1. Introduction

Turmosayya Municipality ("the Municipality," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of every resident, taxpayer, donor, and visitor who interacts with our website and digital services (collectively, the "Services"). This Privacy Policy describes the types of information we collect, how we use and share that information, and the choices and rights available to you.

By accessing or using our Services — including creating an account, paying taxes or municipal dues, submitting a donation, or contacting us — you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our Services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

We collect information you voluntarily provide when you:

• Create an account: full name (in Arabic and English), national ID number, phone number, email address, and password.
• Pay taxes or municipal dues: taxpayer name, national ID number, property or business license number, address, email, phone number, payment amount, and any notes you include.
• Make a donation: donor name, national ID, email, phone number, donation purpose, amount, and optional message.
• Contact us or subscribe: name, email address, message content, and how you heard about us.

2.2 Payment Information

When you make a payment, your card and banking details are collected and processed directly by our secure, PCI-compliant third-party payment gateway (identified by the Visa and MasterCard security badges shown at checkout). We do not receive, view, or store your full card number, CVV, or banking credentials on our servers. We only receive confirmation of payment status, a transaction reference, and the billing details you supplied (such as name, email, and amount).

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we and our service providers may automatically collect certain technical information, including:

• IP address, browser type and version, and device/operating system information
• Pages visited, time and date of visit, time spent on pages, and referring website
• General location information inferred from your IP address
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 6)

2.4 Information from Other Sources

We may verify or supplement information you provide with data obtained from public municipal records (e.g., property or business registration records) where necessary to process your tax or dues payment accurately.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Create, maintain, and authenticate your account
• Process property tax, business tax, municipal dues, and donation payments
• Verify your identity and prevent fraudulent transactions
• Send transactional communications, such as payment confirmations and receipts
• Respond to inquiries, feedback, and customer support requests
• Send newsletters or municipal announcements you have subscribed to
• Maintain accurate municipal financial and administrative records
• Analyze and improve our website, services, and user experience
• Detect, investigate, and prevent security incidents, fraud, and abuse
• Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, and municipal reporting obligations

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the following bases:

• Consent — where you have given clear consent, such as subscribing to our newsletter.
• Contractual necessity — to create your account and process the payments or donations you request.
• Legal obligation — to comply with municipal, tax, and financial recordkeeping laws.
• Legitimate interest — to secure our Services, prevent fraud, and improve our website.

5. How We Share Your Information

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Payment processors: to securely process card and bank payments (e.g., Visa/MasterCard-certified gateways).
• Service providers: hosting, IT support, analytics, and communication providers who process data on our behalf under confidentiality obligations.
• Government and regulatory authorities: where required by Palestinian law, court order, or to fulfill municipal financial and tax reporting obligations.
• Legal protection: to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding fraud, security threats, or violations of our terms.
• Business transfers: in connection with any reorganization, restructuring, or transfer of municipal service operations.

Any third party we share information with is contractually required to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.

6. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

• Essential cookies: keep you signed in and enable core site functionality, such as completing a payment.
• Performance/analytics cookies: understand how visitors use our website so we can improve it.
• Preference cookies: remember your settings and preferences for future visits.

Most browsers let you control or disable cookies through their settings. Please note that disabling essential cookies may prevent certain features, such as signing in or completing a payment, from working correctly.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) transmission of data between your browser and our servers
• Password hashing and secure authentication mechanisms
• PCI-compliant, certified payment gateways for all card transactions
• Access controls limiting staff access to personal data on a need-to-know basis
• Regular monitoring for unauthorized access or suspicious activity

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but are committed to promptly addressing any data incidents.

8. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including satisfying legal, accounting, tax, and municipal recordkeeping requirements. Account information is retained while your account remains active; payment and donation records are retained in accordance with applicable financial recordkeeping laws. When information is no longer required, we securely delete or anonymize it.

9. Your Privacy Rights & Choices

Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations
• Withdraw consent for marketing communications at any time
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your information
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 14 below. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling your request. You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the "unsubscribe" link included in those messages.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Services are intended for use by adults conducting municipal transactions (such as tax payments) and are not directed to children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can promptly remove it.

11. Third-Party Links & Services

Our website may contain links to third-party websites, payment gateways, or services (such as WhatsApp or mapping services) that are not operated by us. This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party services, and we encourage you to review their respective privacy policies before providing any personal information. Our contact forms and website may also be protected by Google reCAPTCHA, which is subject to Google's own Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.

12. International Data Transfers

Some of our service providers (such as hosting or payment processing partners) may process data outside of Palestine. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information consistently with this Privacy Policy.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you through the website or by email. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.