Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-06

DesiMela ("we", "our", "the site") operates a community business directory at desimela.us. This policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, and how we handle it.

1. What we collect

1.1 Visit information (automatic)

  • Visitor ID cookie (dm_visitor_id): a randomly generated UUID stored in your browser for one year. Lets you mark places as "I've been here" without creating an account. Not linked to your name or email.
  • Page views: when you view a business listing, we record an anonymized event (listing id, timestamp, country) for the business owner's analytics. Bot user-agents are filtered before recording.
  • IP address: used briefly for rate limiting (preventing spam on submission forms). Not stored alongside personal data.
  • Vercel Analytics: anonymous, cookie-free pageview metrics. No personal identifiers, no cross-site tracking.

1.2 Information you provide

  • Business claim: when you claim a business, we collect the email address you submit and a verification code we send to it.
  • Business updates: name, hours, photos, and contact details you choose to publish on a listing you've claimed.
  • Newsletter signup (if you opt in): your email address, stored with our email provider.
  • Suggest-a-business form: any business name, address, and notes you submit for review.
  • Stripe checkout (paid features only): payment data is collected and stored by Stripe. We never see or store your card number.

2. Third-party processors

  • Supabase (US) — hosts our database and storage
  • Vercel (US) — hosts the website and runs analytics
  • Resend (US) — sends transactional and digest emails
  • Stripe (US) — processes payments for paid features
  • The Movie Database (TMDB) — supplies movie metadata (no user data sent to TMDB)

3. How we use your information

  • To run the directory and personalize basic features (recently viewed, saved listings)
  • To send the verification email when you claim a business
  • To send opt-in weekly digests to claimed business owners
  • To prevent spam and abuse via rate limiting
  • To operate paid features (Stripe checkout, subscription status)

We do not sell your data. We do not share it with advertisers. We do not use it for cross-site tracking.

4. Cookies

We use the minimum cookies needed to operate the site:

  • dm_visitor_id — anonymous visitor identifier (1 year)
  • dm_consent — your cookie preferences (1 year)
  • dm_owner_session — set only when you sign in as a verified business owner (90 days)
  • dm_admin_session — set only for site administrators (8 hours)

5. Your rights

  • Access & deletion: email privacy@desimela.us and we will respond within 30 days.
  • EU/UK residents (GDPR): you have the rights of access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, and objection. Same email applies.
  • California residents (CCPA/CPRA): you have the right to know what we collect, delete it, and opt out of any "sale" (we do not sell data, but you can confirm).
  • Unsubscribe: every digest email has a one-click unsubscribe link.

6. Data retention

  • Visitor IDs: deleted after 1 year of inactivity
  • Listing view events: deleted after 1 year
  • Business claims: kept while the listing is claimed
  • Payment records: kept 7 years for tax compliance

7. Children

DesiMela is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from them.

8. Changes

If we change this policy, we update the date at the top. Material changes will be announced on the home page for 30 days.

9. Contact

Questions? Email privacy@desimela.us or reach us via the contact page.