Privacy Policy
Last updated: April 9, 2026
The short version
Banned Index is a public-interest data project. We don’t sell your data, don’t run ad trackers, and don’t require you to create an account. The personal data we do collect is limited to what’s needed to operate the website and understand how people use it.
What we collect
Visitor analytics. When you visit bannedindex.org, our hosting provider (Vercel) automatically records technical information including your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited, and referrer. This data is used to understand traffic patterns and diagnose technical problems. We do not combine it with any other personal data.
Contact form / email correspondence. If you email us or submit a correction request, we will keep your email address and message so we can respond. We use this information solely to answer your question or process your correction.
We do NOT collect:
- User account data (we don’t have accounts)
- Payment information (we don’t sell anything)
- Location data beyond what’s in an IP address
- Biometric data, health data, or any sensitive categories
- Data about minors specifically targeted to minors
- Third-party advertising identifiers
Cookies
Banned Index uses functional cookies only. Specifically: an authentication cookie on the admin review page (password-protected, not for public visitors) and any default cookies set by Vercel for session handling. We do not use advertising cookies, social media trackers, or third-party analytics with cross-site tracking.
Who we share data with
We share technical information with our infrastructure providers as required for them to run the service:
- Vercel — website hosting (sees page requests and IP addresses)
- Supabase— database hosting (does not receive public visitor data; only data we intentionally write as the project’s database of record)
- GitHub — code hosting; does not receive any visitor data
We will never sell your personal data or share it with advertisers. We will disclose data if legally compelled (subpoena, court order) and will notify you where legally permitted to do so.
Your rights (GDPR / CCPA)
If you are in the European Union, United Kingdom, California, or another jurisdiction with data protection laws, you have the right to:
- Request a copy of any personal data we hold about you
- Request correction or deletion of that data
- Object to our processing of that data
- Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority
To exercise any of these rights, email us at hello@bookhoardapp.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Public data vs. personal data
Banned Index publishes information about book bans in school districts, public libraries, and other institutions. This information is drawn from public records (news articles, government reports, court filings, meeting minutes) and is not considered personal data about private individuals. If you believe a public record published on Banned Index contains incorrect information or improperly identifies a private individual, please see our Corrections Policy.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the project grows. Changes will be noted by the “Last updated” date at the top. Material changes will be announced on the homepage for 30 days.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Email hello@bookhoardapp.com.