By Complexity

®2026

By Complexity

®2026

LEGAL / PRIVACY

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 12, 2026

Factory is a global B2B manufacturing marketplace operated by Complexity LLC, a Texas limited liability company ("Complexity," "Factory," "we," "us," or "our").

This Privacy Policy explains how Factory collects, uses, discloses, stores, and otherwise processes personal information when you access or use Factory, including our website at factory.social, our mobile applications, and related products, features, communications, and services (collectively, the "Service").

This Privacy Policy applies to buyers, manufacturers, Company Members, and other individuals who access or use Factory.

  1. Information We Collect

The information we collect depends on how you use Factory and the features you interact with.

1.1 Personal Account Information

When you create or maintain a Personal Account, we may collect information such as:

  • name;

  • email address;

  • country;

  • account photo;

  • language and account preferences;

  • company affiliation;

  • business role or position; and

  • other information you choose to provide through your account.

1.2 Company Information

If you create, claim, join, manage, or interact on behalf of a Company, we may collect information about the Company and the individuals associated with it, including:

  • company name;

  • company username;

  • business address;

  • country and location;

  • phone number;

  • website and external links;

  • industry and categories;

  • company size;

  • year founded;

  • company type;

  • company description;

  • services and capabilities;

  • manufacturing processes;

  • materials;

  • facilities;

  • export markets;

  • spoken languages;

  • working hours;

  • shipping and payment policies;

  • company terms and conditions;

  • certifications;

  • business contact information;

  • logos and brand materials;

  • Company Profile photographs;

  • facility photographs;

  • factory-tour videos;

  • production and manufacturing-process videos;

  • other company media; and

  • information about Company Members, including their roles and permissions.

Some Company information relates to a business rather than an individual. This Privacy Policy applies to Company information to the extent it identifies, relates to, or can reasonably be associated with an individual.

1.3 Product Listing and Catalog Information

Manufacturers may create Product Listings and catalogs containing information such as:

  • product names and descriptions;

  • photographs and videos;

  • product codes or SKUs;

  • pricing or pricing information;

  • currencies;

  • minimum order quantities;

  • product variations;

  • sizes;

  • colors;

  • materials;

  • dimensions;

  • specifications;

  • attributes;

  • packaging information;

  • customization options;

  • private-label, OEM, or ODM capabilities;

  • sample information;

  • manufacturing or production information;

  • production capacity;

  • estimated lead times;

  • shipping or delivery information;

  • certifications;

  • technical documents; and

  • other commercial or technical information.

Product and Company information generally concerns a business or its products, but it may constitute personal information where it identifies or can reasonably be associated with an individual.

1.4 Search, Discovery, and Marketplace Activity

When you use Factory, we may collect information about how you interact with the Service, including:

  • searches;

  • search terms;

  • search filters;

  • industries and categories viewed;

  • Product Listings viewed;

  • Company Profiles viewed;

  • catalogs viewed;

  • videos viewed;

  • products viewed;

  • search-result interactions;

  • clicks;

  • saved companies;

  • saved products;

  • collections or folders you create;

  • messages initiated;

  • Request order activity;

  • Request samples activity;

  • Order activity;

  • dates and timestamps; and

  • other interactions with Factory.

We may use this information to operate Factory, improve search and discovery, provide relevant marketplace experiences, measure performance, and understand how the Service is used.

1.5 Messages and Communications

When you communicate through Factory, we collect and process the content of those communications and related information.

This may include:

  • message text;

  • photographs;

  • videos;

  • documents;

  • attachments;

  • product links;

  • Company Profile links;

  • quotations;

  • specifications;

  • quantities;

  • pricing information;

  • production requirements;

  • customization requirements;

  • shipping information;

  • payment terms;

  • order-related discussions; and

  • message dates, times, senders, recipients, reactions, and status information.

Messages may form part of the commercial record between a buyer and manufacturer.

1.6 Request Order Information

When a buyer uses Request order, we may collect information necessary to create, communicate, negotiate, and manage the request.

This information may include:

  • the buyer and manufacturer involved;

  • the relevant product or Product Listing;

  • quantities;

  • product variations;

  • materials;

  • dimensions;

  • colors;

  • specifications;

  • attributes;

  • customization requirements;

  • branding or private-label requirements;

  • requested production timing;

  • requested delivery timing;

  • shipping destination;

  • attachments;

  • proposed pricing;

  • proposed payment terms;

  • comments or instructions; and

  • other commercial requirements submitted by either party.

We may also collect actions taken in connection with the request, including whether a request was accepted, declined, canceled, revised, or otherwise modified.

1.7 Request Samples Information

When a buyer uses Request samples, we may collect information such as:

  • the buyer and manufacturer involved;

  • the relevant product;

  • sample quantity;

  • product variations;

  • sample specifications;

  • customization requirements;

  • delivery information;

  • sample pricing;

  • shipping costs or arrangements;

  • proposed terms;

  • attachments;

  • comments or instructions; and

  • responses or modifications made by either party.

1.8 Order Information

When a buyer and manufacturer establish or manage an Order through Factory, we may collect information associated with the Order and its lifecycle.

This may include:

  • Order identifiers;

  • buyer and manufacturer information;

  • relevant products;

  • quantities;

  • specifications;

  • variations;

  • customization requirements;

  • agreed pricing information;

  • commercial terms;

  • production requirements;

  • estimated or agreed production timelines;

  • production status;

  • fulfillment status;

  • shipping arrangements;

  • delivery information;

  • tracking information;

  • confirmations made by either party;

  • completion information;

  • cancellation information;

  • dispute information;

  • documents and attachments;

  • dates and timestamps; and

  • other information associated with the Order.

Factory may maintain a history of actions, confirmations, modifications, and statuses associated with an Order.

1.9 Payment Information

Factory does not currently process payments for Orders through the Service.

Factory Pay is not available in this version of Factory.

Buyers and manufacturers independently agree on payment terms and complete payment outside Factory using payment methods or providers selected by the parties.

As a result, Factory does not require buyers to provide Factory with payment-card credentials or require manufacturers to provide Factory with payout-account credentials for Orders completed under this version of the Service.

Buyers and manufacturers may discuss or record information about payment terms, payment requests, deposits, balances, invoices, payment status, or payment confirmation through Messages or Order-related workflows. That information may become part of the relevant commercial communication or Order record.

Do not send passwords, authentication codes, full payment-card credentials, online banking credentials, or other sensitive financial authentication information through Factory Messages.

If Factory introduces integrated payment services, including Factory Pay, in the future, we may update this Privacy Policy and provide any additional notices required for those services.

1.10 Support, Reports, and Trust and Safety Information

When you contact Factory, request support, report another user or Company, or report activity involving a Product Listing, Message, Request order, Request samples, or Order, we may collect:

  • your identity and contact information;

  • the contents of your request or report;

  • screenshots;

  • photographs;

  • videos;

  • documents or other attachments;

  • relevant communications;

  • relevant Company, Product Listing, or account information;

  • Order or request information; and

  • information necessary to investigate and respond to the matter.

1.11 Device, Technical, and Usage Information

When you access Factory, we may automatically receive technical and usage information associated with your device or session, such as:

  • IP address;

  • device type;

  • operating system;

  • browser type, where applicable;

  • application version;

  • language settings;

  • session information;

  • login events;

  • interactions with Service features;

  • error and crash information;

  • diagnostic information;

  • security events; and

  • performance information.

We use this information to operate, secure, diagnose, maintain, and improve Factory.

  1. Information You Make Public

Factory is designed to help buyers discover manufacturers, products, capabilities, and manufacturing information around the world.

Information that a Company chooses to publish may therefore be visible to Factory users or, depending on the applicable feature and Company settings, to the public.

Public information may include:

  • Company name;

  • Company username;

  • Company Profile;

  • company location;

  • company description;

  • business contact information made public by the Company;

  • industries and categories;

  • capabilities;

  • catalogs;

  • Product Listings;

  • product information;

  • prices or pricing information displayed publicly;

  • certifications;

  • photographs;

  • videos;

  • manufacturing facilities;

  • factory tours;

  • manufacturing processes;

  • export markets; and

  • other information the Company chooses to publish.

You should not publish personal information that you do not want to be publicly available.

  1. Information We Receive From Other Users

Factory may receive information about you from another user or Company.

For example:

  • a Company administrator may invite or add you as a Company Member;

  • another Company Member may provide business information associated with you;

  • a buyer or manufacturer may include your information in a Message, Order, document, or attachment;

  • another user may report a communication, transaction, or account involving you; or

  • another user may provide information relating to a commercial dispute or support request.

We process this information as necessary to operate the relevant feature, maintain marketplace records, provide support, enforce our policies, or protect Factory and its users.

  1. How We Use Information

We use information for the purposes described below.

4.1 Provide and Operate Factory

We may use information to:

  • create and maintain Personal Accounts;

  • create and maintain Company Profiles;

  • manage Company Members and permissions;

  • display Product Listings and catalogs;

  • operate search and discovery;

  • provide buyer and manufacturer experiences;

  • enable Messages;

  • enable Request order;

  • enable Request samples;

  • facilitate negotiation between buyers and manufacturers;

  • create and manage Orders;

  • maintain Order histories;

  • display Order statuses and progress;

  • send notifications;

  • provide saved items and collections;

  • provide Company analytics; and

  • operate other Factory functionality.

4.2 Connect Buyers and Manufacturers

We use information to help buyers discover relevant products and manufacturers and to allow manufacturers to present their products, capabilities, facilities, processes, and business information.

We also use information to provide context when buyers and manufacturers communicate or conduct business through Factory.

4.3 Facilitate Commercial Requests and Orders

We process information submitted through Request order, Request samples, Messages, and Orders so that buyers and manufacturers can:

  • communicate requirements;

  • propose commercial terms;

  • request changes;

  • review changes;

  • accept or decline requests;

  • confirm agreed terms;

  • coordinate manufacturing;

  • document production progress;

  • coordinate fulfillment and shipping;

  • record relevant milestones; and

  • maintain a record of their commercial activity through Factory.

Factory may preserve relevant confirmations, status changes, modifications, and communications to maintain an accurate history of an Order or request.

4.4 Search, Recommendations, and Marketplace Relevance

We may use information about your Factory activity to:

  • return search results;

  • improve search relevance;

  • organize marketplace content;

  • surface relevant products or manufacturers;

  • improve discovery features;

  • understand marketplace demand; and

  • improve how Factory connects buyers and manufacturers.

4.5 Manufacturer Analytics

We may process marketplace activity to provide Companies with information about the performance of their Factory presence.

This may include metrics relating to:

  • Company Profile views;

  • Product Listing views;

  • catalog views;

  • video views;

  • search appearances;

  • search clicks;

  • Company Profile interactions;

  • messages;

  • conversations;

  • responses;

  • response times;

  • Order activity; and

  • other marketplace activity.

Where appropriate, Factory may provide this information in aggregated or summarized form.

4.6 Improve and Develop Factory

We may use information to:

  • understand how Factory is used;

  • troubleshoot problems;

  • improve existing features;

  • develop new features;

  • test product changes;

  • analyze performance;

  • improve usability;

  • improve reliability; and

  • improve the safety and effectiveness of the marketplace.

4.7 Trust, Safety, Fraud Prevention, and Security

We may process information to:

  • protect accounts;

  • detect unauthorized access;

  • investigate suspicious activity;

  • identify fraud or attempted fraud;

  • investigate misleading Company or Product Listing information;

  • investigate abuse;

  • enforce Factory's Terms of Service and marketplace policies;

  • verify users or Companies;

  • prevent misuse of the Service;

  • moderate content;

  • maintain platform security; and

  • protect Factory, Complexity LLC, our users, and others.

4.8 Customer Support

We use information to respond to:

  • support requests;

  • technical problems;

  • account questions;

  • Company administration issues;

  • Product Listing questions;

  • reports;

  • commercial workflow issues;

  • Order-related issues; and

  • other requests for assistance.

4.9 Communicate With You

We may use your information to send:

  • account communications;

  • email verification;

  • security alerts;

  • Message notifications;

  • Request order notifications;

  • Request samples notifications;

  • Order updates;

  • Company administration notifications;

  • Service announcements;

  • product updates;

  • policy updates;

  • legal notices; and

  • support communications.

Where required by applicable law, we will obtain any required consent before sending promotional marketing communications.

4.10 Legal and Compliance Purposes

We may process information where reasonably necessary to:

  • comply with applicable laws and legal obligations;

  • respond to valid legal process;

  • respond to lawful requests from authorities;

  • enforce our Terms of Service or other agreements;

  • investigate suspected violations;

  • establish, exercise, or defend legal claims;

  • protect rights and property;

  • prevent fraud or other unlawful conduct; and

  • protect the safety of Factory and its users.

  1. Legal Bases for Processing

Where applicable law requires us to identify a legal basis for processing personal information, we may rely on one or more of the following.

Performance of a Contract

We process information where necessary to provide Factory and the features you request, maintain your account, provide marketplace functionality, facilitate communications, and operate commercial and Order workflows.

Legitimate Interests

We may process information where reasonably necessary for legitimate interests such as:

  • operating Factory;

  • improving the Service;

  • connecting buyers and manufacturers;

  • maintaining marketplace integrity;

  • maintaining security;

  • preventing fraud;

  • improving search and discovery;

  • analyzing Service performance;

  • providing business analytics;

  • enforcing our policies; and

  • protecting Factory and our users.

Consent

We may process information based on your consent when required by applicable law or when you choose to permit a particular use of your information.

Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent subject to applicable law.

Legal Obligations

We may process information when necessary to comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations.

  1. How We Disclose Information

We disclose personal information only as described in this Privacy Policy and as necessary to operate, provide, protect, or comply with legal obligations relating to Factory.

6.1 Between Buyers and Manufacturers

Factory exists to connect buyers and manufacturers.

When you send a Message, use Request order, use Request samples, create or participate in an Order, or otherwise communicate with another party through the marketplace, information you choose to provide may be disclosed to the relevant buyer, manufacturer, Company, or authorized Company Members.

Information necessary to coordinate an Order may remain accessible to the parties involved in that Order.

6.2 With Company Members

Information associated with Company activity may be available to authorized Company Members based on their roles and permissions.

This may include:

  • Company Profile information;

  • Product Listings;

  • Messages;

  • Request order activity;

  • Request samples activity;

  • Orders;

  • commercial communications;

  • Company analytics; and

  • other Company-related activity.

6.3 Publicly

Information you or your Company intentionally publish through public areas of Factory may be available to other Factory users or the public.

6.4 With Service Providers

We may disclose information to service providers that process information on our behalf and assist us in operating Factory.

These services may include:

  • hosting and cloud infrastructure;

  • data storage;

  • security;

  • communications;

  • email or notification delivery;

  • analytics;

  • performance monitoring;

  • error monitoring;

  • customer support; and

  • other technical or operational services.

Service providers may process information only as necessary to provide services to Factory and subject to applicable contractual and legal requirements.

We do not authorize service providers to sell personal information or use personal information provided by Factory for their own targeted advertising purposes.

6.5 Legal, Security, and Safety Disclosures

We may disclose information where we reasonably believe doing so is necessary to:

  • comply with applicable law;

  • respond to valid legal process;

  • respond to lawful government requests;

  • investigate fraud or illegal activity;

  • enforce Factory's agreements or policies;

  • protect Factory systems;

  • investigate security incidents;

  • prevent harm; or

  • protect the rights, property, or safety of Factory, Complexity LLC, our users, or others.

6.6 Business Transactions

If Complexity LLC, Factory, or relevant assets are involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, sale of assets, corporate restructuring, or similar transaction, information may be disclosed or transferred as part of that transaction, subject to applicable law.

  1. No Sale of Personal Information or Targeted Advertising

Factory does not sell personal information.

Factory does not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising or other targeted advertising purposes.

Factory does not use personal information to provide targeted advertising.

We do not disclose personal information to third parties in exchange for monetary or other valuable consideration.

The disclosures described in Section 6 are made only as necessary to provide and operate Factory, carry out actions requested by users, work with service providers acting on our behalf, protect Factory and its users, comply with legal obligations, or complete a business transaction involving Factory or Complexity LLC. These operational disclosures are not made for targeted advertising.

If Factory's practices change in the future in a way that materially affects this section, we will update this Privacy Policy and provide any notices or choices required by applicable law before or when those practices take effect.

  1. Data Retention

We retain information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

Factors affecting retention may include the need to:

  • provide the Service;

  • maintain your account;

  • maintain Company information;

  • preserve commercial and Order records;

  • maintain marketplace integrity;

  • provide support;

  • maintain security;

  • prevent fraud;

  • investigate abuse;

  • resolve disputes;

  • enforce agreements;

  • comply with applicable legal obligations; and

  • establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.

Different categories of information may be retained for different periods.

For example, certain Messages, Request order records, Request samples records, Order information, commercial communications, security records, or dispute records may be retained after an account is deleted when reasonably necessary for legitimate business, legal, security, fraud-prevention, evidentiary, or compliance purposes.

When information is no longer reasonably necessary, we may delete, anonymize, aggregate, or otherwise dispose of it.

  1. Data Security

Factory uses administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, use, alteration, disclosure, loss, or destruction.

Passwords are never stored in plain text. We protect passwords using industry-standard cryptographic methods.

We also use safeguards designed to protect Factory accounts, infrastructure, communications, and stored information.

Users are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality and security of their account credentials and for notifying Factory promptly if they believe their account has been accessed without authorization.

  1. International Use and Data Transfers

Factory is operated by Complexity LLC in the United States and is designed as a global manufacturing marketplace.

Buyers and manufacturers may use Factory from countries around the world. Personal information may therefore be processed in the United States and in other countries where Factory's service providers or infrastructure operate.

Privacy and data-protection laws may differ between countries.

Where applicable law requires safeguards for an international transfer of personal information, Factory will use an appropriate legal mechanism or other recognized safeguard.

  1. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live and the law applicable to Factory's processing of your information, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information.

These may include the right to:

  • confirm whether Factory processes your personal information;

  • request access to personal information Factory maintains about you;

  • request correction of inaccurate personal information;

  • request deletion of certain personal information;

  • obtain a portable copy of certain personal information;

  • request restriction of certain processing;

  • object to certain processing;

  • withdraw consent where processing is based on consent;

  • opt out of certain sales, sharing, targeted advertising, or qualifying profiling where applicable;

  • limit certain uses or disclosures of sensitive personal information where applicable;

  • appeal certain decisions relating to privacy requests where applicable;

  • lodge a complaint with an applicable data-protection or supervisory authority where provided by law; and

  • exercise applicable privacy rights without unlawful discrimination or retaliation.

Because Factory does not sell personal information or use or share personal information for targeted advertising, Factory does not currently engage in the sale or advertising-related practices described in the corresponding opt-out rights above.

These rights are subject to applicable legal limitations and exceptions.

Exercising Your Rights

To submit a privacy request, contact:

support@factory.social

Please describe the request you want to make and provide enough information for us to reasonably identify the relevant account or information.

We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling certain requests.

Where permitted by applicable law, an authorized agent may submit a request on your behalf. We may request information necessary to verify the agent's authority and the identity of the person on whose behalf the request is made.

Appeals

If applicable law provides you with a right to appeal our decision regarding a privacy request, you may submit an appeal by contacting:

support@factory.social

Please identify the original request and explain that you are requesting an appeal.

  1. Accessing, Updating, and Deleting Your Account

You can review and update your Personal Account and Company Profile information directly through Factory.

You may request deletion of your Personal Account through available account controls or by contacting support@factory.social.

Deleting your Personal Account may not immediately or automatically remove:

  • Company Profile information and other Company records associated with a Company that remains active;

  • information submitted or controlled by another Company Member;

  • Messages retained as part of another user's commercial records;

  • Request order records;

  • Request samples records;

  • Order records;

  • information necessary to resolve disputes;

  • information required for fraud or security purposes;

  • information that Factory is legally required or permitted to retain; or

  • information temporarily retained in backups.

Where appropriate, Factory may remove or disassociate an individual's Personal Account from a Company while retaining the Company's Profile, commercial records, and other legitimate Company information.

  1. Company Information After a Member Leaves

Company Profiles, catalogs, Product Listings, media, Orders, and commercial records belong to or relate to the relevant Company and may involve multiple Company Members.

If an individual leaves a Company, Factory may remove or update that person's association with the Company without deleting legitimate Company information or business records.

An individual's departure from a Company does not necessarily result in deletion of:

  • the Company Profile;

  • Product Listings;

  • catalogs;

  • Messages forming part of Company commercial records;

  • Request order records;

  • Request samples records;

  • Orders;

  • Company analytics; or

  • other legitimate Company information.

  1. Off-Platform Payments and Third-Party Services

Factory does not currently process marketplace Order payments through Factory Pay.

Buyers and manufacturers may independently use banks, payment providers, freight providers, carriers, customs brokers, inspection providers, insurance providers, or other external services in connection with a transaction initiated or coordinated through Factory.

Information you provide directly to those third parties is governed by their own privacy practices and is not governed by this Privacy Policy.

If you share information from an external service through Factory—for example, by uploading an invoice, payment confirmation, shipping document, or tracking information—that information may be processed by Factory as part of the relevant Message, request, or Order.

  1. Communication and Notifications

Factory may send communications necessary to operate the Service, including:

  • account verification;

  • security notifications;

  • Message notifications;

  • Request order notifications;

  • Request samples notifications;

  • Order updates;

  • production or fulfillment updates;

  • Company administration notices;

  • support communications;

  • Service announcements;

  • policy notices; and

  • other operational communications.

Certain communications may be managed through your notification or device settings where available.

If Factory sends promotional or marketing communications, we will provide any opt-out or unsubscribe mechanisms required by applicable law.

  1. Children's Privacy

Factory is a B2B marketplace intended for adults and is not directed to children.

Users must be at least 18 years old to create or use a Factory account.

If Factory learns that an account was created by a person who was not eligible to use the Service, we may restrict or terminate the account and take appropriate steps regarding associated personal information.

  1. Automated Systems

Factory may use automated systems to support functions such as:

  • search;

  • marketplace organization;

  • recommendations;

  • fraud detection;

  • spam prevention;

  • abuse detection;

  • security;

  • content moderation; and

  • Service performance.

Where applicable law provides rights concerning automated processing or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects, Factory will provide applicable disclosures and rights as required.

  1. Changes to This Privacy Policy

Factory may update this Privacy Policy as the Service evolves, including when we introduce new products, marketplace functionality, payment features, technologies, or data practices.

If we make material changes, we may provide notice through Factory, by email, or through another reasonable method.

The Effective Date at the top of this Privacy Policy identifies when the current version became effective.

If a new feature materially changes how we collect, use, or disclose personal information, we may provide additional notice where appropriate or required by applicable law.

  1. Contact Us

Factory is operated by:

Complexity LLC
Texas, United States

Factory: factory.social
Email: support@factory.social

For questions about this Privacy Policy, privacy requests, account-related privacy concerns, or other privacy matters, contact us at:

support@factory.social