Privacy Policy

1.1 Information You Provide:

• Account Information: Name, email address, password, profile photo
• Profile Information: Bio, expertise areas, credentials (for experts)
• Payment Information: Credit card details (processed securely by Stripe)
• Communication: Messages, chat history, video call recordings (if consented)

1.2 Automatically Collected Information:

• Usage Data: Pages viewed, features used, time spent on Platform
• Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device ID
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location (for expert discovery)
• Cookies: Session cookies, preference cookies, analytics cookies

We use collected information to:

• Provide and maintain the Platform services
• Process bookings and facilitate consultations
• Process payments and prevent fraud
• Verify expert credentials and qualifications
• Send transactional emails (booking confirmations, receipts)
• Improve Platform features and user experience
• Provide customer support
• Send marketing communications (with your consent)
• Comply with legal obligations
• Prevent abuse and ensure Platform security

We share your information with:

3.1 Other Users:

• Your profile information is visible to users searching for experts
• Communication history is shared between you and your consultant

3.2 Service Providers:

• Stripe: Payment processing (see Stripe's privacy policy)
• AWS/MongoDB: Data hosting and storage
• Email Services: Transactional email delivery
• Analytics: Usage analytics and performance monitoring

3.3 Legal Requirements:

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and safety.

3.4 Business Transfers:

In case of merger, acquisition, or sale, user data may be transferred to the new entity.

We do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your data for advertising purposes without consent

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your data:

• Encryption: SSL/TLS encryption for data in transit
• Secure Storage: Encrypted databases and secure cloud storage
• Access Controls: Limited employee access to personal data
• Regular Audits: Security assessments and penetration testing
• Payment Security: PCI-DSS compliant payment processing

However, no system is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but continuously work to improve our protections.

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of your personal data
• Correction: Update inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data
• Data Portability: Export your data in a machine-readable format
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails
• Object: Object to processing of your data for certain purposes
• Withdraw Consent: Revoke consent for data processing

To exercise these rights, contact us at [email protected]

We use cookies to:

• Essential Cookies: Required for Platform functionality (e.g., login sessions)
• Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences
• Analytics Cookies: Track usage patterns to improve the Platform
• Marketing Cookies: Deliver relevant advertisements (with consent)

You can manage cookie preferences in your browser settings. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect Platform functionality.

We retain your data for as long as:

• Your account is active
• Required to provide services
• Necessary for legal or regulatory compliance (typically 7 years for financial records)
• Needed to resolve disputes or enforce agreements

After account deletion, some information may be retained in anonymized form for analytics and legal purposes.

Merge is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately, and we will delete it.

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, to protect your data during international transfers.

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. Please review their privacy policies before sharing any information.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes via email or platform notification. Continued use after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

For privacy-related questions or requests, contact us at:

Email: [email protected]
Data Protection Officer: [email protected]
Address: Merge Privacy Department
Website: https://joinmeglobal.com