Introduction
Welcome to Surfaced.NET ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring transparency about how we handle your information. This Privacy Policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal information.
Surfaced.NET is a web-based tool that helps users discover forgotten YouTube videos using authentic device file-naming patterns. We believe in minimal data collection and maximum transparency.
By using Surfaced.NET, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use our service.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
- Contact Form: When you use our contact form, we collect your name, email address, subject, and message content. This information is used solely to respond to your inquiry.
- Feedback: If you provide feedback on patterns, we collect your rating (thumbs up/down) and optional comments along with an anonymous session ID.
- Pattern Suggestions: When you suggest new patterns, we collect your suggestion text, category, and an anonymous session ID.
Automatically Collected Information
- Session Data: We generate an anonymous session ID stored in your browser's local storage to track your interactions (favorites, search history, feedback) without identifying you personally.
- Usage Analytics: We collect basic analytics about page views and feature usage to improve our service. This data is anonymized and aggregated.
- Local Storage: We store your search history and favorite patterns locally in your browser. This data never leaves your device unless you choose to provide feedback or suggestions.
Information We Do NOT Collect
- We do not collect or store your YouTube search results or viewing history
- We do not track your location beyond basic country-level analytics
- We do not require or collect account registration information
- We do not collect payment information (our service is free)
How We Use Your Information
We use the collected information for the following purposes:
- Service Delivery: To provide pattern generation functionality and maintain your preferences across sessions
- Communication: To respond to your contact form inquiries and feedback
- Service Improvement: To analyze usage patterns (anonymized) and improve pattern effectiveness based on user feedback
- Pattern Development: To evaluate user-suggested patterns and add effective ones to our database
- Advertising: To display relevant advertisements through Google AdSense (see Third-Party Services section)
- Security: To monitor for abuse, spam, and security threats
We will never sell, rent, or share your personal information with third parties for their marketing purposes.
Cookies and Tracking Technologies
Surfaced.NET uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and understand how our service is used.
Types of Cookies We Use
- Essential Cookies: Required for basic functionality like maintaining your session and preferences. These cannot be disabled.
- Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our site by collecting anonymous information.
- Advertising Cookies: Used by Google AdSense to display relevant ads and measure ad performance (see below).
Browser Local Storage
We use your browser's local storage to save your search history and favorite patterns on your device. This data is stored locally and is not transmitted to our servers unless you explicitly provide feedback or suggestions.
Managing Cookies
You can control cookies through your browser settings. Note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of Surfaced.NET. To opt out of Google AdSense cookies specifically, visit the Google Ads Settings page.
Third-Party Services
Surfaced.NET integrates with the following third-party services:
Google AdSense
We use Google AdSense to display advertisements on our site. Google may use cookies and similar technologies to serve ads based on your prior visits to Surfaced.NET or other websites. Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites on the Internet.
You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings or www.aboutads.info.
For more information about how Google uses data, see Google's Privacy & Terms.
YouTube
When you click the "Search YouTube" button, you are redirected to YouTube.com with search parameters. We do not track what you do on YouTube, and your interaction with YouTube is governed by Google's Privacy Policy.
Sponsor Advertisements
In addition to AdSense, we may display sponsor advertisements from our direct advertising platform. When you click on sponsor ads, we log the click event (anonymously) for analytics purposes. Sponsors do not receive any personal information about you.
Data Storage and Security
We take data security seriously and implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information:
- Encryption: All data transmitted between your browser and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
- Database Security: Our database is protected with encryption at rest and access controls
- Access Control: Only authorized personnel have access to systems containing user data
- Data Minimization: We collect only the minimum data necessary to provide our service
- Retention: We retain data only as long as necessary for the purposes outlined in this policy
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.
Your Rights and Choices
You have the following rights regarding your personal information:
- Access: You can request information about what personal data we hold about you
- Correction: You can request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Deletion: You can request deletion of your personal data (subject to legal obligations)
- Opt-Out: You can opt out of non-essential cookies and advertising tracking
- Data Portability: You can request a copy of your data in a structured, machine-readable format
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below. We will respond to your request within 30 days.
GDPR Compliance (European Users)
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to object to processing and the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
CCPA Compliance (California Users)
If you are a California resident, you have rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete personal information, and the right to opt-out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information.
Children's Privacy
Surfaced.NET is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will delete such information from our systems.
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 changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy.
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. If we make material changes, we may provide additional notice (such as a prominent notice on our homepage or notification when you visit).
Your continued use of Surfaced.NET after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Surfaced.NET Privacy Team
Via our Contact Form
We aim to respond to all privacy inquiries within 30 days.