Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Tolden Search ("Tolden," "we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when you use our search engine, website, APIs, and related services (collectively, the "Service").

This Privacy Policy is incorporated into and subject to our Terms of Service. By using the Service, you agree to the practices described in this Policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the Service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you use the Service, you may provide:

• Search queries: The text you enter into the search box
• Contact information: If you contact us via email or a contact form
• Feedback and reports: Content you submit when reporting issues or providing feedback

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Service, we automatically collect certain technical information:

2.3 Cookies and Local Storage

Tolden Search uses minimal cookies and browser storage:

• Session state: We may store minimal session information to improve your experience
• Preferences: If you set display preferences, these may be stored locally in your browser

We do not use tracking cookies, advertising cookies, or third-party analytics cookies. You can control cookies through your browser settings.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Providing the Service: Delivering search results in response to your queries
• Service Improvement: Understanding how the Service is used to improve quality and relevance
• Security and Abuse Prevention: Detecting and preventing spam, abuse, and unauthorized access
• Rate Limiting: Enforcing fair use limits to maintain service quality for all users
• Legal Compliance: Complying with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Communication: Responding to your inquiries and providing support

4. Search Query Privacy

Your search queries are sensitive information. We handle them with care:

• Queries are used only to return relevant search results to you
• Queries are stored in server logs for a maximum of 30 days for debugging purposes, then permanently deleted
• After 7 days, queries are anonymized by removing any associated IP addresses
• We do not link search queries to individual user profiles or persistent identifiers
• Aggregated, anonymized query statistics may be used to improve the search index

We strongly recommend that you avoid including sensitive personal information (passwords, financial details, medical information) in search queries.

5. Web Crawler and Indexed Content

Tolden's crawler ("ToldenBot") automatically visits and indexes publicly accessible web pages. Our crawling practices include:

• Robots.txt compliance: We respect robots.txt directives and honor crawl-delay settings
• Public content only: We only crawl and index publicly accessible content, not content behind login walls or paywalls
• Content removal: If you own a website and want your content removed from our index, contact us at crawl@tolden.search
• Personal data in indexed content: If your personal data appears in indexed web pages, you may request its removal

Website operators can prevent ToldenBot from crawling their site by adding the following to their robots.txt file:

User-agent: ToldenBot
Disallow: /

6. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share information in the following limited circumstances:

• Legal requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental authority
• Safety and security: When necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Tolden, our users, or the public
• Business transfers: In connection with any merger, acquisition, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, with notice to affected users
• Service providers: With trusted third-party service providers who assist in operating the Service, subject to confidentiality agreements

Any third-party service providers are prohibited from using your information for their own purposes and are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.

7. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
• Server-side encryption for data at rest
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Strict access controls limiting who can access personal data
• Automated monitoring for security incidents

Despite our best efforts, no security measures are perfect or impenetrable. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. In the event of a data breach, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law.

8. Your Rights and Choices

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

• Access: Request information about what personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate personal data
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Portability: Receive your personal data in a portable format
• Objection: Object to certain types of data processing
• Restriction: Request restriction of processing of your personal data

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at privacy@tolden.search. We will respond within 30 days. We may need to verify your identity before processing your request.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately. If we discover that we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will promptly delete it.

10. International Data Transfers

If you are accessing the Service from outside our primary operating jurisdiction, your information may be transferred to and processed in a country that has different data protection laws than your country of residence. By using the Service, you consent to such transfer. We take steps to ensure that any such transfers comply with applicable data protection laws.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this Policy. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.

Your continued use of the Service after the effective date of any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Tolden Search — Privacy Team
Email: privacy@tolden.search
For data removal requests: crawl@tolden.search
For legal inquiries: legal@tolden.search
Website: https://tolden.search

We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 5 business days and will resolve data subject requests within 30 days.