Privacy Policy
BackpageSeek.com ("we", "us", or "our") is a classified advertisements platform operated independently. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal information when you use our website and services. By using BackpageSeek.com, you agree to the practices described in this policy.
Our platform supports the following listing categories: Casual Encounters & Personals, Rentals & Housing, Pets & Animals, Services, Jobs & Employment, Buy & Sell Items, and Vehicles & Autos.
1. Acceptance of Privacy Policy
Each time you access, use, post, submit, or view the Site in any category, you signify your acceptance of the then-current Privacy Policy. If you do not accept this Privacy Policy, you are not authorized to use the Site and must discontinue use immediately.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Account Registration
When you create an account, we collect:
- Username — your chosen display name on the platform
- Email address — used for account communication and login
- Password — stored in encrypted form; we never store plain-text passwords
- Gender — collected during registration for platform personalization
2.2 Google OAuth Sign-In
BackpageSeek.com offers sign-in via Google OAuth 2.0. When you choose to sign in or register using your Google account, we receive the following information directly from Google:
- Google Account ID — a unique identifier used to link your Google account to your BackpageSeek profile
- Name — your Google display name, used as your initial profile name
- Email address — used to create or match your account on our platform
- Email verification status — Google confirms your email is verified; we use this to skip our own email verification step
We do not access your Google password, Google Drive, Gmail, contacts, calendar, or any other Google service data. The only data received is your basic profile information as listed above, provided through Google's secure OAuth 2.0 protocol.
Your use of Google Sign-In is also subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
2.3 Account Verification
To maintain platform safety and prevent fraud, we require identity verification. We collect a verification photo in which you must hold a handwritten note clearly showing your Username, Email Address, and the Current Date. Your face and the arm holding the note must be fully visible. Edited or filtered images are not accepted.
Verification photos are stored securely, are never publicly displayed, and are used solely to confirm your identity.
2.4 Advertisement Content
When you post an advertisement, we collect information relevant to your selected category:
- Casual Encounters & Personals: Headline, Description, Age, Location, Phone Number, and optional physical attributes (Orientation, Height, Body Type, Ethnicity, Eye Color, Hair Color)
- Rentals & Housing: Headline, Description, Location, Phone Number, Price, Bedrooms, Bathrooms, Furnished Status, Utilities, Pet Policy, Availability Dates
- Services: Headline, Description, Location, Phone Number, Price Type, Price, Experience, Availability
- Pets & Animals: Headline, Description, Location, Phone Number, Pet Type, Breed, Age, Vaccinated Status, Neutered Status, Price
- Jobs & Employment: Job Title, Description, Location, Employment Type, Salary Range, Experience Required, Application Instructions
- Buy & Sell Items: Item Title, Description, Condition, Price, Location, Phone Number
- Vehicles & Autos: Year, Make, Model, Mileage, VIN, Condition, Price, Location, Phone Number
2.5 Technical and Usage Data
We automatically collect certain technical data when you use our platform, including:
- IP address and approximate geographic location
- Browser type, version, and operating system
- Pages visited, timestamps, and session activity
- Device type and user agent string
This data is used for security monitoring, fraud prevention, and improving platform performance. It is not sold or shared with third-party advertisers.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To create and manage your account on BackpageSeek.com
- To authenticate your identity via email/password login or Google OAuth 2.0
- To display your advertisements in the appropriate category
- To verify your identity and prevent fraud, spam, or abuse
- To send account-related notifications (email verification, login alerts)
- To enforce our Terms of Use and community standards
- To monitor platform security and investigate suspicious activity
- To comply with applicable laws and legal obligations
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.
4. Data Sharing
We do not share your personal information with third parties except in the following circumstances:
- Google OAuth: If you use Google Sign-In, your authentication is processed by Google. We receive only the data described in Section 2.2.
- Legal compliance: We may disclose information if required by law, court order, or government authority.
- Platform security: We may share data with security providers to prevent fraud or abuse.
- Business transfer: In the event of a merger or acquisition, user data may be transferred as part of that transaction.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only as long as necessary to provide our services or as required by law.
- Active account data is retained for the duration of your account
- Deleted advertisement content is removed immediately and permanently
- Upon account deletion, your profile data enters a 7-day grace period before permanent removal
- After 7 days, all personal data is permanently purged from our active databases
6. User Data Rights & Deletion
You have the right to access, update, or delete your personal data at any time.
- Individual ad removal: Delete any advertisement from your account dashboard. Removal is immediate and permanent.
- Full account deletion: Initiate account deletion from your account settings. All ads and images are immediately removed. Your account profile enters a 7-day grace period, after which all data is permanently deleted.
- Data access: Contact us at [email protected] to request a copy of your personal data.
Note to Law Enforcement: Minimal transaction records or system logs may be retained briefly for legal compliance, fraud prevention, or system integrity before being fully purged. We are under no obligation to retain copies of content once deleted by a user.
7. Cookies and Tracking
BackpageSeek.com uses session cookies to maintain your login state and improve your experience. We do not use third-party tracking cookies or behavioral advertising cookies. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, but this may affect site functionality.
8. Security
We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted password storage, HTTPS connections, and session security. However, no internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
9. Age Restrictions & Children's Privacy
BackpageSeek.com is strictly intended for individuals who are at least 18 years of age (or the age of majority in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under the age of 18. If we become aware that a minor has created an account, we will immediately delete that account and all associated data.
10. Third-Party Links
The Site may contain links to third-party websites. BackpageSeek.com does not control or endorse these sites and is not responsible for their content, privacy practices, or security.
11. Policy Changes
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes become effective upon posting. Continued use of the Site after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:
Email: support@backpageseek.com