Privacy Policy

1. About This Policy

PropCompare is operated by Proplytics ABN [to be registered] ("we", "us", "our"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

By using PropCompare, you consent to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account information: Name, email address, and password when you create an account
• Property data: Addresses you search, property values you enter, investment range preferences, and other manual factor inputs
• Communications: Any emails or feedback you send us

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, analysis requests, and comparison activity
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, and screen resolution
• Cookies: Session cookies for authentication (NextAuth.js). We do not use tracking or advertising cookies.

2.3 Information From Third Parties

When you enter a property address, we query publicly available government databases and third-party APIs to retrieve property-related data (flood zones, zoning, amenities, etc.). This data relates to property characteristics, not to you personally.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide, operate, and maintain the PropCompare service
• Authenticate your identity and manage your account
• Analyse properties you submit and calculate investment scores
• Store your property analyses so you can access them later
• Improve the service based on usage patterns (aggregated, not individual)
• Send service-related communications (password resets, critical updates)
• Respond to your enquiries and support requests

We will not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We will not send you marketing emails without your explicit opt-in consent.

4. Data Storage and Security

Your data is stored securely on cloud infrastructure hosted in Australia. We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• Encrypted connections (HTTPS) for all data in transit
• Encryption at-rest for database storage
• Secure session-based authentication
• Access controls ensuring you can only view your own property data

No system is 100% secure. While we take reasonable steps to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a data breach affecting your personal information, we will notify you and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.

5. Third-Party Services

PropCompare uses the following third-party services to provide property analysis:

• Google Maps Platform: Satellite imagery for visual property analysis. Subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
• TomTom: Amenity proximity data. Subject to TomTom's Privacy Policy.
• Australian Government APIs: Publicly available spatial data from state government agencies (flood, bushfire, zoning, cadastral). No personal data is sent to these services -- only property coordinates.
• Vercel: Frontend hosting. Subject to Vercel's Privacy Policy.
• Amazon Web Services: Backend infrastructure and database hosting.

When you enter an address, only the property coordinates and address are sent to these services -- not your personal account information.

6. Cookies

PropCompare uses only essential cookies required for the service to function:

• next-auth.session-token: Authentication session cookie. Expires when you log out or after 30 days of inactivity.
• next-auth.csrf-token: Security token to prevent cross-site request forgery.

We do not use analytics cookies, advertising cookies, or any third-party tracking cookies.

7. Your Rights

Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
• Complaint: Lodge a complaint with us or the OAIC if you believe your privacy has been breached

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at proplytics@outlook.com. We will respond within 30 days.

8. Data Retention

We retain your account information and property analyses for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we will delete your personal information and property data within 30 days. Aggregated, anonymised data (e.g., average scores by suburb) may be retained indefinitely as it cannot identify you.

9. Children

PropCompare is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected data from a child, we will delete it promptly.

10. Changes to This Policy

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