Privacy Policy

We collect the following categories of information:

1.1 Information You Provide

• Account information: name, email, phone number, password (hashed and salted).
• Profile information (Providers): business name, bio, services offered, hourly or project rates, service area, schedule, photos, banner images, portfolio media.
• Verification information (Providers): government-issued ID, selfie, professional license number and state of issuance, business registration details. Verification documents are submitted directly to Stripe Identity and are not retained by eLinked beyond a verification reference.
• Payment information: card number, expiration, CVC, billing address. Card data is collected and processed by Stripe and is not stored on eLinked’s servers. We retain a Stripe customer reference and the last four digits of the card.
• Communications: messages sent through the Service between Customers and Providers, support inquiries, and feedback.
• Booking information: requested service type, date/time, location, scope, photos attached to a job post.
• Reviews and ratings.

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Device information: device model, operating system version, app version, unique device identifiers, browser type.
• Log information: IP address, access times, pages viewed, referring URL.
• Approximate location: derived from IP address and, with permission, from your device’s location services. Used to gate access to active Markets, to show nearby Providers, and to detect Service abuse.
• Cookies and similar technologies: see our Cookie Policy.

1.3 Information from Third Parties

• Stripe: payment status, payout status, identity-verification status, Stripe Connect account status, last-four card digits.
• Cloudinary: image and video URLs and metadata for uploaded media.
• Google Maps Platform: place data, autocomplete suggestions when you search a location.
• Public-records sources: license-status data from the Washington Department of Labor & Industries and equivalent state regulators.
• Apple App Store / Google Play: install attribution, in-app purchase status (where applicable), push-notification tokens.

1.4 Sensitive Information

We do not knowingly collect health information, biometric identifiers (other than facial geometry processed by Stripe Identity for the limited verification purpose), genetic information, or other categories defined as “sensitive personal information” under state privacy laws. If you submit such information in messages or job descriptions, we ask that you redact it.

We use the information we collect to:

• create and maintain accounts;
• match Customers and Providers;
• process payments and payouts;
• verify Provider identity, license, and eligibility;
• enforce our Terms and detect fraud;
• communicate with you (transactional and account messages, support);
• send marketing emails (which you may unsubscribe from at any time);
• improve and develop the Service;
• comply with legal obligations.

To the extent the General Data Protection Regulation or similar laws apply, we rely on the following legal bases: performance of a contract; legitimate interests (security, fraud prevention, service improvement); consent (for optional features); and compliance with legal obligations.

We share information only as described below.

4.1 With Other Users

• Provider listings, ratings, reviews, business information, and (for scheduled Bookings) approximate location are visible to Customers.
• Customer name, ratings, and review history are visible to matched Providers during a Booking.
• Messages exchanged through the Service are visible to the other party in the message thread.

4.2 With Service Providers

We use the following third parties to operate the Service. Each receives only the data necessary for its function and is bound by contract or law to protect that data.

4.3 For Legal Reasons

We may disclose information when we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to: comply with law or legal process; respond to lawful requests from public authorities; enforce our Terms; investigate fraud or security issues; or protect the rights, property, or safety of eLinked, our Users, or the public.

4.4 Business Transfers

If eLinked is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any change in ownership.

4.5 With Your Consent

We may share information for any other purpose with your consent.

5.1 Account Settings

You can update most account information in the app or website settings.

5.2 Marketing Emails

You can unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in the email or by emailing support@elinkedapp.com. Transactional emails (booking confirmations, payment receipts, etc.) cannot be opted out of.

5.3 Push Notifications

You can disable push notifications at any time in your device settings.

5.4 Location Permissions

You can revoke location permission at any time in your device settings. Some Service features may not work without location.

5.5 Access, Correction, Deletion (Washington and Other Privacy Laws)

You may request to:

• access the personal information we hold about you;
• correct inaccurate personal information;
• delete your account and associated personal information;
• receive a portable copy of your data;
• limit or object to certain processing.

To exercise any of these rights, email support@elinkedapp.com from the email address associated with your account, with subject line “Privacy Request.” We will respond within 45 days. We may verify your identity before processing the request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.

5.6 California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)

California residents have the additional rights granted under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know what categories of personal information are collected and shared, the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, and the right to non-discrimination. eLinked does not “sell” personal information as that term is defined under the CCPA. We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

5.7 European Economic Area / UK

If you are in the EEA or UK, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, including the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Our legal bases for processing are described in Section 3.

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to provide the Service and comply with legal obligations. Specifically:

• Account data: retained while your account is active and for up to 12 months after deletion (for fraud prevention and dispute resolution).
• Booking and payment records: retained for at least seven years for tax, accounting, and chargeback-defense purposes.
• Identity-verification records: retained as required by Stripe Identity and applicable Know-Your-Customer laws.
• Aggregated or de-identified data: may be retained indefinitely.

We use commercially reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit, access controls, and annual security review. We enforce strong password rules on all accounts (minimum 12 characters with mixed character types) and check passwords against known-breached password lists at the time of creation or change. No system is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a personal-data breach that affects you, we will notify you as required by law.

The Service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to the Service, contact us at support@elinkedapp.com and we will delete the information.

eLinked is based in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data-protection laws may differ from those of your jurisdiction.

We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the revised Policy with an updated “Last Updated” date and, for material changes, notify you by email or in-app notice. Continued use of the Service after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

eLinked, Inc.
Attn: Privacy
[Mailing address — TBD before launch]
Email: support@elinkedapp.com
Subject line: “Privacy Request”