Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-07-16 · Effective: 2026-07-16

This Privacy Policy explains how CareerBuddy Inc. ("CareerBuddy", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects personal data when you use Jobs by CareerBuddy and related services (the "Service"). We aim to collect only what we need, be clear about why, and give you real control over your data.

1. Who we are (data controller)

CareerBuddy Inc. is the controller of the personal data described in this policy. We are a company incorporated in the State of Delaware, United States.

• Registered office: 651 N Broad Street, Middletown, DE 19709, USA
• Privacy / data-protection contact: privacy@thecareerbuddy.com
• Legal contact: legal@thecareerbuddy.com

Where recruiters or companies receive candidate data through the Service, they act as independent controllers of that data for their own hiring purposes and are responsible for their own compliance.

2. The data we collect

• Account data: email, name, and a securely hashed password (via Supabase Auth), or details from a sign-in provider if you use one.
• Profile data: headline, location, role and work preferences, salary expectations, skills, experience, links, and an optional CV or other documents you upload.
• Application & activity data: jobs you save, skip, or apply to, applications and references you submit, messages you send, and how you interact with the Service.
• Recruiter / company data: for hiring users, your company details, role postings, searches, talent pools, and billing contact information.
• Payment data: if you buy a paid plan, our payment provider (Stripe) processes your card details; we receive limited billing metadata (such as plan, status, and the last four digits) but not your full card number.
• Technical data: IP address, device and browser (user-agent), approximate location derived from IP, and request/security logs.
• Usage & analytics data: pages viewed and features used, collected via cookies and similar technologies where you consent — see our Cookie Policy.
• Communications: messages you send us and support correspondence.

We do not intentionally collect special-category data (such as health, religion, or ethnicity). Please do not include such information in your CV or profile unless it is genuinely necessary; if you do, you consent to our processing it as part of Your Content to operate the Service.

3. How and why we use your data — and our legal bases

Under the EU/UK GDPR, Nigeria's Data Protection Act 2023, and comparable African data-protection laws, we rely on the following legal bases:

• To provide the Service — create your account, build your profile, match talent with roles, and enable applications and messaging. Basis: performance of a contract.
• To send transactional messages — sign-up, verification, password reset, application and account updates. Basis: contract / legitimate interests.
• To keep the Service safe — detect, prevent, and investigate fraud, abuse, and security incidents, and enforce our Terms. Basis: legitimate interests / legal obligation.
• To improve the product — analytics and research, using aggregated or de-identified data where practical. Basis: legitimate interests / consent for analytics cookies.
• To process payments and keep financial records. Basis: contract / legal obligation.
• Marketing — only where permitted; you can opt out of non-essential marketing at any time. Basis: consent or legitimate interests, as applicable.
• To comply with law and respond to lawful requests. Basis: legal obligation.

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we balance them against your rights and only proceed where those interests are not overridden. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting processing already carried out.

4. Who we share data with

We do not sell your personal data. We share it only as needed:

• With recruiters / companies you apply to or that contact you: your application content, and your identity where your profile is non-anonymous. They use it to evaluate and communicate about roles and act as independent controllers.
• With service providers (sub-processors) who process data on our behalf under contract:

• For legal reasons — with regulators, courts, or law enforcement where legally required, and to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
• In a corporate transaction — if we merge, are acquired, or sell assets, data may transfer as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.

5. International data transfers

We operate globally and serve users in the European Union, Nigeria, and other African countries, while some of our providers are based in the United States. When we transfer personal data across borders — including out of the EEA/UK, Nigeria, or another region — we use appropriate safeguards, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (and the UK Addendum where relevant), adequacy decisions where available, and equivalent mechanisms recognised under Nigeria's Data Protection Act 2023 and other applicable African laws, together with contractual and technical protections. You may contact us for more detail on the safeguards used for a specific transfer.

6. Your rights

Subject to your local law (including the EU/UK GDPR and Nigeria's Data Protection Act 2023), you may have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you and receive a copy;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
• delete your data ("right to be forgotten"), subject to legal retention needs;
• restrict or object to certain processing, including profiling and direct marketing;
• data portability — receive your data in a portable format;
• withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent;
• not be subject to solely automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects; and
• lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

You can access and correct much of your data directly in Settings, and delete your account at any time. For any other request, email privacy@thecareerbuddy.com. We will respond within the timeframe required by law (generally within one month under the GDPR, and as required by Nigeria's Data Protection Act). We may need to verify your identity first. If you are in the EU/EEA or UK, you may complain to your local Data Protection Authority; in Nigeria, to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC); and elsewhere in Africa, to your national data-protection authority.

7. How we protect your data

We use encryption in transit, access controls, hashed credentials, hardened infrastructure, logging, and least-privilege practices to protect personal data, and we require our sub-processors to maintain appropriate safeguards. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and will notify you and the relevant regulator of a personal-data breach where the law requires.

8. How long we keep data (retention)

We keep personal data only as long as necessary for the purposes above:

• Account & profile data — while your account is active.
• After account deletion — we delete or de-identify most data promptly and keep only minimal records needed for legal, tax, security, and abuse-prevention purposes, generally for up to 12 months (longer where a specific law requires).
• Application data shared with recruiters — retained by those recruiters under their own policies once shared.
• Financial records — retained as required by applicable tax and accounting law.
• Security & audit logs — retained for a limited period for integrity and abuse prevention.

9. Children

The Service is for adults (18+) and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact privacy@thecareerbuddy.com and we will delete it.

10. Cookies and similar technologies

We use cookies and similar browser storage to run the Service, remember your preferences, and — with your consent — measure usage. See our Cookie Policy for details and how to control them.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version here with a revised "Last updated" date and, for material changes, provide additional notice (such as email or an in-product notice) before they take effect.

12. Contact

CareerBuddy Inc.
651 N Broad Street, Middletown, DE 19709, USA
Privacy requests: privacy@thecareerbuddy.com
Legal contact: legal@thecareerbuddy.com

This document is provided for transparency and general information; it is not legal advice. If you process the data of EU/UK, Nigerian, or other African residents, have it reviewed by qualified counsel for your specific circumstances before relying on it.