1. Introduction

The Company recognizes the importance of safeguarding your personal information and is dedicated to protecting your privacy. This Policy applies to all Users of the Platform, including Clients and Service Providers. By using the Platform, you agree to comply with the terms outlined in this Privacy Policy, the Community Guidelines, and the Terms of Service.

This Policy covers:

• What type of information we collect
• How your information is used
• How we protect your information
• Your rights regarding your data
• Third-party sharing of information

2. Types of Information We Collect

To provide and improve the services of the Platform, we collect various types of information.

When you register for an Account on the Platform and/or use our Platform, we collect the following types of information based on your type of an Account, including but not limited to:

• Personally identifiable information (e.g., name, email address, and phone number)
• Professional information (e.g., employment history, skills, and certifications)
• Educational information (e.g., universities attended, degrees earned, and fields of study)
• Transaction information (e.g., payment method, status, and amount)
• Company information (e.g., company name, products/services offered, and website address)
• Project information (e.g., project description, budget, deadline, etc.)

Please note: Not all information listed above is mandatory. Some fields are optional, and you may choose not to provide certain details. Hence, we collect information, which is voluntarily submitted by you and necessary for the services to provide.

Regardless of the type of your Account, we may collect:

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information collected for the following purposes:

• To provide and improve the Platform's Services: We use your data for different activities aimed at providing and improving the Services for you, including without limitation: to facilitate communication, create accounts, process transactions, and manage projects.
• To customize your experience: We may use your information to tailor the Platform's content and Services to your preferences and needs.

For payment processing: Payment and billing information will be used for proper record keeping: to provide Users with a record of their past payments and receipts. Please note: We do not store or process payment details such as credit card or bank account numbers directly on our servers. All transactions are securely processed through our third-party payment provider, Stripe.

• To communicate with Users: We will contact you with updates, account-related information, and service notifications.
• For security and fraud prevention: We use your data to protect the integrity and security of the Platform, detect fraudulent activity, and ensure compliance with our policies.
• To comply with legal obligations: We may process and disclose your information as required by applicable laws, regulations, legal processes, or enforceable governmental requests. This includes responding to subpoenas, court orders, or legal investigations, as well as ensuring compliance with tax, anti-fraud, and data protection regulations.
• To promote our products and services: We may use your information to send promotional messages or offers that may be of interest to you. This includes personalized recommendations, updates about new features, and marketing campaigns through email, social media, or other communication channels. You can opt out of these communications at any time.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We respect your privacy and will only share your personal information in the following circumstances:

• With the Company’s service providers: We may share your information with third-party service providers who assist us in maintaining the Platform and providing services, such as payment processors and customer support providers.
• For legal compliance: We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to legal requests from authorities or to protect the rights, safety, and property of the Company, our Users, or others.
• For disputes: In the event of a dispute between Users, we may share relevant data to assist in resolving the matter, subject to our policies and the terms outlined in the Community Guidelines and Terms of Service.
• For business transfers: In case of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to the terms of this Policy.

In case of sharing for other purposes not defined herein we will request your prior and explicit consent.

5. Data Security

We take appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or destruction. These measures include, but are not limited to, implementing strict access controls, ensuring that only authorized personnel with a legitimate need can access your data, and conducting regular security audits.

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is entirely secure, and while we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee complete security.

6. Your Data Rights

As a User of the Platform, you have certain rights concerning your personal information:

• Right to access and receive: You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and receive your information in a machine-readable format.
• Right to correction: You may correct yourself and request corrections to any inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to deletion: You have the right to delete your account or request the deletion of your personal information. Please note that, subject to any legal or contractual obligations, you will not be able to delete your information, if there are any outstanding obligations (related to payments, project execution, etc.) associated with an active project.
• Right to restriction: You may request that we limit the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances.
• Right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data for specific purposes, such as direct marketing.

You may exercise your rights by sending your request to [email protected].

7. Data Retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to provide our services, fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, and comply with our legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.

Please note that deletion of your account or a data request does not always result in the immediate or permanent deletion of all associated information. Certain data may be retained for a limited period for record-keeping, audit, compliance, legal, statistical, or law enforcement purposes, in accordance with applicable laws and legitimate business interests.

8. Changes to This Privacy Policy

The Company reserves the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. The updated Privacy Policy will be posted on this page with the date of the latest revision.

By continuing to use the Platform after changes have been made, you agree to the revised Privacy Policy.

9. Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or how your personal information is handled, please contact us at [email protected].