Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

CareerBuddy ("we", "us", or "our") is an AI-powered career platform that helps you analyze your CV, improve your ATS scores, practice interviews, and build professional documents. We are committed to protecting your privacy and personal data in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) of South Africa and other applicable data protection laws.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have regarding your data.

2. Information We Collect

We collect the following types of information:

• Account information: Your name, email address, and authentication details when you register or sign in via Google or email/password.
• Profile information: Career level, skills, education, preferred industries, and career goals you provide.
• Documents you upload: CVs, resumes, cover letters, and job descriptions you submit for analysis or generation. The extracted text from these documents is stored to provide our services.
• Usage data: Feature usage, scores, progress tracking, and interaction history within the platform.
• Payment information: Transaction records for credit purchases processed via PayFast. We do not store your card or banking details — PayFast handles all payment processing securely.
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, and device information collected automatically when you use the platform.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal information to:

• Provide AI-powered CV analysis, interview practice, cover letter generation, and career coaching features.
• Create and manage your account, wallet, and credit balance.
• Process payments and maintain transaction records for credit purchases.
• Track your progress, achievements, and career readiness over time.
• Improve our AI models, features, and overall user experience.
• Send service-related communications, such as payment confirmations and important account updates.
• Comply with legal obligations and protect against fraud.

4. AI Processing & Third-Party Services

To provide our AI features, we send your CV text, job descriptions, and other inputs to third-party AI providers for processing. These providers may include large language model services. The content you submit is processed to generate analysis results, interview questions, cover letters, and coaching responses. We do not use your personal documents to train AI models for third parties.

5. Data Sharing

We share your information only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: Payment processing (PayFast), AI processing, and cloud hosting partners who help us operate the platform.
• Legal compliance: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and safety.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, your data may be transferred to the acquiring entity.

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide our services. Documents, analysis results, and transaction records are kept until you delete them or close your account. You may request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us.

7. Your Rights

Under POPIA and applicable data protection laws, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Request deletion of your personal information and account.
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your data.
• Withdraw consent for processing where consent was given.
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted data transmission, secure cloud storage, and access controls. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to maintain your session, remember preferences, and analyze platform usage. You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling them may affect some features of the platform.

10. Children's Privacy

CareerBuddy is not directed at children under 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the updated policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us through the platform's support channels. We will respond to your request within a reasonable timeframe as required by POPIA.