Privacy Policy

1. Information We May Collect

Depending on how you interact with the website, we may receive information that you voluntarily provide to us.

This may include:

• Your name or other identifying information;
• Email address;
• Telephone or WhatsApp number;
• Information contained in a message or inquiry you send to us;
• Information relating to a research, professional, community, product, or general website inquiry;
• Other information that you choose to provide when communicating with us.

We may also receive limited technical information automatically when you visit the website, such as your IP address, browser type, device information, pages visited, approximate location derived from technical information, and information concerning how the website is accessed.

The exact information collected may depend on the features and technologies active on the website at the time of your visit.

2. How We Use Information

Information provided to IBOGA PLANT FORUM may be used to:

• Respond to questions and inquiries;
• Communicate with people who contact us about Iboga, research, traditional knowledge, community matters, or related subjects;
• Respond to product-related inquiries;
• Respond to professional or research inquiries;
• Provide information requested by a visitor;
• Operate and maintain the website;
• Understand how visitors use the website;
• Improve website content, structure, and functionality;
• Detect, prevent, and address technical problems, abuse, fraud, or security issues;
• Comply with applicable legal obligations.

We do not use information collected through ordinary website inquiries to create unnecessary user profiles.

3. Research and Professional Inquiries

IBOGA PLANT FORUM provides research and professional information concerning Iboga, including botanical, traditional, cultural, ethnobotanical, and contemporary scientific subjects.

Visitors may be directed to contacts associated with the research section when they require local knowledge, professional communication, traditional or cultural perspectives, or other serious inquiries concerning Iboga and Cameroon.

Information that a visitor voluntarily provides when contacting such individuals or organizations may be handled by the recipient according to their own privacy practices.

IBOGA PLANT FORUM does not control the privacy practices of independent third parties contacted through information published on the website.

4. Product Inquiries

IBOGA PLANT FORUM may present products including botanical materials, seeds, African cultural artefacts, traditional objects, jewellery, and other products.

Where product inquiries are handled directly through communication channels rather than through an online checkout system, information provided by a visitor may be used to respond to the inquiry, discuss availability, arrange communication, and, where applicable, facilitate an order or related transaction.

We do not collect payment-card information through the website unless a payment facility is specifically introduced in the future.

Any information collected through a future payment or ordering system will be addressed through appropriate updates to this Privacy Policy where necessary.

5. Website Analytics and Technical Information

We may use website analytics and similar technical tools to understand how visitors interact with IBOGA PLANT FORUM.

These tools may collect information such as:

• Pages visited;
• Approximate time spent on pages;
• General traffic sources;
• Device and browser information;
• Approximate geographic information;
• Technical information concerning website usage.

Analytics information is used primarily to understand website performance, improve content, and understand how visitors discover and use the site.

Where third-party analytics services are used, those providers may process technical information according to their own terms and privacy policies.

6. Cookies and Similar Technologies

IBOGA PLANT FORUM may use cookies or similar technologies necessary for website functionality, security, analytics, or other legitimate website purposes.

Cookies are small files or pieces of information stored on a visitor’s device by a website or related service.

Some cookies may be necessary for the website to function correctly, while others may be used for analytical or measurement purposes.

Where applicable, visitors may be able to control certain cookies through their browser or through cookie-management features provided by the website.

Disabling certain cookies may affect some website functionality.

7. Information We Do Not Intentionally Collect

IBOGA PLANT FORUM does not intentionally request sensitive personal information from visitors through ordinary website browsing.

Visitors should avoid submitting unnecessary sensitive information through public forms, comments, emails, or other communication channels.

In particular, the website is educational and informational and should not be used to submit medical records, financial information, passwords, identity documents, or other highly sensitive information unless specifically requested through an appropriate and secure process.

8. Sharing of Personal Information

We do not sell personal information to third parties.

We may disclose or provide access to personal information where reasonably necessary to:

• Respond to a request made by the person concerned;
• Operate and maintain the website;
• Use hosting, analytics, communication, security, or other technical service providers;
• Comply with applicable laws or lawful requests from competent authorities;
• Protect the rights, security, property, or integrity of IBOGA PLANT FORUM, its users, or others.

Where third-party service providers process information on our behalf, we seek to limit the information made available to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant service.

9. External Websites and Platforms

The IBOGA PLANT FORUM website may contain links to external websites, platforms, services, and community spaces, including Facebook, Telegram, research resources, and other third-party websites.

When you follow an external link, you leave the IBOGA PLANT FORUM website and become subject to the privacy practices and policies of the third-party service.

We do not control how independent third-party platforms collect or process information.

We recommend reviewing the privacy policy of any external service before providing it with personal information.

10. Communication Through Third-Party Services

Some links published on the website may allow visitors to contact individuals or organizations through services such as email, WhatsApp, Facebook, Telegram, or other communication platforms.

Once communication takes place through an external service, the processing of information may be governed by that service’s own privacy policy and terms.

IBOGA PLANT FORUM does not control the privacy practices of those external platforms.

11. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures intended to protect personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction.

However, no website, internet transmission, electronic storage system, or communication method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Visitors should therefore avoid sending unnecessary sensitive information through ordinary internet communication channels.

12. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, to respond to an inquiry, maintain appropriate records, protect our legitimate interests, or comply with applicable legal obligations.

The period of retention may vary depending on the nature of the information and the reason it was collected.

When personal information is no longer reasonably required, it may be deleted, anonymized, or otherwise securely disposed of, subject to applicable legal or operational requirements.

13. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on applicable law, individuals may have rights concerning their personal information, including rights to:

• Request information about personal data held about them;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Request deletion of personal information where applicable;
• Object to certain forms of processing;
• Request restriction of processing in circumstances provided by law;
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;
• Request information concerning how their personal information is processed.

Requests concerning personal information should contain enough information for us to understand and respond to the request.

We may need to verify the identity of the person making a request before providing or changing personal information.

14. International Processing

Some technical, hosting, analytics, communication, or other service providers used by websites may operate infrastructure outside Cameroon.

Where personal information is processed or transferred outside Cameroon, such processing may be subject to the laws and requirements applicable to the relevant transfer and service.

We seek to use appropriate service providers and to limit international processing to what is reasonably necessary for the operation of the website and its services.

15. Children’s Privacy

IBOGA PLANT FORUM is not specifically directed toward children.

We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children through the website.

If a parent or guardian believes that a child has provided personal information to us unnecessarily, they may contact us so that the matter can be reviewed and, where appropriate, the information can be removed.

16. Educational and Informational Nature of the Website

IBOGA PLANT FORUM contains information concerning Iboga, traditional knowledge, cultural practices, botanical subjects, scientific research, and related topics.

The collection of information through the website does not create a medical, professional, therapeutic, or advisory relationship between IBOGA PLANT FORUM and a visitor.

Information concerning Iboga should not be interpreted as medical, legal, or professional advice.

Visitors should obtain appropriate professional advice for individual medical, legal, regulatory, or other professional matters.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when our website, services, technology, legal obligations, or data-processing practices change.

When changes are made, the updated version will be published on this page with a revised “Last updated” date.

Visitors are encouraged to review this page periodically.