PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: March 2026

SILIEX ("Silicon Exchange", "we", "us", "our") operates a national verified marketplace for used computer hardware. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you use our platform.

By creating an account or using SILIEX, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use our services.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information: When you register, we collect your full legal name, email address, phone number, and username. This information is required to create and verify your account.

Identity Verification (Selfie): We collect a facial photograph (selfie) during registration for identity verification purposes. This image is used to confirm that you are a real person and to prevent fraudulent accounts. By providing your selfie, you expressly consent to the collection and processing of your facial image data. Your selfie is stored securely and will be permanently deleted upon account deletion.

Transaction Data: We record details of all transactions including items purchased or sold, prices, shipping addresses, tracking numbers, payment amounts, and timestamps.

Listing Content: Photos, videos, descriptions, and condition grades you provide when creating listings.

Communication Data: Messages sent through dispute chats, community posts, comments, and Q&A on listings.

Device & Usage Data: IP addresses, browser type, device information, pages visited, session duration, and referring URLs. This data is collected automatically when you use the platform.

Payment Information: Payment processing is handled by Stripe. We do not store your full credit card number, CVV, or bank account details. Stripe's privacy policy governs payment data handling.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use collected information to: verify your identity and prevent fraud; process transactions and facilitate payments between buyers and sellers; communicate with you about orders, disputes, and account status; send delivery reminders and platform notifications; enforce our Terms & Conditions and community guidelines; improve platform functionality and user experience; comply with legal and regulatory obligations; and generate anonymized analytics to improve our services.

3. Third-Party Services

We share limited data with the following third-party services to operate the platform:

Stripe (stripe.com) — Payment processing. Receives buyer payment details, seller payout information, and transaction amounts. Governed by Stripe's privacy policy.

Cloudinary (cloudinary.com) — Image and video hosting. Receives listing photos and videos uploaded by users. Stored on Cloudinary's CDN for fast delivery.

Twilio (twilio.com) — SMS verification. Receives your phone number to send verification codes during registration and login.

Google Gmail SMTP — Email delivery. Used to send account verification emails, order notifications, delivery reminders, and dispute communications.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing purposes.

4. Data Retention

We retain your account information for as long as your account is active. Transaction records are retained for 7 years after the transaction date to comply with tax and legal requirements. If you delete your account, we will permanently delete your personal information including your selfie within 30 days, except for transaction records required by law. Community posts and comments may be anonymized rather than deleted.

5. Your Rights

You have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate information; request deletion of your account and personal data (subject to legal retention requirements); export your personal data in a portable format; opt out of non-essential communications.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@siliex.com.

6. California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). You have the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used; request deletion of your personal information; opt out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information); and not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights. To submit a CCPA request, contact us at support@siliex.com.

7. Biometric Data

SILIEX collects facial image data (selfie) solely for identity verification. We do not use facial recognition technology to identify you in other contexts. Your selfie is stored securely using encryption, is not shared with third parties except as required by law, and is permanently deleted upon account deletion or within 3 years of your last interaction with the platform, whichever comes first. You may request deletion of your biometric data at any time by contacting support@siliex.com.

8. Cookies

We use essential cookies for: session management (keeping you logged in), CSRF protection (preventing cross-site attacks), and user preferences. We do not use third-party advertising or tracking cookies.

9. Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted data transmission (HTTPS/TLS), secure password hashing, access controls on sensitive data, and regular security reviews. However, no method of electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

10. Data Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify affected users via email within 72 hours of discovery, describe the nature of the breach and the data affected, outline the steps we are taking to address the breach, and provide guidance on how to protect yourself.

11. Children

SILIEX is not intended for users under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect information from minors. If we discover that a user is under 18, we will terminate their account and delete their data immediately.

12. International Users

SILIEX currently operates within the United States. If we expand to other regions, this policy will be updated to reflect applicable local privacy laws.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify registered users of material changes via email at least 14 days before the changes take effect. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact

For privacy-related questions, data requests, or concerns, contact us at: support@siliex.com