Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

ExportScout ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting the privacy of our users in compliance with applicable laws of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, including the Digital Security Act, 2018, the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Act, 2006, the Right to Information Act, 2009, and the Consumer Rights Protection Act, 2009.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use ExportScout's website and services.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account Information: Your name, email address, and password when you register for an account.
• Business Profile: Company name, location, product types, export capacity, certifications, target markets, and other business details you provide during onboarding.
• Usage Data: Records of market analyses, buyer searches, outreach messages generated, and other platform activities.
• Contact Messages: Any messages you send us through our contact form.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, device information, and cookies for service operation and security purposes.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, operate, and improve the ExportScout platform and its AI-powered features.
• Personalise market recommendations and buyer matching based on your exporter profile.
• Send transactional emails (account verification, password reset, service notifications).
• Respond to your support queries and contact form submissions.
• Monitor platform usage to prevent misuse and ensure security under the Digital Security Act, 2018.
• Comply with legal obligations imposed by Bangladesh law.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under Bangladesh law, we process your personal data on the following bases:

• Contractual necessity: To fulfil our service obligations when you create an account and use ExportScout.
• Consent: For optional communications and profiling features you explicitly opt into.
• Legal obligation: To comply with orders or requirements under the ICT Act, 2006, Digital Security Act, 2018, or other applicable Bangladesh statutes.
• Legitimate interest: To operate, secure, and improve our platform.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored on secure cloud servers. We use industry-standard encryption (TLS/SSL) for data in transit and implement access controls, authentication, and audit logging to protect data at rest.

While we take all reasonable precautions, no online service can guarantee absolute security. In the event of a data breach that may harm your rights, we will notify affected users and the relevant authorities in accordance with the Digital Security Act, 2018.

6. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate ExportScout:

• Supabase — database and authentication hosting.
• OpenAI — AI-powered content generation (outreach emails, market analysis). Only your business profile data is shared, not personally identifying information beyond what is necessary.
• UN Comtrade / World Bank — publicly available trade data used for market intelligence.

These providers are bound by their own privacy policies and data protection obligations. We only share the minimum data necessary for each service to function.

7. Cookies

We use essential cookies to maintain your logged-in session and to protect against cross-site request forgery (CSRF). We do not use advertising or tracking cookies. By using ExportScout, you consent to our use of essential session cookies.

8. Your Rights

Under applicable Bangladesh laws, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with the Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (BTRC) or other relevant authority if you believe your rights have been violated.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@exportscout.com.

9. Data Retention

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will remove your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law (e.g., financial records, legal disputes).

10. Children's Privacy

ExportScout is a business platform intended for adults operating commercial enterprises. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under the age of 18. If we become aware that a minor has provided us with personal data, we will delete it promptly.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and notify registered users by email if the changes are material. Continued use of ExportScout after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: