Privacy Policy

1. Scope and roles

This Privacy Policy explains how DarwinFind processes personal data about Service users, visitors and people who may appear in public-source search results. DarwinFind acts as controller for the processing described here unless another notice states otherwise.

Privacy questions and rights requests may be sent to support@darwinfind.com.

2. Data you provide

• Account and contact data, such as email address and support correspondence.
• Search inputs, such as names, usernames, email addresses, phone numbers, images, locations and optional context you choose to submit.
• Reports, saved searches, preferences and actions within the Service.
• Billing records, plan, transaction status and limited payment metadata. Full payment-card details are handled by the payment provider, not stored by DarwinFind.
• Removal, correction or rights-request information and any verification evidence you voluntarily provide.

3. Public-source data about searched people

At a user’s direction, the Service may retrieve and organize data visible in publicly accessible sources, such as public profiles, public posts, directories, news pages, public web indexes and other open pages. Findings may include names, aliases, public contact details, public images, profile links, approximate locations, dates and source context.

We process this material to provide the requested public-source research service and, where applicable, on the basis of legitimate interests balanced against the rights of the people concerned. A person appearing in results may object to processing and request suppression or deletion through our Remove My Data page.

4. Photos and face-related processing

When you select an image, the Service may perform an on-device check to confirm that it contains a usable face. If you continue with a photo search, the selected image or a transformed copy may be processed to compare it with publicly accessible images and generate similarity leads.

A similarity result is not definitive identification and must not be treated as proof. You must have a lawful basis and any required permission to submit an image. Do not submit intimate images, identity documents, images of minors without lawful parental or guardian authority, or material you are not entitled to use.

5. Technical and usage data

We may process IP address, browser and device attributes, approximate location derived from IP, request timestamps, referring pages, feature interactions, diagnostic events, cookies and similar storage. This data helps operate sessions, secure the Service, prevent abuse, troubleshoot failures and understand performance.

Essential cookies support security, language preferences, consent records and account sessions and cannot be disabled through the consent tool. Optional analytics remains off unless you choose to allow it. You can reopen Privacy settings from any page to change your choice; the updated preference applies to future collection in that browser.

6. Public access only — no hacking

DarwinFind is designed to collect only material accessible through public pages, public indexes or lawfully available public interfaces. We do not intentionally access private accounts, private communications, password-protected content or closed databases; bypass authentication, privacy controls, paywalls, CAPTCHAs or other access restrictions; exploit vulnerabilities; or obtain access through stolen credentials.

If a source later changes its visibility or removes content, cached report references may temporarily differ from the live source. You may request removal from DarwinFind, but removal from the original source must be requested from that source.

7. How we use data

• Provide, generate, store and display searches and reports requested by users.
• Create and administer accounts, subscriptions, payments and customer support.
• Match, deduplicate, rank and summarize public-source results.
• Detect fraud, prohibited searches, automated abuse and threats to people or systems.
• Maintain, troubleshoot and improve Service reliability and user experience.
• Comply with law, enforce our Terms and establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
• Send essential account, security, billing and service communications.

8. Legal bases

Where data-protection law requires a legal basis, we rely as applicable on performance of a contract, legitimate interests, consent and compliance with legal obligations. Legitimate interests may include providing user-requested public-source research, securing the Service, preventing fraud, improving reliability and protecting legal rights. We balance those interests against the nature, context and potential impact of processing.

You may withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. Withdrawal does not affect processing that occurred before withdrawal. You may object to legitimate-interest processing as described under Your rights.

9. Providers and disclosures

We may share only the data reasonably necessary with service providers that support hosting, databases, search retrieval, automated analysis, email, analytics, security, customer support and payment processing. Search inputs may be transmitted to search or analysis providers to generate the requested results. Providers are required to process data for authorized purposes and protect it under applicable contractual obligations.

We may also disclose data when required by valid legal process; to protect a person, the public or the Service from harm or unlawful activity; in connection with a merger, financing, acquisition or sale of assets subject to appropriate safeguards; or at your direction. We do not sell personal data for money. We do not permit third-party advertising networks to use report data for targeted advertising.

10. Retention

We retain data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including providing saved reports, maintaining account history, honoring suppression, preventing abuse, resolving disputes and meeting tax, accounting and legal obligations. Retention depends on the data category, account status, legal requirements and risk.

Deletion from active systems may not immediately remove encrypted backups. Backup copies are isolated from ordinary use and expire or are overwritten under standard retention cycles. We may retain minimal records necessary to demonstrate compliance, prevent repeat abuse or honor a suppression request.

11. Security

We use administrative, technical and organizational safeguards intended to protect data, including access controls, encrypted transport, monitoring and provider review. No system, storage method or internet transmission is completely secure. We therefore cannot guarantee absolute security, and you submit information at your own risk.

Do not include unnecessary sensitive information in search details or support messages. Notify us promptly if you suspect unauthorized account activity.

12. International processing

DarwinFind and its providers may process data in countries other than your own. Where required, we use recognized safeguards for international transfers, such as adequacy decisions or contractual protections. Local laws in a destination country may differ from those where you live.

13. Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of personal data; object to or restrict processing; withdraw consent; opt out of certain sharing; and complain to a data-protection authority. These rights may be subject to identity verification, legal exceptions and limits intended to protect others.

Send requests to support@darwinfind.com. Describe the right you wish to exercise and the information involved. We may request proportionate verification and will respond within the period required by applicable law. Authorized agents may submit requests where local law permits. We will not discriminate against you for exercising a privacy right.

14. Removal from search results

If information about you appears in a DarwinFind report, follow our Remove My Data instructions. We can remove stored findings and use limited identifiers to suppress the same material from future DarwinFind reports. We cannot delete material from a third-party website, search engine, public record or archive that we do not control.

15. Children

The Service is for adults and is not directed to users under 18. We do not knowingly allow minors to create accounts. Users must not search for a minor or submit a minor’s image except where they have lawful parental or guardian authority and the search is necessary and lawful. Contact us if you believe a minor’s data has been submitted improperly.

16. Third-party privacy practices

Source websites and linked services are independent controllers with their own terms and privacy practices. DarwinFind does not control how those parties collect, retain, correct or delete information. Review their notices and contact them directly regarding source data.

17. Changes and contact

We may update this policy to reflect changes in law, technology or the Service. We will update the date above and provide additional notice where required. Questions, complaints and rights requests may be sent to support@darwinfind.com.