1. Scope
This Privacy Policy explains how PrintCommons handles personal information when you use the website, create an account, publish projects or machine listings, communicate with other users, request or provide fabrication services, or complete marketplace transactions.
2. Information we collect
Depending on how you use PrintCommons, we may process:
- account information such as email address, display name, profile information, and authentication identifiers;
- marketplace information such as projects, machine listings, capabilities, materials, pricing, availability, reviews, and public profile content;
- communications such as messages, quotes, support requests, reports, and dispute-related records;
- transaction information such as order amounts, payment status, refunds, payouts, and payment-provider identifiers;
- uploaded files, images, CAD or fabrication files, metadata, and other content you choose to provide;
- security and technical information such as IP address, browser and device information, timestamps, request logs, session information, and fraud or abuse signals;
- legal-consent records such as the policy version, acceptance timestamp, and the account, machine, project, order, or other action connected to the acceptance.
Payment card and bank-account details may be collected directly by our payment provider. PrintCommons does not need to store complete payment-card numbers in order to operate the marketplace.
3. Sources of information
We receive information directly from you, from your use of the service, from other users involved in a transaction or report, and from service providers that help us authenticate users, process payments, host the service, prevent fraud, and maintain security.
4. How we use information
- provide accounts, profiles, messaging, projects, machine listings, quotes, orders, payments, and payouts;
- display information you intentionally make public;
- authenticate users and maintain sessions;
- prevent fraud, abuse, unauthorized access, and security incidents;
- provide support, investigate reports, enforce marketplace policies, and resolve disputes;
- maintain, troubleshoot, analyze, and improve the service;
- comply with legal, tax, accounting, and payment-network obligations;
- maintain records of agreements, licences, and policy acceptances connected to marketplace activity.
5. When information is disclosed
We may disclose information to other marketplace users when needed for a transaction or when you intentionally publish it; to hosting, authentication, storage, email, payment, fraud-prevention, and other service providers acting for PrintCommons; to professional advisers; or when reasonably necessary to comply with law, enforce our agreements, investigate abuse, or protect users and the service. We do not currently sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
6. Public information
Project pages, marketplace listings, fabricator profiles, reviews, and other fields clearly presented as public can be viewed, copied, indexed, or redistributed by others. Do not put private addresses, confidential information, trade secrets, or sensitive personal information in a public field unless you intend it to be public.
7. Retention
We keep information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including providing active accounts and transactions, maintaining transaction and consent records, preventing fraud, resolving disputes, meeting tax or accounting obligations, enforcing agreements, and maintaining security. Retention periods differ by data type. Backups and records subject to legal or fraud-prevention holds may remain for a limited period after user-facing deletion.
8. Cookies and similar technologies
PrintCommons currently uses cookies and similar storage primarily for authentication, session continuity, security, and payment-related functionality. We do not currently load third-party advertising or behavioral-analytics tags in the application. See the Cookie Policy for more detail.
9. Your choices and privacy requests
You can update many profile and marketplace fields through your account. You may also request access, correction, or deletion of personal information where applicable. Certain information may be retained when necessary for completed transactions, fraud prevention, security, legal obligations, or disputes.
10. California privacy disclosures
California law requires commercial online services that collect personally identifiable information from California consumers to conspicuously post a privacy policy. If PrintCommons is subject to additional California Consumer Privacy Act requirements for a particular period, eligible California residents may also have rights to know, delete, correct, opt out of sale or sharing, limit certain uses of sensitive personal information, and receive equal service when exercising privacy rights, subject to statutory exceptions.
PrintCommons does not currently sell personal information or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. We therefore do not currently operate a sale/sharing opt-out. If those practices change, we will update this policy and provide legally required opt-out mechanisms, including support for applicable preference signals.
11. Do Not Track and third-party tracking
Because the current application does not use third-party advertising or cross-site behavioral tracking, browser Do Not Track signals do not change the site's current behavior. Third-party service providers used for authentication, hosting, security, or payments may process technical information necessary to provide those services under their own privacy terms.
12. Security
We use technical and organizational safeguards intended to protect service data, including access controls and security monitoring. No online system is perfectly secure. Protect your credentials and avoid placing sensitive information in public listings or messages unless it is necessary for the transaction.
13. Children
PrintCommons is intended for adults and is not directed to children under 18. Do not create an account or submit personal information if you are under 18.
14. Changes
We may update this policy as features, service providers, and legal requirements change. The effective date above identifies the current version. Material changes may be accompanied by additional notice when appropriate.