Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

Patchwork ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our digital marketplace platform and related services (collectively, the "Service").

This policy applies to all users of our platform, including visitors, registered users, content creators, and any other individuals who interact with our Service. By using our Service, you consent to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect information you voluntarily provide to us:

• • Account Information: Name, email address, username, password, profile picture
• • Profile Data: Bio, social media links, professional information, portfolio details
• • Content: Projects, designs, descriptions, tags, comments, reviews, ratings
• • Communication: Messages, support tickets, feedback, survey responses
• • Transaction Data: Billing information, payment methods, purchase history
• • Verification Information: Identity documents for creator verification (when applicable)

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use our Service, we automatically collect certain information:

• • Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device identifiers
• • Usage Data: Pages viewed, time spent, click patterns, search queries, feature usage
• • Technical Data: Log files, error reports, performance data, API usage
• • Location Data: General geographic location based on IP address
• • Referral Information: Source of traffic, referring websites, campaign data

2.3 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information about you from third parties:

• • Social Media: When you connect your social media accounts or sign up using social login
• • Payment Processors: Transaction verification and fraud prevention data
• • Analytics Providers: Aggregated usage statistics and performance metrics
• • Public Sources: Publicly available professional information to verify creator credentials

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for various legitimate business purposes:

3.1 Service Provision and Improvement

• • Operate, maintain, and improve our platform and features
• • Personalize your experience and provide content recommendations
• • Enable project discovery, search functionality, and content curation
• • Facilitate communication between users and creators
• • Process transactions and manage user accounts

3.2 Communication and Support

• • Respond to inquiries and provide customer support
• • Send transactional emails (account updates, order confirmations, security alerts)
• • Deliver marketing communications (with your consent)
• • Notify you of platform updates, new features, and relevant opportunities

3.3 Security and Legal Compliance

• • Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security threats
• • Enforce our Terms of Service and community guidelines
• • Comply with legal obligations and respond to legal requests
• • Investigate and resolve disputes between users

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:

4.1 Public Information

Information you choose to make public (profile, projects, comments) is visible to other users and may be indexed by search engines. You control what information is public through your privacy settings.

4.2 Service Providers

We share information with trusted service providers who assist us in operating our platform:

• • Cloud hosting and infrastructure providers
• • Payment processors and financial institutions
• • Email and communication service providers
• • Analytics and performance monitoring services
• • Customer support and help desk platforms

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information when required by law or to:

• • Comply with legal processes, court orders, or government requests
• • Protect our rights, property, or safety, or that of our users
• • Investigate potential violations of our Terms of Service
• • Prevent fraud or other illegal activities

4.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of all or part of our business, user information may be transferred as part of the transaction. We will notify you of any such transfer.

5. Data Security and Protection

We implement comprehensive security measures to protect your personal information:

• • Encryption: Data is encrypted in transit using TLS and at rest using industry-standard encryption
• • Access Controls: Strict employee access controls and authentication requirements
• • Security Monitoring: Continuous monitoring for threats and vulnerabilities
• • Regular Audits: Periodic security assessments and penetration testing
• • Incident Response: Established procedures for security breach response
• • Data Minimization: We collect and retain only necessary information

Despite our security measures, no system is 100% secure. We encourage users to use strong passwords and enable two-factor authentication when available.

6. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

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

6.1 General Rights

• • Access: Request a copy of your personal information we hold
• • Correction: Update or correct inaccurate or incomplete information
• • Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
• • Portability: Receive your data in a machine-readable format
• • Restriction: Limit how we process your information
• • Objection: Object to certain types of processing

6.2 Communication Preferences

• • Opt out of marketing emails using unsubscribe links or account settings
• • Control push notifications through your device or browser settings
• • Manage notification preferences in your account dashboard

6.3 California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including:

• • Right to know what personal information is collected and how it's used
• • Right to request deletion of personal information
• • Right to opt out of the "sale" of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• • Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

6.4 European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

EU residents have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, including all rights listed above plus the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and gather analytics:

7.1 Types of Cookies

• • Essential Cookies: Required for basic platform functionality
• • Performance Cookies: Help us understand how users interact with our platform
• • Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings
• • Advertising Cookies: Used to show relevant ads (with your consent)

7.2 Cookie Management

You can control cookies through your browser settings or our cookie preference center. Note that disabling certain cookies may affect platform functionality.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, including Standard Contractual Clauses and adequacy decisions where applicable. By using our Service, you consent to these transfers.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to:

• • Provide our services and maintain your account
• • Comply with legal obligations and resolve disputes
• • Enforce our agreements and protect our rights
• • Improve our services and prevent fraud

When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or legitimate business interests.

10. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for children under 13 years of age (or 16 in the EU). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under these ages. If we become aware that we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly. Parents who believe their child has provided information to us should contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of material changes via email or through our platform at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of our Service after such notification constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or want to exercise your privacy rights, please contact us:

For EU residents, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority if you believe we have not addressed your concerns adequately.