Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Scope

TechPods JSC (“TechPods”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) operates the website techpods.co (the “Site”) and provides co-sourcing and technology talent solutions to businesses worldwide.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal data when you visit our Site, submit a contact or job application form, or otherwise engage with our services. It applies to all individuals who interact with our Site, including visitors, prospective clients, job applicants, and subscribers.

By using our Site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

2. Who We Are (Data Controller)

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable data protection laws, the data controller is:

TechPods JSC is registered and established in Bulgaria, a member state of the European Union, and is therefore subject to the GDPR directly. For users in the United Kingdom, our Site is also accessible from our London office and we comply with the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide Directly

We collect personal data that you voluntarily provide to us, including when you:

• Contact Us: When you submit our contact form, we collect your name, email address, phone number (if provided), company name, job title, and the content of your message.
• Apply for a Position: When you submit a job application through our careers section, we collect your name, email address, phone number, CV/resume, cover letter, and any other information you choose to share.
• Subscribe to Communications: If you opt in to our mailing list or newsletter, we collect your name and email address.

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our Site, certain data is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies, including:

• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on each page, links clicked, and your browsing path through our Site.
• Device & Technical Data: IP address, browser type and version, operating system, device type, screen resolution, and language settings.
• Referral Data: The website or source that directed you to our Site (e.g., a search engine or social media platform).
• Cookies & Tracking Data: Data collected via cookies, tracking pixels, and similar technologies. For full details, please see our Cookie Policy.

4. Legal Bases for Processing (GDPR)

We process your personal data on the following legal bases under Article 6 of the GDPR:

Where we rely on legitimate interests, we have conducted a balancing test and determined that our interests do not override the fundamental rights and freedoms of data subjects. You have the right to object to such processing at any time (see Section 8).

5. How We Use Your Information

Service Delivery & Communications

• To respond to your enquiries and provide the information or services you request.
• To manage our relationship with you as a prospective or existing client.

Recruitment

• To evaluate your job application and communicate with you throughout the recruitment process.
• To retain your application for future suitable opportunities, with your explicit consent.

Website Operations

• To maintain and improve the functionality, security, and performance of our Site.
• To protect against automated spam and fraudulent form submissions via Google reCAPTCHA.

Analytics & Marketing

• To analyse how visitors use our Site via Google Analytics 4, enabling us to improve content and user experience.
• To measure the effectiveness of our advertising campaigns via Google Tag Manager, Google Ads, and the LinkedIn Insight Tag — subject to your cookie consent.

Legal Compliance

• To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and lawful requests from authorities.
• To protect the rights, property, or safety of TechPods, our clients, and others.

6. Data Sharing & Third Parties

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

6.1 Service Providers

We engage the following trusted third-party vendors to help us operate our Site and deliver our services. These parties process data only on our behalf and are bound by data processing agreements:

6.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose personal data where required by law, including in response to valid requests from public authorities, courts, regulators, or law enforcement agencies.

6.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of all or substantially all of our assets, your personal data may be transferred to the successor entity, subject to equivalent privacy protections.

7. International Data Transfers

TechPods JSC is headquartered in Sofia, Bulgaria (EU) and also operates from an office in London, United Kingdom. Your data may be processed in:

• The European Union / EEA: Bulgaria is an EU member state and our primary place of establishment. Processing here is governed by the GDPR.
• The United Kingdom: Subject to the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. The European Commission has adopted an adequacy decision for the UK (please verify the current status at the time of reading).
• The United States: Our third-party service providers — Google LLC and LinkedIn Corporation — are headquartered in the United States and may process data there. Where we transfer personal data to countries not recognised as providing an adequate level of protection, we rely on Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission and, for UK transfers, the UK International Data Transfer Addendum (IDTA).

8. Your Privacy Rights

Rights Under GDPR (EEA & UK Residents)

• Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (Subject Access Request).
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure (“Right to be Forgotten”): Request deletion of your data, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format.
• Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or for direct marketing purposes.
• Rights Related to Automated Decision-Making: The right not to be subject to solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing.

Rights Under CCPA/CPRA (California Residents)

• Know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold, and for what purpose.
• Opt-out of the sale or sharing of your personal information.
• Request deletion or correction of your personal information.
• Limit the use of sensitive personal information.
• Non-discrimination for exercising any of these rights.

We do not sell personal information as defined under the CCPA/CPRA.

How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of the above rights, please contact Benjamin Kane at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days (or within the timeframe required by applicable law). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

If you are located in the EEA and believe we have not handled your data appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority. In Bulgaria, this is the Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) at cpdp.bg. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.

9. Data Security

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

• Encryption of data in transit using TLS/HTTPS across our Site.
• Google reCAPTCHA to prevent automated spam and bot submissions via our contact forms.
• Hosting on Google Cloud Platform, which provides enterprise-grade infrastructure security.
• Access controls restricting personal data to authorised personnel on a need-to-know basis.

While we take reasonable steps to protect your personal data, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of information transmitted to our Site.

10. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected. As a general rule, we apply a 6-month retention period across all categories of personal data collected through our Site, unless a longer period is required by law or legitimate business need.

When personal data is no longer required, we will securely delete or anonymise it.

11. Children's Privacy

Our Site and services are not directed at children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data relating to a child, please contact us immediately at [email protected] and we will take prompt steps to delete it.

12. Cookies

Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies. For detailed information about the cookies we use, their purposes, and how to manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, applicable laws, or for other operational reasons. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised “Last Updated” date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please contact us: