privacy.

who is the data controller

MakersForge Ltd, registered in England and Wales, is the legal entity responsible for personal data under UK and EU data protection law.

MakersForge Ltd is a Seedcraft Ventures company. References to “MakersForge”, “we”, “us”, or “our” throughout this policy refer to MakersForge Ltd.

what we collect

We collect only what we need to represent specialists, match them to studio briefs, and operate the service.

specialist account & profile

When a specialist applies to the lineup, we collect: full name, professional handle, email address, location, discipline, work history, channels and creative formats, indicative day-rate range, references, and the handwritten summary published on their profile. Profiles on the public lineup are anonymised; real identities are revealed to a studio only after a brief is confirmed.

studio briefs

When a studio briefs us, we capture: role shape, timeline, budget, monetisation, channels in scope, internal contact, and any related context they choose to share.

engagement & payment records

For each engagement, we keep: matching notes, start and end dates, the flat monthly fee invoiced to the studio, and confirmation that the studio paid the specialist directly. We do not handle the specialist's pay; we only record that it happened.

technical data

Browser log data including IP address, browser type, pages visited, and timestamps, retained briefly for diagnostics and abuse detection.

What we don't collect: cross-site tracking, advertising cookies, device fingerprinting, or personal details we don't need to do our job.

how we use it

• Represent specialists to studios who brief us
• Generate the matched shortlist that goes to a studio after a brief
• Operate the lineup, the filters, and deep-linked filter views
• Issue invoices and reconcile fees
• Fix bugs, prevent spam, and improve features
• Send essential account notices and security alerts
• Meet legal obligations

our legal bases for processing

• Contract. Running the lineup, representing specialists, delivering matches to studios.
• Legitimate interests. Logging, spam prevention, security monitoring. Minimised collection.
• Consent. Optional features only processed with your agreement. Withdrawable at any time.
• Legal obligation. Responding to lawful requests, financial record keeping, tax compliance.

who we share it with

Personal data is shared only with infrastructure providers under data processing agreements, plus the specific studio involved in a confirmed brief.

• Supabase. Database and storage. EU-hosted.
• Vercel. Website hosting and request logging.
• Resend. Transactional email delivery for application acknowledgements and account notices.
• Studios with confirmed briefs. When a studio briefs us and a shortlist is generated, the matched specialists' real identities and detailed profiles are shared with that studio for the purpose of interview and engagement.

Disclosure to anyone else occurs only when legally required. We push back where lawful and notify the person affected where permitted.

international data transfers

Data is stored on EU servers via Supabase. For users outside the UK or EEA, data may be processed by vendors in other jurisdictions including the US. Protection is maintained through Standard Contractual Clauses and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum.

how long we keep things

Active specialist accounts: data retained for as long as the specialist remains on the lineup.

Closed accounts: personal data deleted within 30 days, except encrypted backups (up to 60 days) and anonymised analytics (indefinitely).

Engagement and financial records: kept for as long as UK tax law requires (currently six years).

Technical logs rotate automatically within 30 days.

how we protect it

Security measures include TLS encryption in transit, field-level encryption at rest for sensitive fields, hashed passwords, access controls, and audit logging. Breaches trigger notification to authorities within 72 hours and direct notification to affected users when significant risk exists.

your rights

Depending on where you live, you have a set of rights over the personal data we hold. We honour these globally where we reasonably can.

• Access. See the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification. Correct anything that's wrong or out of date.
• Erasure. Delete your account and the data we hold.
• Restriction. Pause processing while a dispute is sorted out.
• Portability. Receive your data in a machine-readable format.
• Object. Challenge processing based on our legitimate interests.
• Withdraw consent. Pull back any consent at any time.
• Complain. Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

Requests to andre@makersforge.gg receive responses within 30 days at no cost.

complaint authorities

• UK: Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk)
• EEA: Your local data protection authority
• California: CCPA / CPRA rights apply. We won't discriminate for exercising them.

minors

MakersForge is not intended for users under 18. Both specialists and studio contacts must be of age. If a child account is reported to us, we will close it and contact a parent or guardian as appropriate.

cookies and similar things

Essential cookies maintain sign-in status and preferences. No advertising cookies, cross-site trackers, or third-party profiling analytics are used. Browser blocking may impair functionality.

changes to this policy

Material changes are communicated by email or in-app before taking effect. Acquisition or restructuring of MakersForge Ltd triggers advance notice with the opportunity to close your account first.

governing law

Governed by the laws of England and Wales. Disputes are subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts, without prejudice to consumer rights in your own jurisdiction.