Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy — How We Handle Your Information

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit Arrests-USA.org, why we collect it, how it’s used, how long we keep it, and the rights you have over your data. Plain language, no dark patterns.

1. Introduction and Scope

Arrests-USA.org (“we,” “us,” “our,” or “the Site”) is an independent public records educational resource. This Privacy Policy describes how we handle information collected when you visit this website — including information you actively provide to us (for example, through a contact form) and information collected automatically by our hosting infrastructure and analytics tools.

This policy applies only to arrests-usa.org. It does not apply to any third-party website we link to, including government portals, legal aid organizations, or any external resource. When you follow a link away from our site, the destination site’s privacy policy governs that interaction. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content or privacy practices of third-party sites.

By using this Site, you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Site.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide directly

If you contact us through the Contact page or any form on the Site, you may voluntarily provide:

Name — to address you in our reply
Email address — to respond to your message
Message content — the substance of your question, comment, or correction report
Optional details — URL of a page being discussed, screenshots, or supporting information you choose to include

You are not required to provide any of this information unless you choose to contact us. The only information we need to respond is a working email address and your message.

Information collected automatically

Like most websites, our servers and hosting infrastructure automatically record certain technical information when you visit:

Data Type	What It Is	Purpose
IP address	Numeric identifier assigned by your internet provider	Server security, spam prevention, general geographic analytics (country/region level)
Browser type & version	e.g., Chrome 122, Safari 17, Firefox 125	Ensuring site compatibility and diagnosing display issues
Device type	Desktop, tablet, mobile	Responsive design optimization
Operating system	e.g., Windows, macOS, iOS, Android	Compatibility testing and analytics
Referring URL	The link or search that brought you here	Understanding what content is useful and how people discover the site
Pages visited	Which pages you view and time spent	Understanding which guides are helpful and which need improvement
Date & time of visit	Timestamp of each request	Server logs, security monitoring, analytics

3. Information We Do Not Collect

We want to be explicit about what this site does not do. We do not:

Collect or store Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, or other government-issued identifiers
Collect financial information — we do not process payments, and there is no checkout or purchase flow on this site
Host, store, or republish individual arrest records, mugshots, or booking data
Operate any searchable database of individuals, criminal records, or personal information
Sell, rent, or trade visitor data to data brokers or marketing companies
Use fingerprinting, device-identification tracking, or cross-site surveillance technologies designed to follow you across the web
Target advertising based on the sensitive content of this site (public records, arrests, legal matters)

4. How We Use the Information Collected

We use information collected through this Site only for the following purposes:

To respond to inquiries. When you contact us, we use your email address and message content solely to reply to you.
To improve the Site. Aggregate analytics help us understand which guides are useful, which links are being clicked, and where users encounter problems — so we can fix broken links, update outdated content, and prioritize new guides.
To maintain security. Server logs help us detect and prevent spam submissions, bot activity, and malicious access attempts.
To comply with legal obligations. In rare circumstances, we may be required to retain or disclose certain information in response to a valid legal request (subpoena, court order, law enforcement investigation conducted under proper legal authority).

We do not use your information for automated decision-making, profiling, or any purpose beyond those described above.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

A cookie is a small text file stored on your device by your browser when you visit a website. We use a limited set of cookies:

Essential cookies

These cookies are necessary for the Site to function correctly — for example, remembering your cookie preference choices, maintaining session state, and security/spam protection. These cookies do not track you across sites.

Analytics cookies

With your consent (where required by law), we use privacy-respecting analytics to measure how the Site is used in aggregate. These cookies help us understand things like which pages are most helpful, average time on page, and navigation patterns — but they do not identify you individually.

Managing cookies

You can control cookies through your browser settings — all major browsers allow you to block cookies, delete existing cookies, or be warned before a cookie is placed. Note that blocking all cookies may affect some site functionality. Instructions:

6. Analytics and Third-Party Services

We may use one or more third-party analytics services to understand aggregate site usage. These services may collect information including your IP address (often anonymized or truncated), browser and device characteristics, pages visited, and general geographic region.

Services we may use

Google Analytics — aggregate site usage statistics. Google provides opt-out at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout. Google’s privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy.
Google Maps embeds — the embedded map on our homepage is served by Google Maps and subject to Google’s terms and privacy policy.
Hosting infrastructure logs — our web hosting provider maintains standard server access logs for security and operational purposes.

Do Not Track: Some browsers transmit a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal. There is currently no uniform industry standard for responding to DNT signals. We do not currently engage in tracking that would be materially affected by DNT, but we will update this policy if our practices change.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We share information only in the limited circumstances described below:

Service providers

We may share limited information with third-party service providers who help us operate the Site — such as web hosting, email delivery, and analytics. These providers are contractually obligated to use information only to provide services to us, not for their own purposes. We choose providers that maintain reasonable data protection practices.

Legal requirements

We may disclose information when required by applicable law — for example, in response to a valid subpoena, court order, or lawful request from a government authority. We will carefully review any such request and comply only to the extent legally required.

Protection of rights

We may disclose information to protect the rights, property, or safety of Arrests-USA.org, our visitors, or others — including to prevent fraud, enforce our Terms, or address security threats.

Business transfer

If the Site is acquired, merged, or transferred to another party, visitor information may be part of the transferred assets. Any successor entity will be bound by this Privacy Policy (or an equivalent policy) with respect to previously collected information.

8. Data Retention

We retain information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Policy:

Contact form submissions: Retained for up to 24 months after the inquiry is resolved, then deleted or anonymized, unless a longer retention is required for legal reasons.
Server logs: Retained in raw form for up to 90 days, then aggregated or deleted.
Analytics data: Aggregate statistics may be retained indefinitely; individual-level data is retained according to the analytics provider’s default retention settings (typically 14–26 months).

You may request deletion of your data at any time through the Contact page — see Section 10 (Your Privacy Rights).

9. Security Measures

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect information collected through this Site. These measures include HTTPS encryption in transit, secure hosting infrastructure, access controls on internal systems, and regular review of security practices.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If we become aware of a security breach affecting visitor information, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

10. Your Privacy Rights

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

Rights under GDPR (EU/UK residents)

Right of Access

Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

Right to Rectification

Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.

Right to Erasure

Request deletion of your personal data where legally required.

Right to Restriction

Request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances.

Right to Object

Object to processing based on legitimate interests or direct marketing.

Right to Portability

Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format.

Right to Withdraw Consent

Withdraw any consent previously given, at any time.

Right to Lodge a Complaint

Complain to your local data protection authority.

Rights under CCPA/CPRA (California residents)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act:

Right to know what personal information we have collected, used, or disclosed
Right to delete personal information we have collected (subject to legal exceptions)
Right to correct inaccurate personal information
Right to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of personal information (note: we do not sell or share personal information as these terms are defined under CCPA)
Right to non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising any CCPA right

How to exercise your rights

To exercise any of the rights above, contact us through the Contact page. Please include:

The specific right you wish to exercise
Enough information for us to verify your identity (typically the email address associated with the information)
A clear description of your request

We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law — generally within 30 days for GDPR requests and 45 days for CCPA requests. There is no fee to exercise these rights; we may charge a reasonable fee only for manifestly unfounded or excessive requests.

11. Children’s Privacy (COPPA)

Arrests-USA.org is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information promptly.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided information to us, please contact us through the Contact page and we will investigate and take appropriate action.

12. International Visitors

Arrests-USA.org is operated from outside the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, and Switzerland. If you access this Site from any of those regions or any other jurisdiction, please be aware that information collected may be transferred to, stored, and processed in other countries, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

By using the Site, you consent to any such transfer, storage, and processing of your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable law.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or site functionality. The date of last update appears at the bottom of this page.

For material changes that meaningfully affect how we handle your information, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you — for example, by posting a prominent notice on the homepage or on this Privacy Policy page. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.

14. Contact Information

Privacy Questions, Concerns, or Requests

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, want to exercise a privacy right, or want to report a privacy concern, please contact us through our Contact page.

We typically respond to privacy inquiries within 5 business days. Formal rights requests (GDPR/CCPA) are processed within the timeframes required by applicable law.

Contact: arrests-usa.org/contact

Effective date: April 2026. Last reviewed: April 2026. Arrests-USA.org is an independent public records educational resource, not affiliated with any government agency, law enforcement department, or law firm.