Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Harness Farms Limited (RC 1965090), a company registered in Nigeria ("Harness," "we," "us," or "our"), collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects your personal and business information when you access or use our website, platform, and related services (collectively, the "Services").

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data responsibly, in compliance with applicable data protection laws in Nigeria and other jurisdictions where we operate.

By using the Services, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use the Services.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information you provide directly, information generated through your use of the Services, and information from third-party sources.

1.1 Information You Provide

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, company name, job title, and business address when you submit inquiries, request demos, or communicate with us
• Account Information: Username, password, and security credentials when you create an account
• Identity Verification (KYC) Documents: Government-issued identification, business registration documents, tax identification numbers, proof of address, and beneficial ownership information required for compliance with Know Your Customer regulations
• Financial and Transaction Data: Invoice data, payment records, delivery information, inventory details, receivables data, buyer information, and transaction histories provided through or captured by the Services
• Communications: Content of messages, emails, and other communications you send to us or through the Services

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device and Usage Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, referring URLs, pages visited, time spent on pages, and clickstream data
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location derived from your IP address
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: Information collected through cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar technologies (see Section 8 for details)
• Platform Activity: Actions taken within the Services, feature usage, login times, session duration, and interactions with the platform

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Payment and Financial Data: Transaction confirmations and payment verification from payment processors and financial institutions
• Business Information: Publicly available business data, credit information, and verification data from third-party data providers
• Partner Data: Information shared by institutional capital providers or other partners participating in financing programs

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

2.1 Providing and Operating the Services

• Creating and managing user accounts
• Processing and verifying transactions, invoices, deliveries, and payments
• Facilitating connections between operators and capital providers
• Generating real-time reports, dashboards, and analytics
• Providing customer support and responding to inquiries

2.2 Compliance and Risk Management

• Verifying identity and conducting KYC/AML (Anti-Money Laundering) checks
• Monitoring for fraud, security threats, and prohibited activities
• Complying with legal obligations, regulations, and law enforcement requests
• Assessing creditworthiness, risk profiles, and eligibility for programs
• Maintaining audit trails and transaction records

2.3 Improving and Developing Services

• Analyzing usage patterns and platform performance
• Developing new features, products, and services
• Conducting research and data analysis
• Testing, troubleshooting, and optimizing the Services

2.4 Communications

• Sending transactional notifications about account activity, transactions, and program updates
• Providing customer service and support communications
• Sending marketing communications about our Services (you may opt out at any time)
• Delivering important notices about changes to our Terms, Privacy Policy, or Services

2.5 Business Operations

• Processing payments and managing billing
• Enforcing our Terms of Service and other agreements
• Protecting against legal liability and defending legal claims
• Business planning, reporting, and analytics

3. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We share your information only as described below:

3.1 Service Providers and Business Partners

We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf:

• Cloud Hosting and Infrastructure: Providers like AWS, Google Cloud, or similar platforms that host and store our data
• Analytics Services: Tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, or similar services that help us understand platform usage
• Payment Processors: Financial service providers that process payments and verify transactions
• Email and Communication Services: Providers like SendGrid, Mailgun, or similar services that deliver emails and notifications
• Identity Verification and KYC Services: Third-party providers that conduct identity verification and compliance checks

These service providers are contractually required to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

3.2 Capital Providers and Program Participants

When you participate in financing programs, we share relevant operational and transaction data with institutional capital providers and their agents to facilitate underwriting, monitoring, risk management, and program administration. This may include financial data, transaction histories, and performance metrics.

3.3 Legal and Regulatory Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law, legal process, or regulatory authority, or when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to:

• Comply with legal obligations, court orders, or government requests
• Enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements
• Protect the rights, property, or safety of Harness, our users, or the public
• Detect, prevent, or investigate fraud, security issues, or illegal activities

3.4 Business Transfers

If Harness is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change in ownership or control.

3.5 Aggregated and Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated, anonymized, or de-identified data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you for research, analytics, marketing, or other business purposes.

3.6 With Your Consent

We may share your information with third parties when you provide explicit consent or direction to do so.

4. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to provide the Services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements.

• Active Accounts: We retain information associated with active accounts for the duration of the account relationship
• Post-Termination: After account closure or contract termination, we retain data for 5 to 7 years to comply with financial services regulations, tax laws, and audit requirements
• Transaction Records: Financial transaction data, KYC documents, and compliance records are retained for the periods required by applicable financial regulations
• Marketing Data: If you opt out of marketing communications, we retain minimal information to honor your opt-out preference

After retention periods expire, we securely delete or anonymize your information unless longer retention is required by law.

5. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure authentication and access controls
• Regular security assessments and monitoring
• Employee training on data protection and security
• Restricted access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Incident response and breach notification procedures

However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Correction

You may request access to the personal information we hold about you and request corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information.

6.2 Data Portability

You may request a copy of your data in a structured, commonly used format where technically feasible.

6.3 Deletion

You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to our legal obligations to retain certain data for compliance, audit, and record-keeping purposes.

6.4 Restriction and Objection

You may object to or request restriction of certain processing activities, including marketing communications.

6.5 Marketing Communications

You may opt out of marketing emails by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or by contacting us at the address below. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing, we may still send you transactional and service-related communications.

6.6 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at legal@arcadia-research.com. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe as required by applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

7. International Data Transfers

Harness operates primarily in Nigeria and other African countries, but we use service providers and infrastructure that may be located in different jurisdictions, including the United States and Europe.

When we transfer your data internationally, we implement appropriate safeguards to protect your information in accordance with applicable data protection laws. These safeguards may include standard contractual clauses, data processing agreements, and other legally recognized transfer mechanisms.

8. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies, web beacons, pixels, and similar tracking technologies to collect information about your browsing activities and preferences.

8.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Services to function properly, including authentication and security
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with the Services (e.g., Google Analytics)
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings to enhance your experience
• Marketing Cookies: Track your browsing to deliver relevant advertisements and measure campaign effectiveness

8.2 Your Cookie Choices

Most browsers allow you to control cookies through their settings. You can typically block or delete cookies, but doing so may affect your ability to use certain features of the Services. You can also opt out of certain analytics and advertising tracking through tools like:

• Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on
• Network Advertising Initiative opt-out
• Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out

9. Third-Party Links and Services

The Services may contain links to third-party websites, applications, or services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party services, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access.

10. Children's Privacy

The Services are not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you by:

• Posting the updated Privacy Policy on our website with a new effective date
• Sending an email notification to registered users where required by law
• Displaying a prominent notice on the Services

Your continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

Harness Farms Limited
RC 1965090
Email: legal@arcadia-research.com
Website: harness.ag

For data protection inquiries specifically, please include "Privacy Request" in the subject line of your email.