At Public Call Online (PCO), we value your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard the data you share with us when using our app and website. Please read it alongside our Terms & Conditions. Where a feature requires your consent or device permission, that choice is separate from simply reading this policy.
1. Information We Collect
a) Personal Information
We may collect the following information when you create an account, complete a profile, or use PCO’s services:
- Account and contact details: your name, email address, phone number, WhatsApp number, account credentials, and authentication tokens. Passwords created through PCO are stored in hashed form.
- Professional profiles: your profile and cover pictures, service categories, professional description, portfolio images, availability, and the prices or rates you choose to provide.
- Location and addresses: your country, city, latitude and longitude, saved service addresses, and any contact-person details you provide for a booking.
- Bookings: the selected professional, requested date and time, service description, booking status, address, and uploaded attachments.
- Communications and feedback: chat messages, files you share, message timestamps and read status, ratings, reviews, and information you send when requesting support.
Only share another person’s contact details, address, images, or other information when you have permission or another lawful reason to do so.
b) Technical and Usage Information
We may also receive technical information such as device type and operating system, app usage information, IP address, request timestamps, and records used to operate, troubleshoot, and protect the service. Some technical information may be personal information under applicable law.
c) Social Sign-In and Notifications
If you choose Google or Apple sign-in, PCO receives the authentication response needed to sign you in, including the email address used to create or identify your PCO account. For Google sign-in, the app sends the sign-in token to our server, which requests the Google account information needed to identify your account. Your email address is stored with your PCO account and used for account access and related support. We do not receive your Google or Apple password.
Social sign-in is used for authentication, rather than access to your Gmail messages, contacts, calendar or Drive files. Information obtained through sign-in is handled under the use, sharing, security and retention provisions of this policy. You can manage or revoke PCO’s access in your Google or Apple account settings; revoking access does not itself delete your PCO account or information already stored with it.
If notifications are enabled, PCO may store a device messaging token to deliver service notifications.
2. How We Use Your Information
The information we collect is used to:
- Create and manage accounts, authenticate users, and support password recovery.
- Facilitate connections between customers and freelancers, including category and location-based discovery.
- Display professional profiles and freelancers’ availability, where supported.
- Manage bookings, deliver messages and attachments, and display ratings and reviews.
- Provide customer support, respond to inquiries, and process account or privacy requests.
- Enhance functionality, troubleshoot problems, protect against misuse, and understand app performance.
- Meet applicable legal obligations and protect PCO and its users.
We do not sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
3. Location Data
PCO uses location information to display nearby freelancers or customers and provide location-based services. This can include coordinates supplied by the app, your chosen city, and locations attached to saved addresses or bookings.
Device location data is collected with your permission, and you can change that permission in your device settings. Disabling location access may limit nearby discovery. Addresses or coordinates you previously submitted are not automatically removed when you change a device permission; you can update available account details or contact us about removing information.
Professional location details may be displayed to other users as part of discovery. Avoid adding a private address to a public profile unless you intend to share it.
4. Data Sharing
We may share information under the following circumstances:
- With other users: to facilitate connections, we share relevant contact details, including email, phone, and WhatsApp information. Professional profiles, service details, portfolio items, location details, ratings, and reviews may also be visible through the platform.
- For bookings and communication: relevant booking information, service addresses, messages, and attachments are used to connect the people involved in that interaction.
- With service providers: third-party services may support hosting, storage, authentication, maps, message delivery, notifications, and other operational functions. These providers are required to maintain the confidentiality of data handled for PCO.
- As required by law: information may be disclosed to meet legal obligations or protect the rights and safety of PCO and its users.
Files intended for public profiles and portfolios may be accessible through their published links. Be careful about information you put in uploads, messages, and reviews. Do not send passwords, payment-card details, identity documents, or other unnecessary sensitive information through chat.
5. Data Security
We use security measures designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
You are responsible for protecting your account credentials and access to your device. Contact us if you believe your account has been accessed without permission. This policy does not represent that chat messages or uploaded files are end-to-end encrypted.
6. Data Retention and Account Removal
We retain information for as long as needed to provide our services, handle related interactions, meet legal obligations, and address legitimate security or dispute-related needs. You may request deletion of your personal information by contacting us at publiccallonline@gmail.com .
You can use the account-removal option offered in your app version or contact support. Active bookings may need to be resolved before an account can be removed. The scheduled removal flow disables the account and uses a 15-day waiting period before scheduled processing; the exact processing time can depend on the request and operational circumstances.
Account removal does not necessarily erase every record of earlier interactions. Related booking, message, review, support, log, or backup records may remain, and some account information may be changed or deactivated instead of fully erased. If you want particular retained personal information removed, identify it in your request so we can assess the request and explain any applicable retention obligations or exceptions.
Deleting the PCO app from your device does not itself delete your PCO account. Other users may retain copies of information that you have already shared with them.
7. Your Rights and Choices
Subject to applicable law, you may request:
- Access: a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
- Correction: corrections to inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Deletion: removal of your personal information, subject to applicable obligations and exceptions.
- Objection or restriction: consideration of a request to stop or limit particular processing where those rights apply.
You can also change location and notification permissions in your device settings, update the profile information supported by the app, and manage permissions with your social sign-in provider. Where processing relies on your consent, you may withdraw it without changing the lawfulness of earlier processing.
To make a request, email publiccallonline@gmail.com with the subject “PCO privacy request” and enough information to identify your account and request. You can also contact our support team on WhatsApp at +92 322 0066742 . We may need to confirm account ownership before responding. Do not include your password or sign-in token.
8. Third-Party Services, Links, and Website Storage
PCO may contain links to third-party websites or services. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external sites.
Depending on the features you use and the services enabled, integrations can include Google or Apple sign-in, Google Maps location services, Firebase Cloud Messaging, and Pusher real-time messaging. Those providers may process information needed to supply the selected feature under their own terms. Their information is available through Google’s Privacy Policy, Apple’s Privacy Policy, Firebase’s privacy information, and Pusher’s privacy and security information.
The website uses cookies for session management and request security. It also uses browser session storage to remember whether you have paused decorative animations. You can manage or clear this information through your browser settings. Blocking necessary cookies may affect features such as the website contact form; animation preferences are optional.
If you contact PCO through WhatsApp or email, we receive the contact details, messages and attachments you choose to send and use them to respond to your enquiry. WhatsApp and your email provider also process communications under their own terms and privacy policies. Our published WhatsApp number is for PCO support; it is not the contact number of every freelancer listed in the app.
Service providers may process information in locations outside your country. Contact us if you need information about the processing arrangements that apply to your account.
9. Children’s Privacy
PCO is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information to PCO, please contact us at publiccallonline@gmail.com .
10. Updates to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated policy will be published on this website and made available within the app as appropriate. Please check the update date when reviewing it. Where legally required, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent for material changes. Continued use does not replace a permission or consent that must be obtained separately.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy, please contact Public Call Online (PCO):
Email: publiccallonline@gmail.com
WhatsApp: +92 322 0066742
Website support: Contact PCO
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