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Privacy Policy: how we protect & handle your data

Last updated on 20 March 2026

Introduction

FidForward, Inc. (“FidForward”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) provides an AI-powered prospect discovery and automated outreach platform to help organizations find and connect with talent and business prospects. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal data responsibly and transparently.

This Privacy Policy applies to our website at https://fidforward.com, our talent sourcing platform at https://talent.fidforward.com, browser extensions, and related applications (collectively, the “Services”). We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully before using any of the Services.

Important Note: This Privacy Policy applies when FidForward acts as a data controller determining the purposes and means of processing personal information. When you use our Services to collect and process prospect or candidate data, you are the data controller and FidForward acts as a data processor following your instructions. Your responsibilities as a controller are outlined in our Terms of Service.

By using FidForward, you agree to the collection, use, and processing of information in accordance with this policy.

Scope of This Policy

This Privacy Policy covers:

Excluded from this Policy:

Interpretation and Definitions

Interpretation

Words with capitalized initial letters have defined meanings under the following conditions. These definitions have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear in singular or plural forms.

Definitions

For the purposes of this Privacy Policy:

Personal Information We Collect

Information We Collect About Users (Customers)

When you create an account, use our Services, or interact with our website, we collect the following personal information:

Account Information:

Professional Information:

Integration Data:

Usage and Analytics Data:

Information We Collect About Prospects and Candidates

When You Act as Controller: When you use our Services to discover and engage prospects or candidates, you are the data controller and we process this data on your behalf according to our Data Processing Agreement. This includes:

From Public Sources: We maintain a database of publicly available professional information collected from:

This public data includes:

Data We Do NOT Collect: We do not collect sensitive personal data such as health information, biometric data, political affiliations, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, trade union membership, or other protected characteristics from any sources.

Collection Methods

Direct Collection:

Automatic Collection:

Third-Party Sources:

Our Use of AI-Powered Technology

FidForward uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to provide effective prospect discovery and matching capabilities:

AI-Powered Matching: We use AI algorithms to match your search requirements with prospect profiles, analyze suitability scores, and generate insights about talent pools and market trends.

Automated Message Generation: Our platform can generate outreach messages and email sequences using AI. All AI-generated content requires your review and approval before sending.

Search Enhancement: AI helps improve search accuracy by analyzing job descriptions and search criteria to extract relevant keywords, skills, and requirements.

Third-Party AI Providers: We may use third-party AI services (such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or others) to power certain features. We require these providers to:

Opt-Out Options: As a customer, you may request to opt out of AI-powered features by contacting privacy [at] fidforward.com. Note that opting out may limit platform functionality.

Automatic Data Collection and Cookies

We automatically collect certain information when you use our Services through cookies and similar tracking technologies:

Essential Cookies (Always Active):

Analytics Cookies (With Your Consent):

Cookie Management: You can manage your cookie preferences through:

Note: Disabling essential cookies may prevent proper functioning of the Services. Disabling analytics or marketing cookies will not affect core platform features.

How We Use Personal Information

Under GDPR and similar data protection laws, we process personal information based on the following legal grounds:

1. Contract Performance We process your personal information to fulfill our obligations under our Terms of Service and provide the Services you’ve requested, including:

2. Legitimate Interests We process personal information where necessary for our legitimate business interests, provided these interests are not overridden by your rights and freedoms:

Before processing based on legitimate interests, we conduct balancing tests to ensure our interests do not override your fundamental rights.

3. Consent We obtain your consent for:

You may withdraw consent at any time through your account settings or by contacting us.

4. Legal Compliance We process personal information to comply with:

Use of Customer Information

We use personal information about our customers (you) for the following purposes:

To Provide Our Services:

To Improve and Personalize Services:

For Communication:

For Security and Compliance:

Use of Prospect and Candidate Information

When You Are the Controller: When you use our Services to process prospect or candidate data, we act as your data processor. We only process this data according to your instructions and our Data Processing Agreement. You are responsible for:

When We Are the Controller: For publicly sourced prospect profiles in our database, we process this information to:

We rely on our legitimate business interest in operating a professional discovery platform, balanced against individuals’ privacy rights. You may request removal from our database as described in the “Your Privacy Rights” section.

Sensitive Personal Information

We collect and process sensitive personal information (as defined by GDPR Article 9 or similar laws) solely for business purposes where we have a lawful basis. We do not use sensitive information for advertising, marketing, or profiling purposes.

If we need to process sensitive personal information, we will:

How We Disclose Personal Information

We Do Not Sell Personal Information. FidForward does not sell, rent, or share personal information to third parties for their own marketing purposes. We do not participate in data brokerage or data selling activities.

We may disclose personal information to the following categories of recipients:

Service Providers and Processors

We engage trusted service providers who process personal information on our behalf under strict contractual obligations:

Authentication and Infrastructure:

Analytics and Monitoring: With your consent, we share usage data with:

AI and Technology Providers: We share limited data with AI service providers (such as OpenAI, Anthropic) to power platform features. These providers:

Contact Data Providers: We work with third-party data providers (such as Apollo, ZoomInfo, Clearbit) to obtain publicly available professional contact information. Contact data is:

Communication Services:

All service providers are contractually required to:

Customers and Business Sharing

Within Your Organization: Authorized team members in your organization can access:

Prospect Data to Customers: When customers use our platform, they can access:

This sharing is based on our legitimate interest in operating a professional discovery platform.

Legal Obligations: We may disclose information to law enforcement, government authorities, or private parties when:

Business Transfers: In connection with any merger, acquisition, financing, sale of assets, or bankruptcy proceeding, personal information may be transferred to the acquiring or successor entity. We will provide notice and obtain consent if required.

Professional Advisors: We may share information with lawyers, auditors, accountants, insurance providers, and other professional service providers as needed for business operations, legal compliance, or risk management.

We may share personal information with third parties when you explicitly consent to such sharing, including:

International Data Transfers

Personal information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in the United States and other jurisdictions where we or our service providers operate. These jurisdictions may not provide the same level of data protection as your home country.

When we transfer personal information from the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland to other countries, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place:

Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs): We use Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the EU Commission for transfers to countries without adequacy decisions. These provide contractual guarantees that transferred data will be protected according to EU standards.

Adequacy Decisions: Where available, we rely on EU Commission adequacy decisions recognizing that certain countries provide adequate data protection.

Data Processing Agreements: Our contracts with international service providers include:

Your Rights: You may request information about safeguards in place for international transfers by contacting privacy [at] fidforward.com.

Retention of Personal Information

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, in accordance with our legitimate business needs and applicable laws.

Retention Criteria

We determine retention periods based on:

Retention Periods by Data Category

Customer Account Data:

Organization Data (Survives Individual User Deletion):

Integration Data:

Prospect and Candidate Profile Data:

Analytics and Log Data:

Data Deletion

When we no longer need personal information, we either:

Deleted data may persist in backup systems for up to 90 days before permanent deletion.

Your Privacy Rights and Choices

We provide comprehensive privacy rights to all users, regardless of location. Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have additional statutory rights under GDPR, CCPA, or other privacy laws.

Universal Privacy Rights

All users have the following rights:

Right to Access (Right to Know) You may request:

Right to Rectification (Correction) You may request correction of:

Right to Deletion (Erasure) You may request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal exceptions for:

Right to Data Portability You may request a copy of your personal information in:

Right to Object You may object to processing based on:

Right to Restrict Processing You may request that we limit how we use your personal information when:

Right to Withdraw Consent Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

Right to Lodge a Complaint You may file a complaint with your local data protection authority about our collection and use of personal information.

Right to Appeal If we deny your privacy request, you may appeal our decision by contacting privacy [at] fidforward.com with “Privacy Rights Appeal” in the subject line.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To Make a Request:

  1. Email us: privacy [at] fidforward.com
  2. Subject line: Specify your request type (e.g., “Data Access Request”, “Deletion Request”)
  3. Include: Your name, email address, and specific request details
  4. Verification: We may ask for additional information to verify your identity

Using an Authorized Agent: You may designate an authorized agent to make requests on your behalf by:

Response Timeline:

Verification Process: To protect your privacy, we will verify your identity before processing requests by:

Account Deletion Process

When you delete your FidForward account:

  1. Immediate Actions:

    • Account access is revoked immediately
    • Authentication credentials are deleted
    • Personal profile information is removed

  2. Data Removal Timeline:

    • Active database records deleted within 30 days
    • Integration data (LinkedIn, email) deleted immediately
    • Personal information anonymized in analytics

  3. Organization Data:

    • If you’re the sole member, organization data is deleted
    • If other members remain, your personal data is removed but organization data (searches, campaigns) remains accessible to other members

  4. Third-Party Cleanup:

    • We remove your data from marketing lists
    • OAuth tokens and API keys are revoked
    • Third-party integrations are disconnected

  5. Backup Retention:

    • Data may persist in backups for up to 90 days
    • Backups are securely deleted after retention period

  6. Confirmation:

    • You receive email confirmation once deletion is complete

Opt-Out Options

Marketing Communications:

Analytics Cookies:

Data Collection:

Prospect/Candidate Database: If you’re a job candidate or prospect and want removal from our searchable database:

  1. Email privacy [at] fidforward.com with “Remove My Profile”
  2. Provide your name and LinkedIn URL (if applicable)
  3. We will manually remove your data within 48 hours
  4. You’ll receive confirmation once removed

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA Rights)

California residents have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

CCPA-Specific Rights:

CCPA Categories of Personal Information We Collect:

Do Not Sell My Personal Information: We do not sell personal information to third parties. We do not participate in data brokerage. We share information with service providers for business purposes as described in this Privacy Policy, but these relationships do not constitute “sales” under CCPA.

How to Exercise CCPA Rights: Email privacy [at] fidforward.com with your request. Include “CCPA Request” in the subject line. We will respond within 45 days and may request identity verification.

European Economic Area, UK, and Swiss Residents (GDPR Rights)

If you’re located in the EEA, UK, or Switzerland, you have additional rights under GDPR and equivalent laws:

GDPR-Specific Provisions:

Cross-Border Transfer Safeguards:

Data Protection Authorities:

Data Security

We implement comprehensive technical, organizational, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction.

Technical Safeguards

Encryption:

Access Controls:

Security Monitoring:

Application Security:

Organizational Measures

Policies and Procedures:

Employee Training:

Vendor Management:

Access Management:

Physical Security

Data Centers:

Equipment Security:

Incident Response

Breach Notification: If we discover a data breach affecting your personal information:

Incident Investigation:

Limitations

While we implement industry-leading security measures, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of personal information. You acknowledge the inherent security risks of internet transmission and electronic storage.

Your Responsibilities:

Children’s Privacy

Our Services are not intended for, designed for, or directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18 without proper parental consent.

If We Learn of Child Data: If we discover we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 18:

Parent/Guardian Rights: If you believe we may have collected information from a child under 18, please contact privacy [at] fidforward.com immediately with:

We will investigate and take appropriate action within 10 business days.

Our Services may contain links to websites, applications, and online services operated by third parties. This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party services, and we are not responsible for their privacy practices.

Third-Party Privacy:

Third-Party Integrations: When you connect third-party services (LinkedIn, Gmail, etc.):

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or service offerings.

How We Notify You:

Your Choices:

Change History: We maintain a record of significant policy changes. Contact privacy [at] fidforward.com to request previous versions.

Effective Date: Changes become effective 30 days after posting or notification (whichever is earlier), unless otherwise specified. For material changes affecting your rights, we may require affirmative consent.

Data Controller

FidForward, Inc. is the data controller responsible for personal information described in this Privacy Policy when we determine the purposes and means of processing.

Contact Information: FidForward, Inc. Attn: Data Protection Officer Email: privacy [at] fidforward.com

Regional Representatives

European Economic Area: For GDPR matters and complaints, you may contact your national data protection authority. Find your authority at https://edpb.europa.eu/about-edpb/board/members_en

United Kingdom: Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Website: https://ico.org.uk Phone: 0303 123 1113

Switzerland: Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) Website: https://www.edoeb.admin.ch

Regulatory Frameworks

We comply with:

Contact Information

General Privacy Inquiries

Email: privacy [at] fidforward.com

Data Protection Officer

For specific questions about your personal data or to exercise your privacy rights:

Email: privacy [at] fidforward.com Subject Line: Include “Data Protection” or your specific request type

Customer Support

For account or service-related questions:

Email: privacy [at] fidforward.com Website: Use the support widget on any page Response Time: Within 2 business days for general inquiries

Privacy Rights Requests

To exercise your privacy rights (access, deletion, correction, etc.):

Email: privacy [at] fidforward.com Subject Line: Specify request type (e.g., “Access Request”, “Deletion Request”, “CCPA Request”) Response Time: Within 30 days (or as required by applicable law)

Appeals Process

If you are not satisfied with our response to your privacy request:

Email: privacy [at] fidforward.com Subject Line: “Privacy Rights Appeal” Include:

We will review your appeal and respond within 30 days.

Complaints to Authorities

You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority about our collection and use of personal information. Contact your local data protection authority in your country of residence, place of work, or location of alleged violation.

Acknowledgment: By using our Services, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy and our data practices as described herein.