Experts are occasionally exposed to customers' personally identifiable information (PII). For this reason, you should understand what PII is and how you should handle it.
PII is any fact about a person that could distinguish them as a specific individual. This data can be used on its own or alongside other information to identify, contact, or locate a person. Common examples of PII include:
Full name (if not common)
Home address
Email address (if private from an association/club membership, etc.)
National identification number
Passport number
IP address (when linked, but not PII by itself in US)
Vehicle registration plate number
Driver's license number
Face, fingerprints, or handwriting
Credit card numbers
Digital identity
Birthdate
Birthplace
Genetic information
Telephone number
Login name, screen name, nickname, or handle
Maintaining a secure and safe environment for you and customers is at the top of our priority list!
Why are you telling me this?
Unless the platform instructs you to request it, do not ask for PII, passwords, or anything else you wouldn’t want a stranger asking you. Doing so can result in immediate removal from the platform. We know this seems harsh, but we’re extremely serious about protecting sensitive data *insert serious face*.
What do I do if someone gives me PII even though I didn’t ask for it?
We realize customers may offer you unsolicited PII, and this is obviously not your fault.
Example: My name is Tim Apple. Email address is tcook@apple.com.
In the above scenario, the customer volunteered his full name and email address without being asked.
So, how should you handle this situation?
If this happens, do not store or share that information. Ever. This means no screenshots, no note taking (you heard us--put down that pen), no emailing, no faxing, nada. Zilch. Zero. Just don’t do it.
Basically, if it shows up in front of you, pretend it never happened, and do nothing with it.
What if a customer asks you to provide PII?
For safety and security, it is not advised that you provide any PII.