Privacy Policy - checkboxHQ

Introduction

checkboxHQ ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our email verification API service available at checkboxhq.com and api.checkboxhq.com (the "Service").

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using our Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with the terms of this Privacy Policy, please do not access or use the Service.

Information We Collect

1. Information You Provide Directly

Account Information

When you register for an account, we collect:

Email address
Name
Company name (if applicable)
Password (stored in encrypted form)
Payment information (processed through our payment provider, collected later)

API Usage Data

When you use our API to verify email addresses, we temporarily process:

Email addresses or domain information you submit for verification
API requests and responses
Timestamp of requests
Your API Key (for authentication purposes)

2. Information Collected Automatically

Analytics and Usage Data

We automatically collect certain information when you access and use our Service:

IP address
Browser type and version
Device type and operating system
Pages visited and features used
Time and date of visits
Referring website or source
Click patterns and navigation paths
API endpoint usage statistics
API response times and error rates
Geographic location (country/city level based on IP address)

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to track activity on our Service and hold certain information. Cookies are files with small amounts of data that are stored on your device. We use the following types of cookies:

Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function properly (e.g., authentication, session management)
Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our Service by collecting and reporting information anonymously
Preference Cookies: Remember your settings and preferences for future visits

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if you do not accept cookies, you may not be able to use some portions of our Service.

Log Files

We collect log files that include:

API request logs (endpoint accessed, timestamp, response status)
Error logs for troubleshooting
Security logs for monitoring unauthorized access attempts
Server performance metrics

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

Service Delivery

To provide, maintain, and improve our email verification API
To authenticate your access to the Service
To process API requests and return verification results
To manage your account and subscription

Communication

To respond to your inquiries and support requests
To send administrative information, including service updates and security alerts
To notify you of changes to our Service or policies
To send billing statements and payment confirmations

Analytics and Improvement

To analyze usage patterns and trends
To understand how users interact with our Service
To identify and fix technical issues
To develop new features and improve existing functionality
To optimize API performance and reliability
To conduct A/B testing for service improvements

Security and Compliance

To detect, prevent, and address fraud or security issues
To monitor for violations of our Terms of Service
To comply with legal obligations and regulatory requirements
To protect the rights, property, and safety of checkboxHQ and our users

Business Operations

To process payments and prevent payment fraud
To calculate usage metrics for billing purposes
To enforce our Terms of Service
To conduct internal business analysis

How We Handle Email Addresses You Submit for Verification

Transient Processing Only

Email addresses and domain information you submit to our API for verification are processed in real-time to provide verification results. We do not permanently store these email addresses in our production databases.

Limited Retention for Technical Purposes

Email addresses may appear in:

Temporary server logs (retained for up to 30 days for debugging and security purposes)
Encrypted backup systems (automatically purged based on retention schedule)
Aggregated analytics (where individual email addresses are not identifiable)

No Marketing or Third-Party Sharing

We do not:

Use submitted email addresses for marketing purposes
Sell or rent submitted email addresses to third parties
Contact individuals whose email addresses you verify through our Service
Build marketing databases from submitted email addresses

Your Responsibility

When you submit email addresses to our Service, you represent that you comply with applicable data protection laws regarding the email addresses you verify.

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your information in the following circumstances:

Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including:

Payment processors (for billing and subscription management)
Cloud hosting providers (for infrastructure and data storage)
Analytics providers (for usage analysis and service improvement)
Email service providers (for transactional communications)
Customer support platforms

These service providers are contractually obligated to protect your information and use it only for the purposes we specify.

Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

Valid legal process (subpoena, court order, government request)
Investigations of potential violations of our Terms of Service
Protection of the rights, property, or safety of checkboxHQ, our users, or the public
Compliance with applicable laws and regulations

Aggregated or Anonymized Data

We may share aggregated or anonymized information that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. For example:

Overall API usage statistics
Industry benchmarks and trends
Performance metrics

With Your Consent

We may share your information for other purposes with your explicit consent.

Data Retention

We retain different types of information for varying periods:

Account Information: Retained for the duration of your account and for a reasonable period after account closure to comply with legal obligations
API Usage Logs: Retained for up to 30 days for debugging, security, and operational purposes
Analytics Data: Retained in aggregated form for ongoing service improvement
Payment Records: Retained as required by tax and accounting regulations (typically 7 years)
Email Addresses Submitted for Verification: Not permanently retained; automatically purged from temporary logs after 30 days

You may request deletion of your personal information as described in the "Your Rights" section below.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

Technical Safeguards

Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
Encryption of sensitive data at rest
Secure API authentication using API keys
Regular security assessments and penetration testing
Firewall protection and intrusion detection systems
Secure database access controls

Organizational Safeguards

Limited access to personal information on a need-to-know basis
Regular security training for personnel
Incident response procedures
Regular backup and disaster recovery processes

Infrastructure Security

Hosting on reputable cloud infrastructure providers
Regular security patches and updates
Network segmentation and access controls
DDoS protection and rate limiting

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information:

Access and Portability

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to receive a copy in a portable format.

Correction

You have the right to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal information.

Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information, subject to certain legal exceptions (e.g., compliance with legal obligations, resolution of disputes).

Objection and Restriction

You have the right to object to or request restriction of certain processing activities.

Withdraw Consent

Where we process your information based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time.

Opt-Out of Communications

You may opt out of receiving promotional communications by following the unsubscribe instructions in those communications or by contacting us directly. Note that you cannot opt out of essential service communications.

Cookie Management

You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings. Note that disabling certain cookies may impact functionality.

To Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing certain requests.

Children's Privacy

Our Service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will delete such information from our systems.

Third-Party Links and Services

Our Service may contain links to third-party websites, services, or applications that are not operated by us. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party services you access through our Service.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of material changes by:

Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
Sending an email notification to the address associated with your account

Your continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

Data Protection Officer / Contact Information

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

Email: [email protected]
Website: checkboxhq.com

For data protection inquiries specifically, you may also use the subject line "Privacy Request" to ensure prompt routing to the appropriate team member.

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information based on the following legal grounds:

Consent: Where you have provided explicit consent for specific processing activities
Contract Performance: Where processing is necessary to provide the Service you have requested
Legal Obligation: Where processing is required to comply with applicable laws
Legitimate Interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as fraud prevention, security, and service improvement, provided these interests do not override your fundamental rights

Complaints

If you believe we have not handled your personal information properly, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority or supervisory body.

Acknowledgment

By using checkboxHQ, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy.