Helios Policy Center
Privacy Policy
At Helios, trust is a priority. This Privacy Policy explains how Helios collects, uses, shares, retains, and protects personal information when people use the Platform.
The policy applies to students, experts, vendors, suppliers, companies, partners, and other users. Helios does not sell personal information and uses information to operate the Platform, support transactions, improve the user experience, protect the community, and comply with legal obligations.
What this page helps users understand
Use this page to understand what information Helios may collect, why it is used, when it may be shared, how long it may be retained, and what privacy rights may apply depending on location.
Who this policy applies to
This policy applies to users who create accounts, publish profiles or content, use marketplace features, participate in gigs or quick tasks, communicate with other users, make purchases, receive payouts, or otherwise access Helios.
Important user control
Users may be able to access, update, or delete certain information through their account or by contacting Helios, subject to applicable law, fraud-prevention needs, transaction records, and legal retention obligations.
Policy Overview
This page organizes the Helios Privacy Policy into clear, collapsible sections so users can quickly understand what data is collected, how it is used, when it is shared, and what rights may apply.
Quick Privacy Guide
Review account, profile, content, payment, verification, device, and usage data categories.
Helios uses information to run the Platform, connect users, support payments, secure accounts, and meet legal obligations.
Some information may be public, shared with service providers, processed by Stripe, or disclosed for legal compliance.
Depending on location, users may request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, objection, or consent withdrawal.
Privacy Policy Sections
01Who We AreWhat Helios is and how users interact with the Platform.+
Helios is a human-led, AI-powered opportunity platform that connects manufacturing companies, experts, students, vendors, suppliers, associations, and other participants across end-to-end manufacturing and related industries.
Users may create profiles, upload resumes and business information, publish content, list services or offerings, communicate with other users, participate in gigs or quick tasks, subscribe to services, make purchases, receive payouts, and engage with marketplace, learning, and community features.
Privacy examples
- An expert profile may display the expert’s name, work history, certifications, skills, and public service descriptions.
- A company profile may display business details, posted opportunities, comments, reviews, or published resources.
- A payout-enabled vendor may need to provide additional identity, tax, and banking information for onboarding.
Practical guidance
- Only publish information you are comfortable making visible to others.
- Keep profile, business, and payout details accurate and current.
- Do not upload confidential third-party files unless you are authorized to do so.
02Information You Provide DirectlyAccount, profile, content, communication, support, and preference information.+
Helios may collect information users provide directly, including:
- Name, email address, phone number, mailing address, and account credentials
- Profile information such as education, work experience, certifications, resumes, business details, service descriptions, and areas of expertise
- Content uploaded or submitted, including text, images, videos, files, manuals, guides, CAD files, technical documents, comments, reviews, and messages
- Communications with Helios or with other users through the Platform
- Information relating to services, listings, offerings, gigs, quick tasks, events, or content posted or purchased
- Customer support inquiries, feedback, surveys, and reports
- Marketing preferences and communication preferences
Privacy examples
- A machinist uploads a resume and adds CNC programming experience to an expert profile.
- A vendor lists services and uploads product manuals or training material.
- A user contacts support about a transaction and provides screenshots, messages, or order details.
Practical guidance
- Review files before uploading to avoid sharing confidential, proprietary, or personal information unintentionally.
- Use clear, accurate, and non-misleading profile information.
- Limit support submissions to details necessary to resolve the issue.
03Payment, Payout, and Verification InformationBilling, payout, tax, transaction, fraud, risk, compliance, and connected account data.+
If users use paid features, make purchases, receive payouts, activate provider or seller functionality, or engage in marketplace transactions, Helios may collect additional information such as:
- Billing details and payment method information
- Payout account and bank account information
- Transaction history, payment status, refund status, and chargeback-related information
- Legal name, business name, business registration information, and contact details
- Government-issued identification information, date of birth, and address information
- Representative and beneficial ownership information
- Tax identification numbers, taxpayer certifications, VAT/GST details, withholding forms, and related tax documentation
- Fraud, risk, compliance, dispute, and verification-related information
This may include information collected or generated in connection with Stripe Connect onboarding, connected account setup, beneficial ownership review, tax reporting, dispute handling, reserve management, and fraud or compliance screening.
Privacy examples
- An expert who receives payouts may need to submit tax and connected-account details.
- A business seller may need to provide beneficial ownership or representative information.
- A chargeback or refund case may require transaction records and supporting evidence.
Practical guidance
- Submit accurate legal, tax, and payout information.
- Do not provide another person’s information unless you have proper authorization and required notices or consents.
- Review applicable Stripe terms and privacy documentation when using payment or payout features.
04Information Collected AutomaticallyDevice, browser, IP, usage, cookie, referral, and diagnostic information.+
When users use Helios, the Platform may automatically collect certain information, including:
- Device and browser information
- IP address and approximate location
- Log data and access timestamps
- Usage data such as pages viewed, clicks, features used, searches performed, time spent, and interactions with content
- Cookie identifiers and similar tracking information
- Referral URLs and technical diagnostic information
Privacy examples
- Helios may log when a user signs in, views a policy page, or searches for an expert.
- Technical diagnostic data may help troubleshoot page errors or account access issues.
- Cookie data may help remember preferences or support analytics where permitted.
Practical guidance
- Manage cookies through browser settings or available consent controls.
- Keep account credentials secure and report suspicious login activity.
- Understand that approximate location from IP data may be used for security, compliance, or localization.
05Legal Basis for ProcessingGDPR-related bases such as consent, contract, legitimate interests, and legal obligation.+
For users in the European Economic Area or jurisdictions with similar requirements, Helios may process personal data under one or more legal bases:
- Consent: optional information, certain cookies and similar technologies, and marketing communications where consent is required.
- Contractual necessity: account creation, Platform operation, transactions, payouts, support requests, and obligations to users.
- Legitimate interests: improving and securing the Platform, detecting fraud, recommending relevant content, supporting marketplace integrity, enforcing policies, and communicating with users.
- Legal obligation: compliance with laws, regulations, court orders, tax obligations, financial compliance requirements, and lawful requests from authorities.
Privacy examples
- Marketing emails may rely on consent where required.
- Payout processing may be necessary to perform transaction-related obligations.
- Fraud prevention and account security may rely on legitimate interests or legal obligations.
Practical guidance
- Review consent prompts carefully before opting in.
- Use privacy contact routes to object where applicable to legitimate-interest processing.
- Understand that some processing is required to provide core Platform services.
06How Helios Uses InformationPlatform operation, account management, matching, transactions, security, support, analytics, marketing, and compliance.+
Helios may use personal information to:
- Provide, operate, personalize, maintain, and improve the Platform
- Create and manage accounts, profiles, listings, and marketplace functionality
- Match users with relevant services, people, opportunities, and content
- Facilitate communication, collaboration, and user interactions
- Process purchases, facilitate payouts, manage subscriptions, and support transaction-related services
- Verify identity and business information
- Prevent fraud, abuse, chargebacks, unauthorized activity, spam, and platform misuse
- Conduct sanctions screening, compliance checks, and risk reviews where appropriate
- Provide customer support and respond to questions, complaints, and requests
- Enforce Terms of Service, community standards, payment rules, and other policies
- Analyze platform performance, usage patterns, and product effectiveness
- Send administrative messages, service updates, policy notices, and legal notices
- Send marketing communications where permitted by law and in accordance with user preferences
- Comply with legal, tax, audit, reporting, and regulatory obligations
Helios may also use information for connected account onboarding, identity and business verification, Stripe Connect-related payment and payout services, refund and chargeback management, reserve and hold decisions, and financial compliance obligations.
Privacy examples
- Helios may recommend experts based on profile details and marketplace activity.
- Helios may review account or transaction data when suspicious activity is detected.
- Helios may send policy update notices or transaction-related emails.
Practical guidance
- Keep notification preferences current.
- Use accurate profile and listing information to improve matching quality.
- Respond promptly to verification or compliance requests tied to transactions or payouts.
07How Helios Shares InformationPublic areas, service providers, Stripe, legal authorities, and business transfers.+
Helios does not sell personal information. Information may be shared in specific circumstances, including with:
- Other users: public profile, resume, business profile, services, posts, comments, reviews, and other public-facing Platform areas.
- Service providers: hosting, analytics, communications, customer support, security, fraud prevention, identity verification, data storage, and operational tools.
- Stripe Connect and payment processors: payment, payout, transaction, identity, business, tax, device, fraud, verification, and compliance-related information as reasonably necessary.
- Legal authorities and compliance parties: where necessary to comply with law, protect rights and safety, investigate fraud or abuse, or enforce agreements and policies.
- Business transfer parties: in connection with an actual or proposed merger, acquisition, financing, restructuring, asset sale, bankruptcy, or similar corporate transaction.
Privacy examples
- A public profile description may be visible to other users browsing Helios.
- A payment processor may receive information needed to process a payout or investigate a dispute.
- Helios may disclose records in response to a valid legal process or fraud investigation.
Practical guidance
- Treat public profile fields as visible information.
- Review Stripe’s current privacy terms if using payment or payout features.
- Do not submit personal information about third parties unless you have authorization and required notices or consents.
08International TransfersTransfers to the United States and safeguards for users outside the United States.+
If users are located outside the United States, information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and other countries where Helios or its service providers operate.
For users in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or other transfer-restricted jurisdictions, Helios aims to implement appropriate safeguards for international transfers where required by law, including contractual safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or other recognized transfer mechanisms.
Privacy examples
- A user outside the United States may access a U.S.-hosted Helios service.
- A service provider may process support or security data from a different country.
Practical guidance
- Review the privacy policy before submitting sensitive or business-critical data.
- Contact Helios for privacy questions about international transfer safeguards where applicable.
09Your Privacy RightsGDPR, CCPA/CPRA, PIPEDA, and related user-rights requests.+
Depending on location and applicable law, users may have rights to:
- Access personal information
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete information
- Request deletion of information
- Restrict or object to certain processing
- Request portability in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent
- Opt out of certain marketing communications
- Exercise additional rights provided under applicable privacy law
Helios will not discriminate against users for exercising rights granted under applicable law. Users may exercise rights by contacting Helios support or the privacy contact listed below, subject to legal, security, contractual, tax, fraud-prevention, and compliance limitations.
Privacy examples
- A user asks to correct an outdated phone number or profile detail.
- A user requests a copy of account information retained by Helios.
- A user requests deletion, but Helios must retain certain transaction or compliance records.
Practical guidance
- Be specific about the right you want to exercise.
- Use the email address associated with your Helios account when possible.
- Expect identity verification before Helios processes sensitive account requests.
10California ResidentsCCPA/CPRA rights, no sale of personal information, and no cross-context behavioral advertising sharing.+
California residents have the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. Helios does not sell personal information and does not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
California residents who wish to exercise rights under the CCPA/CPRA may contact Helios through the privacy contact listed below.
Privacy examples
- A California user requests information about categories of personal information Helios maintains.
- A California user requests correction or deletion, subject to applicable exceptions.
Practical guidance
- Clearly state that the request is a California privacy request if applicable.
- Provide enough information for Helios to verify and locate the account.
11Consent and CookiesCookie use, non-essential cookies, analytics, marketing communications, and preference controls.+
Helios uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience, analyze usage, remember preferences, and support certain platform features.
Depending on location, Helios may request consent for non-essential cookies and analytics tools, marketing emails, newsletters or promotional notifications, and certain optional tracking or personalization features.
Users may manage cookie preferences through browser settings, cookie banners or consent tools, or other controls Helios makes available. Users may withdraw consent where applicable, though some features may not function properly without certain technologies.
Privacy examples
- A cookie remembers a user’s selected preferences.
- Analytics may help Helios understand which help articles users visit most often.
- A user opts out of promotional emails but still receives required service notices.
Practical guidance
- Use browser controls to manage cookies.
- Review consent prompts before accepting optional technologies.
- Separate marketing opt-outs from required account, transaction, and policy notices.
12Automated Decisions and ProfilingAI-supported recommendations, fraud detection, ranking, search relevance, and safeguards.+
Helios may use limited automated tools, algorithms, and AI-supported systems to suggest relevant experts, services, suppliers, or content; recommend connections or opportunities; detect spam, fraud, suspicious activity, or policy violations; and improve search relevance, ranking, and personalization.
Helios does not use solely automated decision-making to make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on individuals unless permitted by applicable law and supported by appropriate safeguards.
Privacy examples
- A user sees recommended experts based on profile needs or searches.
- A fraud tool flags unusual login activity for review.
- Search ranking uses platform signals to improve relevance.
Practical guidance
- Keep profile information accurate to improve recommendations.
- Respond to verification requests if automated risk signals require review.
- Contact Helios if you believe a privacy or account decision needs review.
13Data RetentionHow long Helios retains records and why some records may remain after deletion requests.+
Helios retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in the Privacy Policy, including to provide the Platform, maintain accounts, support transactions and payouts, provide customer support, enforce policies, investigate disputes or security incidents, comply with legal and tax obligations, and protect the integrity of the Platform.
Payment, payout, tax, dispute, fraud-prevention, and compliance-related records may be retained for longer periods where required or permitted by law. A deletion request may not apply to records necessary for legal compliance, security, contractual obligations, tax, fraud prevention, or compliance reasons.
Privacy examples
- Helios retains transaction records needed for tax, audit, or dispute purposes.
- Fraud-prevention records may be retained to prevent repeat abuse.
- Public profile information may be removed while required compliance records remain restricted internally.
Practical guidance
- Before requesting deletion, download or save information you need.
- Understand that deletion may not remove records Helios must keep by law or for fraud prevention.
- Ask Helios to explain retained categories where applicable law gives you that right.
14Data Security and Breach ResponseSafeguards, no absolute security guarantee, and personal data breach response.+
Helios uses reasonable technical, administrative, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information, including access controls, encryption where appropriate, secure storage practices, monitoring, and vendor management.
No internet transmission or electronic storage method is completely secure, and Helios cannot guarantee absolute security.
In the event of a personal data breach likely to result in risk to rights and freedoms, Helios will notify affected users and applicable supervisory authorities in accordance with applicable law, including within 72 hours for GDPR-subject breaches where feasible.
Privacy examples
- Helios may monitor suspicious login activity.
- Access controls may restrict employee or vendor access to sensitive data.
- A qualifying personal data breach may trigger user and authority notification obligations.
Practical guidance
- Use strong passwords and protect account credentials.
- Report suspected unauthorized access immediately.
- Do not share payout, tax, or verification details through insecure channels.
15Children’s PrivacyHelios is not intended for children under 18.+
Helios is not intended for children under 18, and Helios does not knowingly collect or process personal data from children under 18 without appropriate legal authorization.
If a user believes a child has provided personal information to Helios in violation of the Privacy Policy, the user should contact Helios so the matter can be investigated and addressed.
Privacy examples
- A minor attempts to create a Helios account without appropriate authorization.
- A parent or guardian reports that a child submitted personal information.
Practical guidance
- Do not create a Helios account if you are under the permitted age.
- Report suspected child privacy issues promptly.
16Changes to This Privacy PolicyHow updates are posted and when additional notice or consent may be provided.+
Helios may update the Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in law, platform functionality, service providers, payment processes, data practices, or other operational needs.
When Helios updates the Privacy Policy, the revised version will be posted on the Platform and the “Last Updated” date will be updated. Where required by law, Helios will provide additional notice or request additional consent.
Privacy examples
- Helios updates the policy after adding a new payment or verification provider.
- Helios updates cookie disclosures after adding a new analytics tool.
Practical guidance
- Review policy updates when notified.
- Check the Privacy Policy periodically if you use sensitive or transaction-related features.
17Related Privacy and Legal PoliciesHelpful Helios pages connected to privacy, rights, platform conduct, and transactions.+
For related standards and jurisdiction-specific privacy details, review these Helios pages:
- California Privacy
- GDPR Privacy
- PIPEDA Privacy
- Terms of Service
- Trust & Safety
- Payments & Billing
- Enforcement & Appeals
Contact Helios About Privacy
For questions, reports, or concerns about privacy or personal information, users may contact Helios using the details below.
