Acceptable Use Policy

This policy is designed to:

• Protect HireLocal users and the public
• Prevent fraud, scams, abuse, and illegal activity
• Maintain a professional marketplace
• Protect personal and financial information
• Preserve the security and reliability of the platform
• Establish clear rules for enforcement
• Promote honest and lawful transactions

This policy applies to all users, including workers, employers, businesses, service providers, customers, administrators, and visitors.

Users may not use HireLocal to create, promote, request, perform, arrange, advertise, purchase, or facilitate any activity that violates applicable federal, state, or local law.

Users are responsible for ensuring that their jobs, services, listings, communications, contracts, and transactions are lawful in every location where they operate.

HireLocal may remove content or restrict activity that appears illegal, unsafe, deceptive, or inappropriate for the marketplace.

The following are prohibited:

• Creating fake or misleading accounts
• Impersonating another person, company, or organization
• Misrepresenting qualifications, credentials, licenses, experience, or identity
• Posting false business information
• Using stolen photographs, logos, portfolios, or identification
• Submitting fake invoices, documents, references, reviews, or work records
• Creating fraudulent transactions
• Attempting to deceive another user for financial or personal gain
• Concealing material information relevant to a job, service, contract, or transaction

Users must provide accurate information and promptly correct information that becomes outdated or inaccurate.

Users may not post jobs that:

• Do not represent a legitimate opportunity
• Contain false compensation or employment terms
• Require applicants to pay for consideration or hiring
• Exist primarily to collect personal information
• Promote pyramid schemes, chain-referral programs, or deceptive business opportunities
• Require applicants to purchase products from a designated seller as a condition of employment
• Misrepresent the employer, location, duties, schedule, or compensation
• Are intended to redirect users to fraudulent websites
• Request unlawful or unethical work

All job listings must clearly and honestly describe the opportunity being offered.

Users may not create service listings that:

• Misrepresent the provider’s identity, qualifications, availability, or experience
• Advertise services the provider cannot lawfully perform
• Use stolen portfolio materials or photographs
• Offer fraudulent, deceptive, dangerous, or unlawful services
• Contain intentionally misleading prices or terms
• Are designed primarily to move users away from HireLocal
• Require payment through unapproved methods
• Violate another person’s rights

Service providers are responsible for maintaining any licenses, permits, insurance, certifications, or legal authorizations required for their work.

HireLocal may not be used to arrange, promote, support, or facilitate:

• Violence or threats of violence
• Human trafficking or exploitation
• Child exploitation or abuse
• Illegal drug activity
• Theft, burglary, vandalism, or property damage
• Unauthorized surveillance
• Stalking or harassment
• Dangerous activities that violate applicable law
• Instructions intended to cause physical harm
• Services involving illegal weapons or prohibited materials
• Any activity that creates an unreasonable risk to users or the public

HireLocal may immediately report credible threats or suspected criminal activity to appropriate authorities.

Users may not:

• Harass, threaten, intimidate, stalk, or bully another person
• Publish hateful or demeaning content
• Target someone based on protected personal characteristics
• Make discriminatory hiring or service decisions where prohibited by law
• Encourage violence or hostility toward individuals or groups
• Send sexually inappropriate, threatening, or abusive communications
• Retaliate against someone for reporting a concern

Professional disagreement is permitted, but abusive conduct is not.

HireLocal may not be used to advertise, request, sell, purchase, create, or facilitate:

• Pornographic or sexually explicit services
• Sexual services or prostitution
• Exploitative or non-consensual content
• Content involving minors in any sexual context
• Sexual harassment or unwanted sexual communications
• Human trafficking or coercive activity

Accounts connected to exploitation or illegal sexual activity may be immediately terminated and reported to law enforcement.

Users may not:

• Send repetitive or unsolicited promotional messages
• Mass-message unrelated users
• Post duplicate or irrelevant listings
• Use automated tools to send messages without approval
• Collect user information for external marketing
• Add users to mailing lists without permission
• Promote unrelated websites, products, or services
• Manipulate search results through keyword stuffing
• Use HireLocal primarily to generate external leads

Messages should be relevant to a legitimate HireLocal interaction.

Users may not:

• Request another user’s password or verification code
• Send deceptive login links
• Impersonate HireLocal staff
• Send files designed to damage or compromise a device
• Attempt to steal financial or identity information
• Distribute malware, spyware, ransomware, or malicious code
• Use shortened or misleading links to conceal a destination
• Direct users to fraudulent payment or verification pages

HireLocal will never request a user’s password through email, text message, or in-app messaging.

Users may not:

• Attempt to access another user’s account
• Bypass authentication or security controls
• Test platform vulnerabilities without written authorization
• Interfere with platform availability or performance
• Launch denial-of-service attacks
• Access restricted administrative systems
• Circumvent rate limits
• Introduce malicious software
• Use compromised credentials
• Attempt to obtain confidential source code, system data, or private records

Suspected security vulnerabilities should be reported to HireLocal rather than exploited.

Unless expressly authorized in writing, users may not:

• Scrape profiles, listings, reviews, prices, or contact information
• Use bots to create accounts, submit proposals, post listings, or send messages
• Copy HireLocal data into another service
• Use automated systems to bypass normal platform workflows
• Harvest email addresses or telephone numbers
• Republish HireLocal content elsewhere
• Use artificial traffic or engagement tools
• Manipulate ratings, rankings, searches, or recommendations

Approved search engines and authorized integrations may access the platform according to applicable technical instructions.

Users may not:

• Use HireLocal to initiate a relationship and then deliberately move payment outside the platform to avoid applicable fees
• Request payment through gift cards, cryptocurrency, wire transfers, or other unapproved methods
• Submit fraudulent refund requests
• Abuse chargebacks
• Use stolen or unauthorized payment methods
• Manipulate transaction amounts
• Create sham transactions
• Launder money or disguise the source of funds
• Split transactions to avoid platform rules
• Misrepresent completed work or payment obligations

Major marketplaces commonly restrict moving platform-originated relationships and payments outside their systems because it removes transaction protections and circumvents fees.

Payments should remain within HireLocal whenever required by the applicable contract, checkout flow, or platform rules.

Users may not:

• Create fake reviews
• Review themselves through another account
• Purchase or sell reviews
• Threaten negative reviews to obtain payment, refunds, discounts, or concessions
• Offer compensation in exchange for positive reviews
• Coordinate misleading ratings
• Review a transaction that did not occur
• Submit defamatory, discriminatory, threatening, or irrelevant review content
• Manipulate profile statistics or reputation indicators

Reviews must reflect genuine experiences.

Users may not upload, post, distribute, sell, or use content they do not own or have permission to use.

This includes:

• Photographs
• Logos
• Videos
• Designs
• Documents
• Written content
• Software
• Music or audio
• Portfolio materials
• Trademarks
• Copyrighted work
• Confidential business information

Reported copyright violations will be addressed according to HireLocal’s DMCA Policy.

Read our DMCA Policy

Users may not:

• Publish another person’s private information without authorization
• Collect personal data for unrelated purposes
• Sell or distribute user information
• Request unnecessary sensitive information
• Share Social Security numbers, financial credentials, passwords, or verification codes through messaging
• Use personal information for harassment, fraud, discrimination, or identity theft
• Record private communications without required consent
• Retain user information longer than reasonably necessary

Users must handle personal information responsibly and lawfully.

Users may not request or provide services intended to:

• Complete academic work dishonestly
• Impersonate another person during an examination or interview
• Fabricate professional credentials
• Submit false legal, financial, medical, licensing, or government documents
• Evade regulatory requirements
• Provide regulated professional services without required qualifications
• Assist another person in committing fraud or professional misconduct

Legitimate tutoring, editing, research assistance, and educational support may be permitted when they do not facilitate dishonesty.

Users may not:

• Create multiple accounts to avoid restrictions
• Manipulate search placement
• Artificially inflate profile views, applications, bookings, ratings, or engagement
• Coordinate fake transactions
• Exploit referral or promotional programs
• Abuse free trials, credits, discounts, or subscription benefits
• Submit excessive or knowingly false reports
• Interfere with another user’s access to the platform
• Misuse administrative, moderation, or support tools

Certain services may require licenses, permits, insurance, certifications, background checks, age verification, or other legal authorization.

Examples may include:

• Legal services
• Medical or healthcare services
• Financial or investment services
• Childcare
• Transportation
• Construction and skilled trades
• Security services
• Real-estate services
• Professional engineering
• Licensed contracting
• Other regulated occupations

HireLocal may require proof of qualification or prohibit a service where legal compliance cannot be reasonably confirmed.

Users should report suspected violations through the available reporting tools.

Reports may involve:

• Profiles
• Job listings
• Service listings
• Messages
• Reviews
• Contracts
• Payments
• Uploaded content
• Fraud or scams
• Security concerns

Users should provide truthful information and any available supporting evidence.

Knowingly submitting false reports may itself violate this policy.

HireLocal may investigate suspected violations and take action based on the nature, severity, frequency, and risk of the conduct.

Actions may include:

• Warning the user
• Removing content
• Rejecting or suspending listings
• Restricting messaging or transactions
• Holding or reviewing payments where legally permitted
• Requiring verification
• Temporarily suspending the account
• Permanently terminating the account
• Preserving relevant records
• Reporting suspected unlawful activity
• Cooperating with payment processors or legal authorities

Serious or repeated violations may result in immediate permanent removal.

Marketplace platforms commonly use measures ranging from temporary restrictions to permanent account blocks for serious or repeated policy violations.

Users who believe an enforcement decision was made in error may submit an appeal through the Contact Support Center.

An appeal should include:

• The affected account
• The enforcement action
• A clear explanation
• Relevant documents or evidence
• Any corrective action already taken

Submitting an appeal does not guarantee reversal or reinstatement.

HireLocal may update this Acceptable Use Policy to reflect:

• New platform features
• New marketplace risks
• Changes in law
• Payment-provider requirements
• Security developments
• Community feedback
• Operational changes

The updated effective date should appear at the top of this page.

Questions or reports regarding this policy may be directed to:

HireLocal USA

Trust & Safety Team