This policy explains how searchinmates.org ("we", "us") handles information. searchinmates.org is a private website. It is not a government website and is not affiliated with any government agency.
Visitors: what we collect
- Searches. We do not store your searches in our database or build a profile of what you look up. Nobody is notified when you search for them.
- Server logs. Our hosting provider (Cloudflare) processes technical data such as IP address, browser type and the page requested, to deliver the site and protect it from abuse. These logs are kept for a short time.
- No ad tracking. We do not show ads today and do not use advertising or analytics cookies. We save your light or dark theme choice in your own browser only.
- Visit statistics: we use Cloudflare Web Analytics, which counts page views and page speed without cookies and without tracking you across sites. You can block it by blocking JavaScript from static.cloudflareinsights.com.
- Spam checks: our forms use Cloudflare Turnstile to check that a person, not a bot, is sending them.
- Sponsored links. If you click a clearly labeled sponsored link, you leave our site, and that company's privacy policy applies.
Forms: what we collect
- Removal requests: the record link, the name on the record, your email, who is asking, and any note you add. We also keep a one-way hash of your IP address that changes daily, to prevent abuse. We use this only to process and confirm your request, and keep it as a record that the removal was requested.
- Alert signups: your email address and the record or facility you asked about. We use it only to send those alerts. You can unsubscribe or ask us to delete it at any time.
We do not sell or rent your personal information.
Records about people in custody
Our pages show booking information that sheriffs and corrections agencies publish to the public, such as name, age, booking date, facility, charges and bond. We do not collect booking photos, and we do not publish home addresses. This information may be out of date or incomplete; always verify with the agency. An arrest is not a conviction, and everyone is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Anyone can ask us to remove a record, for free, using our removal form. Removed records return a "gone" status and are added to a do-not-publish list so they are not added again.
Advertising and your choices
We do not show ads today. If we start, ads will come from Google AdSense or a similar network that shows banner ads only (no pop-ups, pop-unders or redirects). They will appear only below the search box and below the main part of a record, labeled "Advertisement". The ad provider may then use cookies and similar technology to show and measure ads, and we will update this page first.
- Turn off personalized ads: Google's Ad Settings, the Digital Advertising Alliance at optout.aboutads.info, or the Network Advertising Initiative at optout.networkadvertising.org.
- Do not sell or share my personal information (California and other states): we do not sell your personal information for money. Showing personalized ads can count as "sharing" under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA, as amended by the CPRA). To opt out, send a request through our contact form with the subject "Do not sell or share". If your browser sends a Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, we treat it as that opt-out for that browser and ask Google for non-personalized ads only.
- Block cookies: your browser settings let you block or delete cookies. Ads may still appear, but they will not be personalized.
Not a consumer reporting agency (FCRA)
searchinmates.org is not a consumer reporting agency as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA), and our information is not a consumer report. You may not use this site or its information to make decisions about employment, tenant screening or housing, credit, insurance, or any other purpose covered by the FCRA.
Your choices and rights
You can ask us to access, correct or delete the personal information you gave us (such as your email), or to remove a booking record. Residents of some states, including California, have additional rights under state privacy laws; we honor those requests for everyone. Use our contact form. We will not discriminate against you for making a request.
Children
This site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their information. We do not knowingly publish records about juveniles.
Security
We use HTTPS on every page and limit who can access stored requests. No method of storage is perfectly secure.
Changes
We will post any changes on this page and update the date above.
Contact
searchinmates.org, through our contact form.