Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

This Privacy Policy describes how PWA-MEDIA LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and discloses information through our lead verification and fraud detection platform, Argus (the "Service"), accessible via argus101.com.

We are committed to protecting the privacy of our Customers (individuals or entities who purchase a subscription to Argus) and the End Users (the leads whose information is processed through our Customers' forms). By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

2. Data Controller and Processor Roles

2.1. Argus Customers. For information collected from our Customers to manage their accounts and billing, PWA-MEDIA LLC is the Data Controller.

2.2. End Users (Leads). When our Customers use Argus to verify leads, the Customer is the Data Controller of that End User data. PWA-MEDIA LLC acts as a Data Processor, processing lead data solely on behalf of and according to the instructions of our Customers. If you are an End User whose data was submitted through a form using Argus, please refer to the privacy policy of the specific entity (our Customer) to whom you submitted your data.

3. Data We Collect from Customers

We collect the following information directly from our Customers to provide and maintain the Service:

• Account Information: Name, professional email address, company name, website URL, and account password (stored securely using bcrypt hashing with a cost factor of 12).
• Billing Information: Payment details are collected and processed by Stripe. We do not store full credit card numbers or CVV codes on our servers.
• Usage Data: Timestamps of logins, feature usage metrics, API call volume, and webhook configuration history.
• Onboarding Data: Information provided during setup, including your intended use case, expected lead volume, and feature requests.
• Security Data: IP addresses used to access the dashboard and device fingerprints collected at signup to prevent fraudulent account creation and abuse.

4. Data We Collect from End Users (Leads)

To perform fraud detection and lead scoring, Argus collects and processes data from End Users when they interact with a Customer's verified form. This data includes:

4.1. Contact and Form Data

Information submitted by the End User, such as name, email address, phone number, and zip code, or any other custom fields configured by the Customer.

4.2. Behavioral and Technical Data (101 Data Points)

Our Service analyzes granular behavioral signals to distinguish human leads from automated bots and fraudulent actors, including:

• Form Timing: Total time to complete the form, time spent on individual fields, and idle time patterns.
• Interaction Dynamics: Keystroke dynamics (typing speed, rhythm, and paste events), mouse movements, click patterns, and scroll behavior.
• Device Information: Operating system, browser type and version, screen resolution, hardware concurrency, and battery status.
• Network Information: IP address, connection type (e.g., mobile, WiFi), and ISP.
• Browser Fingerprinting: Canvas rendering, WebGL metadata, and audio context fingerprints used exclusively for fraud prevention.

5. Data from Third-Party Sources

To enrich our lead scoring, we cross-reference End User data with third-party validation services. This includes receiving data regarding email deliverability (valid/invalid/disposable status), phone line attributes (mobile/landline/VOIP and carrier info), and IP geolocation data (city, region, country, and VPN/Proxy detection flags).

6. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Service Delivery: To generate the Argus Score and provide real-time lead verification results.
• Fraud Prevention: To identify and block bot attacks, form-filling software, and known fraudulent actors.
• Billing and Administration: To process payments, manage subscriptions, and provide customer support.
• Algorithm Optimization: To improve our fraud detection models using anonymized and aggregated behavioral data.
• Security: To monitor for unauthorized access and maintain the integrity of our API and dashboard.
• Marketing and Communications: To send you product updates, feature announcements, usage tips, and promotional offers related to the Argus platform. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting support@argus101.com. Opting out of marketing emails will not affect transactional emails (such as payment receipts, verification limit warnings, and security alerts).

6.1. Email Communications

By creating an Argus account, you consent to receive the following types of email communications:

• Transactional Emails: Account confirmations, password resets, payment receipts, verification limit warnings, and security alerts. These cannot be opted out of as they are essential to the operation of your account.
• Marketing Emails: Product updates, feature announcements, tips and best practices, and promotional offers. You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link included in every marketing email or by emailing support@argus101.com.

We will never share your email address with third parties for their marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

7.1. Active Accounts. Customer account information and lead data are retained as long as the Customer's account is active and in good standing.

7.2. Cancelled Accounts. Upon cancellation, we retain account data for a period of 90 days to facilitate account reactivation should the Customer choose to return. During this period, the data remains encrypted and inaccessible for processing.

7.3. Permanent Deletion. After 90 days following account cancellation, all Customer and End User (lead) data associated with that account is permanently deleted from our production databases. Backups may persist for an additional 30 days before being overwritten.

8. Third-Party Service Providers

We share data with the following categories of service providers who assist in our operations:

• Cloud Infrastructure Providers: For secure hosting and data storage.
• Payment Processors: To handle subscription billing (e.g., Stripe).
• Validation Services: For real-time email, phone, and IP address verification.
• Communication Services: For sending system alerts, transactional emails, and support messages.

Note: These providers are bound by their own privacy policies and are selected based on their ability to maintain appropriate technical and organizational security measures.

9. Cookies, Tracking, and Fingerprinting

9.1. Essential Cookies. We use session-based authentication cookies to maintain your login state. These are cleared when you log out or close your browser.

9.2. No Third-Party Analytics. Argus takes a privacy-first approach. We do NOT use Google Analytics, Facebook Pixels, or any other third-party marketing trackers on our website or within our Service.

9.3. Device Fingerprinting. As part of our fraud detection Service, we use fingerprinting techniques (Canvas, WebGL, Audio). We do not use these fingerprints for advertising or cross-site tracking. They are used solely to verify the legitimacy of a lead submission and prevent bot-driven fraud.

10. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do NOT sell your personal information or the personal information of your leads.

We may disclose information only in the following limited circumstances:

• Legal Compliance: If required by law, subpoena, or court order.
• Protection of Rights: To protect the safety, rights, or property of PWA-MEDIA LLC, our users, or the public.
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, sale of assets, or acquisition, provided the acquiring entity agrees to uphold the protections in this policy.

11. Security and Data Protection

We implement industry-standard security protocols to protect your data:

• Encryption: All data is encrypted in transit via HTTPS (TLS 1.2+) and at rest using AES-256 encryption.
• Credential Hashing: Passwords are hashed using bcrypt with a high cost factor to prevent brute-force attacks.
• API Security: API keys are generated with high entropy and should be treated as sensitive credentials.
• System Hardening: We employ SSRF protection for webhooks, rate limiting on all authentication endpoints, and perform regular security audits of our codebase.

13. International Users and Data Transfers

The Service is operated and managed on servers located within the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the U.S. By using the Service, you consent to this transfer and processing.

14. Children's Privacy

Argus is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If we become aware that a minor has provided us with personal information, we will take immediate steps to delete such data from our systems.

15. Updates and Contact Information

15.1. Changes to Policy. We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new policy on this page and, if you are a Customer, by sending an email notification. Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance.

15.2. Contact Us. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: