Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

ProtectMyZip ("we", "our", "us") operates the website protectmyzip.com which provides free environmental risk assessment scores for US locations. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you use our service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Location Data You Provide

To generate an environmental risk report, you enter a US address or latitude/longitude coordinates. We use this data solely to fetch relevant environmental data from public sources and generate your risk score. We do not automatically collect GPS data or device location.

2.2 Automatically Collected Data

When you visit our site, we may automatically collect:

• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referring website
• Pages visited and time spent
• IP address (processed by our infrastructure provider)

2.3 What We Do Not Collect

• No user accounts or passwords
• No email addresses (unless you contact us directly)
• No payment information
• No social security numbers or government IDs

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies for the following purposes:

3.1 Analytics Cookies

We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors interact with our site. These cookies collect anonymized data about page views, session duration, and user flow. Google Analytics data is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.

3.2 Advertising Cookies

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements. AdSense may set cookies to serve personalized ads based on your browsing history. You can opt out of personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings.

3.3 Essential Cookies

We use a minimal cookie to remember your cookie consent preference (accepted or declined). This cookie is necessary for the site to function and is not used for tracking.

4. Third-Party Services

We integrate with the following third parties:

5. Environmental Data Sources

Our risk scores are derived from publicly available government data sources. We access these APIs to fetch environmental data for the locations you query:

• FEMA — National Flood Hazard Layer, disaster declarations
• USGS — Earthquake hazard data, seismic activity
• EPA — Superfund sites, hazardous waste facilities, toxic releases
• NWS — Active weather alerts and forecasts
• AirNow — Real-time Air Quality Index (AQI) data

These are public government databases. We do not contribute personal data to any of these services.

6. Data Sharing and Sale

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party. We do not share your location queries with data brokers or advertisers. The only data sharing occurs with the third-party service providers listed in Section 4, solely to operate and improve our website.

7. Data Retention

Location queries are processed in real-time and are not stored in a database tied to you. Analytics data retained by Google is subject to Google's retention policies (typically 14–26 months). Cookie consent preferences are stored locally in your browser and can be cleared at any time.

8. Your Rights

8.1 California Consumers (CCPA)

Under the California Consumer Privacy Act, you have the right to:

• Know what personal information is collected
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Opt out of the sale of personal information
• Non-discrimination for exercising your rights

8.2 EU Residents (GDPR)

Under the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Rectification of inaccurate data
• Erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Restriction of processing
• Data portability
• Object to processing

9. Children's Privacy

Our service is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a child, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of our service after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at: