1. Introduction
Spark Tradie Pty Ltd (ABN pending) ("Spark Tradie", "we", "us", "our") operates the Spark Tradie platform, including the website at sparktradie.com.au, the Spark Tradie mobile application, and related services (collectively, the "Platform").
We are committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and, where applicable, the Health Records Act 2001 (Vic). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information.
2. Information We Collect
We collect the following types of personal information:
2.1 Account Information
- Full name, email address, phone number, and date of birth
- Trade type and apprenticeship year or qualification status
- Profile information including bio, skills, certifications, and location (state and city)
- Avatar/profile photo (if uploaded)
2.2 Employer Information
- Company name, ABN, trade specialisations, and team size
- Company description, website URL, and logo
2.3 Usage Data
- Posts, comments, likes, and community interactions
- Tool listings, purchases, and marketplace activity
- Job applications and employment-related interactions
- Daily quiz responses and Personal & Social Capability progress
2.4 Wellbeing Data (Sensitive)
- Conversations with Spark AI wellbeing coach (encrypted at rest)
- Risk assessment scores and tier classifications
- Wellbeing session metadata (timestamps, message counts)
Wellbeing data is treated as sensitive information under the Privacy Act and is subject to additional protections described in Section 7.
2.5 Technical Data
- Device type, operating system, and browser information
- IP address and approximate location
- App usage analytics and crash reports
3. How We Use Your Information
- To provide, maintain, and improve the Platform and its features
- To create and manage your account and profile
- To facilitate community interactions, marketplace transactions, and job matching
- To provide AI-powered wellbeing coaching support
- To operate the safeguarding system that protects at-risk users (see our Safeguarding Policy)
- To deliver daily Personal & Social Capability quizzes and track progress
- To process payments through our payment processor (Stripe)
- To send transactional communications (account verification, password resets, purchase confirmations)
- To comply with our legal obligations, including mandatory reporting obligations under Australian law
4. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information in the following circumstances:
4.1 Public Profile Information
Your display name, trade, location, bio, skills, and posts are visible to other Platform users. You can control your "Open to Work" status.
4.2 RTO Wellbeing Staff
When our safeguarding system detects at-risk language in wellbeing conversations, a confidential summary alert (not full conversation transcripts) is shared with your registered RTO wellbeing coordinator. See our Safeguarding Policy for details.
4.3 Service Providers
- Supabase (database hosting — Australian region)
- Anthropic (AI wellbeing coach — Claude API)
- Stripe (payment processing)
- Cloudflare (hosting and CDN)
- Expo / Apple / Google (mobile app distribution)
4.4 Legal Requirements
We may disclose information where required by Australian law, court order, or to protect the safety of any person, including mandatory reporting of child abuse or imminent risk of harm.
5. Data Storage and Security
- Our database is hosted on Supabase in the ap-southeast-2 (Sydney) region
- All data is transmitted over TLS/HTTPS encryption
- Wellbeing conversation content is encrypted at rest
- Row Level Security (RLS) policies ensure users can only access their own data
- Authentication is handled via Supabase Auth with secure session management
- Payment information is processed directly by Stripe and never stored on our servers
- We conduct regular security reviews and maintain access controls for all team members
6. Data Retention
- Account data: Retained for the life of your account plus 30 days after deletion
- Community content: Posts and comments remain until deleted by the user or removed for policy violations
- Wellbeing data: Conversation history is retained for 12 months, then automatically purged. Wellbeing alert records are retained for 7 years in compliance with RTO record-keeping obligations
- Quiz data: Progress and completion data retained for the life of your account
- Transaction data: Retained for 7 years in accordance with Australian tax law
7. Wellbeing Data — Additional Protections
We recognise that wellbeing conversations are highly sensitive. Additional protections include:
- Wellbeing conversations are encrypted at rest using AES-256 encryption
- AI coaching responses are generated in real-time and not stored by our AI provider (Anthropic)
- RTO wellbeing alerts contain risk-tier summaries only — never full conversation content
- Wellbeing data is stored separately and access is restricted to authorised safeguarding personnel
- Users can request deletion of their wellbeing history at any time
- Spark AI is not a substitute for professional mental health services. We prominently display crisis resources (Lifeline: 13 11 14) throughout the wellbeing experience
8. Your Rights
Under the Australian Privacy Principles, you have the right to:
- Access your personal information held by us
- Correct inaccurate or out-of-date information
- Delete your account and associated data
- Withdraw consent for marketing communications
- Request a copy of your data in a portable format
- Lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) if you believe we have breached the APPs
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@sparktradie.com.au.
9. Children and Young People
Spark Tradie is designed for users aged 15 and over, reflecting the minimum age for apprenticeship commencement in Australia. We do not knowingly collect personal information from individuals under 15 years of age.
For users aged 15-17, we apply additional safeguards including enhanced wellbeing monitoring and proactive crisis resource visibility.
10. Cookies and Tracking
We use essential cookies for authentication and session management. We do not use third-party advertising trackers. Analytics data is collected in aggregate form and does not identify individual users.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via in-app notification and email. Continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
For privacy-related enquiries or complaints: