Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to PayScope ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how we collect, use, and safeguard your information. This Privacy Policy explains our data practices for payscope.io (the "Website").

PayScope is a free salary information platform that aggregates publicly available government data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to provide accurate, location-specific salary insights. We do not collect, store, or sell your personal information.

By using our Website, you consent to the data practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, please do not use the Website.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

PayScope does not require user registration or account creation. We do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, or other personally identifiable information (PII) unless you voluntarily contact us via email.

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Website, we automatically collect certain technical information through analytics and advertising services:

• Log Data: IP address, browser type, operating system, referral URLs, pages viewed, and time/date stamps
• Device Information: Device type, screen resolution, and language preferences
• Usage Data: How you interact with our Website, including clicks, scrolling behavior, and session duration
• Location Data: Approximate geographic location based on IP address (country, state, city level)

2.3 Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and support our advertising services. Cookies are small text files stored on your device that help us recognize you on subsequent visits.

Types of cookies we use:

• Essential Cookies: Required for basic website functionality
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our Website (Cloudflare Analytics)
• Advertising Cookies: Used by Google AdSense to display personalized advertisements based on your browsing history

3. How We Use Information

We use the automatically collected information for the following purposes:

• Website Operation: To provide, maintain, and improve our Website's functionality and performance
• Analytics: To analyze usage patterns, understand user preferences, and optimize content
• Advertising: To display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense and measure ad performance
• Security: To detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, and abuse
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes

We do not use your information for any other purposes beyond those stated above.

4. Third-Party Services

PayScope uses third-party service providers to support Website operations and advertising. These providers may collect and process data on our behalf:

4.1 Google AdSense

We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our Website. Google and its partners use cookies to serve ads based on your prior visits to our Website and other websites on the Internet.

Data collected by Google AdSense includes: Cookies, device identifiers, IP addresses, browsing history, and ad interaction data.

You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or by visiting www.aboutads.info.

Learn more: Google's Advertising Privacy Policy

4.2 Cloudflare Analytics

We use Cloudflare Analytics to understand how visitors use our Website. Cloudflare provides privacy-focused analytics that do not use persistent cookies or track users across websites.

Learn more: Cloudflare Privacy Policy

4.3 Third-Party Links

Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

5. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

5.1 Cookie Consent

For visitors from the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, and other regions with cookie consent requirements, we obtain your consent before placing non-essential cookies on your device.

5.2 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies in several ways:

• Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to refuse cookies or delete existing cookies. Consult your browser's help section for instructions.
• Opt-Out Tools: Use the Digital Advertising Alliance or European Interactive Digital Advertising Alliance opt-out tools.
• Google Ads Settings: Manage personalized ads at Google Ads Settings.

Note: Disabling cookies may affect Website functionality and your user experience.

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect information collected through our Website:

• HTTPS Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our Website is encrypted using SSL/TLS
• Secure Hosting: Our Website is hosted on Cloudflare Pages with enterprise-grade security
• Access Controls: Limited access to analytics and advertising data
• Regular Security Audits: Periodic reviews of security practices and vulnerabilities

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.

7. Your Rights (GDPR & Privacy Laws)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, California, or other regions with comprehensive privacy laws, you have certain rights regarding your personal information:

7.1 GDPR Rights (EEA/UK Users)

• Right to Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Right to Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
• Right to Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to Restrict Processing: Request limitation on how we use your data
• Right to Data Portability: Receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
• Right to Object: Object to processing of your personal data, including for marketing purposes
• Right to Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent for data processing at any time

7.2 California Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA)

California residents have the right to:

• Know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
• Delete personal information held by businesses
• Opt-out of the sale of personal information
• Non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights

7.3 Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Note: Since PayScope does not collect or store personal identifiable information (except through third-party analytics and advertising), there is minimal personal data to access, modify, or delete directly on our servers.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Website is not intended for children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at [email protected], and we will take steps to delete such information.

9. International Data Transfers

Our Website is hosted on servers located globally through Cloudflare's content delivery network (CDN). Information collected through our Website may be transferred to, stored, and processed in countries outside your jurisdiction.

We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place for international data transfers in compliance with applicable privacy laws, including the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs).

10. Data Retention

We retain automatically collected information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law.

• Analytics Data: Typically retained for 12-24 months
• Advertising Data: Managed by Google AdSense according to their retention policies
• Log Files: Retained for up to 90 days for security and troubleshooting purposes

11. Do Not Track (DNT) Signals

Some browsers include a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites you visit that you do not want your online activity tracked. Our Website does not currently respond to DNT signals. However, you can use the cookie management options described in Section 5 to control tracking.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Effective Date" at the top of this Privacy Policy
• Notify you by posting a prominent notice on our Website
• For significant changes, provide additional notice (such as a banner on the homepage)

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

13. Contact Information

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

14. Complaints and Supervisory Authority

If you are located in the EEA or UK and believe we have not adequately addressed your privacy concerns, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.

EU Data Protection Authorities: Find your authority