Hackster
- The documents do not say whether your data trains AI.
- Your data is used to target ads at you; you can opt out.
- Data is shared only with the providers who run the service.
- The documents do not say who can read your content.
They collect account and contact details, use them for marketing, take a broad license on your projects, and can close you anytime.
Agent Trust Hub uses AI and may make mistakes. Review reports and confirm their contents before relying on them.
Collected
Username, email, name, phone, address, IP address, and sometimes data from other Avnet or public sources.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We collect the following data you provide us (for example in account registrations or prize draws) as well as your IP address:UsernameEmail addressFirst name and last namePhone numberAddress (street, zip, city, country)”
Training
They use it for site stats, support, newsletters, and ads for products that may interest you.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Advertising products that are or may be of interest for you.”
Sharing
They say they do not sell it, but Avnet companies, vendors, and partner project sites may see it.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We do not rent or sell your Personal Information to anyone. We may share and disclose information (including Personal Information) about our customers in the following limited circumstances:”
Kept
They keep it until they say they no longer need it for those purposes or the law.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Unless explicitly indicated otherwise at the time of the collection of the personal data, we erase your personal data if the retention of the personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purposes for which they were collected or otherwise processed”
Controls
You can delete your account in settings and unsubscribe from marketing emails.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“You can delete your Hackster account by visiting your account settings page and selecting Delete My Account.”
Fine print
They can close your account anytime with no notice; Arizona courts; you them; as-is service.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Hackster may terminate your access to all or any part of the Website at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately.”
Expand “Read the exact line” to see the source alongside the explanation.
What you can turn off
The controls and opt-outs their own documents describe, and where they say to find them.
Delete your Hackster account
Account settings page → Delete My Account
Unsubscribe from marketing emails
Unsubscribe link in their emails, or email [email protected]
Ask for a copy or of your data (EEA)
Email [email protected]
If a switch is not where they say, the deletion request above still applies.
Line by line
The lines that matter most, worst first.
They can lock you out of the site for any reason, or none, without warning.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“Hackster may terminate your access to all or any part of the Website at any time, with or without cause, with or without notice, effective immediately.”
For example, your projects could vanish from your login overnight with no email first.
If someone sues them because of something you posted or how you used the site, you may have to pay their legal bills.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“You agree to and Hackster, its contractors, and its licensors, and their respective directors, officers, employees and agents from and against any and all claims and expenses, including attorneys’ fees, arising out of your use of the Website”
For example, if a project you shared leads to a copyright fight, you could be on the hook for their lawyers.
You still own your projects, but they get a wide, transferable license to copy, change, and share them.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“you grant us an our affiliates a worldwide, non-exclusive, transferable, right and license to use, display, reproduce, modify, adapt, translate, process, publish, distribute, prepare derivative works of, transmit and otherwise use all or part of your Content.”
For example, they could post your project on social media or another Avnet site without paying you.
They use your data to send or show marketing for products they think you might like.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Advertising products that are or may be of interest for you.”
For example, after you register, you may get emails pushing electronics or Avnet products.
They can add extra personal data about you from Avnet, partners, or what they find online.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Hackster may collect the above mentioned personal data from other group companies, suppliers, customers, publicly available information on internet, social media or any other platform or a system/application used by Hackster.”
For example, they might match your account to a public LinkedIn or supplier record.
Your profile can show up on other companies’ Hackster-powered sites if you interact with their projects.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“Consequently, if you're following a specific platform, or create a project and tag it with that platform, or respect, or comment on such a project, your profile information will appear on that platform's Whitelabel project-sharing site (if they have one).”
For example, commenting on a branded project can put your name on that brand’s community site.
They say they do not rent or sell your personal information.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“We do not rent or sell your Personal Information to anyone.”
For example, they claim they will not put your email on a sold marketing list.
You can wipe the account yourself in settings, without emailing support first.
Read the exact line
Privacy policy
“You can delete your Hackster account by visiting your account settings page and selecting Delete My Account.”
For example, you open account settings, tap Delete My Account, and start closing the profile.
You must be 13 or older, but they only state the rule; they do not describe ID checks.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“The Website is available only to individuals who are at least 13 years old.”
For example, a 12-year-old could still type that they are 13 and sign up.
They promise almost nothing about the site working or being safe to use.
Read the exact line
Terms of service
“The Website is provided “as is”. Hackster and its suppliers and licensors hereby disclaim all of any kind, express or implied”
For example, if a download from a project bricks your board, they say that is your risk.
Words to know
Legal words from the lines above, in plain English.
- sell or share
- Under California law, selling means passing your data to others for money or other value; sharing means passing it on for targeted ads. For example, letting an ad network use your browsing history in return for ad space counts as a sale.
- personal data
- Any information that is about you or can be linked to you, from your name to your phone's ID. For example, your email, your IP address and the list of apps on your phone are all personal data.
- retention
- How long a company keeps your data before deleting it. For example, a policy might keep your messages for 30 days after you delete them, or for as long as it likes.
- indemnify
- You promise to pay the company's legal costs and losses if your use of the service gets it sued. For example, if you post a song you do not own and the label sues the app, you owe the app's lawyer bills.
- service providers
- Outside companies that handle your data on the app's instructions, such as a cloud host or an email sender. For example, the company that stores the app's files in the cloud sees your data but only does what the app tells it.
- worldwide license
- You let the company use your content anywhere on earth, usually for free and for as long as it likes. For example, a video you post can be shown in ads in any country without asking you again.
- affiliates
- Other companies owned by or connected to the same parent company. For example, if you use one app, its sister apps under the same owner may also get your data.
- royalty-free
- The company can use your content without ever paying you for it. For example, your photo can appear in the app's ads and you get nothing.
- as is
- You get the service in whatever state it is in, with no promise that it works or will keep working. For example, if the app deletes your photos by mistake, it is not promising to fix that or pay you back.
- warranty
- A promise that a product will work as described; most apps say they make no such promise at all. For example, if a paid feature never works on your phone, a no-warranty clause says that is your problem.
How we got here · grade D · score 38/100 · 13 of 15 policy answers backed by a verified quote · 4 not stated
What does the app collect beyond what it needs to work?
They collect account details plus phone, mailing address, IP address, and site-use logs, and may add data from other Avnet sources or the public internet.
Does it record your voice, face or body, and what happens to that?
The documents do not describe collecting voice, face, or body data.
Are your chats and uploads used to train AI models, and is that off by default?
Not stated in the documents.
Can employees or contractors read your conversations, and when?
Not stated in the documents.
Are you profiled or tracked for advertising?
They advertise products that may interest you and let you unsubscribe from marketing emails.
Do they sell or share your data, and can you opt out?
They say they do not rent or sell personal information, but share with Avnet companies and service providers, and profiles can appear on partner sites they host.
What rights do they take over what you type and what the AI makes?
They do not claim ownership, but you grant a worldwide, transferable, royalty-free license to use, modify, and share your content, including on other platforms.
How long do they keep your data after you delete it, and can you delete it in the app?
Not stated in the documents.
Does it build a lasting memory or profile of you, and can you see, edit or turn it off?
Not stated in the documents.
Do they commit to basic security, and have they leaked data?
They mention technical and organizational security measures for processors, but no audit or leak history.
Is there a real age gate, and are teens protected?
The site is only for people 13 or older; they do not describe age checks.
Will they tell you when the rules change, and is the policy specific?
The policy lists change dates and they post a 30-day homepage notice for material adverse changes, but retention is vague.
Can they close your account without warning, and can you get your data out first?
They may end your access at any time, with or without cause or notice.
If something goes wrong, who pays?
The site is as-is, liability is capped at fees you paid in the last year, and you must indemnify them for claims from your use.
Do subscriptions renew on their own, and can you get a refund?
The documents do not describe subscriptions or paid plans.
The privacy policy is 1,887 words at a professional or legal expert level (Flesch reading ease 0); the terms are 2,493 words at a professional or legal expert level.
