Privacy Policy

1. Information We Collect

Personal Information:

• Name, email address, phone number
• Government-issued ID (for verification purposes)
• Bar license, NMLS license, lending license information (for professionals)
• Biometric data (selfie verification for professionals)
• Payment information (processed securely through Stripe)
• Case details, loan applications, and legal/financial matter information

Automatically Collected Information:

• IP address and browser information (for fraud detection and duplicate account tracking)
• Device type and operating system
• Usage data and analytics
• Cookies and tracking technologies
• Document access logs (view, download, share timestamps)
• Payment attempt logs (for duplicate payment method detection)
• Communication patterns (for bypass attempt detection)

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Match clients with AI-verified, qualified professionals (attorneys, lenders, agents, landlords, property managers)
• Process payments, verify subscriptions, and manage transactions
• Free Tier Management: Track service provider free case balance (3 free cases) and completion
• AI Access Control: Monitor and enforce AI feature access based on subscription and commission agreement status
• Commission Agreement Management: Process and enforce commission agreements after free tier exhaustion
• Review Incentive Processing: Verify social media reviews and process 25% commission refunds
• AI-Based License Verification: Automated validation with state bar, NMLS, and regulatory authorities
• Regulatory Data Scraping: Monitor license status via third-party regulatory databases
• Payment-Before-Access Enforcement: Verify lender subscription status before granting access to features
• Facilitate secure communication between clients and professionals (within paid subscriptions)
• Fraud Detection: Analyze patterns for duplicate accounts, payment abuse, and bypass attempts
• Document Access Control: Track and log all document views/downloads to prevent unauthorized access
• Continuous Compliance Monitoring: 24/7 automated license status checks
• Annual Re-Verification: Trigger and process mandatory yearly license validation
• Improve our platform and AI matching algorithms
• Client Notification: Alert clients of professional verification status changes within 24 hours
• Comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
• Prevent fraud, unlicensed practice, money laundering, and ensure platform security
• Audit Log Storage: Maintain immutable records of all verification, payment, and access events
• Chargeback Detection: Monitor and respond to payment disputes and fraudulent chargebacks

3. Information Sharing

We share your information only in these circumstances:

With Professionals:

When you submit a case, necessary details are shared with AI-verified, matched professionals to evaluate your case. Professional verification status is visible to clients.

Third-Party Regulatory Data Sources:

For License Verification: We access state bar databases, NMLS registries, and other regulatory authorities to verify and monitor professional licenses. This includes automated data scraping and API integrations for compliance.

Service Providers:

We use third-party services including Stripe (payments), AWS (hosting), AI verification providers, analytics tools, and regulatory data aggregators.

Legal Requirements:

We may disclose information when required by law, court order, regulatory audit, or to protect our rights and ensure compliance.

We DO NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your information for marketing purposes without consent
• Disclose sensitive legal matter details publicly

4. Data Security

We implement industry-leading security measures:

• AES-256 Encryption: All data encrypted at rest using military-grade encryption
• TLS 1.3 Encryption: All data encrypted in transit
• Secure Document Storage: Access-controlled, encrypted document storage with audit logging
• Payment Gate Enforcement: Zero-trust access model—no data access without verified payment
• Immutable Audit Trails: Every access logged with timestamp, IP, user ID
• Regular security audits and penetration testing
• Multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all professional accounts
• Secure payment processing through PCI-DSS compliant providers
• Role-based access controls (RBAC) limiting data visibility
• Employee training on data protection and privacy
• Auto-lock on security events: Chargeback or fraud detection triggers immediate access revocation

5. Attorney-Client Privilege

IMPORTANT: MeetDefender respects attorney-client privilege.

• Communications between clients and attorneys through our platform are confidential
• We do not monitor or review privileged communications
• Privileged information is protected from disclosure
• We will not disclose privileged communications except as required by law

6. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal information
• Request correction of inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your data (subject to legal requirements)
• Opt-out of marketing communications
• Export your data in portable format
• Object to certain data processing activities

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@meetdefender.com

7. AI Data Processing

Our platform uses AI for automated verification and compliance monitoring:

AI License Verification:

• AI systems process professional license data, government IDs, and regulatory records
• Automated validation against state bar and regulatory authority databases
• AI-generated confidence scores for verification decisions
• Machine learning models analyze document authenticity and data consistency

Continuous Monitoring:

• AI monitors license status changes 24/7 via regulatory data sources
• Automated alerts for suspensions, expirations, or disciplinary actions
• Weekly automated checks and annual re-verification triggers

AI Limitations:

AI systems may make errors. Verification flagged as low-confidence undergoes manual review. By using the platform, you acknowledge AI processing of your data and accept that AI is not infallible.

8. Audit Log Storage

We maintain immutable audit logs of all verification and compliance events:

• All verification requests, approvals, rejections, and status changes
• License monitoring checks and alerts
• Annual re-verification events and outcomes
• Client notifications sent due to verification changes
• Case assignment blocks and suspensions
• Admin actions and manual review decisions

Audit logs are retained indefinitely for compliance, regulatory reporting, and dispute resolution.

9. Data Retention

We retain your information:

• For as long as your account is active
• As needed to provide services and maintain compliance
• To comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
• To resolve disputes and enforce agreements
• For a minimum of 7 years for legal and tax compliance
• Audit logs are retained indefinitely for compliance and regulatory purposes
• Verification records are retained permanently to maintain audit trail integrity

10. Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies to:

• Remember your preferences and settings
• Authenticate your session
• Analyze platform usage and performance
• Provide personalized experiences

You can control cookies through your browser settings.

11. Children's Privacy

Our services are not intended for individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from minors. If we discover we have collected information from a minor, we will delete it immediately.

12. International Users

If you are accessing our platform from outside the United States, please note that your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States where our servers are located.

13. Changes to Privacy Policy

We may update this policy periodically. We will notify users of material changes via email or platform notification. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

14. Service Provider Pricing and AI Access Data

For service providers (attorneys, lenders, mortgage agents), we collect and process:

• Free Case Tracking: Number of free cases remaining (starts at 3) and total cases completed
• AI Feature Usage: Which AI tools are accessed and when (AI Chat, Suggestions, Insights, Drafting, Help)
• Subscription Status: Active/inactive status, payment history, billing dates
• Commission Agreement Data: Agreement signature, date signed, IP address, version accepted
• Review Incentive Data: Review platform name, URL, screenshots, approval status, refund amounts
• AI Suspension Events: When AI access is suspended after free tier exhaustion and when restored

This data is used to enforce fair pricing policies, prevent abuse, and manage the free tier program transparently.

15. Review Incentive Privacy

For providers participating in the review incentive program:

• Review proof (URLs, screenshots) is stored for verification purposes
• Admin reviews validate authenticity before approving refunds
• Fraudulent or fake review attempts are logged and may result in account termination
• Reviews submitted must comply with the social platform's policies
• Email communications to refund@meetdefender.com are securely processed and linked to requests

16. PII Masking & Gated Contact Disclosure

Your contact details are protected by our PII Masking System:

• Automatic Masking: All names, email addresses, and phone numbers are automatically redacted in messages and documents until both parties complete payment
• Database Encryption: Contact details are stored encrypted and only unlocked via a secure flag triggered by confirmed payment completion
• Keyword Scanning: All messages are scanned in real-time for attempts to share contact info (phone numbers, email addresses, social platform handles) outside the payment flow
• Bypass Detection: Attempts to use keywords like "call me", "my email", "whatsapp", "off platform", etc. trigger automatic fraud alerts and team notifications
• Two-Step Unlock: Full contact info is only revealed after (1) Engagement Fee paid AND (2) Quote Payment confirmed by both parties

17. Document Version Control & E-Signature Privacy

• Every version of a shared legal document is stored permanently with full revision history
• Client e-signatures are collected, timestamped, and stored securely for each document version
• No document becomes "final" without explicit client e-signature approval
• Diff views between versions are available to both parties for full transparency
• Change notes authored by attorneys are stored alongside each version

18. Fraud Flags & Reputation Records

• Accounts flagged for bypass attempts or policy violations receive a permanent reputation record
• Red flags are visible to all platform team members and administrators
• Flagged accounts are blocked from matching until administrative review and resolution
• Reputation records associated with a name or business persist even if an account is recreated
• All fraud alerts include a reason, flagging party, and timestamp for full accountability

19. AI Milestone Timeline Data

• Case descriptions and metadata are processed by AI to generate milestone timelines
• AI predictions are estimates only and do not constitute legal advice or guarantees
• Historical case data used for predictions is anonymized and aggregated
• Clients may request deletion of AI-generated timeline data at any time

20a. Case Task Checklist Data

• Task checklists are automatically generated by case type (divorce, immigration, criminal, traffic, real estate, etc.)
• Task completion status, due dates, priority levels, and assignment history are stored per case
• Daily overdue reminders are sent to assigned attorneys via email — no manual setup required
• Task data is retained as part of the case record and subject to the same retention policies

20b. Booking & Calendar Data

• Attorney availability settings (weekly schedules, buffer times, session types) are stored and used to display bookable time slots to clients
• Booking records include session type, date, time, meeting link, client email, and case reference
• Confirmation emails with meeting links are sent automatically to both parties upon booking
• Calendar events are created in the FirmCalendarEvent system and may be synced to external calendars
• Booking data is retained as part of the case engagement record

20c. Billing & Invoice Data

• Invoice records include amount, description, due date, status, and client/provider identifiers
• Payment records are stored with timestamps, reference numbers, and payment method metadata (no raw card data stored)
• Automated receipts are sent via email on every successful payment transaction
• Billing data is retained for a minimum of 7 years for tax and regulatory compliance
• Clients may access their full billing history at any time from their portal

20. Contact Information

For privacy-related questions or concerns:

Email: privacy@meetdefender.com
Data Protection Officer: dpo@meetdefender.com
Review Incentive: refund@meetdefender.com
Address: [Company Address]