Welcome to Gratus Investments. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal information when you use our virtual stock trading platform.

By creating an account and using Gratus Investments, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

When you register and use Gratus Investments, we may collect the following information:

• Account Information — your full name, email address, and password (stored as a bcrypt hash)
• Usage Data — pages visited, watchlist stocks, portfolio activity, and transaction history within the platform
• Communication Preferences — price alerts and notification settings you configure

We do not collect real financial data, bank account details, or payment information. Gratus Investments is a virtual/simulated investment platform using fictional currency.

2. How We Use Your Information

• Create and manage your account
• Provide and operate the virtual trading platform features
• Send in-app notifications about your orders, dividends, and alerts
• Allow moderators to manage platform activity (approving/declining trades)
• Improve platform performance and user experience

We do not sell, trade, or transfer your personal information to third parties.

3. Data Security

• Passwords are hashed using bcrypt — we never store plain-text passwords
• All user inputs are sanitized to prevent SQL injection and XSS attacks
• Database queries use prepared statements
• Session management with timeout and secure session namespaces

4. Data Access & Moderators

Designated moderators can view account details, approve/decline trades, add virtual cash, and deactivate accounts for administration purposes only.

5. Third-Party APIs

No personal user data is shared with third-party data providers (Finnhub, CoinGecko, Yahoo Finance, GNews, phisix-api3). They are used solely to display market information.

6. Cookies & Sessions

We use PHP sessions to maintain your login state. No tracking or advertising cookies are used. You can clear cookies via your browser settings at any time.

7. Your Rights

• Access the personal information stored in your account
• Update your profile information at any time
• Request deletion of your account by contacting a platform administrator

8. Children's Privacy

Gratus Investments is not intended for users under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected on this page with an updated date.

10. Contact

If you have any questions, please contact the platform administrator through the in-app support channels or via the moderator portal.

Please read these Terms of Service carefully before using Gratus Investments. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to be bound by these terms.

1. About the Platform

Gratus Investments is a virtual investment tracking and simulation platform for educational and entertainment purposes. All trading activity uses fictional virtual currency — no real money is involved at any point.

The platform does not constitute financial advice, and any market data displayed is for informational purposes only.

2. Account Registration

To use Gratus Investments, you must:

• Provide accurate and complete registration information
• Choose a strong, unique password and keep it confidential
• Be at least 13 years of age
• Maintain only one account per person

You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.

3. Virtual Trading Rules

• All orders are placed in a pending queue and require moderator approval before executing
• Moderators may decline any order at their discretion
• Virtual cash balances are managed by platform moderators
• You will not attempt to exploit glitches or bugs to gain unfair virtual advantages

4. Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Use the platform for any unlawful purpose
• Attempt to access other users' accounts or data without authorization
• Reverse engineer, scrape, or extract data from the platform
• Use automated bots or scripts to interact with the platform
• Submit false, misleading, or abusive content
• Impersonate any person or entity

5. Moderator Authority

Moderators may approve/decline trades, adjust virtual cash balances, deactivate or remove accounts, and issue dividends. Moderator decisions are final.

6. Market Data & Accuracy

Market data is sourced from third-party APIs on an "as-is" basis. We do not guarantee accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. This platform is for educational simulation only.

7. Disclaimer of Warranties

Gratus Investments is provided "as is" without any warranties, express or implied. Your use of the platform is at your sole risk.

8. Limitation of Liability

Since Gratus Investments is a virtual platform with no real monetary value, the platform and its operators shall not be liable for any loss of virtual currency, data, or access.

9. Changes to These Terms

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised terms.

10. Contact

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact the platform administrator through the in-app support channels or via the moderator portal.