Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

StatusShield ("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 self-service immigration compliance assessment tool.

Important: When you use StatusShield, YOU are the customer ordering an analysis of YOUR OWN social media profiles. This is not a background check ordered by third parties. YOU control this data.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

• Create an account: Email address, name, password
• Use the Service: Social media profile URLs, visa type, immigration status (optional)
• Authorize scanning: Consent to analyze your public social media profiles
• Contact us: Any information in support communications

2.2 Information We Collect from Public Sources

With YOUR authorization, we collect publicly available information from YOUR social media profiles:

• LinkedIn: Profile information, work history, posts, connections (public only)
• Twitter/X: Tweets, bio, followers, timeline (public only)
• Instagram: Posts, captions, engagement metrics (public accounts only)
• Facebook: Public posts, profile information (public only)
• Other platforms: Only publicly available information YOU authorize

We do NOT: Access private messages, hack accounts, or collect information you haven't explicitly authorized us to analyze.

2.3 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our Service, we automatically collect:

• Usage data: Pages viewed, features used, time spent
• Device information: Browser type, operating system, IP address
• Cookies: Authentication, preferences, analytics (see Cookie Policy below)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information ONLY for the following purposes:

3.1 Provide the Service

• Analyze YOUR social media profiles for immigration compliance discrepancies
• Generate YOUR personal compliance assessment report
• Provide YOU with insights and recommendations
• Maintain YOUR account and subscription

3.2 Improve the Service

• Analyze aggregate usage patterns (anonymized)
• Improve AI analysis accuracy
• Develop new features
• Fix bugs and technical issues

3.3 Communicate with You

• Send report completion notifications
• Respond to support requests
• Send important service updates
• Send marketing emails (opt-out anytime)

3.4 Legal Compliance

• Comply with legal obligations
• Respond to lawful requests from authorities
• Protect our rights and prevent fraud

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 You Control Sharing

YOUR report is for YOUR use only. YOU decide if and when to share it with:

• Your immigration attorney
• Family members
• Anyone else YOU choose

We will NEVER share your report without your explicit consent.

4.2 Service Providers (Limited)

We may share limited information with trusted service providers who help us operate:

• Hosting providers: To store data securely (AWS)
• Payment processors: To process subscriptions (Stripe)
• AI services: To generate analysis (LLM/GPT-style services)
• Data collection: To gather public social media data (Bright Data)

All service providers are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for providing services to us.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, such as:

• Valid court orders or subpoenas
• Law enforcement requests with proper legal process
• Emergency situations involving imminent harm

We will notify you of such requests unless legally prohibited from doing so.

4.4 What We DON'T Do

We will NEVER:

• ❌ Sell your personal information to third parties
• ❌ Share your reports with USCIS or immigration authorities
• ❌ Provide data to employers or sponsors
• ❌ Use your data for advertising or marketing to third parties
• ❌ Share your information for any purpose not disclosed here

5. Data Security

5.1 Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security measures:

• Encryption: Data encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256)
• Access controls: Strict authentication and authorization
• Secure hosting: Infrastructure hosted on secure cloud platforms
• Regular audits: Security assessments and vulnerability scanning
• Employee training: All staff trained on data protection

5.2 Limitations

While we take security seriously, no system is 100% secure. You acknowledge that:

• Internet transmission is never completely secure
• Unauthorized access or data breaches may occur despite our efforts
• You should use strong passwords and protect your account credentials

6. Your Privacy Rights

6.1 Access and Portability

You have the right to:

• Request a copy of all data we have about you
• Export your data in a machine-readable format
• Download your reports at any time

6.2 Correction

We do not create or update your personal data held elsewhere. You can update your account and profile information in the dashboard anytime and provide additional context for analysis. Correction here means updating what you have given us in the app (e.g., profile, family members).

6.3 Deletion

You can request deletion of:

• Your entire account and all associated data
• Specific reports or scan results
• Any personal information we've collected

To request deletion, visit /data-deletion or email privacy@statusshield.com

Note: We may retain some information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes (e.g., financial records for tax compliance).

6.4 Opt-Out Rights

You can opt out of:

• Marketing emails: Click unsubscribe in any email
• Analytics cookies: Use browser settings or our cookie preferences
• Data collection: Delete your account to stop all data collection

7. Data Retention

We retain your data only as long as necessary:

• Active accounts: Data retained while account is active
• Canceled subscriptions: Data retained for 90 days, then deleted
• Deletion requests: Processed within 30 days
• Legal requirements: Some data retained for tax/legal compliance (e.g., 7 years for financial records)

8. Cookies and Tracking

8.1 Types of Cookies We Use

8.2 Managing Cookies

You can control cookies through:

• Browser settings (block or delete cookies)
• Our cookie preferences tool (coming soon)

Note: Disabling essential cookies may affect Service functionality.

9. Children's Privacy

StatusShield is not intended for individuals under 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If we learn we have collected information from a child, we will promptly delete it.

10. International Users

StatusShield is based in the United States. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer.

GDPR Rights (EU Users): If you are in the European Union, you have additional rights under GDPR, including the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.

CPRA Rights (California Users): If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Privacy Rights Act, including the right to know what personal information we collect and how we use it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by:

• Email notification to your registered email address
• Prominent notice on the Service
• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page

Your continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

For privacy-related questions, concerns, or requests: