Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 2026

Silent Security.net is an independent security review and buyer's guide publication. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

What We Collect

Analytics

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand which pages are useful and how visitors navigate the site. The GA4 cookie reports aggregate page views, session length, and traffic source; it does not identify you by name or contact details. We use the GA4 demographic and interest reporting features. We do not use Google Analytics for advertising remarketing, and we do not sell analytics data to third parties. To opt out of GA4 across all sites, install Google's official Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on.

We additionally use Cloudflare's standard server-side request logs (IP address, user agent, request path, response status, ~30 days retention by Cloudflare's default policy) for security and performance monitoring. We use Cloudflare Turnstile on form submissions (security challenge; collects minimal browser fingerprint information for the duration of one challenge attempt and is not used to track you across sessions).

Newsletter / Email Subscription

If you subscribe to the Weekly Briefing or to the targeted email alerts from the scam-checker or the security scorecard, we send your email address and category preferences to Resend (our email delivery provider). Resend stores the address in our audience list, sends the weekly newsletter, and processes unsubscribe requests. You can manage your subscription or unsubscribe at any time via the link in the footer of every newsletter or at /newsletter/unsubscribe/. We do not share newsletter subscriber lists with third parties.

Contact Form Submissions

If you use the contact form, we receive your name, email address, and message. The form is rate-limited via Cloudflare KV (IP-keyed counter, ~1 hour window) and protected by Cloudflare Turnstile. Submissions are emailed to us via Resend and retained as long as needed to respond to your inquiry. We use this only to respond to your inquiry and do not add you to any mailing list.

Scam Checker (AI-Powered Tool)

The scam checker sends the text or screenshot you submit to OpenAI (the GPT-4.1-mini model via the OpenAI API) for analysis. Per OpenAI's API policy, data submitted via the API is not used to train OpenAI's models by default. We do not store the text or screenshot you submit on our servers; only a Cloudflare KV rate-limit counter (anonymous, IP-keyed, ~30-minute window) is kept. The analysis result is returned to your browser and is not saved.

Affiliate Clicks

When you click an affiliate link to a product retailer (Amazon, security product vendors, etc.), those third-party sites have their own cookies and tracking. The click first passes through our /go?asin=... redirect Worker which logs the ASIN (not your identity) for affiliate-program reporting, then redirects you to the retailer. We receive commission data but not personally identifiable information about you. See our Affiliate Disclosure for full details.

Server Logs

Our hosting provider, Cloudflare Pages, logs standard server access data (IP address, browser type, referring URL, pages visited, response status). This data is retained for security and performance monitoring per Cloudflare's standard retention policy (approximately 30-90 days) and is not linked by us to any personal profile. The Cloudflare Workers we operate (asin-fixer, content-guardian, csp-nonce, publisher, ai-orchestrator, infographic-render) emit operational logs to Cloudflare's logging system under the same retention.

What We Do Not Do

  • We do not sell, rent, or trade personal data to third parties
  • We do not run behavioral advertising or retargeting
  • We do not build user profiles tied to personal identity
  • We do not use third-party ad networks (no Google Ads, no programmatic advertising)
  • We do not have user accounts or registration

Cookies

The site sets the following cookies:

  • Essential / functional: the Cloudflare load-balancing cookie (__cf_bm), and per-page Turnstile challenge cookies on forms that use Turnstile.
  • Analytics: Google Analytics 4 (_ga, _ga_*) - aggregated visit metrics, no advertising remarketing, no profile building.

We do not use tracking pixels or social-media tracking scripts. If you use a browser extension that blocks analytics (uBlock Origin, Privacy Badger), the site functions completely normally - we haven't built any paywall or functionality that depends on tracking consent.

Third-Party Links

Our reviews and comparisons link to product retailers and vendor websites. These third-party sites operate under their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for their data practices. Before purchasing a product, we recommend reviewing the relevant vendor's privacy policy.

Children's Privacy

This site is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children. Our Best Parental Controls guide is informational content for parents.

Your Rights (GDPR / CCPA)

If you are a resident of the European Union or California, you have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of any personal data we hold about you. Because we collect minimal personal data (contact form submissions only), most requests can be fulfilled quickly. Contact us at the address on the contact page.

Data Retention

Contact form submissions are retained for as long as necessary to respond to your inquiry, typically no more than 12 months. Server logs are retained for up to 90 days. Analytics data is aggregated and retained indefinitely in aggregate form only.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The "last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be noted on the About page.

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy? Use the contact form and select "Privacy" as the subject.

Affiliate Disclosure → Review Methodology → About Us →