Privacy Policy

1 Our Two-Tier Privacy Model

FactSentinel offers two distinct operating modes with different privacy implications:

Platform Mode

Our managed service with enterprise-grade protection. Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest, requests are processed on secure infrastructure, and we may log claim text and results to operate, protect, and improve the service. We never sell or share your data.

Your Own Keys (Maximum Privacy)

Maximum privacy for users who bring their own API keys. Your keys are stored locally in your browser. In BYOK mode, requests are sent directly from your browser/extension to AI providers (OpenAI/Anthropic) using your keys; our servers never receive your API keys or BYOK claim text. We keep minimal usage counts tied to your account for rate limiting and billing.

2 Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

• Email address
• Username
• Password (securely hashed with bcrypt)

Usage Data

We automatically collect:

• Number of fact-checks performed
• Subscription status and tier
• Browser extension version and settings
• IP address and basic device/browser information (for security and abuse prevention)

Platform Mode Data

When using Platform Mode, we log:

• The text you submit for fact-checking
• The verdict and confidence score returned
• Timestamps of requests
• Your user ID (for rate limiting)
• Page URL hash and domain for passive monitoring requests

This data is used to provide the service, improve accuracy, and detect abuse. We retain it only as long as needed for these purposes and to comply with legal obligations. You can request deletion by emailing support@factsentinel.com.

Payment Information

Premium subscriptions are processed through Stripe. We do not store your credit card details - Stripe handles all payment data securely.

3 How We Use Your Information

We only use your information to provide and improve our service:

• To deliver the fact-checking service you requested
• To manage your account and subscription
• To send important service updates (we don't send marketing emails)
• To respond to your support inquiries
• To improve service reliability and performance

What we never do:

• We never sell or rent your personal information
• We never share your data with advertisers
• We never use your fact-checks to build marketing profiles
• We never access your browsing history beyond what you choose to scan or fact-check

4 Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

• OpenAI and Anthropic: AI providers for fact verification (Platform Mode and BYOK when you provide keys)
• Stripe: Payment processing for premium subscriptions
• SendGrid: Transactional email delivery (verification, password reset, welcome)
• ip-api.com: IP geolocation for demo requests
• Redis: Rate limiting and session management

5 Data Retention

• Account data is retained while your account is active
• Platform Mode verification logs are retained as needed to operate, protect, and improve the service
• BYOK Mode never receives claim text; we retain minimal usage counts for rate limiting and billing
• You can request deletion of your data by emailing support@factsentinel.com

6 Browser Extension Permissions

Our browser extension requests the following permissions:

Passive Monitoring

When you enable Passive Monitoring, the extension sends page text to our servers to extract potential claims and verify them. This scanning:

• Only occurs when you explicitly enable this feature in settings
• Sends page text (limited and truncated) to our servers for claim extraction
• Does not store full page content; we log claim counts and a hashed page URL/domain for analytics and abuse prevention
• Can be disabled at any time from the extension settings

We do not build detailed browsing profiles, and manual fact-checks only access text you explicitly select.

7 Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Correct inaccurate data
• Request deletion of your account and data by emailing support@factsentinel.com
• Request a copy of your data
• Opt out of non-essential communications

8 Security

We implement industry-standard security measures including:

• HTTPS encryption for all connections
• Secure password hashing (bcrypt)
• Rate limiting to prevent abuse
• Regular security audits

9 Children's Privacy

FactSentinel is not intended for users under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

10 Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will notify you of significant changes via email or through the extension. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.