NDA

rom-van · ‎05-02-2019

My client wants me to sign NDA. So he asked me to give him my address and copy of passport. is it right?

colettelewis · ‎05-02-2019

Ivan R wrote:
My client wants me to sign NDA. So he asked me to give him my address and copy of passport. is it right?

_____________________

Nothing wrong with an NDA (which generally requires your address) - but definitely NOT the passport. It is absolutely out of the question and I think you should report the client to CS.

bstojadinovic · ‎05-02-2019

Hi Ivan,

Please, be careful not to share any private or sensitive information with clients on Upwork. All the information needed to hire and pay you via Upwork is available on your profile. Clients may ask you to sign NDA but you can let them know that some information they request can't be shared for privacy reasons.

Thank you.

~ Bojan

msublette · ‎05-02-2019

I sign NDAs all the time. Probably about every other or every third client through Upwork. I’ve never had to provide my address or passport.

elastella · ‎05-02-2019

Michelle S wrote:
I sign NDAs all the time. Probably about every other or every third client through Upwork. I’ve never had to provide my address or passport.

If you never give your address, what kind of identifying information do you provide that will allow the other party to actually serve notices/enforce the NDA (a legal contract) in case of a breach?

msublette · ‎05-03-2019

I just pulled up one the last ones I signed to double-check. It just has my name, my company name, my title and my signature. I suppose they can look up the address that my company is registered at. They usually just ask for name, company name and a signature.

Now, sometimes if I'm getting paid directly from the company for clients that I obtain outside of Upwork, I have to provide a lot more information.

However, no one through Upwork has ever required my address. If it was the case that I needed to provide personal information to clients through Upwork, I would decline the project.

In the end, anyone can probably track me down with just my name. I have a LinkedIn profile and a quick web search would probably allow them to track me down if they really needed to find me.

Some of these NDAs have even been from super-strict tech companies. However, I don't do any type of legal work and I'm not a programmer, so maybe they aren't that worried about me breaching their contract. Mostly, I'm working with people's data.

browersr · ‎05-03-2019

It is very common for an NDA to require address (not passport though). I recommend to people that they procure a PO BOX and then use that address for all matters involving their business in place of a personal residence. Cheap investment that protects while allowing you to pursue client relationships where an address is asked for on an NDA (which again is appropriate).

Anonymous-User · ‎05-03-2019

Most NDA's on here have been pulled from the internet, not actually drawn up by an real attorney.

elastella · ‎05-03-2019

I would never sign an NDA that didn't properly identify the parties involved. It doesn't make any sense to sign a contract that cannot be enforced. If that's how you feel, just decline signing it and point them towards Upwork's ToS that contain some sort of confidentiality clause.

If you're registered as a business and can be tracked down easily, why not provide the business address in the first place?

I would never send anyone a copy of my passport. But my business address is not a secret to be kept from clients.

Anonymous-User · ‎05-03-2019

That's up to their legal team. You never give your personal information when signing an NDA.

There's simply no need for it. And someone on UW asking for your passport - that's a scammer.

Anonymous-User · ‎05-03-2019

Nope. Nope. Nope.
No reason for any client to ask for your passport. Sign the NDA after you have contract that's funded.
I recently had a portential client ask for an NDA - fine. But she never came through with anything to work on and there was no contract, so I withdrew the proposal.

browersr · ‎05-03-2019

Cairenn R wrote:
. Sign the NDA after you have contract that's funded.
I recently had a portential client ask for an NDA - fine. But she never came through with anything to work on and there was no contract, so I withdrew the proposal.

I don't agree. Disclosure tends to occur during the discussion of the project where the client is trying to find the right freelancer. In this way signing an NDA prior to a contract is appropriate and in many cases necessary. It doesn't matter if you sign an NDA and the work never commences. The process to deal with an NDA should not be long and any time you take there should just be considered the cost of doing business. Most NDA's are one page or two at the most. If longer be concerned because they may be asking for things that don't belong in an NDA. Otherwise review it and if there is nothing out of the ordinary, sign and get back to the business of selling your services.

My other advice is let clients know that by working through UW they are automatically under NDA. You can provide them the link which is easy to find in the help section. Not all clients will be satisfied with that - which is certainly fine - but I have had numerous who were really glad for that fact and we moved on without a separate one. Always worth a mention.

lysis10 · ‎05-03-2019

Cairenn R wrote:
Nope. Nope. Nope.
No reason for any client to ask for your passport. Sign the NDA after you have contract that's funded.
I recently had a portential client ask for an NDA - fine. But she never came through with anything to work on and there was no contract, so I withdrew the proposal.

Sometimes they want you to sign an NDA before they explain the job to you because the job description (during voice chat) requires internal documents.

I only give out my address though.

eta: derp, shoulda read ahead. Scott already said it.

prestonhunter · ‎05-03-2019

I have signed dozens of NDAs as an Upwork freelancer.

Not a big deal.

But nobody has ever asked for my passport or driver's license.