HustleU Privacy Policy

HustleU ("we," "us," "our") operates a verified, college-specific peer-to-peer platform that helps students discover and connect with each other for skills, services, and academic resources. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, why we collect it, how we protect it, and what rights you have over it.

By creating an account on HustleU, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Information We Collect

Account information: your name, Gmail address, and phone number, provided when you sign up.

Verification information: your selected college, your course/degree program, and a photograph of your student ID card, provided during the verification step of signup.

Platform activity: requests, listings, and offers you post; messages you send to other verified students through HustleU's messaging feature; and reviews and ratings you give or receive.

We do not collect: payment information (HustleU does not process payments — students arrange payment between themselves independently), and we do not require a college email address.

2. Why We Collect This Information

Student ID card and college/course selection: used solely to verify that you are a genuine student, so that other students on the platform can trust who they're interacting with. This is the core safety mechanism of HustleU.

Name, Gmail, phone number: used for account access, communication about your verification status, and to allow other verified students to contact you through the platform.

Listings, messages, reviews: used to operate the core marketplace and community features of HustleU.

We do not use your data for advertising targeting outside the platform, and we do not sell your personal information to third parties.

3. How Your Student ID Is Handled

Because your student ID card is sensitive personal information, we handle it with additional care:

• Your uploaded ID image is stored in a private, restricted-access location and is never publicly visible or accessible via a direct link.
• Only authorized HustleU administrators can view your ID image, and only for the purpose of verifying your student status.
• Your ID image is not shown to other students at any point, on your profile or otherwise — only your “Verified Student” badge is shown publicly, not the underlying document.

4. Data Retention

We retain your ID card image for as long as your account remains active, so that your verified status can be reconfirmed if needed. If you delete your account, your ID image will be deleted within [X days — set a specific number, e.g. 30] of account deletion, except where we are required to retain limited information for legal, safety, or dispute-resolution purposes for a longer period.

5. How We Protect Your Information

• All data is transmitted over encrypted (HTTPS) connections.
• Access to sensitive data, including ID images, is restricted through access controls limiting visibility to authorized administrators only.
• We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, consistent with the security practices expected under India's IT Act, 2000 and its associated rules.

No online platform can guarantee absolute security, but we are committed to using reasonable, industry-standard safeguards and to promptly addressing any issues that arise.

6. Your Rights

Under the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDP Act), you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
• Withdraw consent for processing at any time (note: withdrawing consent for ID verification will result in loss of “Verified Student” status and platform access)
• Request erasure of your personal data, subject to any legal retention requirements
• Raise a grievance regarding how your data is handled (see Section 8 below)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in Section 8.

7. Sharing of Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share limited information:

• With other verified students, only as necessary for platform functionality (e.g., your name and college appear on your public profile; your messages are shared with the specific student you're messaging)
• With law enforcement or regulatory authorities, only if legally required to do so
• With service providers who help us operate the platform (e.g., our hosting and email service providers), solely for the purpose of providing the service, and bound by confidentiality obligations

8. Grievance Officer

In accordance with the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, HustleU has appointed a Grievance Officer to address complaints regarding this platform and your personal data.

Grievance Officer: [Your name] Email: [your grievance contact email] Response time: We aim to acknowledge complaints within 24 hours and resolve them within 15 days, as required under applicable law.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify users via email or a prominent notice on the platform before the changes take effect.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how your data is handled, contact us at: [your contact email]