Privacy Policy

1. Information we collect

From Google sign-in:

Your name, email address, and profile photo, when you sign in with Google.

Information you provide:

• Profile details: headline, bio, skills, hourly rate, location, work samples, social links
• Job postings, applications, directory applications, and showcase submissions
• Contract, invoice, deal, and lead information you create for your own use on the platform
• Concierge requests and any notes or messages you send us
• Images you upload (profile photo, portfolio images)
• Job and showcase submissions can be made without an account. In that case we collect whatever you enter in the form (e.g. contact email) rather than a Google profile

Automatically collected:

Basic technical data needed to operate the service, such as request logs from our hosting provider. We don't run third-party analytics or advertising trackers on FIC, and we don't use cookies for tracking or advertising purposes, only the minimum needed to keep you signed in (see "Your choices" below).

2. How we use your information

• To create and maintain your account, and authenticate you when you log in
• To operate core features: the job board, directory, deals, contracts, invoices, and concierge
• To review and moderate directory applications, job postings, and showcase submissions
• To communicate with you about your account, applications, or requests
• To keep the platform secure and prevent abuse

3. Who we share it with

We don't sell your data. We share information only with:

• Other users, as intended by the feature, e.g. your public profile is visible in the directory if approved; a job application shares your profile with the business you applied to.
• Service providers who host and run the platform on our behalf: Google (sign-in), Neon (database hosting), Vercel (application hosting and image storage). These providers process data only to provide their service to us, under their own security and privacy commitments. Some of these providers may process or store data outside India; where that happens, we rely on their own security safeguards and, where applicable, standard contractual protections.
• Legal requirements, if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of FIC or our users.

If you join our WhatsApp community, that happens on WhatsApp's own platform. Your phone number becomes visible to other members of that group, and your use of it is governed by WhatsApp's (Meta's) privacy policy, not this one.

4. Security

We use industry-standard measures to protect your data. Connections to FIC are encrypted (HTTPS), we don't store your password (authentication happens through Google), and access to production data is limited to what's needed to run the service. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we can't guarantee absolute security.

5. Data retention

We keep your account and associated data for as long as your account is active, or as needed to provide the service. If you request account deletion, we'll delete or anonymize your personal data within a reasonable period, except where we need to retain records for legal or accounting reasons (e.g. issued invoices).

6. Your rights and choices

Under the DPDPA and generally, you can:

• View and edit most of your profile information directly from your dashboard
• Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Ask us to correct inaccurate data, or delete your account and associated personal data
• Withdraw consent for optional processing (e.g. leave the WhatsApp community) at any time
• Raise a grievance about how we've handled your data (see "Grievance Officer" below)

To exercise any of these, email hello@freelanceindia.club. We use a browser localStorage entry to keep you signed in, so clearing it signs you out.

7. Children's privacy

FIC is not directed at anyone under 18, and we don't knowingly collect data from children.

8. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the DPDPA and applicable Indian IT rules, complaints or grievances about how we handle your personal data can be directed to our Grievance Officer at hello@freelanceindia.club. We aim to acknowledge grievances promptly and resolve them within the timelines required by law.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We'll post the updated version here with a new "last updated" date.

10. Contact

Questions about this policy, or want to exercise your data rights? Email hello@freelanceindia.club.