Privacy Policy
5C Exchange ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our users. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use the 5C Exchange mobile application and website (collectively, the "Service"). Please read this policy carefully. By using 5C Exchange, you agree to the practices described here.
1. Who We Are
5C Exchange is a peer-to-peer sustainable marketplace exclusively for students, faculty, and staff at the Claremont Colleges consortium, including Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, Pomona College, Scripps College, Pitzer College, Claremont Graduate University, Keck Graduate Institute, and ArtCenter College of Design.
For questions about this policy, contact us at privacy@5cexchange.com.
2. Information We Collect
Information you provide directly:
- Your institutional email address (required for account creation and verification)
- Display name and optional profile photo
- Listing content: titles, descriptions, photos, pricing, and item details
- Messages sent through the in-app chat system
- Ratings and reviews you submit after an exchange
- Account settings and preferences
Information collected automatically:
- Device push notification tokens (when you grant permission)
- App usage data including listings viewed, searches performed, and features used
- Device type and operating system (iOS or Android)
- Approximate location (campus affiliation based on your email domain — we do not collect GPS data)
3. How We Use Your Information
- To create and manage your account
- To display your listings to other verified community members
- To facilitate messaging between buyers and sellers
- To calculate and display your eco impact score and award sustainability badges
- To send push notifications about messages and activity (only with your permission)
- To enforce our community guidelines and Terms of Service
- To send transactional emails (account verification, password reset)
- To improve the app through aggregate, anonymized usage analytics
4. Information Sharing and Disclosure
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We share your information only in the following circumstances:
- With other users: Your display name, profile photo, listings, ratings, and eco score are visible to other verified 5C Exchange users within the same institutional network.
- With service providers: We use Supabase (database and authentication), Resend (transactional email), and Expo (push notifications). These providers process data only as necessary to provide their services and are bound by data processing agreements.
- For legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, subpoena, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of 5C Exchange, our users, or the public.
- With your consent: We will share information in other ways only with your explicit consent.
5. Data Retention
We retain your account information and content for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account through the app or request deletion via email, we permanently delete your profile, listings, messages, and all associated data. Some anonymized aggregate data (e.g., eco impact statistics) may be retained for reporting purposes.
Account deletion requests are typically processed within 7 days.
6. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (TLS), row-level security policies on our database, and secure authentication. However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
7. Your Rights and Choices
- Access and correction: You can view and update your profile information at any time within the app.
- Account deletion: You can request deletion of your account and all associated data from the app's Profile → Privacy & Safety settings, or by emailing support@5cexchange.com.
- Push notifications: You can enable or disable push notifications in the app or your device settings at any time.
- Privacy controls: You can control whether your campus affiliation and other profile details are visible to other users through the app's Privacy & Safety settings.
8. Children's Privacy
5C Exchange is intended for college students and adults (18+). We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately at privacy@5cexchange.com.
9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to request disclosure of personal information we collect about you, request deletion of your personal information, and opt out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell personal information). To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@5cexchange.com.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by sending an email to your registered address or by displaying a notice in the app. Continued use of 5C Exchange after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
5C Exchange
Email: privacy@5cexchange.com
Support: support@5cexchange.com