Privacy Policy
Effective date: June 1, 2025 · Last updated: June 1, 2025
This Privacy Policy describes how The Respect Index ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and protects information when you use therespectindex.com and theseparationindex.com. We are committed to protecting the anonymity of report submitters and complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and other applicable law.
1. Information We Collect
We collect information you provide directly, such as report submissions, email address if you subscribe or verify a submission, and dispute filings. We collect information automatically, including IP address, browser type, pages visited, session duration, and referring URLs via standard server logs and analytics tools. We collect company data aggregated from public sources including SEC filings, WARN Act notices, LinkedIn, Wikidata, Brandfetch, and news sources. We do not collect sensitive personal information such as Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, or government identification numbers.
2. Anonymity of Report Submitters
We do not publish the identity of report submitters. We do not sell, share, or disclose submitter identity information to the companies being reported on, to third parties, or to the public under any circumstances, including in response to company dispute requests. We may retain technical metadata such as IP address, device type, and submission timestamp solely for fraud prevention, integrity monitoring, and platform security purposes. This metadata is never shared with companies, displayed publicly, or used for advertising.
3. How We Use Information
We use collected information to operate, maintain, and improve the Platform; calculate scores and rankings; detect and prevent fraudulent, coordinated, or inauthentic submissions; process and respond to disputes; send platform updates to subscribers; comply with applicable law and valid legal process; and conduct data analysis and quality control. We may use automated technologies including algorithmic processing and machine learning to analyze submission patterns, improve scoring accuracy, and enhance platform integrity. We do not use your information for third-party advertising and do not sell personal information to data brokers.
4. AI and Machine Learning Disclosure
The Respect Index uses automated technologies including algorithmic scoring and machine learning to process user-submitted content, detect inauthentic activity, calculate Ghost Scores and Process Scores, and improve platform performance. By submitting content to the Platform, you acknowledge and agree that your submission may be processed by these automated systems. We do not use submitted content to train third-party commercial AI models or share it with external AI providers for training purposes.
5. California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights: the right to know what personal information we collect and how it is used; the right to request deletion of your personal information subject to certain exceptions; the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell personal information); the right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights; and the right to correct inaccurate personal information we hold about you. To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@therespectindex.com. We will respond within 45 days as required by law, with a possible 45-day extension when reasonably necessary.
6. Cookies and Tracking
We use essential cookies required for Platform functionality and security. We may use analytics tools such as Vercel Analytics that collect anonymized usage data to help us understand how the Platform is used. We do not use third-party advertising cookies or tracking pixels. You may disable cookies in your browser settings, though some Platform features may not function properly as a result. We honor browser-level Do Not Track signals to the extent technically feasible.
7. Data Retention
We retain submitted reports and associated metadata for as long as they remain relevant to the Platform's accountability mission, or until a valid and verified deletion request is received. We retain email addresses of subscribers for as long as the subscription is active. Server logs and technical metadata are retained for up to 90 days. Dispute correspondence is retained for up to 3 years from the date of resolution.
8. Data Security
We implement industry-standard security measures including encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS), role-based access controls on our database, and regular security reviews. No system is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify you as required by applicable law, including California's data breach notification requirements (Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.82).
9. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services that may process data on our behalf: Supabase (database infrastructure and hosting), Vercel (application hosting and analytics), Brandfetch (company logo and brand data), and Wikidata (public company information). Each of these services maintains their own privacy practices independent of ours. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party services. We do not share personal information with these providers beyond what is necessary to operate the Platform.
10. Children's Privacy
The Platform is not directed at individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we learn that we have inadvertently collected information from a person under 18, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we may have collected information from a minor, contact us at privacy@therespectindex.com.
11. Changes to This 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 post the revised policy with an updated effective date. For material changes, we will provide notice via the Platform. Your continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
12. Contact
Privacy-related inquiries, CCPA requests, and data deletion requests may be directed to: privacy@therespectindex.com