1. Introduction
TruthUncovered ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of every individual who uses our investigation support platform. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or use our services.
By using TruthUncovered, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this Privacy Policy, please do not use our website or services. We may update this policy from time to time; material changes will be posted here with an updated revision date.
Our Commitment: Because of the sensitive nature of the services we provide — digital investigation and evidence gathering — we treat your privacy with the highest degree of care. All communications through our confidential chat widget are encrypted and handled with strict confidentiality.
2. Information We Collect
We collect information that you voluntarily provide to us, as well as certain information automatically when you use our website. The types of information we may collect include:
Information You Provide
- Contact Information: Your name, email address, phone number, and preferred method of contact.
- Account Information: Username, password, and account preferences if you create an account.
- Investigation Details: Information relevant to your investigation request, including descriptions of concerns, evidence you submit, and details about parties involved. This information is treated as strictly confidential.
- Communication Data: Messages, inquiries, and correspondence sent through our confidential chat widget or email.
- Payment Information: Billing details necessary to process payments (processed through secure third-party payment processors; we do not store full payment card numbers).
Information Collected Automatically
- Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, referral sources, and navigation patterns on our website.
- Device Information: IP address, browser type, operating system, device type, and related technical data.
- Cookies & Tracking Technologies: We use cookies and similar technologies as described in Section 4 below.
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
- Service Delivery: To process your investigation requests, compile evidence reports, and provide the services you have engaged.
- Communication: To respond to your inquiries, send service updates, and communicate about your case through our secure channels.
- Improvement: To analyze usage patterns and improve our website, services, and user experience.
- Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.
- Security: To protect the security and integrity of our platform, detect fraud, and prevent unauthorized access.
- Marketing (with consent): To send you relevant information about our services, only if you have opted in to such communications. You may opt out at any time.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for their marketing purposes.
4. Cookies & Tracking Technologies
TruthUncovered uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze site traffic, and support our operations. Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your web browser.
Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential Cookies: Necessary for the basic functionality of our website. These cannot be disabled. They include session cookies that enable secure logins and form submissions.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous usage data. We use services such as Google Analytics (with IP anonymization enabled).
- Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences to improve your experience.
- Security Cookies: Help detect and prevent fraudulent activity and protect user data.
Your Cookie Choices
When you first visit our website, you will be presented with a cookie consent notice. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings, where you can block or delete cookies. Please note that disabling essential cookies may affect the functionality of our website.
Third-Party Tracking
We may use limited third-party services that set their own cookies (e.g., analytics providers). These third parties have their own privacy policies governing the use of your information. We encourage you to review them.
5. Third-Party Services
TruthUncovered may engage trusted third-party service providers to support our operations. These include:
- Payment Processors: Secure payment gateways that handle billing transactions. These processors are PCI-DSS compliant and do not share your financial information with us beyond what is necessary to process payments.
- Analytics Providers: Services such as Google Analytics that help us understand website usage. We configure these services to minimize data collection and use IP anonymization.
- Hosting & Infrastructure: Cloud hosting providers that store and process data on secure, encrypted servers.
- Communication Tools: Secure chat and email platforms used for confidential client communication.
All third-party service providers are contractually bound to maintain the confidentiality of your data and may only use it to perform services on our behalf. We do not authorize them to use your data for their own purposes.
6. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, or as required by applicable law.
- Investigation Data: Case-related information, evidence, and reports are retained for the duration of your engagement with TruthUncovered and for a reasonable period thereafter as needed for legal, tax, or record-keeping purposes. You may request deletion of your case data after your engagement is concluded, subject to our legal obligations.
- Account Information: Retained for as long as your account is active, plus a reasonable period afterward.
- Communications: Chat logs and email correspondence are retained to maintain a record of our interactions and for quality assurance purposes.
- Analytics Data: Anonymized usage data may be retained indefinitely for analytical purposes.
When we no longer have a legitimate business need to retain your information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.
7. Data Security
We implement a variety of security measures to protect your personal information, including:
- Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL) and at rest.
- Secure, access-controlled servers and infrastructure.
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
- Strict access controls limiting employee access to data on a need-to-know basis.
- Confidentiality agreements with all personnel and contractors.
While we take reasonable precautions to protect your data, no method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, and you transmit information at your own risk.
8. GDPR & Your Rights
If you are a resident of the European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, or the United Kingdom, you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable data protection laws. TruthUncovered is committed to facilitating the exercise of these rights.
Your Rights Include:
- Right of Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to Erasure ("Right to be Forgotten"): Request deletion of your personal data, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to Restrict Processing: Request that we limit the processing of your data in certain circumstances.
- Right to Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
- Right to Object: Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.
- Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
Lawful Basis for Processing
We process your personal data under the following lawful bases:
- Performance of a Contract: Processing necessary to provide our investigation services to you.
- Legitimate Interests: Processing for security, fraud prevention, and improving our services (balanced against your privacy rights).
- Consent: Where you have given explicit consent (e.g., for marketing communications).
- Legal Obligation: Processing required to comply with applicable laws.
International Data Transfers
If we transfer your data outside the EEA, we ensure appropriate safeguards are in place, such as Standard Contractual Clauses approved by the European Commission.
Exercising Your Rights
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us through our confidential chat widget or submit a request via email. We will respond to your request within the timeframe required by applicable law (typically 30 days). We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.
Complaints
If you believe we have violated your data protection rights, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.
9. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides you with additional rights regarding your personal information:
- Right to Know: Request disclosure of the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you.
- Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information collected from you, subject to certain exceptions.
- Right to Opt-Out: TruthUncovered does not sell your personal information. We do not engage in data sales as defined by the CCPA.
- Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your CCPA rights.
To exercise your CCPA rights, please contact us through our confidential chat channel. We will verify your identity before processing your request.
10. Children's Privacy
Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that a minor has provided us with personal information, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe a minor has provided us with personal data, please contact us immediately.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy at any time. When we make material changes, we will post the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last Updated" date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please reach out to us through our confidential chat widget. We are committed to addressing your privacy concerns promptly and transparently.
Privacy Questions?
Our team is ready to address any concerns about how your data is handled. Reach out confidentially.