Privacy Policy

At SoloNerds LLC ("Company," "we," "our," or "us"), we respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy. This policy describes how we collect, process, retain, and disclose personal data about you when providing services (i) to you on or through our website SoloNerds.com (our "Website"); (ii) services that specifically relate to our marketplace platform (our "Services"); or (iii) that link to this privacy policy.

This policy applies only to information we collect through our Website, the Services, and in communications between you and us. It does not apply to information collected by us offline or through any other means, including on any other website operated by Company or any third party that does not link to this policy; or any third party, including through any application or content that may link to or be accessible from the Services.

1. Children's and Minors' Data

Our Services are not intended for, and we do not knowingly collect any personal data from, children under the age of 18. If we learn we have collected or received personal data from a child under 18 years old without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@solonerds.com.

2. The Personal Data That We Collect or Process

"Personal data" is information that identifies, relates to, or describes, directly or indirectly, you as an individual, such as your name, email address, telephone number, and any other identifier we may use to contact you.

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you provide when creating an account, building a profile, posting jobs, or communicating through the Platform:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, and other contact information you provide us
• Login Information: To the extent you create an account with us
• Profile Information: Professional bio, skills, portfolio items, social links, hourly rates, availability status, and profile photo
• Job Information: Project descriptions, requirements, budget details, and technical specifications
• Communications: Messages between Users, support requests, feedback, and content you elect to provide us through the Services or emails, chats, or other communications sent to us
• Payment Information: Limited information associated with your payment information processed through our payment provider (see Section 6 for more information)
• Identity Verification: Government ID or other verification documents if you participate in enhanced verification programs

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

As you navigate through and interact with our Services, we may use automatic data collection technologies to collect information:

• Device Information: IP address, device identifiers, operating system and version, preferred language, hardware identifiers, browser type and settings
• Location Information: General geographic location such as country, state or province, or city (approximate location derived from IP address)
• Technical Information: Clickstream information to, through, and from our Services (including date and time), products that you view or search for, page response times, download errors, length of visits to certain pages, page interaction information (such as scrolling, clicks, and mouse-overs), methods used to browse away from a page, failed login attempts, and other session information
• Statistical or Aggregated Information: Statistical or aggregated data does not directly identify a specific person, but we may derive non-personal statistical or aggregated data from personal data

If we combine or connect non-personal statistical or technical data with personal data so that it directly or indirectly identifies an individual, we treat the combined information as personal information.

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive personal data about you from other sources and combine that with information we collect directly from you. This includes OAuth providers (Discord, Google, GitHub), linked social media accounts, payment processors (Stripe), and service providers we engage to perform services on our behalf.

3. How We Use Your Information

We may use information that we collect about you or that you provide to us, including any personal data, to:

• Provide you with the Services and any contents, features, information, or functionality that we make available through the Services
• Create, maintain, customize, and secure your account with us
• Facilitate connections and communications between Users
• Process payments and prevent fraud
• Send you transactional communications (confirmations, updates, security alerts)
• Send you newsletters when you sign up for one of our newsletters
• Send marketing communications (with your consent, where required)
• Improve and personalize the Platform experience
• Analyze usage patterns and optimize features, including by analyzing your information
• Carry out our obligations or enforce our rights, including rights arising from any contracts entered into between you and us
• Enforce our Terms of Service and protect against abuse
• Comply with legal obligations and respond to lawful requests
• In any other way we may describe when you provide the information
• For any other purpose with your consent

The usage information we collect, whether connected to your personal data or not, helps us improve our Services and deliver a better and more personalized experience by enabling us to estimate our audience sizes and usage patterns, speed up your searches, and recognize you when you return to our Services.

4. Confidentiality and Data Protection for Users

4.1 Project and Code Confidentiality

We understand that Clients share sensitive code, business logic, and proprietary information with Nerds through our Platform. We implement the following protections:

• Project details, code snippets, and attachments shared through our messaging system are encrypted in transit and at rest
• Access to project information is strictly limited to the involved parties and essential Platform staff for support purposes
• We do not analyze, mine, or use the content of your code or project materials for any purpose other than providing the Platform service
• Our staff who access project data for support are bound by confidentiality obligations

4.2 Protection of Nerd Proprietary Methods

We recognize that Solo Nerds may utilize proprietary tools, methodologies, scripts, and techniques. We commit to:

• Never requiring Nerds to disclose proprietary methods to us as a condition of Platform use
• Not claiming any rights to Nerds' proprietary tools or methodologies
• Binding all Users to confidentiality obligations through our Terms of Service regarding information learned through engagements
• Supporting Nerds' right to protect trade secrets in any disputes we facilitate

4.3 Non-Disclosure of Engagement Details

Unless explicitly authorized, we will not disclose: the identity of Clients or Nerds in specific engagements; project details, scope, or deliverables; financial terms between Users; or communications between Users. This applies to third parties, including other Users, partners, and the public.

5. Who We Disclose Your Information To

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction. We do not sell your personal information. We may share information in the following circumstances:

5.1 With Other Users

Your profile information (name, bio, skills, portfolio, ratings) is visible to other Users as necessary for the Platform to function. Clients can see Nerd profiles; Nerds can see job postings. Messages and project details are shared only with the specific Users you communicate with.

5.2 With Service Providers

We may disclose personal data to contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support us and our Services:

• Payment Processing: Stripe processes payments and receives necessary billing information
• Authentication: AWS Cognito handles authentication services
• Cloud Infrastructure: Our data is hosted on secure cloud providers (MongoDB Atlas, AWS)
• Analytics: We use analytics services to understand Platform usage (anonymized where possible)
• Email Services: Transactional email providers deliver notifications

These providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for specified purposes.

5.3 For Legal and Safety Reasons

We may also disclose your personal data to comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request; if we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of our organization or others; to prevent fraud, abuse, or illegal activity; or to enforce our Terms of Service. We will attempt to notify you before disclosure unless prohibited by law.

5.4 Business Transfers

We may disclose personal data to a buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which personal data held by us is among the assets transferred. We will provide notice before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

5.5 With Your Consent

We may disclose your information to third parties to market their products or services to you, for any other purpose disclosed by us when you provide the information, or with your consent; provided that we do not routinely sell or share your information to such third parties.

6. Payment Processors

Our Website uses vetted payment processors, including Stripe, to collect and process transactions that (i) have certified that they are Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant and (ii) are committed contractually to maintain Personal Information in accordance with applicable laws.

In connection with the services that these payment processors provide, these payment processors may collect and store your payment information and other personal data necessary to process a transaction (e.g., including your name, email, or other points of contact).

While payment information (e.g., credit card number, debit card information, etc.) may be transmitted via our Website, we do not store any payment information entered through our Website. However, we may receive information associated with your payment information (e.g., billing details) to help us do business with you and as required by law (e.g., to confirm there is no fraudulent transaction).

If you use and maintain accounts with online payment providers (e.g., ApplePay, GooglePay, PayPal, etc.), such online payment providers will collect your transaction information. These accounts are created by you, and you should review the terms of use and privacy policies of those online payment providers that you choose.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Using automatic collection technologies helps us to improve our Services and to deliver a better and more personalized experience. The technologies we use for this automatic data collection may include:

• Cookies: A cookie is a small file placed on your device when you interact with the Services. You may refuse to accept or disable cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser or device. However, if you select this setting, you may be unable to access certain features of the Services.
• Web Beacons: Some parts of the Services and communications may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit the Company, for example, to count users who have visited those parts and for other related statistics.

To the extent required by law, you may opt out from use of these automated technologies by sending us an email at privacy@solonerds.com. Please note that some Services features may be unavailable as a result.

When you interact with the Services, there are third parties that may use automatic collection technologies to collect information about you or your device. We do not control these third parties' tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about an advertisement or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible provider directly.

8. Your Rights and Choices About Your Information

8.1 Advertising, Marketing, Cookies, and Other Tracking Technologies Choices

• Cookies and Other Tracking Technologies: You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies or other tracking technology files, or to alert you when these files are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, some Services features may be inaccessible or not function properly. Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) setting. Because there is not a common understanding of how to interpret the DNT signal, our Services may not respond to all browser DNT signals. Instead, you can use the range of other tools to control data collection and use.
• Customer Service: We may communicate with our customers in the course of providing the requested Services. We may respond to issues relating to a customer's account via email, SMS text message, or by phone, in accordance with the customer's wishes. You can cancel receiving such messages at any time by replying "STOP" to SMS messages or by contacting us at support@solonerds.com.
• Newsletters: If you no longer wish for us to send you newsletters, you can opt out by clicking on the "Unsubscribe" link within the email or by contacting us at support@solonerds.com.
• Promotions: If you do not wish for us to use your information to promote our other products or services, you can opt out by contacting us at support@solonerds.com.

We do not control third parties' collection or use of your information to serve interest-based advertising. However, these third parties may provide you with ways to choose not to have your information collected or used in this way. To learn more about opting out of receiving targeted ads from members of the Network Advertising Initiative ("NAI"), please visit https://thenai.org/how-to-opt-out/.

8.2 All Users

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and personal data
• Communication Preferences: Opt out of marketing communications
• Download: Export your data in a portable format

8.3 Your US State Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residency, consumer privacy laws of certain states may provide their residents with additional rights regarding the use of their personal information.

Nevertheless, to the extent that you may be entitled to certain consumer rights under such comprehensive consumer privacy statutes and regulations, please submit a request by emailing us at privacy@solonerds.com. We may comply with such requests, subject to certain limitations and to the extent required by applicable law.

To the extent feasible and required by state law (depending on your state of residency), you may have certain rights related to your personal data, including:

• Access and Data Portability: You may confirm whether we process your personal data and access a copy of the personal data we process. Data may be provided in a portable format.
• Correction: You may request that we correct inaccuracies in your personal data that we maintain, taking into account the information's nature and processing purpose.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete personal data about you that we maintain, subject to certain exceptions under applicable law.
• Opt Out: You may request that we do not use your personal data for targeted advertising, profiling, and sales.

To exercise any of these rights, please send us an email at privacy@solonerds.com. To appeal a decision regarding a consumer rights request, please send us an email at legal@solonerds.com.

Some browsers and browser extensions support the Global Privacy Control ("GPC") that can send a signal to process your request to opt out from certain types of data processing, including data "sales" as defined under certain laws. When we detect such a signal, we will make reasonable efforts to respect your choices indicated by a GPC setting as required by applicable law.

8.4 Nevada Disclosures

Please note that we do not currently sell data triggering Nevada's statute that provides its residents with a limited right to opt out of certain personal data sales.

8.5 California Disclosure

California's "Shine the Light" law (Civil Code Section § 1798.83) permits users of our websites that are California residents to request certain information regarding our disclosure of Personal Information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. Please note that, at this time, we do not share such information with third parties for this purpose.

California residents have additional rights under CCPA/CPRA:

• Right to know what personal information we collect
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt out of "sale" of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
• Right to correct inaccurate personal information
• Right to limit use of sensitive personal information

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@solonerds.com. We will verify your identity before processing requests.

8.6 European Users (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), UK, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under GDPR:

• Right to restrict processing of your personal data
• Right to object to processing based on legitimate interests
• Right to data portability
• Right to withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent)
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Our legal bases for processing include: contract performance, legitimate interests (improving services, preventing fraud), legal compliance, and consent.

8.7 International Visitors' Privacy Requests

If you reside outside the United States and wish to exercise rights regarding your personal data—such as accessing, correcting, deleting, or restricting the processing of your information—you may submit your request by emailing us at privacy@solonerds.com. We will review and respond to your request in accordance with applicable laws and our internal policies.

Please note that the rights available to you may vary depending on your jurisdiction. If you have questions or concerns about how we process your personal data as a non-U.S. resident, please contact us at privacy@solonerds.com.

9. How We Protect Your Personal Data

We use commercially reasonable administrative, physical, and technical measures designed to protect your personal data from accidental loss or destruction and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure:

• Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest
• Secure authentication with hashed passwords and optional MFA
• Regular security assessments and vulnerability testing
• Access controls limiting employee access to personal data
• Incident response procedures for potential data breaches
• Employee training on data protection and security practices

The safety and security of your information also depends on you. You are responsible for taking steps to protect your personal data against unauthorized use, disclosure, and access. You should carefully decide what information you send to us via email, texts, and chats.

10. How We Retain Your Personal Data

We keep the categories of personal data described in this policy for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described or for as otherwise legally permitted or required, such as maintaining the Services, operating our organization, complying with our legal obligations, resolving disputes, and for safety, security, and fraud prevention.

This means that we consider our legal and business obligations, potential risks of harm, and nature of the information when deciding how long to retain personal data. At the end of the retention period, personal data will be deleted, destroyed, or deidentified.

After account deletion:

• Profile Data: Deleted within 30 days, except for data required for legal compliance or ongoing disputes
• Transaction Records: Retained for 7 years for tax and legal compliance
• Messages: Deleted within 90 days of account deletion unless required for dispute resolution
• Project Files: Deleted within 30 days; Users should download their files before account deletion
• Anonymized Analytics: May be retained indefinitely for research and improvement

11. International Data Transfers

Our Platform is operated from the United States. If you access the Platform from outside the US, your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the US or other countries where our service providers operate.

For transfers from the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission and other lawful transfer mechanisms. By using the Platform, you consent to the transfer of your information to these locations.

12. Third-Party Links

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access.

13. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time, and we will provide notice of any such changes to the policy as required by law. The date the privacy policy was last updated is identified at the top of the page. We will notify you of changes to this policy by updating the "Last Updated" date and posting the updated policy on the Services. We may email or otherwise communicate reminders about this policy, but you should check our Services periodically to see the current policy and any changes we have made to it.

Your continued use after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy. Material changes will be notified through the Platform or via email.