Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 11, 2025

Welcome to Dig Trace. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data in an open and transparent manner. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect your information when you use our website and network diagnostic tools (collectively, the 'Services').

Controller / Operator: Dig Trace (operated by its owners) acts as the data controller for minimal personal data you provide (e.g., support emails). For any privacy inquiry contact us via the Contact page.

1. Information We Collect

We collect only the minimum data needed to operate and improve the Services. This includes:

  • Information You Provide: If you contact us directly (support, feedback, inquiries) we collect your name, email address and the contents of your message.
  • Transient Tool Input Data: Inputs you submit (domains, IP addresses, hostnames, email-related DNS records, ports) are processed in real time to generate a result. These inputs are not written to long‑term storage; they reside only in memory or short‑lived worker processes long enough to fulfill the request.
    • DNS / Propagation: Queried domain + selected record types.
    • WHOIS: Domain name for lookup.
    • IP / My IP: IP address (for enrichment / display) — not persisted.
    • SSL Checker: Hostname used to establish a TLS handshake.
    • Port Scanner: Target host + curated port list (ephemeral).
    • Email Health: Domain + derived DNS/email authentication records.
    • Traceroute / Ping: Target host/IP for network measurement.
  • Operational Metrics (Non-Personal): High‑level counts (tool invocation success/failure, latency buckets, error class) to detect outages and improve reliability. These exclude raw query payloads where technically avoidable.
  • Rating & Feedback Data: When you rate a tool we store an aggregate rating entry (numeric score + tool identifier + timestamp). A browser-scoped anonymous client identifier (stored in localStorage) prevents multiple ratings from the same browser. We do not store personal identity with ratings.
  • Local Storage Values: A non-identifying client id (e.g. digtrace_client_id) and per‑tool flags (e.g. rating_submitted_<tool>) to enforce one rating per browser. These values never leave your device except when the client id hash is sent to validate a unique rating server-side.

We do not intentionally collect sensitive personal data unless you volunteer it in a message.

2. How We Use Your Information

The information we collect is used for the following purposes:

  • To provide, operate, and maintain our Services.
  • To process your requests when using our diagnostic tools.
  • To improve, personalize, and expand our Services.
  • To understand and analyze how you use our Services.
  • To develop new tools, features, and functionality.
  • To communicate with you, either directly or through one of our partners, including for customer service, to provide you with updates and other information relating to the website, and for marketing and promotional purposes (if you opt-in).
  • To prevent fraud and ensure the security of our Services.
  • For compliance purposes, including enforcing our Terms of Service, or other legal rights, or as may be required by applicable laws and regulations or requested by any judicial process or governmental agency.

3. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use a minimal set of cookies / storage technologies. Some are essential; others (analytics, future advertising) require your consent where required by law (e.g., EU/EEA, UK).

Essential

Required for core functionality (session security, theme preference, one‑per‑browser rating flags, load balancing). Cannot be disabled.

Analytics (Google Analytics)

Helps us understand aggregated usage (pages, tools, performance). Implemented with Google Analytics and configured to avoid storing unnecessary personally identifiable info. Loaded only after consent where legally required.

Advertising / Marketing (Planned)

Potential future use (e.g., Google Ads, contextual placements). Will remain opt‑in; not active yet. No advertising cookies are set before explicit consent.

Performance / Error Monitoring

Anonymous technical telemetry (e.g., error frequency, response timing) to maintain reliability. Contains no marketing identifiers.

Where required, non‑essential categories (Analytics, future Advertising) are disabled until you grant consent. You can change your preferences at any time.

Google Analytics: We may use Google Analytics with IP anonymization (if configured) and aggregated reporting. Data is used only to improve reliability & UX. See Google Privacy Policy.

Consent Mode / EEA: In EEA/UK jurisdictions, Google tags are run with restricted or no cookies until consent is provided (Google Consent Mode). Advertising features (once enabled) will similarly respect your choices.

A cookie banner appears on your first visit (and until you select an option) allowing you to: Accept All, Reject Non‑Essential, or manage detailed preferences. After choosing, you can reopen preferences anytime via the banner's small re-open handle (if implemented) or by contacting us.

If you previously set a preference, the banner may not display again unless you clear site data or we materially change categories.

4. Data Security

We employ industry standard transport encryption (HTTPS/TLS) and restrict internal access to operational metrics. Tool inputs are ephemeral. We monitor for abuse and rate limit anomalous usage patterns without building personal profiles. No security measure is perfect; residual risk remains despite layered controls.

International Transfers: Processing may occur on infrastructure located in jurisdictions different from your own. Because we store minimal personal data, transfers are limited; where applicable we apply commercially reasonable safeguards (encryption in transit, strict access controls).

5. Data Retention

Network diagnostic inputs are not stored after responses are returned. Aggregate rating statistics (count, average) persist so users can see community feedback; individual rating events are retained only as needed to compute aggregates and prevent duplicates. Support communications are kept as long as necessary to address the request or meet legal obligations. Operational metric logs roll off on a fixed retention schedule.

6. Third-Party Services (Operational)

We may use limited third‑party infrastructure or error monitoring services (e.g., performance/error telemetry) to maintain reliability. These providers receive only the minimal technical data required (error stack traces, anonymized IDs, timing metrics) and are contractually restricted from using it for unrelated purposes. We do not share query inputs (domains, IP targets) with advertising networks.

7. Third-Party Links & Services

Our Services may contain outbound links to external sites we do not control. Please review the privacy policies of any external site you visit. We are not responsible for their content or practices.

8. Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them. If we learn we have inadvertently collected such data, we will delete it promptly.

9. Your Rights

If applicable in your jurisdiction (e.g., EU/EEA, UK, certain U.S. states), you may have the following rights regarding any personal data we hold (typically only support communications):

  • Access: Request confirmation whether we process your personal data.
  • Rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data you provided.
  • Erasure: Ask us to delete personal data (subject to legal retention obligations).
  • Restriction: Request temporary restriction of processing in certain circumstances.
  • Objection: Object to processing based on legitimate interests (we perform no marketing profiling).
  • Portability: Request a copy of data you provided in machine‑readable format.
  • Withdraw Consent: Where processing relies on consent (currently limited / none), withdraw at any time.
  • Complaint: Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your region (e.g., Data Protection Authority).

Because we intentionally limit personal data collection, exercising some rights may have minimal effect (e.g., we may simply confirm we hold nothing beyond your past message).

California (CPRA) Disclosures: We do not "sell" or "share" (for cross‑context behavioral advertising) personal information. We do not collect sensitive personal information. You may request: (i) categories of data collected; (ii) deletion of personal information (subject to exceptions); (iii) correction of inaccurate data. We will not discriminate for exercising rights.

No Automated Decision-Making: We do not perform automated decision making or profiling that produces legal or similarly significant effects.

Do Not Track: Browsers may send DNT signals; since we do not run cross‑site tracking or targeted advertising, our behavior is already aligned with the intent of DNT and we do not apply separate DNT logic.

How to Exercise: Submit any request through the Contact page. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and applicable statutory deadlines. Contact

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Policy as our infrastructure or regulatory environment evolves. Material changes will be reflected by updating the date above. Continued use of the Services after changes constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact Us

Questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy:

Via our Contact Page