the Platform.
• Process product submissions and manage listings.
• Facilitate account creation and authentication.
• Process payments for premium listings and advertisements.
• Send transactional emails (submission confirmations, publication notices, verification codes).
• Send newsletter emails if you have opted in.
• Display your public profile information if you have opted in.
• Moderate content and enforce our Terms & Conditions.
• Prevent abuse through rate limiting.
• Generate and improve AI-assisted content for listings.
• Respond to your enquiries and support requests.
• Analyse usage patterns to improve the Platform experience.

4. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We share your data only with the following third-party service providers, strictly for the purposes described below:

4.1 Service Providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to operate the Platform. These providers only receive the minimum data necessary to perform their function:

4.2 AI Content Generation

When products are submitted, we may use third-party AI services to generate descriptions, FAQs, and other listing content. These services may receive the submitted product URL and publicly available website content for the purposes of content generation, website analysis, and media capture (such as screenshots and favicons).

These services only receive publicly available website URLs and content. No personal user data is sent to these AI services.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, or if we believe in good faith that such action is necessary to comply with legal obligations, protect our rights or safety, or investigate potential violations of these terms.

5. Cookies and Local Storage

We use essential cookies only for authentication purposes. These cookies are strictly necessary for keeping you signed in and do not track your activity across other websites. We do not use any third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

You can clear cookies and local storage at any time through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may prevent you from using certain features of the Platform.

6. Data Retention

We retain your information as follows:

• Account data: Retained for as long as your account is active. You may request deletion at any time.
• Profile data: Retained for as long as your account is active. Deleted when you delete your account or remove the information.
• Submissions and reviews: Retained for as long as the associated product listing is active on the Platform.
• Newsletter subscriptions: Retained until you unsubscribe.
• Session data: Automatically deleted when your session expires.
• Payment records: Retained as required by applicable tax and financial regulations.
• Analytics data: Retained in accordance with our analytics provider's data retention policies.

When we have no ongoing legitimate business need to process your personal information, we will either delete or anonymise it, or, if this is not possible (for example, because it has been stored in backup archives), we will securely store it and isolate it from further processing until deletion is possible.

7. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated personal data.
• Restriction: Request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the link in each email.
• Data portability: Request your data in a portable format where technically feasible.
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at hi@aidirectory.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

7.1 Rights for EEA, UK, and Swiss Residents

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK GDPR. These include:

• The right to object to processing of your personal data based on our legitimate interests.
• The right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe your data has been processed unlawfully. You can find your relevant authority at ec.europa.eu (EEA) or ico.org.uk (UK).

We process your personal information based on the following legal bases: (a) your consent, (b) performance of a contract with you (e.g. providing your account and services), (c) our legitimate interests (e.g. improving the Platform, preventing abuse), or (d) compliance with legal obligations.

7.2 Rights for California Residents

If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), including:

• Right to know: You can request information about what personal data we collect, use, and disclose.
• Right to delete: You can request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to opt-out of sale: We do not sell your personal information, so this right does not apply.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights.

To make a request, please contact us at hi@aidirectory.com. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

8. Do-Not-Track Signals

Some browsers include a Do-Not-Track ("DNT") feature that signals to websites that you do not wish to be tracked. Because there is no accepted standard for how to respond to DNT signals, we do not currently respond to them. However, we do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies, and our analytics are privacy-focused.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS).
• Secure authentication with session management.
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse.
• Access controls to restrict data access to authorised personnel and systems.
• Regular security reviews of our infrastructure and dependencies.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately.

10. Children's Privacy

The Platform is not directed at anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hi@aidirectory.com and we will promptly delete the information.

11. International Data Transfers

AIDIRECTORY is operated from the United Arab Emirates. Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including countries where our service providers operate (such as the United States and European Union). These countries may have different data protection laws than your country.

By using the Platform, you consent to such transfers. Where required, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place (such as standard contractual clauses) to protect your data in accordance with applicable law.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the Platform after any changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at hi@aidirectory.com.