Privacy Policy

ApplyKite is a service operated by Plangton LTD, the data controller responsible for your personal data.

Plangton LTD
Registered Address: Suite 6422, Unit 3A, 34–35 Hatton Garden, Holborn, London, EC1N 8DX
Company Number: 13466587
Phone: +(44) 2034 885 486
Email: [email protected]

We collect and process the following categories of information:

• Personal Information
  Name, email address, login credentials, and profile details you provide when creating or updating your account.
• Uploaded Documents
  Documents you upload (such as resumes, CVs, personal statements, or academic records). These may include educational history, employment background, and other personal information you choose to share. Uploaded files are used only for AI-assisted features, recommendations, and document review.
• AI Chat Data
  Messages exchanged with ApplyKite AI (e.g., questions, text you provide for feedback). Chat data may be logged securely to improve service accuracy and user experience, but is not shared or used to train external models.
• Usage Information
  Information about your activity on our website or dashboard, including IP address, device type, browser, country, pages visited, session activity, and interaction patterns. This may be collected through cookies and similar tracking technologies.
• Third-Party Information
  If you sign in using Google Login, we may receive basic profile information from Google in accordance with their privacy policy.

We process your data only where one or more of the following apply:

• Contract (to provide the service to you),
• Legitimate Interest (to operate, improve, and secure our platform), or
• Consent (for analytics or marketing communications where required by law).

You can withdraw consent or unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time.

We use your information for the following purposes:

• Create and manage your account.
• Provide AI-powered tools and personalized academic recommendations.
• Process payments for Premium or Pro subscriptions.
• Communicate service updates and account notifications.
• Improve performance and user experience.
• Detect and prevent misuse or unauthorized access.
• Enforce our Terms & Conditions.

We do not use your personal data for automated decision-making that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

We do not sell your personal information. We only share data when it is necessary to operate our services, including with:

• Payment processors such as Stripe and PayPal, for handling transactions.
• Authentication providers such as Google, for account login.
• Service providers that support platform operations such as hosting, analytics, AI infrastructure, and email delivery.

Some platform features are powered by trusted third-party sub-processors that support hosting, analytics, and AI functionality. Our Key Sub-Processors Include:

• Amazon Web Services (AWS) – cloud hosting and infrastructure
• OpenAI – powering AI functionality
• Google (Firebase / Google Login) – authentication and optional analytics
• Stripe & PayPal – payment processing
• SendGrid – email delivery

All sub-processors are bound by contractual obligations under GDPR Article 28 to implement appropriate security and confidentiality measures.

ApplyKite may analyze the information you provide, such as your field of study, preferred destination, or uploaded documents, to recommend suitable opportunities, professors, or scholarships.

Uploading a CV or other documents is completely optional. The platform will still function without them, though your recommendations may be less personalized. This type of processing qualifies as profiling under GDPR, but it does not have legal or significant effects. You can opt out of personalized recommendations at any time by adjusting your account settings.

Depending on your location, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate information.
• Request deletion of your data and account.
• Request a copy of your data in a portable format, where technically feasible.
• Object to certain types of processing or request that we restrict how your data is used.
• Withdraw consent for optional data processing (such as analytics cookies) at any time.

Before responding to such requests, we may request proof of identity to ensure security.
To exercise any rights, contact us at: [email protected]
We will respond within 30 days, as required by law. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO): ico.org.uk

While these rights apply primarily to users in the UK and EU under GDPR, we extend similar rights to users globally, where reasonably possible, to maintain transparency and trust.