Privacy Policy

Who we are

FreeCodeChecks ("we", "our", "us", "the platform") is operated by Emberbyte LLC, a limited liability company organized under the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, how we use it, and the choices and rights you have. Questions can be sent to ben@emberbyte.io.

What data we collect

We collect personally identifiable information (PII) that you provide and analytics data generated as you use the platform. We keep collection to the minimum required to operate and improve the service.

Cookies

We and our partners use cookies and similar technologies in three categories:

• Essential cookies — we set a session cookie via Supabase Auth when you sign in. These are required for the platform to function.
• Analytics cookies — Google Analytics 4 sets first-party cookies (_ga, _ga_*) to distinguish visitors and measure usage.
• Advertising cookies — our advertising partners, including Google AdSense and Google DoubleClick, set and read cookies (such as the DoubleClick __gads / IDE cookies) to serve and measure ads and, where permitted, to show ads based on your prior visits to this and other websites.

Third-party advertisers

FreeCodeChecks displays advertising to support the free tier. Our advertising is served by third parties, including Google AdSense and Google DoubleClick(part of Google's ad network).

• Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies — including the DoubleClick cookie — to serve ads based on your visits to this site and other sites on the internet.
• Third-party vendors and ad networks may also use cookies and web beacons to collect information (such as your IP address and device identifiers) in the course of serving ads and measuring their performance.
• For more on how Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps, see Google's Privacy & Terms.

How you can opt out of personalized ads

You can control or opt out of personalized advertising at any time:

• Manage Google's use of cookies for personalized ads at adssettings.google.com.
• Opt out of personalized ads from many third-party vendors via the Network Advertising Initiative at optout.networkadvertising.org.
• Opt out of analytics tracking with the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

Children's privacy (COPPA)

FreeCodeChecks is a professional tool intended for businesses and adults. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 in violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us at privacy@freecodechecks.com and we will delete it.

California privacy rights (CCPA) — Do Not Sell

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) gives you the right to know what personal information we collect, to request its deletion, and to opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information.

We do not sell your personal information for money. Because the use of advertising cookies for personalized ads may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" under California law, you may exercise your Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information right by opting out of personalized ads using the links in the section above, or by emailing privacy@freecodechecks.com with the subject "Do Not Sell."

European privacy rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) gives you the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict, or port your personal data, and to object to processing (including profiling for advertising). The legal bases on which we process data are consent (for advertising and analytics cookies), contract (to provide the service you request), and legitimate interest (security and fraud prevention).

To exercise any of these rights, email our data contact at privacy@freecodechecks.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

International data transfers

FreeCodeChecks is operated from the United States, and our service providers (including Supabase, Vercel, Google, Stripe, and Resend) may process data in the United States and other countries. Where we transfer personal data out of the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses. By using the platform, you understand your data may be processed in the United States.

Data retention

We retain personal data only as long as needed for the purposes described in the table above: account data until you delete your account, IP addresses on a rolling 30-day window, and analytics data per the Google Analytics 4 default of 14 months. We may retain aggregated, de-identified data indefinitely to improve ordinance coverage.

Data sharing

We do not sell your personal data for money. We share data only with the service providers required to operate the platform:

• Supabase — database and authentication infrastructure
• Stripe — payment processing for verified reports
• Google Analytics 4 — aggregated usage analytics
• Google AdSense / DoubleClick — advertising delivery and measurement
• Vercel — hosting and edge network
• Resend — transactional email delivery (report PDFs)

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the platform evolves. Material changes will be announced on the site and reflected in the "Last updated" date above.

Contact us

Questions about this privacy policy, or to exercise any of your rights? Email privacy@freecodechecks.com or write to Emberbyte LLC at ben@emberbyte.io.