Privacy Policy
What personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the choices you have. Compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
Last updated: August 10, 2026
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Your privacy, in plain language.
At Forthstack, your privacy matters. This Policy explains what personal data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the choices you have. We are committed to handling your data responsibly and in accordance with applicable Nigerian data protection law.
On this page
Contents
- 01Who we are
- 02Data we collect
- 03How we use your data
- 04WhatsApp and messaging data
- 05How we share your data
- 06Data retention
- 07Your rights
- 08Cookies and tracking
- 09Children's privacy
- 10Changes to this policy
- 11Contact us
- 12Data security measures
- 13AI and automated decision-making
- 14International data transfers
- 15Third-party links
- 16Complaints and dispute resolution
1. Who We Are
Forthstack Technologies Ltd ("Forthstack", "we", "us") is the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through the Forthstack website, agent portal, admin console, and WhatsApp chatbot service.
Our registered address is Lagos, Nigeria. For privacy-related matters, contact us at privacy@forthstack.com.
2. Data We Collect
2.1 Property seekers (WhatsApp users)
- Your WhatsApp phone number and display name (provided automatically by the WhatsApp platform)
- The content of messages you send to our chatbot
- Your property search preferences extracted from those messages (location, budget, property type, bedrooms, amenities)
- The date and time of your messages
- Which properties you showed interest in
2.2 Property seekers (Web platform)
- Search queries and filters you apply
- Properties you view (anonymised view count)
- Contact details you submit via the web enquiry form (name and phone number)
- Standard web server logs (IP address, browser type, pages visited, referring URL)
2.3 Registered agents
- Full name and email address
- Phone number
- Company or agency name
- Professional bio
- Profile photo (if uploaded)
- Property listing details including title, description, location, price, photos and amenities
- Payment information (processed by Paystack — we do not store card or bank details)
- Paystack transaction references and payment status
- Login activity and session data
- Communication with buyers (via the enquiry system)
2.4 Data we do not collect
- National Identification Numbers (NIN) or BVN
- Payment card numbers, CVVs, or bank account details (handled entirely by Paystack)
- Location data from your device
- Biometric data of any kind
3. How We Use Your Data
We use the data we collect for the following purposes:
Property matching
To process your WhatsApp or web search query and return relevant property listings.
Agent account management
To create and manage your agent account, publish your listings, and process payments.
Enquiry routing
To pass your name and phone number to the relevant agent when you submit a property enquiry.
Platform improvement
To understand how the platform is used, fix bugs, and improve AI matching accuracy.
Payment processing
To verify payments made for listing fees and subscriptions.
Security and fraud prevention
To detect and prevent fraudulent listings, unauthorised access, and abuse.
Legal compliance
To comply with applicable Nigerian law, court orders, or regulatory requirements.
4. WhatsApp and Messaging Data
Our WhatsApp chatbot is built using the Meta WhatsApp Cloud API. When you message our WhatsApp number, your message is delivered to our servers via Meta's infrastructure. Your messages are also subject to WhatsApp's own Privacy Policy.
We store the text content of your messages and the extracted search intent (location, price range, property type) in our database to maintain conversation context and improve matching accuracy. We do not sell WhatsApp message content to any third party.
Your WhatsApp phone number is shared with agents only when you explicitly request agent contact details for a specific property. It is not shared with agents for general marketing.
WhatsApp conversation data is retained for 90 days to allow session continuity, after which message content is deleted. Anonymised search pattern data (without phone numbers) may be retained longer for analytics.
5. How We Share Your Data
We do not sell your personal data. We share it only in the following circumstances:
5.1 With agents (property enquiries)
5.2 With Paystack (payments)
5.3 With AI providers
5.4 With Cloudinary (images)
5.5 Legal requirements
5.6 Business transfers
6. Data Retention
| Data type | Retention | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| WhatsApp messages (content) | 90 days | Session continuity |
| WhatsApp phone numbers | Until deletion request | Conversation history |
| Agent account data | Account + 2 years | Legal / dispute resolution |
| Property listings | Listing + 1 year | Platform records |
| Payment records | 7 years | Nigerian tax law (FIRS) |
| Web server logs | 30 days | Security monitoring |
| Enquiry form submissions | 1 year | Agent-buyer coordination |
| AI usage logs | 90 days | Cost tracking / debugging |
7. Your Rights
Under the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and applicable law, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
Right to access
Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Right to rectification
Ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
Right to erasure
Request deletion of your data where there is no lawful reason to retain it.
Right to restriction
Ask us to limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
Right to data portability
Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
Right to object
Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Right to withdraw consent
Where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time.
Right to complain
Lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@forthstack.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Agents can update most of their personal data directly from their account profile page. WhatsApp users who wish to have their data deleted can contact us directly.
8. Cookies and Tracking
8.1 What we use
- Essential session cookies — required for login and account security. These cannot be disabled.
- LocalStorage — used to store your authentication token on your device so you remain logged in across browser sessions.
- Standard web server logs — we log IP addresses, browser type, and pages visited for security and performance monitoring.
8.2 What we do not use
- Third-party advertising cookies
- Cross-site tracking pixels
- Google Analytics or similar third-party analytics services
- Social media tracking scripts
8.3 Your choices
9. Children's Privacy
Forthstack is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@forthstack.com and we will delete it promptly.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify registered agents via their account email.
Your continued use of Forthstack after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests relating to your privacy or this Policy, please contact our Data Protection team:
Data protection
Forthstack Technologies Ltd
Lagos, Nigeria
privacy@forthstack.comWe aim to respond to all privacy requests within 30 days of receipt.
12. Data Security Measures
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or disclosure. These measures include:
- Encryption of data in transit using TLS/SSL across all web and API endpoints
- Password hashing using bcrypt for agent accounts (we never store plain-text passwords)
- Access controls limited to authorised personnel only
- Regular security assessments and vulnerability scanning
- Data minimisation — we only collect what is necessary for the service
- Secure API authentication using JWT tokens with short expiration
- Monitoring of suspicious login activity and IP addresses
While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data, but we are committed to maintaining industry-standard protections.
13. AI and Automated Decision-Making
Forthstack uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to match property seekers with relevant listings. Here's how we use AI in relation to your data:
13.1 How AI works
- When you send a search query (on WhatsApp or the web), our AI parses your natural language to extract key intent — location, budget, bedrooms, property type, and other preferences.
- This extracted intent is used to query our property database and return the most relevant matches.
- The AI does not make decisions about you as an individual beyond matching property preferences.
13.2 Your rights regarding AI
- You have the right to request human review of any AI-driven decision affecting you, though Forthstack uses AI only for property matching, not for decisions that significantly affect your rights.
- You can choose to use the platform without AI by browsing properties directly on the website.
- You can request deletion of your search history at any time.
14. International Data Transfers
Forthstack is a Nigerian company, and our primary data storage is in Nigeria. However, we work with service providers that may be located outside Nigeria:
| Service | Location | Data processed |
|---|---|---|
| Paystack (Payments) | Nigeria | Payment processing |
| Cloudinary (Images) | United States | Property images |
| Anthropic (AI) | United States | Search queries |
| OpenAI (AI) | United States | Search queries |
| DeepSeek (AI) | China | Search queries |
| Meta / WhatsApp | United States | Message delivery |
When we transfer data internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including standard contractual clauses where required.
15. Third-Party Links
Our platform may contain links to third-party websites or services, including WhatsApp, Paystack, and social media platforms. This Privacy Policy applies only to Forthstack. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit.
16. Complaints and Dispute Resolution
If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with:
- Forthstack directly at privacy@forthstack.com
- The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) at ndpc.gov.ng
We encourage you to contact us first so we can resolve your concerns directly. We aim to resolve all privacy complaints within 30 days.
Still have questions?
Our team is happy to walk you through it.
If anything in this Policy is unclear, or you want to exercise any of your NDPR rights, get in touch. Or skip ahead and start searching.
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