Privacy Policy

BusinessesMap (“BusinessesMap”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) operates businessesmap.com (the “Service”), a global directory of local businesses. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, and the choices you have. It applies to visitors from anywhere in the world.

For privacy questions, contact privacy@businessesmap.com.

We collect three categories of information.

a. Information you provide

When you submit a claim, edit, removal request, listing report, or contact email, we collect the information you give us — typically your name, email address, optional phone number, relationship to the listing, and the content of your message.

b. Information collected automatically

When you visit the Service, we and our service providers automatically collect: IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, referring URL, pages viewed, timestamps, and approximate location derived from the IP address. This information is collected through standard server logs and, subject to your consent where required, through cookies and similar technologies.

c. Business listing data (third-party sources)

Listings displayed on the Service — business name, address, phone number, opening hours, website, ratings, photos, and reviews — are sourced from publicly available business profiles on Google Maps via licensed data providers. This information concerns businesses, not private individuals; however, reviews authored by named individuals on the source platform may appear on the Service. If you are a reviewer and would like a review removed, please contact us.

• To operate, maintain, and improve the Service.
• To verify your relationship to a listing and process claim, edit, removal, and report requests.
• To detect, prevent, and respond to fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
• To measure traffic and aggregate usage so we can improve content and performance.
• To display advertising (where consent is given or otherwise permitted) and to comply with legal obligations.

Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases:

• Consent — for non-essential cookies, personalized advertising, and analytics. You can withdraw consent at any time via the cookie settings link.
• Contract — to handle claim and removal requests you submit.
• Legitimate interests — to keep the Service secure, prevent abuse, and operate aggregated analytics where consent is not required.
• Legal obligation — to respond to lawful requests and comply with applicable law.

We use cookies and similar technologies. A full inventory and the controls available to you are on the Cookie Policy page.

Google AdSense

The Service displays advertising served by Google AdSense. Google and its partners use cookies (including the DoubleClick DART cookie and identifiers such as __gads, __gpi, IDE, and NID) to serve ads based on prior visits to this and other websites, to measure ad performance, and to combat fraud. Where required by law (including the EEA, UK, and Switzerland), personalized advertising cookies are only set after you provide consent through our cookie banner. You can opt out of personalized advertising at any time via Google Ad Settings or aboutads.info/choices (US) and youronlinechoices.eu (EU).

Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 to measure aggregate traffic. GA4 sets cookies such as _ga and _ga_*. IP addresses are truncated by Google before storage, and analytics cookies are only loaded after consent where required. You may install Google's opt-out browser add-on.

Google Consent Mode v2

We implement Google Consent Mode v2. Consent signals (ad_storage, ad_user_data, ad_personalization, and analytics_storage) are set to denied by default and are updated only after you express a choice in the cookie banner.

We do not sell personal information. We share information only with:

• Service providers who process data on our behalf under contract — including Vercel (hosting), Cloudflare (DNS, edge security), Supabase (database), Upstash (rate limiting), and Anthropic (text generation, on non-personal listing data).
• Advertising and measurement partners — Google (AdSense, Analytics) — subject to your consent where required.
• Legal and safety — to comply with lawful requests, enforce our Terms, or protect rights, property, or safety.
• Business transfers — if we are involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your information may be transferred under continued privacy protections.

Because the Service is global, your information may be processed in countries other than your own, including the United States. Where we transfer personal data out of the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or, for transfers to the US, the EU–US Data Privacy Framework where the recipient is certified.

• Server logs: up to 90 days.
• Analytics data: up to 14 months.
• Claim, removal, and report submissions: for as long as the listing exists, or 24 months after final resolution, whichever is shorter.
• Email correspondence: up to 24 months after the last interaction.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to processing of your personal information; to data portability; and to withdraw consent. Specifically:

• EEA / UK / Switzerland (GDPR / UK GDPR / FADP): access, rectification, erasure, restriction, portability, objection, withdrawal of consent, and the right to lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority.
• California (CCPA / CPRA): right to know, delete, correct, opt out of sale or sharing of personal information, and limit use of sensitive personal information. We do not sell personal information; sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising is governed by your cookie consent.
• Brazil (LGPD), Canada (PIPEDA), Australia (Privacy Act), and other jurisdictions: equivalent rights as provided by local law.

To exercise any right, email privacy@businessesmap.com. We respond within 30 days. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.

If you operate a business listed on the Service, you can claim, edit, or remove the listing free of charge at any time. Verified removal requests are honoured within 24 hours.

The Service is not directed to children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

We use commercially reasonable safeguards including TLS in transit, access controls, least-privilege keys, and rate limiting. No system is perfectly secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced on the Service and reflected in the “Last updated” date above. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Privacy questions and rights requests: privacy@businessesmap.com.