Soso Career AI

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 20, 2026

1. Introduction

At Soso Career AI ("we", "us", or "our"), we are committed to protecting your personal information and respecting your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our career coaching platform ("Service").

This policy is compliant with:

  • •The Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) of South Africa
  • •The General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) of the European Union

Please read this policy carefully. If you do not agree with its terms, please discontinue use of our Service.

2. Identity of the Responsible Party / Data Controller

For the purposes of POPIA, Soso Career AI acts as the Responsible Party. For the purposes of the GDPR, Soso Career AI acts as the Data Controller.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when you:

  • •Register for an account (name, email address, password)
  • •Submit career information, CVs, cover letters, or other documents
  • •Interact with our AI-powered coaching features via chat
  • •Contact us for support or feedback
  • •Participate in surveys, promotions, or research

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you access our platform, we may automatically collect:

  • •Device and browser information (browser type, operating system)
  • •IP address and approximate geographic location
  • •Usage data (pages visited, features used, session duration)
  • •Cookie and tracking data (see our Cookie Policy for details)

4. Lawful Basis for Processing (GDPR & POPIA)

We process your personal information only where we have a lawful basis to do so. Under GDPR Article 6 and the conditions set out in POPIA, our lawful bases are:

  • •
    Contract performance: Processing is necessary to deliver the Service you signed up for (e.g., generating career documents, providing AI coaching responses).
  • •
    Legitimate interests: We process data to improve our platform, prevent fraud, and ensure platform security, where these interests are not overridden by your rights.
  • •
    Consent: For optional communications such as marketing emails and newsletters. You may withdraw consent at any time.
  • •
    Legal obligation: Where processing is required to comply with applicable laws and regulations.

5. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

  • •Provide, operate, and maintain our career coaching services
  • •Create and manage your user account
  • •Deliver AI-powered career guidance, CV feedback, and recommendations
  • •Improve, personalise, and expand our platform features
  • •Analyse usage patterns to enhance user experience
  • •Send transactional emails (account confirmations, password resets) and, where you have consented, marketing communications
  • •Process transactions and manage subscriptions
  • •Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents
  • •Comply with legal and regulatory obligations

6. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share it only in the following circumstances:

  • •
    Service providers (Operators under POPIA / Processors under GDPR): We engage trusted third-party providers — such as cloud hosting, payment processors, and AI API providers — who process data solely on our behalf under binding data processing agreements.
  • •
    Legal requirements: We may disclose information where required by law, court order, or governmental authority.
  • •
    Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
  • •
    With your consent: We may share information for any other purpose with your explicit prior consent.

7. Cross-Border Transfers of Personal Information

Your personal information may be transferred to and processed in countries outside South Africa or the European Economic Area (EEA). Where such transfers occur, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

  • •POPIA (Section 72): Transfers outside South Africa are made only to countries with adequate protection or under binding contractual obligations.
  • •GDPR (Chapter V): Transfers outside the EEA are made to countries with an adequacy decision, or under Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission.

8. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. When determining retention periods, we consider:

  • •The nature and sensitivity of the information
  • •The purposes for which it was collected
  • •Applicable legal, regulatory, and contractual requirements

Account data is retained for the duration of your account. Upon account deletion, we will securely delete or anonymise your personal information within 30 days, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

9. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

  • •Encryption of data in transit (TLS) and at rest
  • •Role-based access controls and authentication
  • •Regular security assessments and monitoring

However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. In the event of a personal data breach, we will notify affected data subjects and the relevant supervisory authority (the Information Regulator in South Africa; the relevant supervisory authority in the EU) within the timeframes prescribed by applicable law.

10. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you have the following rights regarding your personal information. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days (or the timeframe required by applicable law).

10.1 Rights Under POPIA (South Africa)

  • •Right to be notified when your personal information is collected
  • •Right of access to the personal information we hold about you
  • •Right to correction or deletion of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, or outdated information
  • •Right to object to the processing of your personal information
  • •Right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa

10.2 Rights Under GDPR (EU / EEA)

  • •Right of access (Article 15) — obtain a copy of your personal data
  • •Right to rectification (Article 16) — correct inaccurate or incomplete data
  • •Right to erasure (Article 17) — request deletion of your data ("right to be forgotten")
  • •Right to restriction of processing (Article 18) — limit how we use your data
  • •Right to data portability (Article 20) — receive your data in a machine-readable format
  • •Right to object (Article 21) — object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing
  • •Rights related to automated decision-making (Article 22) — not to be subject to solely automated decisions with significant effects
  • •Right to withdraw consent at any time without affecting prior lawful processing
  • •Right to lodge a complaint with your local EU/EEA supervisory authority

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer / Data Protection Officer at privacy@sosocareerai.com. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

11. Cookies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to operate and improve our Service. For full details on the cookies we use and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

12. Children's Privacy

Our Service is not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a minor, please contact us immediately at privacy@sosocareerai.com and we will take prompt steps to delete it.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by sending you an email notification. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

14. Contact Us & Supervisory Authorities

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the processing of your personal information, please contact our Information Officer / Data Protection Officer:

privacy@sosocareerai.com

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the relevant supervisory authority:

  • •
    South Africa — Information Regulator: www.justice.gov.za/inforeg
  • •
    EU / EEA: Your local data protection supervisory authority (a full list is available on the European Data Protection Board website at edpb.europa.eu).