Privacy Policy

01Scope & who is responsible

Hushcontracts — an early-stage service operated by its founding team in India — is the data fiduciary/controller for the personal data described here. Once the operating company is incorporated, its registered details will be published here. This policy covers our website, platform, and waitlist. It does not cover third-party sites we link to, which have their own policies.

02What we collect

• Account & profile. Name, email, and — when you build a profile — headline, bio, skills, location, hourly rate, avatar, and links you choose to add (e.g. LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio).
• Waitlist. Your email address and the role you’re interested in (client, freelancer, or either).
• Platform activity. Jobs, bids, messages, negotiation history, contracts, milestones, reviews, and reports you create through the platform.
• Transaction records. Escrow and payout records tied to your contracts (amounts, status, timing). Full card/bank details are handled by our payment partner — see “Payment data”.
• Technical data. IP address, device and browser type, and basic usage logs, used for security and to keep the service working.

03How we use it

• To create and run your account and profile.
• To operate the marketplace — matching, bidding, contracts, milestones, and escrow — and to release, refund, or split funds correctly.
• To keep the platform safe: preventing fraud, abuse, and off-platform circumvention, and enforcing our Terms.
• To provide support, send essential service notifications (e.g. a bid received, a milestone approved, a payout sent), and — only if you opt in — occasional product updates.
• To meet legal, tax, and accounting obligations.

04Why we're allowed to

We process personal data where it is necessary to provide the service you asked for (performing our contract with you), to meet a legal obligation, for our legitimate interest in running a safe platform, or on the basis of your consent — for example, for the waitlist and marketing emails, which you can withdraw at any time.

05Who we share it with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only:

• With other users, as the platform requires — e.g. a client can see the profile and public links of someone who bids on their job; the two parties to a contract can see what they need to transact.
• With service providers who help us run the platform — our payment partner, hosting and database provider, and email provider — under agreements that require them to protect your data.
• Where the law requires it, or to protect the rights, safety, and property of users or Hushcontracts.

06Payment data

Card, bank, and UPI details used to fund escrow or receive payouts are collected and processed directly by our RBI-authorised payment partner, under their own security standards and privacy terms. Hushcontracts does not store your full card or bank credentials on its own servers. We keep only the transaction records we need to run your contracts and meet our legal obligations.

07Cookies

We use strictly necessary cookies to keep you signed in and to keep the platform secure. If we add analytics or preference cookies, we will ask for your consent first through a cookie banner, and you will be able to decline non-essential cookies.

08How long we keep it

We keep personal data for as long as your account is active and as long as needed to provide the service. After you close your account, we retain certain records — such as contract, escrow, and tax records — for the period required by law, and then delete or anonymise them. You can ask us to delete data sooner, subject to those legal retention rules.

09How we protect it

We use encryption in transit, access controls, row-level security on our database so users can only reach data they’re entitled to, and least-privilege handling of sensitive operations. No system is perfectly secure, but we take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your data and will notify you and the authorities of a breach where the law requires.

10Your rights

Subject to applicable law (including India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023), you can:

• Access the personal data we hold about you and get a copy.
• Correct data that is wrong or out of date.
• Ask us to delete your data, where we are not required to keep it.
• Withdraw consent for the waitlist or marketing at any time.
• Nominate someone to exercise your rights if you cannot.

To exercise any right, email support@hushcontracts.com. We will respond within the timelines the law requires.

11Children

Hushcontracts is for adults. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a minor has given us data, contact us and we will remove it.

12Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as our service or the law changes. If a change is material, we will give reasonable notice by email or an in-app notice before it takes effect.

13Contact

For any privacy question, or to reach our Data Protection / Grievance Officer, email support@hushcontracts.com. We acknowledge requests within 48 hours.