Care.com Privacy Policy

Last Updated: October 8, 2024

California users: Click here to see our Privacy Information for California Residents

Care.com offers various services to help its users find, coordinate, and maintain quality care. Care.com’s Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) is designed to explain the information we collect and how we use it to provide our services and give users a better experience. It applies to any users of www.care.com and any web pages, mobile applications and mobile websites operated by Care.com that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, the “Site”), including those who are seeking to find an individual or shared care services provider through Care.com (“Care Seekers”) as well as those who are looking to promote their services through Care.com (“Care Providers”), and any users of any of the various services that Care.com or its subsidiary Care Concierge, Inc. provides through the Site or any other channels, including over the telephone (all such services including the Site collectively referred to herein asthe “Services”), but excluding the users of www.getgalore.com, www.care.com/explore/marketplace and related domains and mobile application(s), which are subject to a separate privacy policy. Please note that certain of our subsidiaries have separate privacy policies which will be presented to you when you interact with those subsidiaries.

For purposes of this Privacy Policy, the terms “Care.com,” “we,” “us,” and “our” refer to Care.com, Inc., and with respect to Backup Care Services and Senior Care Planning Services, to Care Concierge, Inc. “You” refers to you, as a visitor or user of the Site or the Services. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third party entities that may use the Site or Services. Such entities’ use of the Site and Services are subject to separate terms that they agreed to when they registered or otherwise contracted with Care.com. Other capitalized terms that are not expressly defined in this Privacy Policy have the same meaning as set forth in the Care.com Terms of Use.

By using the Site and/or the Services, you consent to our collection, storage, use and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.

1. Information We Collect and Their Sources

How we collect and store information depends on the Services you use and the activities in which you participate. You can use some of the Site and Services without providing any information other than that automatically collected as described below. Visitors who access and browse the Site without registering are “Site Visitors.” In order to utilize some of the Services offered by Care.com, you must register with Care.com. All users who register with Care.com are “Registered Users.”

A. Information you provide

Regardless of whether you are a Site Visitor, Registered User, or otherwise access or use the Services, all information that you provide to us when registering, posting a job, posting a profile, communicating through the Site, discussing care options over the phone, utilizing our mobile applications or that you otherwise provide on the Site or by phone, email, postal mail or otherwise, will be stored by us and processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy. You represent and warrant to us that you have the right and authority to provide us all information you provide about yourself or others. 

You may provide us with information in various ways, including:

i. When registering

When you register directly through Care.com, we will collect and store the information that you provide to us on our online registration forms. This may include, among other information, your:

• first and last name
• email address
• home address
• gender
• birthday
• phone number

Some users may have the opportunity to register with Care.com by connecting through Facebook’s application programming interface (API) or other third-party authentication tools such as those provided by Google or Apple. Please see below to learn about the information we access, collect and store if you register with Care.com through one of these methods. If you register for a Service that requires you to pay a fee, you understand and agree that Care.com or its designated payments processor will  collect your payment method details, such as account number, expiration date, security code and  billing address.

ii. When posting a job

If you are a Care Seeker, we collect and store all of the additional information that you provide to us on your job posting or that is otherwise included in an auto-generated job posting. This may include, among other information:

• the type of care you are looking for, your schedule, location, hourly rate, number and ages of children, family members, or pets (if applicable), narrative job description, requirements for a Care Provider (such as ability to drive)
• pictures you choose to provide
• health information, if you choose to provide it
• any other information you choose to include in your job posting

iii. When posting a profile

If you are a Care Provider, we collect and store all of the additional information that you provide to us in your profile. This may include, among other information:

• details on the care you offer, including for example the type of care you provide, your availability, your location, your level of education, languages you speak, your ability to drive
• related services you provide
• pictures you choose to post
• your phone numbers
• references, if you choose to provide them
• any other information you choose to include in your profile

iv. By telephone

Both Site Visitors and Registered Users may provide information to Care.com when they contact Customer Care or utilize certain Services Care.com may offer by telephone. For example, if you call Care.com to discuss care options over the phone, we will collect and store all of the information you choose to provide to us, including but not limited to financial information, information about the care you or your loved one needs, health information about you or the loved one you seek care for, your contact information, etc. If you provide information about someone other than yourself, you represent that you have authority to do so.

v. Otherwise through the Site or the Services

Certain Registered Users may provide additional information on the Site through other Site features and offerings such as our online communication platforms, groups and payment platforms and our senior care offerings. In some cases, Site Visitors may have the ability to provide us information through the Site, such as contact information. In addition, both Registered Users and Site Visitors may choose to provide information by phone, email, postal mail, or chat. We collect and store all of the information you provide us through these channels. Moreover, if you provide information about someone other than yourself through any of these channels, you represent that you have authority to do so.

B. Information provided by others

i. By Site Visitors, Registered Users and others

Care.com also captures and collects information that Site Visitors, Registered Users and others provide about one another. For example, Care Providers may invite Site Visitors, Registered Users or others to rate and indicate their relationship to the Care Provider on the Site. Additionally, certain Registered Users may post reviews about individual Care Providers. Care.com may also obtain and post audio recordings of Care Provider references, which may also be accessed from the Site. In addition, certain Registered Users may communicate directly with one another through Care.com platforms. Site Visitors, Registered Users and others also may provide us information about Registered Users by phone, email or postal mail. Care.com captures and stores all information it receives from Site Visitors, Registered Users and others about other Registered Users and Site Visitors.

ii. By third parties to verify your information and representations

In order for Care.com or our service provider to verify your identity when you are on a mobile device using the Care.com mobile application or on mobile web, your mobile service provider may share your phone number and other account information to validate mobile possession. You authorize us to receive this information from your wireless carrier to help us identify you or your wireless device and to prevent fraud.

In order to promote the safety and integrity of the Site and Services, you authorize Care.com, as provided in the Terms of Use, to utilize third party verification providers to check your information on an ongoing basis against a variety of sources, which may include, but are not limited to, national criminal databases, sex offender registries, certain media streams, terrorist watch lists, criminal and fugitive watch lists, fraud watch lists, law enforcement reports, and other data to assist us in verifying the information you provide us (such as your name, address, email address, etc.) and the representations and warranties you make in the Terms of Use and on the Site (such as representations regarding your criminal background) (“Preliminary Screens”). The results of any Preliminary Screens will be made available to Care.com.

iii. By third parties that perform background checks

As provided in the Terms of Use, we may provide some or all Registered Users and Site Visitors with the ability to request from a third-party consumer reporting agency that a background check be run on themselves or on Care Providers they are considering hiring using information that they and any subject Care Providers may provide. Any such background checks will be subject to the terms we establish for such checks on the Site pages where they are requested or authorized, the terms of this Privacy Policy, and our Terms of Use. Care.com may receive a copy of, or otherwise have access to, any such background check, unless otherwise specified in this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Use.

iv. By third-party authentication tool providers if you connect to Care.com through these tools

You may have the opportunity to connect to Care.com using your credentials from other services’ authentication tools, such as those provided by Facebook, Google, or Apple when you register for Care.com or after you have registered for Care.com. If you connect to Care.com through these methods, either when you register or after you have registered, we will collect, store, and use in accordance with this Privacy Policy any and all information you agreed that these entities could provide to Care.com through their authentication tool. Your agreement (and our access to your information) takes place when you instruct, accept or allow these entities to register you for a Care.com account or otherwise connect to Care.com through them. The information Care.com may access, collect and store may include the following, among other information, as allowed by you, the relevant terms of the authentication tool provider, and your privacy settings with these entities:

• your name
• your profile picture
• your email address
• your gender
• your birthday
• your location (i.e. city)
• the names and pictures of your friends and connections on the other entity’s service
• your interests and affinity networks
• other information you make publicly available through these entities’ services

v. By third party providers you use in connection with our Services

If you engage a third party provider through Care.com, such as a home care agency or a payments processor, that third party provider may provide us with information about you or your loved ones, such as information relating to your transactions with them.

vi. By other sources

In addition, we may obtain information about you from other sources (e.g., partners, researchers, marketers, etc.), such as demographic data, and other information to enable us to comply with regulatory requirements, ensure the accuracy of data, better understand your likely interests, prevent fraud, etc. We may combine information that we collect from you with information about you from such other sources and use it in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

vii. By your employer

If you have access to the Site and Services as part of your employer’s benefits program, your employer may provide information about you to Care.com. Any such information will be subject to an agreement between Care.com and your employer and will not be subject to this Privacy Policy. 

C. Information you expressly authorize us to collect

We may from time to time request permission to collect certain information from or about you. For example, if you use a Care.com mobile application, we may request permission to access information about the contacts listed in your mobile device phone book when you initiate an address book search for friends who have downloaded the application. We may also request permission to access and store your location (e.g., your precise GPS-based functionality on the mobile devices used to access the Site and Services) to provide functionality relevant to your location. If you grant your permission, we will access and/or store such information unless you subsequently opt out by adjusting the settings in your mobile device. See your device manufacturer’s instructions for further details.

D. Automatically collected information

We may automatically collect certain information about the computer or devices (including mobile devices) you use to access the Site and Services as described in this section below.

i. Log files, IP addresses and information about your computer and mobile device

When you visit the Site, Care.com receives the internet protocol (“IP”) address of your computer (or the proxy server you use to access the internet), your computer operating system, the type of web browser you are using, and browser language. If you are using a mobile device, Care.com may also receive unique device identifiers and other information about your mobile or other device(s), and mobile operating system. We may correlate this information with other information we have about you. We may also automatically collect information related to the ways in which you interact with the Site and the Services, such as referring and exit pages, URLs, platform type, the number of clicks, domain names, landing pages, pages and content viewed (including ads viewed) and the order of such views, the amount of time spent on particular pages, the date and time you use the Services, error logs, and other similar information.

ii. Cookies, Tracking Pixels, and other technologies

A cookie is a tiny data file that resides on your computer, mobile phone, or other device, and allows us to recognize you when you return to the Site using the same computer (or mobile device) and web browser. Like most websites, we and our service providers, as well as ouronline analytics and marketing partners use cookies, and tracking pixels to track Site usage and trends, evaluate the effectiveness of our ads both on and off our Site, customize your experience on the Site and improve the quality of our Services. For example, using these technologies we can determine, among other things, which pages of our Site you visit and which ads you click on. Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can modify your browser settings to decline cookies. In some cases, however, doing so may impact your ability to use Care.com. 

iii. Online analytics and advertising

When you visit our Site or open one of our emails, we may allow authorized third parties, such as ad servers, ad agencies, ad exchanges, ad technology vendors, and research firms, to place or recognize a unique cookie, pixel, and/or similar technologies on your browser in order to provide you relevant Care.com advertisements as you surf the Internet. These advertisements may be targeted to you based on information these authorized third parties know or infer about you and include in the cookies placed on your browser, and/or on information about your Internet browsing activities, including your browsing activities on our site, gathered through your browser over time. If you prefer not to receive these online behavioral advertisements, you may opt-out here or here. In order for the opt-out to work, your browser must be set to accept third party cookies. Furthermore, if you buy a new computer or mobile device, change web browsers or delete the opt-out cookie, you will need to perform the opt-out task again. Please note that if you opt-out you may continue to receive Care.com advertisements as you surf the Internet, including contextual ads based on the content on a webpage you are visiting. However, these advertisements will not be displayed based on information contained in, or collected by, cookies or other technologies placed on your browser when you visit our Site or open our emails.

We also use Google Analytics to measure Site usage and improve our visitor experience. The relevant data is provided to us by Google in the aggregate (i.e., individual users are not identified) and allows us to better understand our Site audience. The Google Analytics features implemented by us allow us (i) to evaluate and generate reports on certain demographic, behavioral, and interest metrics of users collected by Google, and (ii) to create advertising remarketing audiences and campaigns based on such metrics, which may be segmented into aggregated groups. Visitors can opt-out of Google Analytics for Display Advertising and customize Google Display Network ads using the Ads Settings form at https://www.google.com/settings/ads. 

Depending on your state of residence and applicable laws, you may also have the ability to manage these technologies through a consent management tool on the Site and Services available via the “Your Privacy Choices” or “Do Not Sell or Share My Information” link on the Site footer.   See the “Your Privacy Rights and Choices” section below for more information about how you can manage these technologies.

iv. Social media features and widgets

Our Site includes social media features and widgets, such as the Facebook “Like” button and the Facebook “Share” button. These features may collect your IP address, the URL of the page you are visiting on our Site, and may set a cookie to enable the feature to function properly. Social media features and widgets are either hosted by a third party or hosted directly on our Site. Your interactions with these features are governed by the privacy policy of the company providing it.

2. Purposes For Which We Use Information

In general, the information we collect is used for our business purposes: (1) to improve our Services and enhance your experience with Care.com, (2) to enable us to provide a safer community for all of our Registered Users, and (3) to help us communicate with you. For example, we may use your information to:

1. register and service your account;
2. include in Care Seeker profiles, job postings and Care Provider profiles;
3. contact you in response to questions and solicit feedback and input from you;
4. notify you about new features of the Services, special events, or products, services, and special offers, or other information that we believe will be of interest to you via direct mail to your address on file, email, SMS messages, or other media or networks;
5. administer sweepstakes and contests;
6. enable Care Seekers with each other and with Care Providers to search based on the information the other has made available on the Site, and information others have provided about them;
7. connect Care Seekers with Care Providers that appear to meet their needs and preferences;
8. enable Registered Users to search for, find, interact, connect and exchange information with other Registered Users they may have an interest in interacting with;
9. enable Registered Users who connect to Care.com through Facebook to see which of their Facebook friends who have connected to Care.com through Facebook are Registered Users or friends with other Registered Users who have connected to Care.com through Facebook;
10. verify information you provide us as well as the representations and warranties you make to us in the Terms of Use or on the Site;
11. perform analytics and research aimed at improving the accuracy, effectiveness, usability, or popularity of the Services;
12. generate and review reports and data about our user base and usage patterns, including to improve the content and features of the Services or develop new Services;
13. meet our legal obligations and otherwise help protect the safety and integrity of the Site and Care.com users; and
14. personalize promotional messages or content on the Site, via email or other ads on Care.com or third party sites. 

We may aggregate and/or de-identify information collected by the Site, the Services, or via other means so that the information is not intended to identify you. Our use and disclosure of aggregated and/or de-identified information is not subject to any restrictions under this Privacy Policy, and we may disclose it to others without limitation for any purpose.

3. How We Disclose Information and Categories of Third Parties With Whom We Disclose Information

In addition to using the information collected by Care.com for the purposes described above, we may also disclose your information to various third parties, as described below. Please review our disclosure policy closely. By using our Site or our Services, you agree that we can disclose the information you provide to us in the ways described below. Your ability to make changes to what information is disclosed is described below.

A. With All Site Visitors and Registered Users

If you are a Care Seeker or a Care Provider, in order to increase your chances of finding a job or finding the care you need, we disclose to Site Visitors and Registered Users the information that is included in your job posting or profile, aside from your contact information, as well as the following registration information, which we may include in your job posting or profile: your first name, first initial of your last name, city, state, profile picture, and if you are a Care Provider, your gender and, unless you opt-out, your age. With certain exceptions, you choose how much detail you want to include in either your job posting or your profile. We may also disclose on your profile or job posting any company reviews you have posted on our Site, whether you have connected to Care.com through Facebook, and any connections you have with other Care.com users, including the nature of those connections. If you are a Care Provider and have elected to verify certain information with Care.com or to have a background check performed, we may also disclose that information in your profile as a Registered User in addition to your response rate and any payment or payroll preferences you have indicated. If you post information in a Care.com online group forum, such as the Working Moms Group, that information may be viewed by any Site Visitor or Registered User who accesses the forum. We may display personal testimonials of Registered Users and other endorsements on our Site or in other marketing materials. These testimonials or endorsements may include information such as the Registered User’s first name, first initial of last name, town and state. With a Registered User’s consent, we may include their full name.

B. With other Registered Users and corporate providers

In addition to the information that is provided to all Registered Users and Site Visitors, Care Provider reviews and references are made available to certain Registered Users. If you are a Care Provider, your phone number may be visible to certain Registered Users if you elect to share it in your profile. In addition, your approximate residential location (through Google map plotting) is made available to certain Registered Users and Site Visitors unless you elect to keep that information confidential. 

If you are a Care Seeker or a Care Provider, you will appear in search result listings if you match the search criteria used by a Care Provider or Care Seeker, as applicable. Similarly, you may appear in emails sent to Care Providers or Care Seekers in your area. Care Seekers may opt-out of being included in Care Provider search results and in certain emails sent to Care Providers. In addition, if you are a Care Seeker and you view the profile of certain Care Providers, those Care Providers will be able to see that you have viewed their profiles unless you opt-out of that information disclosure. If you are a Registered User, your Care.com online status may be made available to other Registered Users unless you elect to keep that information confidential. If you connect to Care.com through Facebook, we may allow any of your Facebook friends who have connected to Care.com through Facebook to see that you are a Registered User. In addition, other Registered Users who have connected to Care.com through Facebook will be able to see if you are friends with any of their Facebook friends or if you share certain affinities or interests with them. If you fill out a form to request information from a specific corporate Care Provider, such as a specific day care or tutoring center, the contact information you submit on a form for the provider will be forwarded to that provider. Similarly, if you call a corporate Care Provider directly or click to a corporate Care Provider’s site from the Care.com site, any information you provide over the phone or on the provider’s site will be provided by you directly to the provider. In addition, if you utilize our Backup Care Services or the Senior Care Planning Services to obtain information about senior care or other care options for yourself or your loved ones, information you provide Care.com, including contact, health, financial, and other information about yourself or your loved ones may be forwarded to third party Backup Care Providers or Senior Care Services providers that may meet your stated needs and preferences so they may evaluate your needs and preferences and contact you. If you provide information about someone other than yourself, you represent that you have authority to provide us the information and to authorize us to disclose the information in accordance with the terms of this Privacy Policy. Once provided to a corporate Care Provider, the information is subject to the privacy policies of the corporate Care Provider. Notwithstanding the foregoing, a corporate Care Provider may provide information about you and your dependents who are receiving their services, including contact information, utilization information, and medical and health-related information, to Care.com and our subsidiary, Care Concierge, Inc. Such provided information would be subject to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If we terminate your registration for any reason, we reserve the right to send a notice of your termination to other Registered Users with whom we believe you have corresponded.

C. With service providers or processors

We also disclose information to service providers or processors (collectively referred to herein as “processors”) with whom we have a contractual relationship and who perform services for Care.com including, without limitation, processors who: provide email, demographic information, or geo-location information services; perform background or identity checks or Preliminary Screens; process or accept credit card payments; run classified advertising businesses; send SMS messages to Registered Users’ mobile phone numbers; provide services that enable us and other third parties to detect and prevent fraud; in each case to the extent applicable. In certain cases (such as for processors who help facilitate our online communication services or provide fraud detection and prevention services), the information we disclose may include the contents of written and audio messages you send through our online communication platforms. We have implemented Google’s Invisible reCAPTCHA technology on our site. Use of the Invisible reCAPTCHA is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

D. With listings in and through Google and other public search engines, social media sites (e.g. Facebook, Google+), and on other third party websites)

In an effort to further facilitate the ability of Care Seekers or Care Providers to find a caregiver or job, selected information contained in Care Seeker job postings and Care Provider profiles, which may include photo, first name, first initial of last name, city, state, and job/provider description, may also be disclosed to third party search engines, social media sites, and other third party websites or vendors who run classified advertising and other businesses, and thus may be listed in third party web site search results and on third party websites, which would make that information available to the public and allow them to link to your Care.com posting. Registered Users can opt-out of this disclosure by adjusting their account settings. If you post information in a Care.com online group forum, such as the Working Moms Group, your content, including your name as the contributor, may be displayed in third party search engine results and available to the public.

E. With third-party tool providers if you connect to Care.com through these tools. 

If you connect to Care.com through a third party tool such as Facebook’s or another third party API, you may elect to post certain of your activities on Care.com back to your account with those third party tools. 

F. As required by law or for reasons of safety

We may disclose your information when we believe in good faith that such disclosure is appropriate in order to investigate, prevent, or take action regarding possible illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the health or physical safety of any person, violations of this Privacy Policy, the Terms of Use, or the Backup Care Terms of Use, and/or to protect the rights and property of Care.com, our employees, users, and the public. This may involve the disclosure of your information to law enforcement, government agencies, courts, and/or other organizations.

G. With our affiliates

You acknowledge and agree that we may disclose any of the information we’ve collected about you to any of our affiliates (including our parent company) or subsidiaries for the purposes of providing you with the Services, operating the Site, soliciting you for potential employment opportunities with those affiliates or subsidiaries, and our other commercial purposes, including those of our affiliates and subsidiaries.

H. With employers that provide Care.com as part of their benefits program

If you enroll in Care.com as part of your employer’s benefits program, you acknowledge and agree that we may disclose information about your utilization of the Site and the Services to your employer, including without limitation the type of care sought and number of jobs posted, statistics on provider searches, and messages sent or received in relation to your use of your Care.com subscription; the number of inquiries and types of care sought in relation to your use of Assisted Search; days and hours of care used through the Backup Care Service; names and ages of dependents for whom the Backup Care Services are utilized; the type of Backup Care utilized (i.e., adult or child); and your utilization of the Senior Care Planning service. Care.com also may disclose this information to third parties designated by your employer to receive it.

I. With Your Consent

We also may disclose your information to a third party if you consent to the sharing.

J. Background Checks

Care.com offers various background check services from consumer reporting agencies. A Care Provider can authorize certain background checks, such as  Motor Vehicle Records Check, Criminal Records Check, Criminal+ MVR Check, an Investigative Criminal Plus check, or another check that we may from time to time offer in response to a request by a Care Seeker who is considering hiring him or her. If you authorize a background check to be run on you in response to a request by a Care Seeker who is considering hiring you, the results of the check will be provided directly to the Care Seeker. If you are a Registered User who has requested a background check through Care.com, a statement may be included in your profile to confirm that you have completed that check. The entity who completes the background check may also send the results to you by email or postal mail. You acknowledge that sensitive material may be included in your background check, and that you are responsible for providing us and our background checks service provider (if applicable) with correct information. Through certain pages of the Site, Care.com may from time to time offer to individuals who may or may not be Registered Users the opportunity to purchase Investigative Criminal or Investigative Criminal Plus background checks on caregivers who may or may not be Registered Users. If you authorize an Investigative Criminal or Investigative Criminal Plus Check to be run on you in response to such a request, the results of the check will be provided directly to the requester. If you are a Registered User of the Site and have requested such a background check, a statement may be included in your profile to confirm that you have completed that check. However, we will not disclose the check or results with any other Site Visitor or Registered User unless you specifically consent. The entity who completes the background check may send the results to you by email or postal mail.

K. Business Transactions

In the event we go through a business transition such as a merger, acquisition by another company, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be among the assets transferred. You acknowledge and consent that such transfers may occur and are permitted by this Privacy Policy, and that any acquirer of ours or that acquirer’s affiliates may continue to process your information as set forth in this Privacy Policy.

4. Your Choices Regarding the Disclosure of your Personal Information

Registered Users have control over what optional information they choose to share with us when utilizing our Services (such as pictures, certain details in a job description or profile, etc.). In addition, Registered Users have the following opt out choices with respect to the disclosure of their information, which they can manage via their account settings:

• Registered Users can opt out of having their Care.com online status visible to other Registered Users who are on Care.com.
• Registered Users can opt out of providing message read receipts to other Registered Users.
• Registered Users can opt out of having information contained in their job postings or caregiver profiles disclosed to other Registered Users and third party web sites to be listed in third party search engine results such as Google.
• Registered Users who have connected to Care.com through a third party authentication tool may subsequently opt out of having certain of their information disclosed to Care.com and certain of their Care.com information disclosed to going to their privacy settings within the tool (e.g. by disabling Facebook Connect in their account settings).  
• Registered Users who have opted into receiving text message alerts notifying them of account related events can opt out of receiving those text messages.
• Care Providers can opt out of having their approximate residential location (through Google map plotting) visible to Registered Users.
• Care Providers can choose whether or not to allow Care Seekers to initiate video calls with them.
• Care Providers can opt out of allowing care-related companies to contact them about potential job opportunities.
• Care Providers can opt out of having their age visible to Registered Users.
• Care Seekers can opt out of appearing in Care Provider search results and in certain Care Provider emails to not allow Care Providers to initiate contact with them. They can also opt out of allowing Care Providers see that they have viewed the Care Providers’ profiles.
• Users of a Care.com mobile application, who have given Care.com permission to access certain information from their mobile device such as their location or contacts, may subsequently opt out of that information disclosure by adjusting the settings in their mobile device. Your opt out preferences will take effect within 10 days of receipt of your request.

5. Your Communication Choices

By becoming a Registered User, you are consenting to receive certain email communications from us, such as special offers, tips and advice, notifications of new Care Seekers or Care Providers in your area, customer surveys and administrative notices. You have a choice at any time to stop us from sending you emails for marketing purposes by adjusting your settings in your account settings. You also have the option to opt out of receiving certain other emails from Care.com, such as certain educational emails, by adjusting your settings in your account settings. Go to your account settings for a complete list of the email types you may opt out of receiving. You can also opt out of commercial email messages by following the “unsubscribe” link included in these messages. Please note that despite any indicated email marketing preferences, we may continue to send you administrative emails regarding Care.com, including, for example, notices of updates to our Privacy Policy, notifications of new Care Seekers or Care Providers in your area, responses to job postings from Care Providers, and responses to job applications from Care Providers, if we choose to provide such notices to you in this manner. You may also opt-out of receiving unsolicited marketing calls from us regarding your Care.com account by adjusting your settings in your account settings. If you have opted in to receive SMS messages from us but would now like to opt out, you may do so by adjusting your settings in your account settings. If you are a Care Seeker, certain Care Providers may initiate contact with you directly using the messaging features of the Care.com Site. You have an option at any time to stop permitting Care Providers from initiating contact with you by adjusting your settings in your account settings.

6. Your Privacy Rights and Choices

Rights Regarding Your Information. Depending on the jurisdiction where you reside, you may have the right to ask us to:

• Inform you about the types of personal information we collect or disclose about you; the types of sources of this information; the business or commercial purpose for collecting this information; and the categories of third parties to which we disclose this information;
• Provide you access to and/or a copy of certain personal information we hold about you;
• Correct or update personal information we hold about you;
• Delete certain personal information we have about you;
• Restrict or object to certain uses of your personal information; or
• Opt you out of the processing of your personal information for purposes of profiling that furthers decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects, if applicable. 

Certain information may be exempt from these requests under applicable law. For example, we need certain information in order to provide the Site and Services to you or comply with applicable law.  We may take reasonable steps to verify your identity before responding to a request. Depending on the sensitivity of the information you are requesting and the type of request you are making, this may include verifying your name and email address. If we cannot verify your identity, we may be unable to respond to your requests.  As provided in applicable law, you also have the right to not be discriminated against for exercising your rights. 

If you would like to exercise any of the rights set out in this section, please contact us using the information in the “Contact Us” section below. You may be able to designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf. For us to verify an authorized agent, you must provide the authorized agent with signed, written permission to make such requests or a power of attorney. We may verify your identity directly with you before processing the authorized agent’s request, as permitted by applicable law.  

Depending on applicable law, you may have the right to appeal our decision to deny your request. We will provide information about making an appeal in our response denying the request. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. 

Notice of Right to Opt Out of Sales of Personal Information and Processing of Personal Information for Targeted Advertising Purposes

Depending on your jurisdiction of residence, you may have the right to opt out of “sales” of your personal information and sharing/processing of your information for targeted advertising.

As explained above, we may disclose personal information to third-party advertising providers for targeted advertising purposes or use related analytics partners to help us analyze use of our Services and our user/customer base. Under applicable law, the disclosure of your personal information to these third parties may be considered a “sale” of personal information or the processing of personal information for “targeted advertising” purposes.  To opt out of these disclosures, you can use the “Your Privacy Choices” or “Do Not Sell or Share My Information” link on our Site footer.  Note that you will need to opt out on each device you use to access the Services.

7. Changing or Removing your Personal Information and Closing your Account

You can update certain of your information by logging into your account and accessing your account settings. If you would like to remove some of the information you have posted on the Site, such as information you posted in profiles and job postings, you may do so by editing or deleting that item in your My Profile & Settings area or your My Jobs area. If you no longer wish to participate in our Services, you may close your account directly through your account settings. If you close your Care.com account, we will remove your name and other contact and identifiable information from our publicly viewable database. If you close your account, we have no obligation to retain your information, and may delete any or all of your account information without liability. However, we may retain information related to you if we believe it may be necessary to prevent fraud or future abuse, or for legitimate business purposes, such as analysis of aggregated, de-identified information, account recovery, auditing our records, enforcing our rights and obligations under our agreements, or if required by law. Care.com may also retain and use your information if necessary to provide the Services to other Registered Users. For example, just as an email you may send to another person through an email provider resides in that person’s inbox even after you delete it from your sent files or close your account, emails you send through Care.com to other Users, as well as your contributions to Care.com groups, may remain visible to others after you have closed your account. Similarly, other information you have shared with others, or that others have copied, may also remain visible. Care.com disclaims any liability in relation to the deletion or retention (subject to the terms herein) of information, or any obligation not to delete the information. Care.com does not control when search engines update their search index or cache, which may contain certain job posts, profiles or other information that have since been removed from Care.com’s Site.

8. Collection of Information from Children

Care.com’s Site and Services are not intended for individuals under the age of 16. Moreover, if we become aware that we receive personal information from children under the age of 16, we will take reasonable steps to delete it as soon as practicable in accordance with applicable legal obligations.

9. How We Protect Information and Information Retention

Information Protection.  We have implemented a variety of administrative, technical, and physical security measures to protect against the unauthorized access, destruction, or alteration of your information. These safeguards vary based on the sensitivity of information that we collect, process, and store and the current state of technology. 

Although we take appropriate measures to safeguard against unauthorized disclosures of information, we cannot guarantee that information that we collect will never be disclosed in a manner that is inconsistent with this Privacy Policy.

Our Retention of Personal Information.  We keep personal information for as long as necessary to accomplish the purposes described in this Privacy Policy and Notice or as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law. This generally means holding your personal information for as long as at least one of the following applies:

• Your personal information is reasonably necessary to manage our business operations, including your relationship with us, or to satisfy another purpose for which we collected the information that was explained to you at the time of collection. 
• Your personal information is reasonably necessary for a purpose that is compatible with a purpose explained to you at the time of personal information collection. 
• Your personal information is reasonably required to protect or defend our rights or property, including when it is anticipated that your personal information will be needed for a court proceeding or other legal process.
• We are required to keep your personal information for purposes of legal or regulatory compliance.
• We are otherwise permitted to keep your personal information in accordance with applicable law. 

For more information about our personal information retention practices, you may contact us using the contact details at the end of this Privacy Policy.

10. Links to Other Websites

The Site and Services may contain links to third-party websites and services. However, we are not responsible for the privacy practices employed by those web sites or services, nor are we responsible for the information or content they contain. This Privacy Policy applies solely to information collected by us through the Site and Services; thus when you use a link to go from the Site or Services to a third-party web site or service, this policy is no longer in effect and the privacy policy of such third-party site or service will govern.

11. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

Care.com reserves the right to change this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use at any time. We will notify you about and provide you with choice about material adverse changes to this Privacy Policy or in our practices as required by applicable law. Material adverse changes will go into effect 30 days after we notify. Non-material changes or clarifications will take effect immediately upon posting of the updated policy on our Site. You should periodically check www.care.com/about/privacy-policy for updates. for updates. Your use of the Site or the Services after such effective date will constitute acceptance by you of such changes.

12. Privacy Information for California Residents

Throughout this Privacy Policy, we discuss the specific pieces of “personal information” as defined in the CCPA we collect from and about users of our Site and Services. In accordance with the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (collectively, the “CCPA”), we are providing you with additional information about the personal information we collect from California residents, how we disclose that personal information, and your privacy rights.

Personal Information We Collect, Use, and Disclose

As discussed throughout this Privacy Policy, we collect personal information directly from you, from our vendors and clients, and from the cookies and tracking technologies we use. The specific categories of personal information vary depending on the Site or Services you engage with and how you use them. In the past year we have collected and anticipate continuing to collect the following types of personal information from users and visitors of our Site and Services. For each category of personal information, we provide additional details about how we use and disclose the personal information we collect.

Identifiers and Other Non-Public Personal Information as described in California Civil Code § 1798.80(e), including, for example, name, address, email address, phone number, driver’s license, and/or IP address. We may use this personal information to provide services you have requested from us; to respond to inquiries; to service your account; for our day-to-day business operations; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose your personal information within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; as reasonably necessary to operate our business, including internal research and development; to perform activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of our systems, Site, and Services and to improve, upgrade, or enhance them; to identify and repair errors in the functionality of our systems, Site, or Services; to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms; and, as needed, to use for other short-term, transient purposes.

Characteristics of Protected Classifications, including, for example, gender or gender identity, health/medical conditions, and/or information obtained from a background check. We may use characteristics of protected classifications to provide services you have requested from us; to respond to inquiries; to service your account; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose your characteristics of protected classifications within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure the security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; and as reasonably necessary to operate our business, including internal research and development; and to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms.

Commercial Information, including, for example, transaction data, purchase or use history or tendency, financial data (such as payment method details and billing address), and/or Services purchased, obtained, or considered. We may use commercial information to provide services you have requested from us; to evaluate and improve our Site and Services; to respond to inquiries; for our day-to-day business purposes; to service your account; to help us better understand your preferences; to enhance your experience by personalizing our Site and Services; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose your commercial information within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure the security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; as reasonably necessary to operate our business, including internal research and development; to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms; and, as needed, to use for other short-term, transient purposes.

Internet or Other Electronic Network Activity, including, for example browsing history, search history, and/or information regarding your interactions with our Site. We may use internet or other electronic network activity to provide services you have requested from us, including access to our Site features; for our day-to-day business purposes, including development or improvement of our Site and Services; to service your account; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose your internet or other electronic network activity within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; to perform functions needed to operate our business, including internal research and development; to perform activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of our systems, Site, and Services and to improve, upgrade, or enhance them; to identify and repair errors in the functionality of our systems, Site, or Services; to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms; and, as needed, to use for other short-term, transient purposes.

Geolocation Information, including, for example, information about the approximate location of you or your device as well as the precise GPS location of your device if you agree to turn this functionality on through the Services or your device settings. We may use geolocation information to provide services you have requested from us, such as recommending Care Providers in your area; to enhance your experience by personalizing our Site and Services; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose your geolocation information within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; as reasonably necessary to operate our business; to identify and repair errors in the functionality of our systems, Site, or Services; to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms; and, as needed, to use for other short-term, transient purposes.

Audio, Visual, or Other Similar Information, including, for example, voice recordings from customer service calls and/or photos you upload to your profile or job posting. We may use this information to provide services you have requested from us; to respond to inquiries; to service your account; for our day-to-day business operations including development or improvement of our Site and Services; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose your information within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; as reasonably necessary to operate our business, including internal research and development; to perform activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of our systems, Site, and Services and to improve, upgrade, or enhance them; to identify and repair errors in the functionality of our systems, Site, or Services; and to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms.

Professional or Employment-Related Information, including, for example, Care Provider references, employment history, and/or certifications. We may use this professional information to provide services you have requested from us, including matching Care Providers with Care Seekers; to respond to inquiries; to create and service your Care Provider profile and account; for our day-to-day business operations; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose your professional information within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; as reasonably necessary to operate our business, including internal research and development; to perform activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of our systems, Site, and Services and to improve, upgrade, or enhance them; and to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms.

Inferences we draw from information we collect about you to create a profile of you, including, for example, information reflecting your inferred preferences and interests. We may use inferences to provide services you have requested from us, including matching Care Providers with Care Seekers and other content or information customization; for our day-to-day business operations; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; and for safety and compliance. We may disclose inferences about you within our corporate group and to our vendors and business partners to ensure security and integrity of our Site and Services; to provide services you request; as reasonably necessary to operate our business, including internal research and development; to perform activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of our systems, Site, and Services and to improve, upgrade, or enhance them; to identify and repair errors in the functionality of our systems, Site, or Services; and to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms.

Sensitive Personal Information, including, for example, your account login credentials, precise geolocation information, contents of communications between Care Providers and Care Seekers on our Site, and/or health data. When collected, we only use or disclose sensitive personal information for the purposes allowed by the CCPA and its implementing regulations in connection with our legitimate business purposes  We may use or disclose sensitive personal information when reasonably necessary to provide services you have requested from us or expect us to provide; to protect your physical safety or that of others; for our day-to-day business operations, including servicing your account and providing customer service; to protect against fraud or unauthorized transactions; to perform activities to verify or maintain the quality or safety of our systems, Site, and Services and to improve, upgrade, or enhance them; and to detect and prevent illegal or malicious acts or violations of our policies or terms.  Please note that given our limited uses of sensitive personal information for legitimate business purposes, we do not offer a “Right to Limit” under the CCPA.

In addition to the uses and disclosures of personal information described above, we may use and disclose any personal information we collect or maintain as reasonably necessary to comply with law and legal requirements; to cooperate with and respond to law enforcement requests; or as otherwise required by applicable law, court order, governmental regulation, or other legal process. 

Any personal information we collect and maintain may be provided to our professional advisors, including accountants, auditors, consultants, and lawyers, when reasonably necessary for our professional advisors to perform services for us and give us appropriate advice. 

Any personal information we collect and maintain may be given to another company in the event of a sale, merger, or other acquisition of some or all of our assets or business or as part of the negotiation or evaluation of such sale, merger, or other acquisition.

Our Retention of Personal Information.  For detailed information about our retention practices, please see the “How We Protect Information and Information Retention” section above.

California Privacy Rights

California residents may make certain requests about their personal information under the CCPA as set forth in “Your Rights and Choices” section above. 

In addition, if we offer any financial incentives in exchange for your personal information, we will provide you with appropriate information about such incentives.

Right to Opt Out of “Sale” or “Sharing” of Personal Information. The CCPA requires that we describe certain disclosures of personal information where we receive valuable consideration. California law treats such disclosures as “sales” even if no money is exchanged. The CCPA also requires us to disclose how we “share” personal information, i.e., how we disclose personal information for purposes of cross-context behavioral advertising (also called targeted advertising). Such activities are described more in the Policy above.

To opt out of our use of your personal information through cookies and similar technologies for purposes that are considered “sales” or “sharing,” you can use the “Your Privacy Choices” or “Do Not Sell or Share My Information” link on our Site footer. If you have a legally recognized browser-based opt out preference signal turned on through your browser, we recognize the preference expressed by this signal in accordance with applicable law.  

We do not knowingly sell the personal information of minors under 16 years of age.

Do Not Track Notice. Some browsers used to access the Internet may give you the option through “Do Not Track” settings associated with such browsers to request that a website operator not track your information across its website or other websites. We engage in such tracking in order to optimize and/or customize our Services, detect and respond to allegations of fraud, and to otherwise ensure the safety of our Registered Users and Site Visitors. While we do not currently honor such browser requests, we will not use your information in a manner that violates this Privacy Policy.  Please note that Do Not Track is a different mechanism than the “Global Privacy Control” discussed immediately above, which we do honor.

Shine the Light. California Law allows customers who are California residents to request certain information once per year regarding our disclosure of “personal information” (as that term is defined under applicable California law) to third parties for such third parties’ direct marketing purposes.

13. Contact Us

To exercise the privacy rights and choices, please use this webform.

If you have any questions on our Privacy Policy and practices, you can contact us via email at privacy@care.com or at:

Care.com, Inc.
Attn: Legal Department
816 Congress St.
Suite 800
Austin, TX 78701