Bolsa Bridge
Privacy & your data
We state plainly what this site collects, why we keep it, and who we share it with — the same way we explain every other process in our newsroom.
What we collect
- When you post a classified listing (yourself on the site, or through our post-it-for-you channel): your contact phone number, the listing content and photos, and the rental area. We use these so a real person can review the listing, reach you with questions, and run the listing (renewals, takedowns). By default your phone number is not embedded in the page — it appears only when a reader taps "Call the poster". For text messages sent to this number, see the "Text messages (SMS)" section below.
- When you post a classified yourself: your mobile number is verified with an SMS code. We keep that number in two forms — a one-way code (to recognize returning posters and block numbers that have scammed before) and an encrypted copy that can only be opened with a private key kept off the web server (every opening is logged) — plus the last 4 digits so our newsroom can tell profiles apart. Card details are held by Stripe; we only receive the card fingerprint (a one-way code), the card type (credit/debit/prepaid) and brand, the last 4 digits, the zip-code match result, and Stripe’s record IDs to link the card to your member profile. We remember each number–card pair as one-way codes to spot hijacked accounts and fraud. Each time you tap "Send code" (even when no code is sent) we log one line — time, IP address, outcome, and the one-way code of the number — to stop bots hammering the button; these lines are kept 90 days, then deleted.
- When you sign up for our newsletter: your email address and where you signed up.
- When you interact with the site — answering a poll, typing or speaking into the search box, tapping "Report this listing": that interaction is stored along with your IP address and browser info (user agent), to fight fraud and abuse. Phone numbers appearing in search queries are masked before storage. Voice searches are converted to text and the audio is discarded — we do not keep recordings.
- Page-view log: each visit to our homepage, an article, the interactive election lesson, a classifieds page, or the Cầu Chữ word-game page (and each tap of the Call button) is recorded as one line — time, which page, IP address, browser info, the page that referred you here, a source tag if you arrived through a tagged link (newsletter, Facebook, a QR code on a flyer…), and your browser’s anonymous reader code (see the cookie section below) — that code lets us count how many people read and how many come back, rather than only counting visits. For the interactive election lesson, we record page opens only; your answers and simulation actions stay on your device and are not sent to our server. The first tap of the "Listen to summary" button during a visit to an article (counted per language version; pausing and resuming is not recorded again) is also recorded as one line with the same fields as a page view, so we know whether the audio version is being used. For articles, as of the effective date above we also record two more things, with the same fields as above: whether you listened to the summary to the end (one line when the audio finishes, per language version), and how long the article was visible on your screen — seconds accumulated while the tab is open and in front, sent when you leave the page or switch tabs, capped at 30 minutes per report — so we know whether long and short stories get read through. We use this log for internal statistics (which stories get read, which get listened to, which channels work) and abuse prevention — not to identify readers, and never for sale. Listings additionally keep aggregate totals of views and calls so we can report them to the poster.
- Cookies and browser storage: a single anonymous cookie (bb_doc_gia — a machine-generated random string, kept up to 1 year) serves as a reader code for two things: so each person answers each poll once, and so the page-view log can count distinct and returning readers. The code contains no name, email, or phone number, and we do not link it to your real identity. When you verify your phone number to post a classified yourself, your browser also receives a sign-in cookie (bb_thanh_vien — a signed string, kept 180 days, present only after you have verified your number) so you need not enter a code next time; that cookie contains no phone number and is not linked to the anonymous reader code above. Browser storage (localStorage/sessionStorage) is used for conveniences like remembering answered polls or the session’s source tag; your Cầu Chữ results and day streak also live in this browser storage (localStorage) and are never sent to our server. No advertising cookies.
- Technical logs: our hosting infrastructure (Microsoft Azure) keeps operational logs, as every web service does.
What we don't do
- We do not sell your data to anyone.
- As of the effective date above, the site carries no third-party ad pixels or analytics tags; fonts are self-hosted, so your browser loads nothing from Google while reading. The one exception is the card field in the self-posting flow, which loads Stripe’s code so card numbers go straight to Stripe — a payment field, not a tracking tag. If this changes, this page will be updated first.
Who we share with
- Infrastructure providers: Microsoft Azure (servers, database, image and audio storage).
- OpenAI: processes search queries (phone numbers already masked) to understand meaning, and converts mic audio to text.
- Telnyx (our text-messaging provider): receives your phone number and message content to deliver SMS to you, checks the line type (mobile or not) before a verification code is sent, and keeps technical logs of sent messages — as every carrier does.
- Stripe (payment processing): when you post a classified yourself, your card number goes straight from your browser to Stripe and never touches our server; Stripe checks that the card is active (no charge for free listings — your bank may show a temporary $0–$1 line that disappears on its own) and stores the card for future renewals with your consent. We give Stripe a one-way code of your phone number (not the number itself) to link the card to your profile; Stripe receives no name, email, or phone number from us.
- Law enforcement: under a valid legal request, or as part of a confirmed fraud case file.
Text messages (SMS)
- The phone number you provide when posting a classified is used for messages about that listing only: a verification code is sent when you tap "Send code" on the form; review results, follow-up questions from our reviewer, and renewal reminders are sent only if you check the SMS-consent box on the form. We do not send marketing texts.
- When our reviewer needs a change, the text includes a link so you can edit the listing yourself. The link works once and expires after 14 days; before editing, you enter a code we text to the number on the listing (unless you recently verified on the same phone). This text does not accept replies.
- Verification codes expire after 10 minutes, and each number can receive only a few codes within a given window. If you see "A code was already sent — please wait a few minutes and try again", that is our guard against bots hammering the button, not something you did wrong. Landline, internet-phone (VoIP), and toll-free numbers cannot receive codes — please use a mobile number.
- Opt out any time by replying STOP; reply HELP for help. Message and data rates may apply under your phone plan. Opting out does not take down your listing — we will reach you another way when needed.
- Mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in consent are not shared with or sold to any third parties or affiliates for marketing purposes.
Do Not Track
Browsers can send a "Do Not Track" signal. The site keeps its own page-view log with an anonymous reader code (described above), but no third party tracks you across sites through this site — the reader code only works on this site itself; the site currently does not change its behavior in response to Do Not Track. If that changes, this section will be updated.
See, correct, delete
To ask what we hold about you, correct it, or request deletion (take down a listing, remove your email from the newsletter…), write to info@bolsabridge.com — a real person reads and replies. To delete your member profile (the verified number and saved card), write to the same address: the encrypted copy of the number is erased, leaving only its one-way code (so our scam-number block and returning-poster checks keep working); the last 4 digits and the contact number printed on a posted listing stay until that listing is taken down; the card is removed from Stripe — Stripe retains transaction records as its own rules require. Data tied to safety cases (listing reports, fraud files) may be retained as evidence.
When this policy changes
Changes are posted on this page with a new effective date; significant changes will be announced on our homepage.