Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how BridgeThis collects, uses, stores, and shares information when you use our website, marketplace, messaging, proposal, payment, file, notification, and delivery-tracking features.

By using BridgeThis, you understand that we process information needed to operate a technical-services marketplace and maintain records of projects, proposals, payments, messages, files, and delivery activity.

2. Information we collect

We may collect the following categories of information:

• Account information: name, email address, login details, account settings, profile information, and authentication records.
• Marketplace content: project listings, developer profiles, skills, service descriptions, budgets, timelines, portfolio links, GitHub links, uploaded images, and public marketplace details.
• Messages and files: private chat messages, project invite messages, proposal discussions, uploaded files, filenames, file metadata, and delivery records.
• Proposal and order information: proposal amount, proposal description, offer status, order status, payment status, delivery status, and timestamps.
• Payment information: payment metadata, Stripe checkout session references, connected account references, order amount, BridgeThis Service Fee amount, developer payout amount, and payment status. Full card details are handled by Stripe and are not stored by BridgeThis.
• Device and usage information: browser, device type, IP address, pages visited, clicks, logs, error messages, and security events.

3. How we use information

We use information to:

• Create and manage user accounts.
• Display marketplace listings and profiles.
• Enable project discussions, proposals, files, and delivery records.
• Process payments and payment status through Stripe.
• Calculate and record the BridgeThis Service Fee.
• Send notifications about messages, proposals, invites, payments, and orders.
• Protect users, prevent fraud, enforce rules, and secure the platform.
• Debug, maintain, improve, and operate BridgeThis.
• Respond to support, privacy, safety, and legal requests.

4. Payments and Stripe

Payments are processed through Stripe. When you make or receive payments through BridgeThis, Stripe may collect and process payment information, identity information, tax information, payout information, and other details required for payment processing, fraud prevention, compliance, and connected account onboarding.

BridgeThis stores payment-related metadata needed to operate the marketplace, including order IDs, checkout session IDs, connected account IDs, amounts, fee amounts, payout amounts, and payment status. BridgeThis does not store full credit card numbers.

5. How we share information

We may share information in the following ways:

• With other users: public marketplace content is visible to other users and visitors. Private messages, proposals, files, and order records are intended to be visible only to the users involved in that conversation or order.
• With service providers: we may use vendors such as hosting providers, database providers, payment processors, email providers, analytics providers, security tools, and support tools.
• For legal and safety reasons: we may disclose information if we believe it is necessary to comply with law, enforce our Terms, prevent fraud or abuse, protect users, or respond to valid legal requests.
• Business transfers: if BridgeThis is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, or sale of assets, information may be transferred as part of that transaction.

6. Public content

Some information you post may be public, including project listings, developer profiles, names, profile images, portfolio links, GitHub links, skills, service descriptions, and marketplace media. Do not post confidential, sensitive, or private information in public fields.

7. Private messages and files

BridgeThis provides private messaging and file-sharing features for project discussions and order records. We use access controls designed to limit private conversation data to the relevant participants, but no online system can be guaranteed to be perfectly secure.

Users should not upload highly sensitive personal, financial, medical, legal, or confidential information unless it is necessary and they have permission to share it.

8. Cookies and analytics

BridgeThis may use cookies, local storage, analytics tools, and similar technologies to keep users logged in, remember preferences, understand usage, improve performance, prevent fraud, and secure the platform.

9. Data retention

We keep information for as long as needed to operate BridgeThis, provide marketplace records, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, prevent fraud, enforce agreements, and maintain security. Some records, such as payment, order, dispute, and safety records, may be retained even after an account is closed where necessary.

10. Security

We use technical and organizational measures designed to protect user information, including authentication, access controls, database security rules, private storage controls for certain files, and payment processing through Stripe. However, no website, database, storage system, or transmission method is completely secure.

11. Your choices and requests

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of certain personal information. You may also be able to object to or restrict certain processing. To make a privacy request, contact us through the Contact page.

12. Children

BridgeThis is intended for users who are at least 18 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information to BridgeThis, contact us so we can review and respond.

13. International users

BridgeThis may process and store information in the United States or other countries where our service providers operate. By using BridgeThis, you understand that your information may be processed outside your country of residence.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we may provide notice through the site or by other reasonable means. Continued use of BridgeThis after an update means the updated policy applies.

15. Contact

Privacy questions or requests can be sent through the Contact page. We will add a dedicated support email before public launch.