Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

CollabMatch ("we," "us," "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our website, mobile applications, and services (collectively, the "Services").

This Privacy Policy applies to all users of our Services, including creators, brands, and visitors. By using our Services, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use our Services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide to Us

Account Information: When you register for an account, we collect:

• Name and email address
• Username and password
• Account type (creator or brand)
• Profile photo (optional)

Profile Data: To enhance your experience and facilitate collaborations, you may provide:

• Bio and description
• Social media links and channel URLs
• Content categories and niches
• Audience demographics and statistics
• Collaboration preferences and rates
• Portfolio samples and media kit information

Communications: When you communicate with us or other users, we collect:

• Messages and correspondence
• Collaboration proposals and responses
• Support tickets and feedback

Payment Information: If you make purchases or receive payments, we collect:

• Billing name and address
• Payment method details (processed securely by our payment processors)
• Transaction history

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Usage Data: When you access our Services, we automatically collect:

• IP address and location data
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and features used
• Time and date of access
• Referring website or source
• Click patterns and navigation paths

Cookies and Tracking Technologies: We use cookies, web beacons, and similar technologies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Authenticate your account and maintain sessions
• Analyze usage patterns and improve our Services
• Deliver relevant content and features

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties, including:

• Social media platforms when you connect your accounts
• YouTube API Services for channel analytics and verification
• Payment processors for transaction verification
• Analytics providers for usage insights

3. How We Use Your Information

3.1 Service Delivery

We use your information to:

• Create and manage your account
• Provide, maintain, and improve our Services
• Match you with relevant collaboration opportunities
• Process transactions and send related information
• Enable communication between users
• Provide customer support and respond to inquiries

3.2 Communications

We may use your information to:

• Send you important updates about your account
• Notify you about collaboration opportunities and matches
• Send promotional emails about new features (with opt-out option)
• Request feedback and conduct surveys
• Send newsletters and industry insights (with opt-out option)

3.3 Analytics and Improvement

We use your information to:

• Analyze usage trends and user behavior
• Measure the effectiveness of our features
• Develop new products and services
• Detect, prevent, and address technical issues
• Personalize your experience and recommendations

3.4 Safety and Security

We use your information to:

• Protect against fraud and unauthorized access
• Enforce our Terms of Service and policies
• Investigate potential violations and abuse
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Information Sharing

4.1 With Other Users

When you use CollabMatch, certain information is visible to other users:

• Your public profile information (name, bio, categories)
• Portfolio and media kit content you choose to share
• Collaboration history and reviews (if enabled)
• Messages you send to other users

4.2 With Service Providers

We share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in:

• Payment Processing: Stripe processes payments securely and maintains PCI-DSS compliance
• Email Services: SendGrid delivers transactional and marketing emails
• Analytics: We use analytics tools to understand usage patterns
• Cloud Hosting: Our infrastructure is hosted on secure cloud platforms
• Customer Support: Support tools help us respond to your inquiries

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or if we believe such action is necessary to:

• Comply with a legal obligation or valid legal process
• Protect and defend our rights or property
• Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing
• Protect the personal safety of users or the public
• Protect against legal liability

4.4 Business Transfers

If CollabMatch is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

4.5 With Your Consent

We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

5.1 Retention Periods

• Account Data: Retained while your account is active and for up to 3 years after deletion
• Messages: Retained for 2 years after the last message in a conversation
• Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years for legal and tax compliance
• Usage Logs: Retained for 12 months for security and analytics
• Marketing Preferences: Retained until you update or delete your account

5.2 Account Deletion

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except for information we are required to retain for legal, regulatory, or security purposes.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

6.1 Access and Portability

You have the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format.

6.2 Correction

You can update or correct your account information at any time through your account settings, or by contacting us.

6.3 Deletion

You may request that we delete your personal information. Note that we may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes.

6.4 Opt-Out of Marketing

You can opt out of promotional emails by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing email or updating your communication preferences in your account settings.

6.5 Cookie Controls

You can manage cookie preferences through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our Services.

6.6 GDPR Rights (EEA Residents)

If you are a resident of the European Economic Area, you have additional rights including:

• Right to object to processing of your personal data
• Right to restrict processing of your personal data
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

6.7 CCPA Rights (California Residents)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at legal@collabmatch.io.

7. Cookie Policy

7.1 Types of Cookies We Use

7.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to:

• View and delete existing cookies
• Block third-party cookies
• Block all cookies from specific sites
• Block all cookies
• Clear all cookies when you close the browser

8. Third-Party Services

Our Services integrate with and use various third-party services. These services have their own privacy policies:

8.1 YouTube API Services

We use YouTube API Services to verify channel ownership and retrieve analytics. By connecting your YouTube channel, you agree to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service and Google Privacy Policy.

You can revoke CollabMatch's access to your YouTube data at any time via the Google Security Settings.

8.2 Stripe

We use Stripe for payment processing. Stripe's privacy policy can be found at stripe.com/privacy.

8.3 SendGrid

We use SendGrid for email delivery. SendGrid's privacy policy can be found at sendgrid.com/policies/privacy.

8.4 Other Integrations

When you connect other social media accounts or third-party services, please review their respective privacy policies to understand how they handle your data.

9. Children's Privacy

CollabMatch is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at legal@collabmatch.io.

If we discover that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information as quickly as possible.

Users between 13 and 18 years of age may use the Services only with parental consent and supervision.

10. International Data Transfers

CollabMatch is based in the United States. If you are accessing our Services from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States and other countries where our servers are located.

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place for international transfers, including:

• Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission
• Adequacy decisions where applicable
• Other legally recognized transfer mechanisms

By using our Services, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States and other jurisdictions.

11. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

11.1 Technical Safeguards

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Secure password hashing using industry-standard algorithms
• Regular security assessments and penetration testing
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems
• Regular software updates and security patches

11.2 Organizational Safeguards

• Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
• Employee training on data protection and security
• Incident response procedures and breach notification protocols
• Regular review and update of security policies

While we take reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons.

When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Notify you via email (if you have an account)
• Display a prominent notice on our Services

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our Services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Information

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

We will respond to your inquiries within 30 days.

For GDPR-related inquiries, you may also contact your local data protection authority.