Privacy policy

This Privacy Policy describes how BankSonar (“BankSonar”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, discloses, and protects information when you visit banksonar.com(the “Site”). We respect your privacy and are committed to handling your information responsibly and in accordance with applicable law, including the EU General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) and the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (together, the “CCPA”). By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here.

BankSonar is a directory of US banks built on public data published by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Site is supported by advertising and affiliate relationships, which means certain third-party partners — most notably Google — may process limited information about your visit. This policy explains what that involves and the choices you have.

Information we collect

We aim to collect as little personal information as possible. The Site is primarily an informational tool, and you can browse most of it without providing any identifying details. The categories of information we and our service providers may collect include:

• Usage and analytics data. Information automatically collected when you interact with the Site, such as pages viewed, links clicked, referring URLs, approximate location derived from your IP address, browser type, device characteristics, operating system, and the dates and times of your visits.
• Cookies and similar technologies.Small data files stored on your device by us and by third parties (including advertising and analytics partners). See “Cookies & similar technologies” below.
• Information you provide voluntarily. If you contact us by email or through a contact form, we receive the information you choose to send — typically your email address and the contents of your message. We do not require you to create an account to use the Site.
• Advertising identifiers. Cookie identifiers and similar signals used by our advertising partners to measure and serve ads, as described in the Google AdSense section below.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal information, government identifiers, or financial account credentials, and we ask that you not send such information to us.

How we use your information

We use the information described above to operate, maintain, and improve the Site; to understand how visitors use our directory so we can make it more useful; to display and measure advertising and affiliate placements; to respond to your inquiries and provide support; to detect, prevent, and address technical issues, abuse, or security incidents; and to comply with our legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.

Where the GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases for processing: your consent (for non-essential cookies and personalized advertising); our legitimate interests in operating, securing, and improving the Site in a way that does not override your rights; and compliance with legal obligations. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.

Cookies & similar technologies

Cookies are small text files placed on your device. We use a limited number of essential cookies that are necessary for the Site to function and to remember your privacy choices. With your consent, we and our partners also use analytics and advertising cookies to understand traffic patterns and to serve and measure ads.

You can control cookies through your browser settings and through our cookie banner (see “Consent mechanism” below). Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies; however, disabling certain cookies may affect how parts of the Site work. Cookies set by third parties are governed by those third parties’ own privacy policies.

Google AdSense & third-party advertising

We use Google AdSense to display advertising on the Site. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user’s prior visits to this Site and other sites on the internet. Google’s use of advertising cookies — including the DoubleClick DART cookie — enables it and its partners to serve ads to you based on those prior visits.

You may opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings. You can also learn more about how Google’s advertising partners use cookies and how to opt out of some of them at Google’s “How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services” page. Some third-party vendors that we work with may also use cookies and serve ads on this Site; where required, these placements are subject to your consent as expressed through our cookie banner.

For more about how advertising and affiliate compensation work on the Site — and how they never influence the Sonar Score — see our affiliate & advertising disclosure.

Analytics

We use analytics tools to understand aggregate usage of the Site, such as which pages are most visited and how visitors navigate the directory. These tools may set cookies and collect usage data as described above. We use this information in aggregate to improve the content and performance of the Site and do not use it to identify individual visitors. Where analytics rely on non-essential cookies, they are activated only after you provide consent.

Consent mechanism

When required by law, we present a cookie banner the first time you visit the Site that lets you accept or reject non-essential cookies, including advertising and analytics cookies. We do not load personalized advertising or non-essential analytics until you have made a choice. You can change your preferences at any time through the cookie banner or your browser settings. For visitors in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, we work with our advertising partners to apply a consent framework consistent with applicable requirements.

Data sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following circumstances: with service providers who process data on our behalf (such as hosting, analytics, and advertising partners, including Google) under contractual obligations to protect it; with advertising partners who use cookies to serve and measure ads as described above; when required to comply with the law, a legal process, or a governmental request; to protect rights and safety, including enforcing our terms and preventing fraud or abuse; and in connection with a business transaction such as a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, in which case we will continue to protect your information and notify you of any material change.

Data retention

We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law. Server logs and analytics data are generally retained for a limited period in identifiable form and then deleted or aggregated. Correspondence you send us is retained for as long as needed to address your inquiry and to keep records of our communications. Cookies persist for the duration set out in each cookie’s configuration or until you delete them.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal information. We honor these rights for all users where practicable.

If you are in the EEA, the UK, or Switzerland (GDPR), you have the right to access the personal data we hold about you; to request rectification of inaccurate data; to request erasure (the “right to be forgotten”); to restrict or object to certain processing, including processing based on legitimate interests and processing for direct marketing; to data portability; and to withdraw consent at any time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

If you are a California resident (CCPA), you have the right to know what personal information we collect, use, and disclose; the right to delete personal information we have collected from you; the right to correct inaccurate information; and the right to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information. We do not sell your personal information, and we will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at legal@banksonar.com. We may need to verify your identity before responding, and we will reply within the timeframes required by applicable law.

Children’s privacy

The Site is intended for a general, adult audience and is not directed to children under the age of 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete it.

International transfers

BankSonaris operated from the United States, and our service providers may process information in the United States and other countries. If you access the Site from outside the United States, you understand that your information may be transferred to, stored in, and processed in a country whose data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards — such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses — for international transfers of personal data.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technologies, or legal requirements. When we make material changes, we will revise the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the Site after an update takes effect constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

Questions, requests, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or your personal information? Contact us at legal@banksonar.com. You may also review our disclaimer and Terms of Use.