HireSeek is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.
1. Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Account Information: Name, email address, password, phone number, country of residence.
- Profile Information: Skills, work experience, education, portfolio items, hourly rates, availability, and profile photo.
- Payment Information: Bank account or payment card details (processed and stored by our PCI-DSS compliant payment partners; we do not store full card numbers).
- Communications: Messages exchanged with other users, support tickets, and feedback submitted to us.
- Tax Information: Government-issued ID, tax identification numbers (W-9/W-8BEN), and related documents as required by law.
Information We Collect Automatically
- Usage Data: Pages visited, search queries, jobs viewed, proposals submitted, and time spent on features.
- Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers, and screen resolution.
- Location Data: General geographic location inferred from IP address.
- Cookies and Tracking Technologies: As described in Section 4.
Information from Third Parties
- Social login providers (Google, LinkedIn, GitHub) when you choose to connect these accounts.
- Identity verification partners for KYC/AML compliance.
- Public professional profiles when you opt in to profile enrichment.
2. How We Use Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Create and manage your account and provide the Services.
- Power our AI matching engine to connect Freelancers with relevant jobs and Employers with suitable talent.
- Process payments, transfers, and related financial transactions.
- Send transactional emails (receipts, contract updates, notifications you have requested).
- Send marketing communications if you have opted in (you can opt out at any time).
- Detect, prevent, and investigate fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
- Comply with legal obligations including tax reporting and anti-money laundering requirements.
- Improve the platform through analytics, A/B testing, and machine learning model training.
- Provide customer support and respond to your inquiries.
3. Sharing Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with:
- Other Users: Your public profile, ratings, and work history are visible to other platform users as part of the marketplace functionality.
- Service Providers: Third-party vendors who process data on our behalf (payment processors, cloud hosting, email delivery, fraud prevention), bound by data processing agreements.
- Legal Authorities: When required by law, court order, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of HireSeek, our users, or the public.
- Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to confidentiality obligations.
4. Cookies & Tracking
We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate the platform, analyze usage patterns, and deliver personalized experiences. For full details on the types of cookies we use and your opt-out options, please see our Cookie Policy.
5. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including TLS encryption for data in transit, AES-256 encryption for data at rest, multi-factor authentication options, regular penetration testing by third-party security firms, and SOC 2 Type II compliance. No system is perfectly secure; you use the Services at your own risk and should use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active and for 7 years after account closure to comply with financial record-keeping, tax reporting, and legal obligations. You may request deletion of your account via Settings → Privacy. Certain data may be retained longer where required by law or for legitimate fraud prevention purposes.
7. Your Rights
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Correction: Request correction of inaccurate data.
- Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data, subject to legal retention requirements.
- Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests.
- Opt-Out of Marketing: Unsubscribe from marketing emails via the link in any email or in Account Settings.
Submit privacy requests to [email protected]. We respond within 30 days.
8. International Transfers
HireSeek operates globally. Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States. Where we transfer data from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission, or other appropriate safeguards.
9. Children's Privacy
The Services are not directed to children under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 18, we will promptly delete it. If you believe a child has provided us with their information, contact us at [email protected].
10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)
California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act. You have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used, the right to delete personal information (subject to exceptions), the right to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information (we do not sell personal information), and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising these rights.
To exercise California rights, contact us at [email protected] or use the "Do Not Sell My Info" link in the website footer.
11. GDPR (EEA/UK Users)
For users in the European Economic Area and United Kingdom, HireSeek, Inc. is the data controller. Our legal bases for processing include: contract performance (account management, payment processing), legitimate interests (fraud prevention, platform improvement), legal obligation (tax reporting), and consent (marketing emails, optional features). Our EU representative is HireSeek Europe Ltd, 30 St Mary Axe, London EC3A 8EP. Contact our Data Protection Officer at [email protected].
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by email or by posting a prominent notice on the Platform. Your continued use of the Services after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
13. Contact Us
For privacy-related questions or to exercise your rights:
- Email: [email protected]
- Mailing Address: HireSeek, Inc. — Privacy Team, 548 Market St, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA 94105