Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Tewam Hire ("we", "us") handles personal data when you visit tewamhire.com or use the Tewam Hire app at app.tewamhire.com. We process personal data in line with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019 and other laws that apply to us.

1. Information we collect

Information you give us

• Account details: name, email address, phone number, password or other sign-in method, and whether you joined as an employer or a freelancer.
• Profile details: photo, professional title, about text, skills, location, portfolio items and gigs.
• Verification documents (freelancers): a copy of your ID, a selfie and, where requested, a qualification certificate.
• Marketplace activity: jobs you post, bids, proposals, chat messages, files you upload or deliver, revision requests, reviews and dispute statements and evidence.
• Payout details (freelancers): the payout method and account details you add to receive withdrawals.
• Messages to us: anything you send when you contact support.

Information we collect automatically

• Usage and device data: IP address, browser and device type, pages viewed, sign-in times and actions taken in the app.
• Cookies and similar technology: to keep you signed in, remember preferences and understand how the site is used.

Information from others

• Payment partners: Stripe and PayPal tell us whether a payment succeeded, was refunded or was disputed. They process your card or PayPal details; we never see or store your full card number.
• Other users: for example, reviews another user leaves about you, or messages they send you.

2. How we use your information

• To create and run your account and show your profile, jobs and gigs.
• To match employers and freelancers, and to let you post jobs, bid, chat, hire, deliver and review.
• To take payments, hold job payments, release earnings, process withdrawals and issue receipts and refunds.
• To verify freelancers and keep the marketplace safe, including detecting fraud, spam and abuse.
• To review and decide disputes.
• To send service messages such as sign-in codes, job updates, payment receipts and policy changes.
• To improve Tewam Hire and fix problems.
• To meet our legal, tax and accounting obligations.

We rely on these legal grounds: performing our contract with you; our legitimate interests in running a safe and useful marketplace; complying with the law; and your consent where we ask for it (you can withdraw consent at any time).

3. What other users can see

Some information is public by design. Freelancer profiles (name, photo, title, location, skills, portfolio, ratings, reviews and verified status) and published gigs are shown on tewamhire.com and can be seen by anyone, including search engines. Employers' job posts are visible to freelancers, and the full details are shown to freelancers who unlock the job. Messages, files and dispute evidence are shared only with the people taking part in that job and with our administrators. We never publish your verification documents, payout details or phone number.

4. Who we share information with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only with:

• Other users, as described above, so the marketplace can work.
• Payment partners (Stripe and PayPal) to take payments and process refunds, and payout providers to pay withdrawals.
• Service providers that host our systems, send emails and text messages, store files and monitor errors, under contracts that require them to protect your data.
• Authorities or other parties when the law requires it, or when needed to protect the rights, safety or property of our users or Tewam Hire.
• A buyer or successor if Tewam Hire is sold or merged, under this same policy.

5. International transfers

Some of our service providers store or process data outside Kenya. When that happens we make sure the transfer is allowed under the Data Protection Act and that appropriate safeguards are in place.

6. How long we keep information

• We keep your account data for as long as your account is open.
• If you ask us to close your account and it has no job, payment or earnings history, we delete it.
• If it has that history, we suspend the account instead and keep the job, payment, earnings and review records, because other users and our accounting depend on them. We keep these records for as long as the law requires (usually up to 7 years for financial records).
• Verification documents are kept only as long as needed to confirm your identity and meet legal obligations.

7. How we protect information

We use encryption in transit, access controls, and restricted storage for sensitive files such as verification documents. Only staff who need access to do their job can see your data. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong password and keep your sign-in methods private.

8. Your rights

Subject to the law, you have the right to:

• be told how your data is used, and get a copy of it;
• correct data that is wrong or out of date (much of it you can edit yourself in the app);
• ask us to delete your data, subject to the records we must keep (see section 6);
• object to or restrict certain uses, including direct marketing;
• receive your data in a portable format;
• withdraw consent you have given.

To use any of these rights, email info@tewamhire.com. We may need to confirm your identity first. If you are not happy with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya (odpc.go.ke).

9. Cookies

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in and secure, and may use analytics cookies to understand how the site is used. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, but parts of Tewam Hire may stop working if you block essential cookies.

10. Children

Tewam Hire is for people aged 18 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has created an account, contact us and we will remove it.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version here with a new date and, for important changes, let you know by email or in the app.

12. Contact us

For privacy questions or requests, email info@tewamhire.com or use our contact page. See also our Terms of Service and Refund Policy.