Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

SmartCandidate ("we," "our," or "us") is a political campaign management platform operated by Editoby Ventures. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information when you use our platform at smartcandidate.vercel.app and related services.

By using SmartCandidate, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you register for SmartCandidate, we collect your name, email address, and password. This information is used to create and manage your account.

2.2 Campaign Data

We store campaign content, targeting parameters, message templates, and performance data that you create or upload to the platform.

2.3 Voter Contact Data

Campaign clients may upload voter contact information including phone numbers and geographic data for the purpose of conducting outreach campaigns. This data is stored securely, isolated per campaign client, and used solely for sending authorised campaign communications.

2.4 Facebook and Instagram Data

When you connect your Facebook Page or Instagram Business account to SmartCandidate via OAuth, we access only the permissions you explicitly grant. We use this access to publish sponsored content on your behalf and to retrieve campaign performance metrics (reach, impressions, engagement). We do not access your personal Facebook profile, friends list, messages, or any data beyond what is required to deliver campaign publishing and analytics services.

2.5 Usage Data

We automatically collect information about how you interact with the platform including pages visited, features used, and actions taken. This helps us improve the platform.

3. How We Use Your Information

• To provide and operate the SmartCandidate platform
• To publish sponsored content on Facebook and Instagram on your behalf
• To retrieve and display campaign performance analytics from connected social accounts
• To send voter outreach messages via SMS, WhatsApp, and voice on behalf of campaign clients
• To analyse and improve platform performance and user experience
• To communicate with you about your account and our services
• To comply with legal obligations

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal data or voter contact data to any third party.

We share data only with:

• Service providers — including Supabase (database), Africa's Talking (SMS/Voice), Fonnte (WhatsApp), and Anthropic (AI analysis) — who process data on our behalf under strict data processing agreements
• Meta Platforms — when you connect your Facebook/Instagram account, data is shared with Meta only as necessary to publish content and retrieve analytics through their Marketing API
• Law enforcement — when required by applicable law or valid legal process

5. Political Advertising Compliance

SmartCandidate is used for political campaign communications. All sponsored content published through our platform on Facebook and Instagram includes required political advertising disclaimers as mandated by Meta's political advertising policies and applicable Nigerian electoral law.

We require all campaign clients to comply with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) guidelines on political advertising and the Nigerian Electoral Act 2022.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• End-to-end encryption for data in transit (TLS 1.3)
• Row-level security ensuring each campaign client can only access their own data
• Restricted access to voter contact data — only administrator-level accounts can view or export phone numbers
• Regular security reviews and access controls

No system is completely secure. If you discover a security vulnerability, please contact us at security@editobyventures.com.

7. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. Campaign data and voter contact data is retained for the duration of your service agreement and deleted within 30 days of account termination upon written request.

Facebook and Instagram analytics data retrieved through the Marketing API is retained for up to 24 months for historical reporting purposes.

8. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data
• Withdraw consent for data processing where consent is the legal basis
• Disconnect your Facebook or Instagram account from SmartCandidate at any time through your Facebook account settings

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@editobyventures.com.

9. Third-Party Services

Our platform integrates with the following third-party services. Their use of data is governed by their own privacy policies:

• Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram) — facebook.com/privacy
• Twitter/X — twitter.com/privacy
• Africa's Talking — africastalking.com/privacy
• Supabase — supabase.com/privacy
• Anthropic — anthropic.com/privacy

10. Children's Privacy

SmartCandidate is not directed at individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email or through a notice on the platform. Your continued use of SmartCandidate after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions or requests: