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kfarnell
Community Member

Contact information

I routinely offer my email address to clients and have been known to have conversations via Skype. Apart from anything else, it's insurance when the platform goes down. However, when placing a bid today I got the below message for the first time:

 

Make sure that your proposal does not include your contact information. By keeping your conversations on Upwork, you'll help our security systems keep you safe from phishing, malware, and scams.

 

I actually hadn't added contact details in this instance but links to published works. Previously, we've been told that sharing such details is OK in proposals but not on profiles. Has something changed?  When? How?

 

And if this is the case, how are we supposed to send files that can't be uploaded on Upwork?

4 REPLIES 4
colettelewis
Community Member


Kim F wrote:

I routinely offer my email address to clients and have been known to have conversations via Skype. Apart from anything else, it's insurance when the platform goes down. However, when placing a bid today I got the below message for the first time:

 

Make sure that your proposal does not include your contact information. By keeping your conversations on Upwork, you'll help our security systems keep you safe from phishing, malware, and scams.

 

I actually hadn't added contact details in this instance but links to published works. Previously, we've been told that sharing such details is OK in proposals but not on profiles. Has something changed?  When? How?

 

And if this is the case, how are we supposed to send files that can't be uploaded on Upwork?


____________________________

Kim, I think this is just a warning (aimed probably at newcomers), not something that is forbidden.  I have been getting it too when any contact number is involved. If I remember rightly, there is an option to tell it not to remind you. That said, I don't know if there has been any change in the ToS that disallows the sharing of private emails. It would be very retrogressive if this is the case. 

 

Perhaps a mod could give reassurance on this point? 

You're probably right, but it reads as if sharing contact information isn't allowed. And it's the first time it's popped up for me.  Given how something happens almost every week to make it harder to work here, I thought it worth checking.

That is how I read it too, but nothing happened when I ignored it - or told it to go away. So I think (for the moment, anyway) that is all it is - a warning to the unwary. 

 

mystudiomke
Community Member

It just a 'warning' we all get. You are ok sharing email, phone, etc - whatever is the best way to communicate with your client.

Lila
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