Privacy Policy

African Professional Network Sweden ("APN", "we", "us", or "our") operates the website africanprofessionals.se. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your personal data when you visit our website, join our network, subscribe to our newsletter, or contact us.

We process personal data in accordance with the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable Swedish data protection law. This policy is provided for transparency and does not constitute legal advice.

APN is a professional community for people of African descent in Sweden, operated by APN Sweden (org. no. 802510-2537). For privacy-related questions or requests, contact us at info@africanprofessionals.se.

Depending on how you interact with our website, we may collect the following information:

• Join form: first name, last name, email address, gender, country of origin, and professional expertise. Gender and country of origin may reveal information about racial or ethnic origin, which is treated as a special category of personal data under GDPR and is collected only with your explicit, separate consent (see below).
• Contact form: name, email address, subject, and message content.
• Newsletter signup: email address.
• Website usage: anonymised or aggregated page-view data through analytics tools.
• Technical data: browser type, device information, and similar data collected automatically when you visit our site.

We use personal data for the following purposes:

• Processing membership registrations and managing our community.
• Responding to enquiries submitted through our contact form.
• Sending community updates and newsletters to subscribers who have opted in.
• Sending transactional emails related to membership, such as registration confirmations.
• Understanding how our website is used so we can improve content and user experience.
• Maintaining the security and proper functioning of our website.

We process personal data on the following legal bases under GDPR:

• Consent — for example, when you subscribe to our newsletter.
• Contract or steps prior to entering a contract — when you register to join APN.
• Legitimate interests — to operate, secure, and improve our website and community, where those interests are not overridden by your rights.
• Legal obligation — where we are required to retain or disclose data by law.
• Explicit consent for special category data — where information you provide (such as gender or country of origin) may reveal racial or ethnic origin, we rely on your explicit consent, given separately from your general agreement to these policies, as required under Article 9 GDPR.

We do not sell your personal data. We share data only with trusted service providers that help us operate our website and communications, and only to the extent necessary for those services.

• Supabase — stores membership registration data submitted through the join form.
• Resend — sends emails on our behalf, including contact-form notifications, membership notifications, and registration confirmations.
• MailerLite — manages newsletter subscriptions and may receive membership contact details when a member joins.
• Umami — provides privacy-focused website analytics.
• Facebook Pixel — we may use Meta/Facebook tracking in the future for page-view measurement. This tool is not currently installed on our website.

Some of our service providers may process data outside the European Economic Area. Where this occurs, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent mechanisms provided by those vendors.

We retain membership and contact records for the duration of your active relationship with APN and for 12 months afterward, unless a longer period is required by law. Newsletter data is kept until you unsubscribe.

Under GDPR, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Request correction of inaccurate data.
• Request deletion of your data in certain circumstances.
• Restrict or object to certain processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
• Receive your data in a portable format and, where technically feasible, have it transferred to another provider ("data portability").
• Lodge a complaint with Integritetsskyddsmyndigheten (IMY), the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection.

To exercise your rights or ask questions about this policy, email info@africanprofessionals.se with the subject line "Privacy request". We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.