Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

Startern (the “app”, “we”, “us”) is a mobile-first job-discovery platform that helps candidates find internships and jobs. Startern operates the website at startern.pro and the Startern mobile applications for Android and iOS.

For any privacy-related question, you can reach us at support@startern.pro.

2. Data we collect

We collect only the data needed to make Startern work and to personalize your experience. There are three categories.

2.1 Information you provide

• Account info: email address and password (when you sign up with email), or your Google account identifier (when you sign in with Google).
• Profile info: your display name and, optionally, an avatar image you upload.
• Application content: any CV, cover letter, or message you submit when applying to a listing through the app.

2.2 Information generated by your use of the app

• Activity signals: jobs you save, swipes you perform, searches you run, filters you apply, and listings you open. We use these to rank your feed and improve future matches.
• Notifications: a record of which notifications were sent to you.

2.3 Information collected automatically

• Device push token (FCM): a token issued by your device’s operating system so we can send push notifications. This is stored only if you enable push notifications.
• Technical info: app version, OS version, language, and approximate region (derived from your IP) — used for diagnostics and to surface region-relevant listings.

We do not collect precise location, contacts, microphone, or camera-stream data. The app uses the camera or photo library only when you actively pick an avatar image, and the chosen file is the only thing uploaded.

3. Why we use this data

• Provide the service: create your account, sign you in, store your saved jobs, and let you apply to listings.
• Personalize your feed: rank job listings using your saves, swipes, and (optionally) your CV.
• Communicate with you: send transactional emails (sign-up confirmation, password reset) and push notifications you opt into.
• Keep the service safe: detect abuse, fraud, and policy violations.
• Improve the product: analyse aggregate usage to decide what to build next. We do not profile you for advertising, and we do not sell your data.

Under the GDPR, our legal bases are contract (running the account you asked us to create), legitimate interest (ranking, security, improvement), and consent (push notifications, optional features) — which you can withdraw at any time.

4. Where your data lives

Startern uses third-party infrastructure providers to operate the service. These are processors acting on our behalf — they do not use your data for their own purposes.

• Supabase — primary database, authentication, and storage. Hosted in the European Union.
• Google Firebase — Cloud Messaging (push notifications) and Cloud Storage (avatar images).
• Google Sign-In — used only if you choose to sign in with Google.
• Resend — sends transactional email (verification, password reset).
• Vercel — hosts the public website at startern.pro.
• Lark — runs our support inbox support@startern.pro.

Some of these providers may process data outside the European Economic Area. When that happens we rely on the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses or equivalent safeguards.

5. How long we keep your data

• Account data is kept for as long as your account is active.
• Activity signals (swipes, saves, search history) are kept for up to 24 months and then anonymized.
• Backups are retained for up to 30 days, after which they are overwritten.
• When you delete your account, all of the above are removed within 30 days, usually much sooner. See our account-deletion page for the steps.

6. Your rights

Wherever you live, you can ask us to do the following with your data. If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or a region with similar laws (e.g. California), these are legal rights — not just a courtesy.

• Access — get a copy of the data we hold about you.
• Correction — fix inaccurate data (most fields are editable in Profile → Edit Profile).
• Deletion — delete your account and associated data (see the deletion page).
• Portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format.
• Object or restrict — limit how we use your data, including opting out of personalization.
• Withdraw consent — for anything you opted into (e.g. push notifications), at any time.

To exercise any of these, email support@startern.pro from the address on your account. If you believe we’ve mishandled your data, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.

7. Security

All data in transit between the app and our servers is encrypted using TLS. Passwords are hashed (we never see them in plain text). Database access is limited to authenticated services and a small number of administrators using row-level security.

No system is perfectly secure. If we ever discover a breach affecting your data, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.

8. Children

Startern is rated for users 12 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 12. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 12 has given us data, contact us at support@startern.pro and we will delete it.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the product evolves or the law changes. When we do, we will update the “Effective” date at the top and, for material changes, notify you in the app or by email before they take effect.