Privacy Policy
Your privacy and the confidentiality of our partnerships are foundational to everything we do at XpertHop.
1. Introduction and Overview
XpertHop ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the confidentiality and privacy of our clients. This Privacy Policy for Clients describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard information provided by businesses, investment firms, consultancies, and other organizations ("Clients" or "you") who use our expert network platform and services.
We understand that confidentiality is paramount for our clients, particularly when conducting sensitive market research, due diligence, or strategic planning. This policy outlines our practices and your rights regarding your information.
By using XpertHop's services, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use our services.
2. Updates to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes to this policy, we will notify you by:
- Sending an email notification to the primary contact email address associated with your account
- Posting a prominent notice on our platform or website
- Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after any modifications indicates your acceptance of the updated terms.
3. Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It
Information You Provide Voluntarily
We collect information that you provide directly to us when you register for an account, engage our services, or communicate with us:
Company Information
Legal business name, industry sector, company size, billing address, and tax identification numbers
Account User Details
Names, professional email addresses, job titles, and phone numbers of authorized users
Project Information
Research objectives, specific questions, target expert profiles, screening criteria, and custom vetting questions
Payment Data
Billing information, invoicing preferences, payment history, and subscription details
Information Collected Automatically
When you access or use our services, we automatically collect certain information about your device and usage patterns:
- Device Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device identifiers
- Usage Data: Pages visited, features used, time spent on platform, search queries, click patterns
- Communication Data: Dates and times of consultations, call recordings and transcripts (with consent)
- Technical Data: Log files, error reports, performance metrics
Information from Third Parties
We may receive information about you from third-party sources, including:
- Public databases and business directories for company verification
- Payment processors for transaction completion and fraud prevention
- Analytics providers for service improvement insights
- Professional references or colleagues who refer your organization to our services
4. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
5. How We Share Your Information
Sharing with Experts
We take confidentiality seriously. Our practices regarding expert sharing include:
- Anonymity by Default: We do not reveal your company name, identity, or specific strategic interests to experts during initial outreach unless you explicitly authorize disclosure.
- Sanitized Project Descriptions: We share only high-level, anonymized project contexts necessary to gauge expert relevance and interest.
- Controlled Disclosure: Full project details and your identity are shared only after expert screening, compliance verification, and your explicit approval.
- Confidentiality Agreements: All experts sign non-disclosure agreements before participating in consultations.
Other Sharing Circumstances
We may share your information with:
- Service Providers: Third-party vendors who assist with payment processing, data hosting, analytics, customer support, and other operational functions (under strict confidentiality obligations)
- Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to continued confidentiality protections
- Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental regulation, or to protect our rights, property, or safety
- With Your Consent: Any other sharing with your explicit permission
7. How We Protect Your Information
We implement enterprise-grade security measures to protect your proprietary and confidential information:
- Encryption: TLS 1.3+ for data in transit and AES-256 encryption for data at rest
- Access Controls: Role-based access restrictions, multi-factor authentication, and regular access audits
- Infrastructure Security: Secure cloud hosting with redundancy, firewalls, intrusion detection, and regular security assessments
- Employee Training: Mandatory confidentiality agreements and ongoing security awareness training for all staff
- Incident Response: Established protocols for detecting, responding to, and reporting security incidents
While we employ industry-standard security practices, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We continuously monitor and update our security measures to address emerging threats.
8. Retention and Disposal of Your Information
We retain your information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy and to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations:
- Active Relationship: We retain your account information, project data, and communication records for the duration of our business relationship
- Legal Requirements: Certain financial, tax, and compliance records are retained for 7 years or as required by applicable law
- Legitimate Interests: We may retain anonymized or aggregated data for analytics, research, and service improvement purposes indefinitely
When information is no longer needed, we securely delete or anonymize it using industry-standard data destruction methods. You may request deletion of your data subject to legal retention requirements (see "Your Rights" section).
9. Your Communication Preferences and Account Management
You have control over the communications you receive from us:
- Marketing Communications: You may opt out of promotional emails by clicking the "unsubscribe" link in any marketing message or by contacting us directly
- Service Communications: We may send essential service-related communications (e.g., account notifications, security alerts) that are necessary for the operation of your account
- Notification Preferences: Customize your notification settings through your account dashboard to control frequency and types of updates
- Account Management: Update your contact information, user permissions, and account settings at any time through your account portal
Please note that opting out of certain communications may affect our ability to provide services or keep you informed of important account-related information.
10. International Data Transfers
XpertHop operates a global expert network. Your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States, where our primary data centers are located.
When we transfer your information internationally, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:
- Standard Contractual Clauses: We use European Commission-approved Standard Contractual Clauses for transfers from the EEA
- Adequacy Decisions: We transfer data to countries recognized by relevant authorities as providing adequate data protection
- Vendor Agreements: Our service providers are contractually required to maintain appropriate data protection standards
By using our services, you acknowledge and consent to the transfer of your information as described in this policy. If you have questions about international transfers, please contact us.
11. Your Rights
Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:
Access
Request access to the personal information we hold about you
Correction
Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
Deletion
Request deletion of your information, subject to legal obligations
Portability
Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
Restriction
Request restriction of processing under certain circumstances
Objection
Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in the "Contact Us" section. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30 days). Please note that certain requests may be subject to legal or contractual limitations.
12. California Residents' Privacy Rights
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with specific rights regarding your personal information:
- Right to Know: You have the right to request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it
- Right to Delete: You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain exceptions
- Right to Opt-Out: You have the right to opt out of the "sale" of your personal information. Note: We do not sell personal information as defined by the CCPA
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights
To submit a request under the CCPA, please contact us at info@xperthop.com or call us at +44 7775 401143. We will verify your identity before processing your request.
You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. The authorized agent must provide proof of authorization, and we may require you to verify your identity directly with us.
13. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
info@xperthop.com
XpertHop Privacy Office
124 City Road
London, England, EC1V 2NX
Lahore Office:
56-C C, NFC Commercial Area
Lahore, 54332
We will respond to your inquiry as promptly as possible, typically within 48 business hours for general inquiries and within legally required timeframes for rights requests.
14. Changes to This Policy
XpertHop reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. Material changes will be communicated as described in Section 2 ("Updates to this Privacy Policy").
We encourage you to periodically review this Privacy Policy to stay informed about how we protect your information. The "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy indicates when it was most recently revised.
Your continued use of our services after any modifications to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acknowledgment of the changes and your consent to abide by and be bound by the updated policy.