Data minimization by design
Privacy notice
Approval Index is an independent building-approval research service. We do not sell personal information, run behavioral advertising, create advertising profiles, or require an account to search public approval records.
Notice at collection
Information we handle and why
| Information | How it is handled | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Search terms and requested pages | Processed by the first-party application to return records. We do not intentionally retain full search terms in application logs. | Search, navigation, abuse prevention, and debugging. |
| Basic technical request data | A hosting or security provider may process IP address, browser type, device information, referrer, request time, requested URL, and security events when delivering the site. | Deliver the service, protect it, enforce rate limits, and investigate failures or abuse. |
| Locally saved research | Worksheet entries, optional project address and notes, compare selections, and saved document links stay in browser storage on the device unless the user separately exports or shares them. | Provide private, device-local research tools. |
| Correction information | The current correction tool creates a JSON packet on the device. It does not transmit the packet. If a user later sends a packet or privacy email, we process the contents and sender address to respond. | Investigate data quality and answer requests. |
We do not intentionally request Social Security numbers, financial account data, health information, biometric data, precise geolocation, government identity documents, or account credentials. Do not place sensitive or confidential information in search, worksheet, correction, or notes fields.
Device-local controls
Browser storage, cookies, and project data
Approval Index currently uses browser local storage for saved document links, comparison selections, and the permit-prep worksheet. These features can include information a user chooses to enter, such as an optional project address, product location, pressures supplied by a qualified professional, and working notes. That content is not transmitted to Approval Index by the current implementation.
- Use Clear project data in the worksheet and Clear all on the Saved page when finished.
- Clearing site data in the browser also removes locally stored Approval Index information on that device.
- Approval Index does not currently set cookies, use advertising pixels, or load external analytics. A cookie consent banner is therefore not shown.
Browser storage is device- and browser-specific. Approval Index cannot restore it after it is cleared and does not synchronize it across devices.
Public-record content
Approval records and official documents
The catalog contains normalized facts from government approval systems and official documents. Business names, applicant names, and similar public-record fields describe approval entities, not site visitors. Personal contact fields are excluded from the public index by default. Official PDFs are not stored or served by Approval Index; document controls open the authority's copy.
Opening an official source or another external site sends a request directly to that operator. Its privacy and security notices govern that interaction.
No data brokerage
When information may be disclosed
We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not provide personal information to data brokers. Limited information may be disclosed only:
- to hosting, security, and infrastructure providers acting under contract to deliver and protect the service;
- when a user directs a browser to open or share an official-source link;
- when reasonably necessary to comply with law, protect rights and safety, investigate abuse, or preserve service integrity; or
- as part of a business reorganization, subject to appropriate notice and continued protection of the information.
Approval Index has no advertising network, analytics provider, email-marketing provider, or payment processor connected to the current application.
Purpose-limited retention
How long information is kept
- Browser-local information
- Remains on the device until the user clears the feature or browser storage.
- Search terms
- Used to return results and not intentionally retained in Approval Index application logs.
- Operational and security logs
- If enabled for a public deployment, retained for no more than 30 days unless a longer period is needed for an active security investigation, legal obligation, or documented abuse case.
- Privacy and correction correspondence
- Retained only as needed to resolve the request and document compliance, ordinarily no longer than 24 months.
United States residents
Your privacy choices and rights
Depending on where you live and whether a state privacy law applies to Approval Index, you may have rights to confirm processing, access, correct, delete, or obtain a portable copy of personal information; opt out of sale, targeted advertising, or certain profiling; use an authorized agent; appeal a denied request; and receive equal service when exercising a right.
Approval Index does not currently sell personal information, use it for targeted advertising, or make decisions producing legal or similarly significant effects. Global Privacy Control and similar opt-out signals therefore do not trigger a different advertising or sale state. We do not respond differently to legacy “Do Not Track” signals because no cross-site tracking is performed.
Submit a request to kipper_04vices@icloud.com. Describe the right requested and the state of residence. We will request only the information reasonably necessary to verify and fulfill the request. If we deny an appealable request, our response will explain how to appeal. An authorized agent may submit a request with evidence of authority.
California supplemental notice
California privacy disclosures
This section describes categories Approval Index may process in the preceding 12 months. It does not concede that Approval Index meets the statutory thresholds for a covered business.
| California category | Examples and sources | Business purpose / recipient |
|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | IP address from the browser or network; email address only if a person sends correspondence. | Service delivery, security, and response; hosting/security providers or request-processing personnel. |
| Internet or electronic activity | Requested URL, search term, browser/device details, referrer, timestamps, and security events generated through use of the service. | Search, delivery, security, debugging, and rate limiting; hosting/security providers. |
| Correspondence content | Information voluntarily included in a privacy request or correction packet sent to the owner. | Responding to the request; request-processing personnel. |
Approval Index does not sell or share these categories for cross-context behavioral advertising, does not offer financial incentives for personal information, and does not knowingly sell or share personal information of people under 16. Sensitive project details entered into the worksheet remain local to the browser and are not received by Approval Index.
General-audience professional service
Children's privacy
Approval Index is intended for contractors, architects, engineers, permit professionals, property owners, distributors, procurement teams, and other general audiences. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. A parent or guardian who believes a child sent us personal information may contact us for deletion.
Security and service location
Safeguards and international processing
Approval Index uses data minimization, validated inputs, restrictive security headers, rate-limit controls, source allowlists, and redacted logging practices. No internet transmission or storage system is guaranteed to be completely secure. The service is offered to a U.S. professional audience. Cloudflare provides global DNS, content delivery, and security services, and the current origin server is located in the European Union. Technical request data may therefore be processed in the United States, the European Union, and other locations where infrastructure providers operate, subject to their contractual and legal safeguards.
Questions and changes
Contact Approval Index
Privacy questions and rights requests may be sent to kipper_04vices@icloud.com. Data-quality concerns about an approval record belong in the data-correction workflow.
We may update this notice when data practices, vendors, features, or legal requirements change. Material changes will receive a new effective date and a prominent notice before they take effect when appropriate.