Back to AutoAds.ie

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 4 April 2026

1. Introduction

Nn Media ("we", "us", "our"), trading as AutoAds.ie, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you use our website at autoads.ie (the "Website") and our mobile applications.

We are the data controller for the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Acts 1988-2018 (as amended). Our contact details are:

2. What Personal Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal data:

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account registration: Name, email address, password (encrypted)
• Profile information: Display name, profile photo, bio, county/location
• Advertisement details: Vehicle information, images, pricing, location, description
• Contact information: Phone number (when provided for ads), WhatsApp number
• Messages: Content of messages sent between Users
• Dealer applications: Business name, business address, company registration number, website URL
• Support enquiries: Information you provide when contacting us

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device information: Browser type, operating system, device model, screen resolution
• Usage data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on the Website
• IP address: Used for security, fraud prevention, and approximate location
• Location data: Approximate location (county level) when you grant permission, used to show nearby car listings
• Camera and photos: Images captured or selected when creating car advertisements
• Push notification tokens: Device identifiers for delivering push notifications via Firebase Cloud Messaging
• Cookies and similar technologies: See Section 8 below

2.3 Information from Third Parties

• Google Sign-In: If you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address, and profile picture from Google. We do not receive your Google password.

3. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Providing our services: To create and manage your account, publish your advertisements, facilitate messaging between Users, and operate the swap feature
• Communication: To send you email verification, draft reminders, and service-related notifications
• Push notifications: To notify you of new messages, swap offers, and other activity related to your account
• Safety and security: To detect fraud, enforce our Terms & Conditions, and protect Users
• Content moderation: To review advertisements and images for compliance with our content standards
• Improvement: To analyse usage patterns and improve the Website and mobile applications
• Legal compliance: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Under the GDPR, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contract performance (Article 6(1)(b)): Processing necessary to provide our services to you, including account management, advertisement publication, and messaging
• Legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)): Processing necessary for our legitimate interests, including fraud prevention, Website security, service improvement, and analytics, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights
• Consent (Article 6(1)(a)): Where you have given specific consent, such as for push notifications, location access, and optional marketing communications
• Legal obligation (Article 6(1)(c)): Where processing is necessary to comply with a legal obligation

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We may share your personal data in the following circumstances:

• With other Users: Your display name, profile photo, bio, and location are visible to other Users. When you place an advertisement, the information in that advertisement is publicly visible. Your phone number is shown on ads only if you choose to display it.
• Service providers: We may share data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Website, including hosting providers (DigitalOcean), email services, and Firebase (Google) for push notifications. These providers are contractually bound to protect your data.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your data if required by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of AutoAds, our Users, or others.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, your personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected:

• Account data: Retained for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your data will be removed within 30 days, except where retention is required by law.
• Advertisements: Active advertisements are retained for as long as they are published. Deleted advertisements are removed from public view immediately and permanently deleted within 30 days.
• Messages: Messages are automatically deleted after 7 days.
• Notifications: Notifications are retained for a reasonable period and periodically purged.
• Usage logs: Retained for up to 12 months for security and analytical purposes.

7. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption of passwords using industry-standard hashing algorithms
• HTTPS encryption for all data transmitted between your device and our servers
• Secure server infrastructure with access controls and firewalls
• Regular security reviews and updates

While we strive to protect your data, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Cookies

AutoAds uses cookies and similar technologies to operate the Website. Cookies are small text files stored on your device.

8.1 Essential Cookies

These cookies are necessary for the Website to function and cannot be switched off. They include cookies for authentication (keeping you logged in) and security.

8.2 Functional Cookies

These cookies enable enhanced functionality such as remembering your preferences, filter settings, and draft advertisements stored locally on your device.

8.3 Analytics Cookies

We may use analytics cookies to understand how Users interact with the Website. This data helps us improve our services. Analytics data is aggregated and anonymised where possible.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of the Website.

9. Your Rights Under GDPR

Under the GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• Right of access (Article 15): You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification (Article 16): You have the right to request correction of inaccurate personal data.
• Right to erasure (Article 17): You have the right to request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to certain exceptions.
• Right to restrict processing (Article 18): You have the right to request restriction of processing of your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability (Article 20): You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.
• Right to object (Article 21): You have the right to object to processing of your personal data based on legitimate interests.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@autoads.ie. We will respond to your request within one month, as required by the GDPR.

10. Account Deletion

You may delete your account at any time from within the app or by contacting us at info@autoads.ie. When you delete your account:

• Your profile, advertisements, and messages will be removed within 30 days
• Some data may be retained where required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g. fraud prevention)
• Data that has been shared with other Users (e.g. messages already delivered) may not be retrievable

11. Children's Privacy

The Website and mobile applications are not intended for use by anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 18. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child under 18, we will take steps to delete that information.

12. International Data Transfers

Your personal data is primarily stored and processed on servers located within the European Economic Area (EEA). In the event that data is transferred outside the EEA (for example, via Firebase Cloud Messaging operated by Google), we will ensure appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with the GDPR, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.

13. Automated Image Scanning

When you upload images to advertisements, we may use automated content moderation technology to scan images for inappropriate content (such as nudity or explicit material). This scanning is performed client-side on your device before images are uploaded. We do not store or transmit image analysis data.

14. Third-Party Services

The Website and mobile applications may integrate with third-party services including:

• Google (Authentication, Firebase Cloud Messaging): For sign-in and push notifications
• WhatsApp: For optional direct communication with sellers

These services have their own privacy policies, and we encourage you to review them. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services.

15. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the Website or mobile applications after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

16. Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our handling of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Commission (DPC), Ireland's supervisory authority for data protection:

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us at: