Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to the RuraLink Inc. Platform ("Platform") and all associated software, services, and content owned and operated by RuraLink Inc. ("RuraLink," "we," "us," or "our"). It explains what information we collect, how we use it, and who we share it with.

By visiting or using the Platform, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. We may update this policy periodically — we encourage you to review it from time to time.

In the preceding 12 months, we have collected the following categories of personal information:

We collect most information directly from you via the Platform, email, telephone, or text. We also collect information from:

• Publicly accessible sources (e.g., state licensing records)
• Third parties such as sanctions screening providers, credit reporting agencies, background check providers, previous employers, Healthcare Organization Networks, and government entities
• Third parties with your consent (e.g., your bank)
• Cookies and automated data collection on our Platform (e.g., IP address, geolocation, internet usage data)
• Our internal IT systems and automated monitoring of technical systems, computer networks, and communications

We collect and use your personal information for the following purposes:

• Delivering the Platform and Services — including customer support, invoicing, and remittance management.
• Account setup — collecting identifiers and other information to create and maintain your account.
• Profile activities — building your profile for Healthcare Organization Networks to review, communicating about Open Positions and Active Placements, and sharing your credentials with relevant parties to facilitate Contracted Services.
• Identity verification and background checks — with your consent, verifying your identity, checking criminal history, and validating your application.
• Operational activities — billing, tax activities, record-keeping, compliance, audits, and regulatory purposes.
• Data analysis — analyzing usage patterns, user preferences, and statistics.
• Platform improvement — identifying and repairing errors and developing new features.
• Security — maintaining the integrity and security of the Platform.
• Legal compliance — meeting our legal and regulatory obligations.

In the preceding 12 months, we have shared personal information with:

• Service providers who help us deliver the Platform (e.g., payment processors, website hosts)
• Third parties approved by you, including background check agencies
• Our bank and external auditors
• Government entities and law enforcement, where required by law
• Healthcare Organization Networks
• Potential buyers or successors in the event of a business restructuring or sale

We retain your personal information for as long as you have an account with us or we are providing services to you. After that, we retain it only as long as necessary to:

• Respond to any questions, complaints, or claims made by you or on your behalf
• Demonstrate that we treated you fairly
• Comply with applicable legal record-keeping requirements

Different retention periods apply to different types of personal information. We do not retain data beyond what is necessary for these purposes.

The Platform is not intended for use by anyone under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If we become aware that a child under 18 has provided us with personal information, we will delete it from our records.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, contact us at hello@ruralink.net so we can take appropriate action.

We prioritize the protection of your personal information and employ technical, administrative, and physical safeguards to protect it from unauthorized access, use, alteration, loss, destruction, or disclosure.

We may use your personal information to send you marketing emails about our services and promotions. You can opt out at any time by following the unsubscribe instructions in any marketing email or by contacting us directly at hello@ruralink.net.

Opting out of marketing communications does not affect other communications necessary for the delivery of the Platform and Services.

RuraLink Inc. uses Stripe, Inc. ("Stripe") to process payments on our behalf. When a payment is made, your personal information will be processed by Stripe in accordance with their privacy policy. You can review Stripe's Privacy Policy at stripe.com/privacy.

If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), exercisable free of charge:

• Right to Know — You may request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources, our business purposes, and the third parties we share it with.
• Right to Opt-Out — You may opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information for targeted advertising. Note: we do not sell personal information.
• Right to Limit Sensitive Data Use — You may limit our use of your sensitive personal information to what is strictly necessary to provide the Services.
• Right to Deletion — You may request that we delete your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions (e.g., completing a transaction, complying with a legal obligation, or maintaining security).
• Right to Correction — You may request that we correct inaccurate personal information we hold about you.
• Protection Against Retaliation — We will not deny Services, charge different rates, or provide a different level of quality because you exercised your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@ruralink.net.

Nevada residents may request that we do not sell their personal information under the Nevada Privacy of Information Collected on Internet From Consumers Act (NPICICA). To exercise this right, contact us at hello@ruralink.net with your name, email address, and telephone number.

Note: we do not sell personal information.

Depending on your state of residence, you may also have the following rights:

• Right to Confirm and Access — Confirm whether we process your personal information and request access to it.
• Right to Correction — Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Right to Deletion — Request deletion of your personal information, subject to exceptions.
• Right to Data Portability — Request a copy of your personal information in a portable format.
• Right to Opt-Out — Opt out of the sale of your personal information.
• Right to Restrict Processing — Restrict or object to certain types of processing.

The specific rights available to you depend on your state's applicable laws. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at hello@ruralink.net. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

To exercise any privacy right described in this policy, email us at hello@ruralink.net. Please include:

• Enough information to identify you (full name, email address, and telephone number)
• Proof of your identity and address (e.g., a copy of your driver's license or passport and a recent utility or credit card bill)
• A description of the right you want to exercise and the information your request relates to

We are not obligated to fulfill a request if we cannot verify that the person making it is the person about whom we collected information, or someone authorized to act on their behalf. Any personal information collected to verify your identity will be used solely for verification purposes.