What we collect and why
To run Bernese for you, we collect only what we need. That includes:
- Account info — your name and email so we can sign you in and talk to you.
- CV and résumé files — so Bernese can tailor them to each role.
- LinkedIn URLs — to enrich your profile and verify roles.
- Job preferences — title, seniority, industry, location, working style.
- Salary expectations — to match roles and benchmark offers.
- Application activity — what was applied to, replies, interview status.
- Payment metadata — handled by Stripe; we never see your card number.
- Basic technical data — IP address, browser type, and timestamps for security.
We don't collect anything we don't have a clear reason to use, and we don't buy data about you from third parties.
How we use your data
We use your information to:
- Run the core product — match jobs, tailor CVs and cover letters, prep you for interviews, and coach you through offers.
- Send transactional emails (account confirmations, application summaries, billing receipts).
- Improve Bernese with aggregated, de-identified usage data.
- Detect fraud, abuse, and security incidents.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your CV or application content to train third-party AI models.
How we store and protect your data
Your data is stored on infrastructure hosted in the United States and the European Union. We protect it with:
- Encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest.
- Strict access controls — only authorized engineers can access production data.
- Row-level security on our databases so users can only access their own records.
- Routine backups, monitoring, and security audits.
No system is perfectly secure, but we follow industry best practices and respond to incidents promptly. If a breach affects your data, we'll notify you in line with applicable law.
Your rights
You can access, correct, export, or delete your data at any time from your account settings, or by emailing hello@bernese.ai.
If you're in the EU, UK, or Switzerland (GDPR): you have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or object to processing of your personal data, and to data portability. You can also lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Our legal basis for processing is performance of a contract (running the service), legitimate interests (security and product improvement), and consent (where required).
If you're a California resident (CCPA/CPRA): you have the right to know what personal information we collect, to request deletion, to correct inaccurate data, and to opt out of any "sale" or "sharing" of your data. We do not sell or share your personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA.
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
Data retention
We keep your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we remove your personal data within 30 days, except where we're required to retain it for legal, tax, or fraud-prevention reasons (typically up to 7 years for billing records).
You can request earlier deletion at any time by emailing us.
Children
Bernese is not intended for anyone under 16. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the product evolves. When we make material changes, we'll notify you by email or through the app before they take effect. The "last updated" date at the top will always reflect the current version.
Contact us
Bernese Intelligence Labs, Inc. is the data controller for your personal information. For any privacy questions or requests, email hello@bernese.ai.
Questions or requests? Email us at hello@bernese.ai — a real human will reply.
