Privacy Policy
Last Updated: February 6, 2026
Introduction
At VouchTrust Systems ("VTS", "we", "us", "or "our"), trust is our product. We operate the Vouch4Me platform with a fundamental commitment to privacy and transparency.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services (the "Platform"). By creating an account or using the Platform, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information in three ways: (1) Information you provide directly; (2) Information collected automatically; and (3) Information from third parties.
A. Information You Provide
- Account Data: Name, email address, phone number, and business details (e.g., Company Name, Job Title).
- Profile Content: Information you choose to publish on your public profile, including biography, skills, website links, and social media handles.
- Verification Data: To obtain a "Verified" badge, you must provide government-issued identification (e.g., Driver’s License, Passport) and a live selfie. Important: This data is submitted directly to our Identity Verification partner. VTS does not store your raw government ID images. We only receive and store a "Pass/Fail" result and metadata (e.g., document expiration date).
- Feedback & Testimonials: Content you submit or receive as testimonials.
B. Information Collected Automatically
- Device & Usage Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, device model, and timestamps of your visits.
- Cookies & Analytics: We use session cookies to keep you logged in and functional cookies to remember your preferences. We use analytics providers (such as Google Analytics) to understand site traffic. We do not use third-party advertising cookies for cross-context behavioral advertising. You can opt-out of Google Analytics here.
C. Information from Third Parties
- Payment Processors: When you pay for a subscription, our payment processor (e.g., Stripe) provides us with a tokenized reference to your payment method (e.g., last 4 digits of the card and expiration date). We do not store full credit card numbers.
2. How We Use Your Information
We use your data to:
- Operate the Service: Create your account, host your public profile, and display your verified status.
- Verify Identity: Facilitate the identity proofing process required to maintain the integrity of our Platform.
- Communicate: Send you security codes (OTPs), renewal reminders, and service updates via Email or SMS.
- Security: Detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse.
- Compliance: Enforce our Terms of Service and comply with legal obligations.
3. How We Share Information
Our Core Promise: We do not sell your personal information to data brokers or third parties.
We only share information in the following limited circumstances:
- Service Providers: We share data with trusted vendors who help us operate the business. These partners are contractually bound to protect your data and only use it for the purposes we specify.
- Identity Verification: To verify your legal identity.
- Payment Processing: To handle subscriptions and refunds.
- SMS Delivery: To send authentication codes and alerts.
- Hosting: Cloud infrastructure providers (e.g., AWS/Google Cloud).
- Public Profiles: Information you explicitly add to your "Public Profile" (Name, Business Name, Bio, Testimonials) is visible to the public and indexable by search engines.
- Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required by law (e.g., a subpoena or court order) or to protect the rights and safety of VTS, our members, or the public.
- Business Transfers: If VouchTrust Systems is involved in a merger, acquisition, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, your user data may be transferred to the new owner.
4. SMS and Mobile Privacy (Strict No-Sharing Policy)
We respect your mobile privacy. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. All other categories of data exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.
5. Data Retention
We retain your personal data only as long as necessary to provide the Service and fulfill legal, security, and accounting requirements.
- Active Accounts: Data is retained indefinitely while your subscription is active to maintain your verified status and profile history.
- Inactive/Expired Accounts: If you do not renew your subscription, your profile will be hidden. As per our Terms of Service, if your account remains inactive for 90 days past the renewal date, your public profile data is subject to permanent deletion.
- Deletion Requests & Legal Exceptions: If you request to delete your account, we will permanently remove your public profile, photos, and personal biography. However, we cannot delete certain data records, including:
- Transaction History: We must retain records of payments and refunds for tax and accounting purposes.
- Legal Acceptances: We retain logs of your acceptance of our Terms of Service and Identity Verification consents to prove legal compliance.
- Security & Audit Logs: We retain server logs, IP access history, and verification results (Pass/Fail) for security auditing and fraud prevention.
- Banned Users: If an account is banned for safety violations, we retain specific non-public identifiers to prevent that individual from creating a new account.
- Operational Analysis: We may retain certain usage data for internal analysis to improve our Platform. In such cases, this data will be anonymized or aggregated so that it can no longer be associated with you personally.
6. Your Rights and Choices
- Access & Update: You can access and edit your profile data at any time via your account dashboard.
- Delete: You may request the deletion of your account via your settings or by contacting support.
- Opt-Out of SMS: You may opt out of SMS texts at any time by replying "STOP." (Note: This may affect your ability to log in securely).
- Marketing: You may unsubscribe from non-essential marketing emails via the "Unsubscribe" link in the footer of our emails.
7. Security
We implement industry-standard security measures (encryption, access controls, and secure tokenization) to protect your data. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Children's Privacy
Our Service is strictly for individuals who have reached the age of majority in their jurisdiction of residence (e.g., 18 years old in most US states, 19 in AL/NE, 21 in MS). We do not knowingly collect data from minors. If we discover that an individual under the applicable age of majority has created an account, we will delete it immediately.
9. Geographic Restrictions (US Residents Only)
VouchTrust Systems is based in the United States and provides its Services exclusively for residents of the United States. We make no claims that the Platform or any of its content is accessible or appropriate outside of the United States. Access to the Platform may not be legal by certain persons or in certain countries.
If you access the Platform from outside the United States (e.g., via a VPN), you do so on your own initiative and are responsible for compliance with local laws. We expressly disclaim any liability for international users who bypass our blocking measures.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you (e.g., by email or a prominent notice on the site) and require your consent to the new terms to continue using the Platform.
11. United States Regional Privacy Notice
This section applies to residents of certain US states (including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah) that have implemented specific privacy laws.
- Your Rights: You have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data. You may exercise these rights via your account settings or by contacting us. We will not discriminate against you for exercising these rights.
- No Sale of Data: VouchTrust Systems does not sell your personal data for monetary consideration.
- Limiting Use of Sensitive Information: We do not use "Sensitive Personal Information" (such as your government ID) for any purpose other than the specific business purpose of identity verification and fraud prevention. We do not use it to infer characteristics about you.
- California "Shine the Light" Law: California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits California residents to request a list of third parties to whom we have disclosed personal information for direct marketing purposes. We do not share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.
- Appeals: If we deny a privacy request, you may appeal the decision by contacting us at the email below. If you are unsatisfied with the outcome, you may contact your state's Attorney General.