Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 25, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how The 360 Company (Pty) Ltd. (Registration No. 2022/640071/07), doing business as AuthorAds, the data controller that owns and operates the AuthorAds service, collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal information through:

https://authorads.io
https://app.authorads.io
the AuthorAds web application, support workflows, and related services

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or AuthorAds' privacy practices, contact:

Company: The 360 Company (Pty) Ltd
Reg. No.: 2022/640071/07
Product: AuthorAds
Email: hello@authorads.io
Address: Johannesburg, South Africa

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information processed by AuthorAds when you:

visit the public website;
create or use an AuthorAds account;
upload reports or other data for analysis;
connect Amazon Ads or other third-party services that we support;
contact us for support, billing, legal, or business matters; or
otherwise interact with AuthorAds online.

This Privacy Policy does not govern third-party services that you access through or alongside AuthorAds, including Amazon Ads, Amazon, Supabase-hosted authentication providers, payment processors, or other external services. Those services remain subject to their own terms and privacy notices.

2. Who We Are

For most account, website, support, and product data described in this Privacy Policy, The 360 Company (Pty) Ltd is the responsible party, controller, or equivalent primary business responsible for deciding how and why the information is processed.

Where AuthorAds is used by a business customer or team to process information on that customer's behalf, we may also act as an operator or processor for some customer data. If we offer that model, the applicable contract or data processing addendum will control.

3. Information We Collect

We collect information directly from you, automatically when you use the service, from connected services you authorize, and from service providers that help us operate AuthorAds.

3.1 Information you provide directly

Depending on how you use AuthorAds, we may collect:

name, email address, display name, avatar, and account profile details;
support, business, security, and legal communications;
uploaded report files, including CSV and XLSX files;
advertising performance data you upload or sync;
book, ASIN, pricing, royalty, and break-even ACOS settings that you enter;
analysis settings, bookshelf settings, recommendation settings, and execution state preferences;
subscription, plan, upgrade, and account-management choices;
any other information you choose to send us.

3.2 Information from connected services

If you connect Amazon Ads or another supported service, we may collect and process data needed to provide the connection and requested workflows, such as:

OAuth authorization responses and connection state;
refresh tokens or other credentials handled through server-side authorization flows and protected session or storage mechanisms;
Amazon Ads profile IDs, marketplace codes, regions, account display names, and related metadata;
report request IDs, report status data, and downloaded report content;
account or profile context needed to import or normalize your data.

When you connect Amazon Ads, AuthorAds uses Amazon Ads-connected information only to authenticate the connection, import and normalize reporting data, maintain sync state, generate dashboards and recommendations, secure the service, and support the workflows you request. We do not sell Amazon Ads-connected data or use it for cross-context behavioral advertising. You can disconnect an Amazon Ads connection in AuthorAds, and you can also revoke connected-app access through your Amazon account permissions where Amazon makes that available.

AuthorAds is not an Amazon product, and connecting Amazon Ads does not give us rights beyond the permissions you authorize.

3.3 Information collected automatically

When you use the site or app, we may collect technical and usage information such as:

IP address and basic request metadata;
browser, device, session, and operating environment data;
timestamps, route access, API activity, error logs, and diagnostics;
cookie identifiers and similar storage identifiers;
actions taken in the app that are needed to provide requested functionality and secure the service.

3.4 Information stored on your device

AuthorAds currently uses browser storage technologies, including cookies, local storage, and IndexedDB, to support features such as:

sign-in and authenticated sessions;
Amazon Ads connection state and OAuth security checks;
saved theme and interface preferences;
analysis settings and selected profile context;
locally cached report data and metadata;
workflow state that improves continuity across page loads.

Some of this information may remain on your device until it expires, is replaced, or you clear it through the browser or the app's controls.

4. How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information to:

create, authenticate, and manage accounts;
operate the public website and application;
import, normalize, store, display, and analyze uploaded or synced advertising data;
generate dashboards, recommendations, and book-level performance views;
remember your settings and preferences;
provide Amazon Ads connection and sync workflows that you request;
maintain data integrity, backups, logging, and service reliability;
secure the service, detect abuse, investigate incidents, and prevent fraud or misuse;
communicate with you about your account, support issues, service updates, and legal notices;
process billing, invoicing, renewals, cancellations, and payment-related administration if paid plans are enabled;
comply with legal obligations, enforce our agreements, and protect rights, safety, and property;
improve AuthorAds using service analytics, debugging, and aggregated or de-identified insights.

We do not use AuthorAds to automatically change your Amazon campaigns or bids unless we clearly launch a feature that says otherwise.

5. Legal Bases for Processing

Where GDPR, UK GDPR, or similar laws apply, we typically rely on one or more of the following legal bases:

Contract: to provide the website, app, account features, uploads, connected-service workflows, support, and any paid subscription you request.
Legitimate interests: to secure, improve, maintain, troubleshoot, and administer AuthorAds, protect against misuse, and communicate about the service.
Legal obligation: to comply with applicable law, tax, accounting, consumer protection, disclosure, or law-enforcement requirements.
Consent: where required by law, including for optional marketing communications or non-essential cookies and similar technologies.

If we rely on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time, although that will not affect processing that already occurred lawfully before withdrawal.

6. Cookies, Local Storage, and Similar Technologies

AuthorAds uses cookies and similar technologies for security, sign-in, session continuity, settings, and service functionality. We also use browser local storage and IndexedDB for certain user-controlled or service-related data storage.

We currently use these technologies mainly for authentication, security, preferences, uploaded report continuity, and Amazon OAuth/session handling.

If we later add non-essential analytics, advertising, or similar tracking technologies where consent is required, we will update this Privacy Policy and implement a consent flow or cookie notice as required by applicable law.

You can control some storage through your browser settings, but blocking essential cookies or similar storage may break parts of AuthorAds.

7. When We Share Personal Information

We may share personal information:

with service providers that help us host, authenticate, store, secure, support, and operate AuthorAds;
with connected third-party platforms when you direct us to connect and exchange data with them;
with payment processors and billing tools if paid plans are enabled;
with professional advisers, auditors, insurers, and legal counsel where reasonably necessary;
with regulators, courts, law enforcement, or government authorities where required by law or to protect rights and safety;
in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar corporate event;
with your consent or at your direction.

We do not sell personal information for money. We are not currently using AuthorAds for cross-context behavioral advertising.

8. International Transfers

AuthorAds may process or store personal information in South Africa, the United States, and other countries where we or our service providers operate.

These countries may not have the same data protection laws as the country where you live. Where required by applicable law, we will use appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

Where required by applicable law, we may provide additional transfer, representative, or jurisdiction-specific disclosures.

9. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to provide the service, keep your account active, resolve disputes, maintain security, and comply with legal obligations.

In practice:

account and profile data are generally kept while your account remains active and for a reasonable period afterward;
uploaded reports, dataset snapshots, and derived metadata may be retained while they remain part of your active dataset or backup and recovery processes;
browser-stored information may remain on your device until you clear it, it expires, or it is overwritten;
support and business communications may be retained for continuity, recordkeeping, and legal purposes;
billing and tax records, when applicable, may be retained for the periods required by law.

If you ask us to delete information, we will assess the request under applicable law and our legitimate retention obligations.

10. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect personal information, including measures intended to support secure transmission, account protection, cookie security, controlled access, and secure storage.

No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your account credentials secure, choosing appropriate authentication methods, and disconnecting third-party services you no longer want connected.

11. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to:

access personal information we hold about you;
correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
request deletion of personal information;
object to or restrict certain processing;
withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
request data portability;
complain to a regulator or supervisory authority.

You may also:

disconnect supported third-party services;
change some settings directly in the app;
clear some locally stored data through AuthorAds or your browser;
contact us to close your account or request help with data rights.

To exercise privacy rights, email hello@authorads.io. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

12. California Privacy Disclosures

If California privacy law applies to our processing, the following disclosures supplement the rest of this Privacy Policy.

12.1 Categories of personal information collected

In the preceding 12 months, we may have collected categories such as:

identifiers, such as name, email address, account ID, IP address, and connected account/profile identifiers;
customer records information, such as contact details and communications;
commercial information, such as plan tier, subscription status, and transaction-related records if paid plans are enabled;
internet or other electronic network activity information, such as app usage, logs, diagnostics, and session activity;
professional or employment-related information if you provide author, publisher, assistant, or business details;
uploaded content and records, such as report files, settings, and derived recommendations or inferences.

12.2 Sources

We collect personal information:

directly from you;
automatically from your browser or device;
from connected services you authorize;
from vendors that help us provide authentication, hosting, storage, support, or payments.

12.3 Business or commercial purposes

We collect and use personal information for the purposes described in Section 4 of this Privacy Policy, including operating the service, performing requested workflows, securing the service, improving functionality, and complying with legal obligations.

12.4 Categories of third parties disclosed to

We may disclose relevant categories of personal information to:

hosting, database, storage, and infrastructure providers;
authentication and account providers;
payment and billing providers, if applicable;
customer support and communication providers;
connected platforms you authorize, such as Amazon Ads;
advisers, regulators, and authorities where necessary.

12.5 Sale or sharing

AuthorAds does not currently sell personal information. AuthorAds is not currently designed to share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

12.6 Rights requests

If applicable law gives you rights to know, access, correct, delete, or limit certain processing, you may submit a request by emailing hello@authorads.io. If applicable law requires additional request methods, we will make those available.

13. Do Not Track

Some browsers offer a "Do Not Track" setting. Because there is not a universally accepted standard for responding to those signals, AuthorAds does not currently respond to Do Not Track signals in a separate way. If that changes, we will update this Privacy Policy.

14. Children

AuthorAds is designed for adult self-publishers, publishers, and similar business users. It is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children in violation of applicable law.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date above. If we make a material change, we may also provide notice through the website, app, or email where appropriate.

16. Complaints

If you have a privacy concern, please contact us first at hello@authorads.io.

Depending on your location, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with a regulator or supervisory authority. For example:

South Africa: Information Regulator
United Kingdom: Information Commissioner's Office
European Economic Area: your local data protection authority

17. Security Reporting

If you spot a security issue, privacy concern, or suspected misuse of AuthorAds or Amazon Ads-connected data, email hello@authorads.io with the subject line Security Report. Please include the affected page or workflow, when you noticed the issue, and any supporting details or screenshots that may help us review it.

We review reports, investigate them, and follow up as appropriate. Reports involving Amazon Ads-connected information are handled under our internal security process, including any additional escalation or notification steps required by our Amazon Ads partner obligations.

18. Contact

Privacy requests, privacy complaints, and privacy questions should be sent to:

The 360 Company (Pty) Ltd
Registration No. 2022/640071/07
AuthorAds
hello@authorads.io
Johannesburg, South Africa