Frequently Asked Questions on TOS changes regarding information sharing and interviews

[Adam P]

Wow that's very exciting -- glad to hear it!  

[Bharadhan V]

A client has shared me a Figma Link to check the designs for a work to be done ,  can I login with my gmail id or mail address and check it before contract is started according to new TOS.

Thanks and Regards

[Aleksandar D]

Hi Bharadhan,

Thanks for reaching out. We realize that some tools and services require the sharing of an email address to gain access. If you require access to a system before a contract starts, you may share your email address for the sole purpose of gaining access to a system. All communications, however, must still take place on the Upwork platform.

Thank you.

[Bharadhan V]

Okay thank you for your reply , I will keep all the conversations inside the Upwork platform.

[Abdul K]

Hi,

I  am new on Upwork, so don't know much of its ethics. Can anyone please explain to me if I can share my WhatsApp or email with the client to discuss some key points of the project.

Thanks

Abdul

[Wes C]

You can, but only after the contract is in place. You can no longer share that information during the interview phase.

[Vladimir G]

Hi Abdul,

The information Wes provided is correct. To provide more insight to you as a new user, effective June 26, 2020, these changes apply to Section 7 of the User Agreement:

1.  Users must conduct all pre-contract conversations through the Upwork platform.

All conversations before a contract is started must be through Upwork Messages, where you can send messages, have video calls, and more. 

2. Freelancers and clients may not request or share any contact information* before a contract is started, with one exception.  A client or freelancer may only share an email address if it is for the sole purpose of giving the other party access to a system that allows them to scope the project in advance. This allows freelancers to review a project prior to a contract so they can determine if they have the needed skills, how many hours it will take, etc. 

*Contact information includes, but is not limited to: 

• Phone number, email address, physical address

• Link to a contact form or form requesting contact information

• Link to an applicant management system or means to submit a proposal or application outside of Upwork

• Any information that would enable contact through social media, another website, platform, or application (i.e., Skype or WhatsApp IDs)

[Prashant G]

Hi,

I'm new to the platform. I applied for a job & the client sent me a message asking me to email to their collegue in their company to get the details - apparently this colleague is handling this project, as per his message. Is this okay as per upwork TOS?

I do not want to violate any terms but also do not want to lose the opportunity

Please help

Regards

Prashant

[Jennifer R]

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Prashant G wrote:

Hi,

I'm new to the platform. I applied for a job & the client sent me a message asking me to email to their collegue in their company to get the details - apparently this colleague is handling this project, as per his message. Is this okay as per upwork TOS?

I do not want to violate any terms but also do not want to lose the opportunity

Please help

Regards

Prashant

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All communication prior to a contract has to be made through Upwork. Communicating via email before you have been hired is a ToS violation.

[Prashant G]

Sure, thank you so much Jennifer