Privacy Policy

Last UpdatedJanuary 24, 2026

1. Introduction

Barter values trust and transparency as the core of our community. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your personal information when you access or use the Barter platform (the "Platform").

By accessing or using Barter, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this policy and agree to the data practices described herein. This policy is drafted in compliance with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP), 2023 (India), and other applicable global privacy principles.

2. Who We Are

Barter is an invite-only platform designed to help verified individuals connect and coordinate with confidence. The Platform is owned and operated by the Barter team. At this stage, Barter operates across multiple regions, including India and other jurisdictions, depending on where users access the Platform.

3. Who Can Use Barter

Barter is intended for individuals aged 18 years or older. We do not knowingly collect or allow the processing of personal data belonging to minors. If we become aware that a minor has accessed the Platform, we will take immediate steps to delete their information and terminate their access.

4. Information We Collect

We collect only the data necessary to operate the Platform and build trust between users.

a. Information from LinkedIn

To ensure a verified community, we use LinkedIn for authentication. We collect:

Identity Data: Your full name and profile photo.
Contact Data: Your verified email address.
Note: We do not access your private connections list, messages, or other private LinkedIn data.

b. Information You Provide

User Content: Photos and videos of items you list for barter.
Profile Information: Any bio or professional details you choose to make visible.
Location Data: Your city or general geographic area to facilitate local coordination.
Verification (Future): Government-issued identity documents may be introduced as an optional "Verified" badge step.

c. Activity Information

We monitor Platform usage to maintain safety:

Transactional Data: History of listings created and interactions with other users.
Feedback & Integrity: Reports, disputes, or reviews submitted by or about you.
Automated Logs: This data may be used to generate automated Trust or Activity Indicators.

5. How We Use Your Information

In accordance with the principle of "Purpose Limitation" under the DPDP Act, we use your data to:

Enable secure, identity-based access to the Platform.
Facilitate trust relationships.
Display profiles to the Barter community.
Maintain integrity via trust signals.
Respond to complaints or misuse.
We do not sell data to third parties.

6. Trust Scores and Automation

Barter may use automated systems to generate trust or activity indicators based on your behavior (e.g., response rate, successful completions).

These indicators are informational only and do not guarantee specific outcomes.
Users have the right to request information about the logic behind significant automated processing.

7. Sharing of Information

We share information only in limited, necessary situations:

Service Providers

Cloud hosting (e.g., AWS/Google Cloud) and analytics partners processing data on our behalf.

Compliance & Law

To comply with the Information Technology Act, 2000, or valid legal processes.

Aggregated Data

Anonymized, aggregated insights shared with partners.

8. Public Visibility

Barter is a social marketplace. Certain profile details (Name, Photo) and your active listings will be visible to other verified users to support coordination. You maintain control over what you choose to list, subject to platform community guidelines.

9. Payments

If payment features are introduced, they will be handled entirely by PCI-DSS compliant third-party payment processors. Barter will not store your credit card, debit card, or bank account credentials on our internal servers.

10. Communications

Service Notifications: Necessary alerts regarding your account or listings.
Product Updates: Announcements regarding new features.
Marketing: If introduced, you will have a clear opt-out mechanism.

11. Data Retention

Active:Retained while your account is active.
Archive:Up to 12 months after deactivation for compliance.
Cold:Moved to secure offline storage before deletion.

12. Account Deletion

You have the "Right to Erasure." Request deletion via settings or contact. Personal data is scrubbed from active systems upon deletion.

13. Data Security & 14. Transfers

We use encryption and access controls per Section 43A of the IT Act. Cross-border transfers comply with Section 16 of the DPDP Act 2023, ensuring comparable protection levels.

15. Future Use of AI

We will provide notice and obtain consent before processing data for Generative AI features tailored to user content.

Contact & Grievance

Vedant Yogesh

Grievance Officer (Builder)

vedantyogesh@gmail.com

Sec 1, HSR Layout, Bengaluru