Privacy Policy

Introduction

DataShield ("we," "our," or "us") provides a mobile application that scans over 400 data brokers for your personal information and automates removal requests on your behalf. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how we handle your data.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, how we store and protect it, and what rights you have. By using DataShield, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

Information We Collect

Information You Provide

• Account information: Your name, email address, and password when you create an account.
• Personal details for scanning: To search data brokers on your behalf, we may collect your full name, date of birth, phone number, current and previous addresses, and email addresses. This information is necessary to locate your records across data broker databases.
• Payment information: If you subscribe to a paid plan, payment processing is handled by our third-party payment processor. We do not store your full credit card number on our servers.

Information Collected Automatically

• Device information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, and app version.
• Usage data: Features used, scan history, removal request status, and interaction patterns within the app.
• Log data: IP address, access times, and error logs for debugging and security purposes.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Scan data broker databases for your personal information and display results to you.
• Submit and track data removal requests on your behalf to data brokers.
• Provide, maintain, and improve the DataShield service.
• Send you notifications about scan results, removal progress, and new exposures.
• Process transactions and manage your subscription.
• Respond to your support requests and communicate with you about the service.
• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraudulent or unauthorized activity.
• Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms of service.

Data Broker Scanning & Removal Practices

DataShield scans over 400 data broker sites to find your personal information. When we identify records matching your profile, we submit opt-out and removal requests according to each data broker's specific process. Here is how this works:

• Scanning: We use the personal details you provide to query data broker databases. We only search for information you have explicitly authorized us to look up.
• Removal requests: When matches are found, we submit removal requests using the opt-out mechanisms provided by each data broker. Some brokers process removals within days; others may take several weeks.
• Ongoing monitoring: Data brokers frequently re-acquire personal information. We perform recurring scans to detect re-listings and submit follow-up removal requests as needed.
• Data broker communication: To complete removal requests, we may need to share limited personal details (such as your name and address) with data brokers to verify and remove your records. This information is shared solely for the purpose of fulfilling your removal request.

Data Storage & Security

We take the security of your data seriously and implement industry-standard measures to protect it:

• All data is encrypted in transit using TLS and at rest using AES-256 encryption.
• Access to personal data is restricted to authorized personnel on a need-to-know basis.
• We conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Your data is stored on secure servers hosted within the United States.
• We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to provide the service or as required by law. When you delete your account, we remove your personal data from our active systems within 30 days, except where retention is required for legal or compliance purposes.

Third-Party Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with third parties only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: We work with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our platform, processing payments, sending notifications, and analyzing usage. These providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the purposes we specify.
• Data brokers: As described above, we share limited information with data brokers solely to process your removal requests.
• Legal requirements: We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, court order, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.
• Business transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.

Your Rights Under the CCPA

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with the following rights:

• Right to know: You may request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the sources of that information, the purposes for collection, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
• Right to delete: You may request that we delete the personal information we have collected about you, subject to certain legal exceptions.
• Right to opt out: You have the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information. DataShield does not sell your personal information.
• Right to non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.

Your Rights Under the GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA) or the United Kingdom, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification: You may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erasure: You may request deletion of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing.
• Restriction of processing: You may request that we restrict the processing of your data under certain conditions.
• Data portability: You may request a machine-readable copy of the data you have provided to us.
• Objection: You may object to the processing of your personal data where we rely on legitimate interests as our legal basis.
• Withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out prior to withdrawal.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at dave@getdatashield.com. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Children's Privacy

DataShield is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from a child without parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at dave@getdatashield.com.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will notify you through the app or by email before the changes take effect. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of DataShield after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

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