PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated August 04, 2026
Buildpal ("Buildpal," "we," "us") operates a construction-workforce marketplace and labour-operations platform connecting independent construction workers with contractor and subcontractor organisations. This policy explains what personal data we collect through the Buildpal Worker app, the Buildpal Supervisor app, our web applications, and our services, how we use and share it, and your rights. It is designed to comply with Rwanda's Law N° 058/2021 relating to the protection of personal data and privacy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. WHO WE ARE
Buildpal is operated from Kigali, Rwanda. For any privacy question, or to exercise your rights, contact us at [email protected] or by post at Norrsken House Kigali, 1 KN 78 St, Kigali, Rwanda.
2. THE DATA WE COLLECT
- Account and identity. Your name, phone number, and email address; a security PIN or password; and, for identity verification, your national identity number and photographs of your identity documents and a selfie ("verification media").
- Professional profile. Your profile photo, trades and skills, certifications, work and attendance history, ratings, and reputation tier.
- Location. With your permission, your device's precise (GPS) location, used to verify site attendance (geofence check-in/out), support navigation to a project site, and detect fraud. You can control this through your device settings; some attendance features will not work without it.
- Financial. Your chosen payout method and mobile-money number, your in-app wallet balance and earnings, and records of transactions and withdrawals. Buildpal calculates worker pay rates; workers do not set their own rates.
- Communications. Messages, support tickets, and any attachments (images, documents, voice notes) you send through the platform.
- Device and usage. Device identifiers, push-notification tokens, app version, IP address, and basic usage and diagnostic information, used to deliver notifications, secure your account, and improve the apps.
We collect this data when you register, complete your profile, get verified, accept and work jobs, communicate, and use the apps.
3. HOW WE USE YOUR DATA
We use your data to: create and secure your account and verify your identity (KYC); match you to suitable jobs based on trade, certification, availability, location, and reputation tier; record attendance and timesheets; calculate and pay your earnings into your wallet and process withdrawals; maintain your verified work record and reputation; provide support; prevent fraud and keep the platform and its users safe; send you service notifications; and comply with legal obligations. Our legal bases are your consent, the performance of our agreement with you, our legitimate interests in operating a safe platform, and compliance with law.
4. HOW WE SHARE YOUR DATA
- With contractor organisations you work with. They can see the work-relevant parts of your profile: your name, trades, certifications, reputation tier, attendance, and job history for their projects. They cannot see your identity documents, your national ID number, your wallet balance or payout details, or your private contact number; in-app calling and messaging use masked contact details.
- With service providers who act for us, only as needed to run the platform: SMS providers (to send one-time codes and alerts), map providers (navigation), mobile-money and payment providers (to pay you), cloud storage (to store your documents securely, using Cloudflare R2), and authentication providers (e.g. Google, if you choose Google sign-in). These providers are bound to protect your data and use it only for us.
- For legal and safety reasons, where required by law, to enforce our terms, or to prevent fraud, harm, or abuse.
We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it for third-party advertising.
5. INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS
Our platform infrastructure and document storage are currently hosted in the European Union (Frankfurt, Germany). Where your data is transferred outside Rwanda, we take steps to ensure it remains protected consistent with this policy and applicable law.
6. HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR DATA
We keep your data for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service. Financial and transaction records are retained as required by law. Notifications are removed after about 30 days and conversations after about three months; evidence tied to disputes or legal holds is archived and retained until the matter is resolved. When you close your account we delete or anonymise your data except where we must keep records to meet legal, tax, dispute, or fraud-prevention obligations.
7. HOW WE PROTECT YOUR DATA
We use encryption in transit, secure hashing of PINs and passwords, strict access controls, and audit logging of sensitive actions. Access to your identity documents and financial details is restricted; contractors and supervisors never see them. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and to notify you and the authorities of any breach as required by law.
8. YOUR RIGHTS
Subject to Rwandan law, you may: access the personal data we hold about you; correct inaccurate data; request deletion or deactivation of your account; obtain a copy of your data (export); object to or restrict certain processing; and withdraw consent (for example, location). To exercise any right, contact [email protected]. We will respond within the period required by law. You may also complain to Rwanda's data protection authority.
9. CHILDREN
Buildpal is for adults who are legally able to work (18+). It is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.
10. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this policy. We will post the updated version here with a new "Last updated" date and, for material changes, notify you in the app. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.
11. CONTACT US