Privacy First Approach

This Privacy Policy complies with GDPR, LinkedIn Platform Policy, and other applicable data protection regulations. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your data.

1. Introduction

Precedes.Me ("we," "our," or "us") is a career development intelligence platform that empowers professionals to accelerate their careers through predictive hiring intelligence, market timing insights, and verified professional reputation. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

Data Controller Information

Company: Precedes.Me
Contact: privacy@precedes.me
Data Protection Officer: dpo@precedes.me

2. LinkedIn Integration & Data Usage

LinkedIn Platform Policy Compliant

Our use of LinkedIn data strictly complies with LinkedIn's Platform Policy and Developer Terms of Service.

LinkedIn Login Scopes & Permissions

When you sign in with LinkedIn, we request only the minimal necessary permissions:

r_liteprofile

Basic Profile Information

What we access: Your name, profile picture, and LinkedIn member ID

Purpose: Authentication and account creation only

Retention: Stored securely for account management; deleted within 30 days of account deletion

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Email Address

What we access: Your primary email address associated with your LinkedIn account

Purpose: Account creation, communication, and account recovery

Retention: Retained while your account is active; anonymized after account deletion

How We Use LinkedIn Data

  • Authentication: Create and maintain your Precedes.Me account using your LinkedIn identity
  • Profile Verification: Verify your professional identity to ensure platform integrity
  • Communication: Send you service updates, security notifications, and requested information
  • Account Recovery: Help you regain access to your account if needed

Data We Do NOT Access

We explicitly do NOT access:

  • Your LinkedIn connections or network data
  • Your LinkedIn posts, messages, or activity feed
  • Your detailed work history beyond basic profile information
  • Your LinkedIn skills, endorsements, or recommendations
  • Any LinkedIn data not explicitly mentioned in our requested scopes

LinkedIn Data Compliance

We ensure compliance with LinkedIn Platform Policy by:

  • Requesting only minimal, necessary permissions
  • Using LinkedIn data solely for the stated purposes
  • Not storing LinkedIn data longer than necessary
  • Providing clear opt-out mechanisms
  • Respecting user consent and withdrawal of consent

3. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

Account Information

  • Name and email address (from LinkedIn authentication)
  • Profile information you choose to add
  • Account preferences and settings

Platform Usage Data

  • Reference requests and responses you create
  • Communications sent through our platform
  • Feedback and support inquiries

Information We Collect Automatically

Technical Information

  • IP address and general location (city/country level)
  • Browser type, version, and operating system
  • Device information and screen resolution
  • Referral URLs and pages visited

Usage Analytics

  • Pages visited and time spent on platform
  • Features used and interaction patterns
  • Performance metrics and error logs
  • Session data and login frequency

4. How We Use Your Information

Service Provision

Provide, maintain, and improve our career development intelligence platform and related services including predictive hiring insights and market analysis.

Authentication & Security

Verify your identity, protect against unauthorized access, and maintain platform security.

Communication

Send service updates, security alerts, customer support responses, and requested information.

Legal Compliance

Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.

Service Improvement

Analyze usage patterns to enhance user experience (using anonymized and aggregated data only).

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

We process your personal data based on the following legal grounds:

  • Contract: To provide our services as outlined in our Terms of Service
  • Legitimate Interest: To improve our services and ensure platform security
  • Consent: Where you have explicitly consented to specific processing activities
  • Legal Obligation: To comply with applicable laws and regulations

5. Data Retention

LinkedIn Data Retention: We retain LinkedIn authentication data only as long as necessary for service provision and in strict compliance with LinkedIn Platform Policy.

Retention Periods

Active Account Data
While account is active + 2 years
Service provision and legitimate business purposes
LinkedIn Authentication Data
Deleted within 30 days of account deletion
Platform Policy compliance
Reference Data
7 years (then anonymized)
Platform functionality and historical analysis
Technical Logs
2 years maximum
Security and operational purposes
Marketing Communications
Until you unsubscribe
Marketing and communication preferences

6. Your Rights Under GDPR

As a data subject under GDPR, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Right to Access

Request a copy of all personal data we hold about you, including LinkedIn data we've collected.

Right to Rectification

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.

Right to Erasure

Request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances ("Right to be Forgotten").

Right to Restrict Processing

Request limitation of how we process your personal data.

Right to Data Portability

Request transfer of your data to another service provider in a machine-readable format.

Right to Object

Object to certain types of data processing, including direct marketing.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Withdraw consent for data processing at any time (where processing is based on consent).

Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making

Right not to be subject to decisions based solely on automated processing.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at:

  • Email: privacy@precedes.me
  • Data Protection Officer: dpo@precedes.me
  • Subject Line: "GDPR Rights Request - [Your Request Type]"

We will respond to your request within 30 days as required by GDPR. In complex cases, we may extend this period by an additional 60 days.

7. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties except in the following circumstances:

LinkedIn Data Sharing Restrictions

LinkedIn data is subject to additional restrictions:

  • Never sold or used for advertising purposes
  • Not shared with third parties except for essential service provision
  • Subject to immediate deletion upon request
  • Handled in compliance with LinkedIn Platform Policy at all times

8. Data Security

We implement comprehensive technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data:

Encryption

Data encrypted in transit using TLS 1.3 and at rest using AES-256 encryption standards.

Access Controls

Strict role-based access controls with multi-factor authentication for all system access.

Regular Security Audits

Quarterly security assessments, penetration testing, and vulnerability scanning.

Incident Response

24/7 monitoring with established procedures for detecting and responding to security incidents.

Data Minimization

We collect and process only the minimum data necessary for our stated purposes.

Employee Training

Regular security awareness training for all employees with access to personal data.

Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that affects your personal data, we will:

  • Notify relevant supervisory authorities within 72 hours
  • Notify affected individuals without undue delay if high risk to rights and freedoms
  • Provide clear information about the nature of the breach and steps being taken

9. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

Adequacy Decisions

Transfers to countries with adequacy decisions from the European Commission.

Standard Contractual Clauses

Use of EU-approved Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) for transfers to third countries.

Data Processing Agreements

Binding agreements with all data processors ensuring GDPR-level protection.

10. Cookies & Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and improve our services:

Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

  • Browser settings (disable, delete, or manage cookies)
  • Our cookie consent banner (manage preferences)
  • Privacy settings in your account (for logged-in users)

Note: Disabling essential cookies may affect site functionality.

11. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for children under 16 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately at privacy@precedes.me. We will take steps to remove such information from our systems.

12. Contact Information & Updates

Contact Information

Privacy Inquiries: privacy@precedes.me
Data Protection Officer: dpo@precedes.me
General Contact: hello@precedes.me
Address: 123 Innovation Drive, San Francisco, CA 94105, United States

Policy Updates

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. When we make material changes:

  • We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
  • We will notify you via email or platform notification
  • For significant changes, we may seek your renewed consent

Continued use of our service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Supervisory Authority

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy concerns or wish to lodge a complaint, you have the right to contact your local data protection supervisory authority.

For EU residents, you can find your local supervisory authority at: https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_en

We encourage you to contact us first so we can address your concerns directly.