Privacy Policy

Introduction

Welcome to GradLink ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our platform.

Your Privacy Matters: We believe in transparency and your right to understand how your data is being used. Please read this policy carefully.

Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you register on GradLink, we collect the following information:

Account Information: Full name, username, email address, password (encrypted), gender (optional)
Profile Information: Academic details (course, branch, graduation year), professional information (job title, employer), profile picture
Contact Details: Phone number (optional)
Social Links: LinkedIn, GitHub, portfolio URLs (optional)
Skills and About: Your skills, expertise, and personal bio
Network Information: Connection requests, connections, and relationship data
Circle Participation: Circles you join or create, your role in circles, circle activities
Preferences: Email notification settings and other user preferences

Job Posting Information

When you post a job, we collect:

Job title, description, and requirements
Company information and location
Salary range and application deadlines
Optional media links (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter)

Usage Data and Analytics

We automatically collect certain information when you use our platform:

Analytics Data: Job views, likes, applications, click-through rates
Traffic Source: Where you came from (social media platforms, direct links)
Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system
Activity Data: Pages visited, time spent on platform, interactions

Communication Data

Our chat application stores:

Chat messages (encrypted) and timestamps
Message delivery and read status
Online/offline status and last activity time
Connection request messages

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Account Management: Create and maintain your account, authenticate login
Platform Services: Enable job posting, browsing, profile viewing, chat functionality, connections, and circles
Network Features: Facilitate connections between users, manage connection requests, and build your professional network
Circle Features: Enable creation and participation in circles for shared interests and collaboration
Email Notifications: Send connection requests, message notifications, circle invitations, and job alerts (based on your preferences)
Analytics and Insights: Provide job posters with traffic analytics and engagement metrics
GradPoints System: Calculate and display engagement-based points based on your activities
Communication: Send important updates, notifications, and respond to your inquiries
Platform Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to improve our services
Security: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents

Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously and implement industry-standard measures:

🔒 HTTPS & HSTS: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS (SSL/TLS). We also implement HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) to ensure your connection is always secure.

Password Security: Passwords are hashed using industry-standard algorithms and never stored in plain text
Encrypted Chat: Our chat application uses industry-standard encryption to protect your messages
Cloudinary Integration: Images are securely stored and optimized through Cloudinary's infrastructure
Access Controls: Strict access controls ensure only authorized personnel can access sensitive data
Regular Security Audits: We conduct regular security reviews and updates
Data Backup: Regular backups ensure data recovery in case of incidents

While we use reasonable security measures, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but continuously work to enhance our protection measures.

Information Sharing

We do NOT sell your personal information to third parties. We may share your information only in the following circumstances:

Public Profile Information: Your profile information (name, about, skills, academic/professional details) is visible to other platform users
Job Analytics: Job posters can see anonymized analytics about who viewed or interacted with their posts
Service Providers: Third-party services like Cloudinary (image hosting) that help us operate the platform
Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or to protect our rights and safety
Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets

Cookies and Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies to:

Maintain your login session
Remember your preferences
Analyze platform usage and traffic patterns
Track job share link sources for analytics

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling them may affect platform functionality.

Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information through your profile settings
Deletion: Request deletion of your account and associated data
Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications
Data Portability: Request your data in a portable format
Object to Processing: Object to certain types of data processing

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

Children's Privacy

GradLink is intended for use by individuals who are at least 13 years old. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

Third-Party Links

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites (e.g., job application links, social media profiles). We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the new policy on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of the platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.