Privacy Policy
Effective: May 2026 · Last updated: July 3, 2026 · App: NameVett (com.namevett.app)
Plain English
NameVett does not collect any personal data. The only thing it collects at all is optional, anonymous usage and crash diagnostics - explained below, with an off switch in Settings.
When you run a search, the name you typed is sent to several public services to perform the clearance check:
- USPTO Open Data Portal (api.uspto.gov) — U.S. trademark search
- EUIPO TMview (tmview.europa.eu) — EU trademark search
- iTunes Search API (itunes.apple.com) — App Store and Apple Podcasts
- RDAP domain registries — Verisign (.com/.net), Google Registry (.app/.dev), PIR (.org), Cloudflare DoH (.io/.co/.ai)
- Public profile pages on Instagram, TikTok, GitHub, YouTube, and Reddit — to check whether a handle is taken
None of those services receive your name, your Apple ID, or any other identifier. They receive only the search term you typed. NameVett does not run its own server, so we never see, log, or store any of your queries.
Your search history is stored only on your device, in Apple's local SwiftData database. It is never uploaded anywhere. Deleting the app removes all history.
The single in-app purchase (Unlock for $1.99) is processed entirely through Apple's StoreKit. Apple, not NameVett, handles all payment information. We never see your payment details.
Rewarded ads (optional)
If you choose not to buy the in-app purchase, NameVett also offers a free way to view each search's full results: you can watch a short rewarded ad to unlock one specific search for 24 hours. These ads are served by Google AdMob. We configure every ad request with the npa=1 flag, which tells AdMob to serve only non-personalized inventory — no targeting based on your interests, no IDFA collection, no cross-app linkage, and no Apple "App Tracking Transparency" prompt. AdMob still collects standard ad-delivery signals (your device model, IP address, ad-request timing) so that ads can render and so that ad networks can count installs via Apple's SKAdNetwork; these signals are not linked to a personal identity.
If you'd prefer to never see an ad in NameVett, the $1.99 one-time unlock removes ads entirely and unlocks every search, past and future.
If you tap Register on an available domain, NameVett opens Namecheap through an Impact.com affiliate link. We earn a small commission if you complete a purchase at Namecheap. Standard Impact.com click tracking applies — see Impact.com's privacy policy. No personal data is sent through this link beyond what your browser sends when you visit any third-party site.
Analytics and crash diagnostics (optional)
NameVett collects anonymous usage statistics and crash reports through Google Firebase (Analytics and Crashlytics) so we can see which features are used and fix crashes. This never includes your search queries, never uses the advertising identifier (IDFA), and involves no tracking across other apps or sites. In the EU, UK and Switzerland this collection is off unless you opt in when asked; everywhere else it is on by default and you can turn it off at any time in Settings > Privacy > "Share anonymous usage data". Google acts as our processor for this data - see Firebase privacy.
Promos for our other apps
Reports unlocked with a rewarded ad may show a small promo card for another of our own apps, labeled "Ad · Embay". These are first-party promos: no advertising SDK renders them, no advertising identifier is used, and no data about you is collected or shared to show them. The one-time unlock removes every ad, including these.
On-device AI features
NameVett includes an AI summary, alternative-name suggestions, and a sounds-and-meaning audit. All three run on Apple's on-device Foundation Models (Apple Intelligence). The on-device AI does not send any data to a server. Generation happens entirely on your iPhone.
Data Collection Summary
| Type | Collected? |
|---|---|
| Personal identifiers (name, email, phone) | No |
| Usage analytics | Anonymous only, via Firebase - optional, opt-out in Settings (off by default in the EU). Never includes searches. |
| Crash reports | Anonymous, via Firebase Crashlytics - same controls as usage analytics. |
| Location | No |
| Search history | Stored locally only — not collected |
| Payment data | Handled by Apple, never seen by us |
| Advertising identifiers (IDFA) | No — non-personalized ads only |
| Ad delivery signals (device model, IP, request timing) | Collected by Google AdMob if you choose to watch a rewarded ad — not linked to identity |
Purposes and legal bases (GDPR Article 6)
Where the GDPR applies, our legal bases are:
- Providing the app and its search features (sending your search term to the public services above, processing your purchase through Apple): performance of a contract, Art. 6(1)(b).
- Non-personalized rewarded ads (served only when you choose to watch one): our legitimate interest in funding the free tier of the app, Art. 6(1)(f). The ads are non-personalized by configuration, you trigger each one yourself, and you can avoid them entirely via the one-time unlock.
- Affiliate redirect to Namecheap (only if you tap Register): our legitimate interest in earning referral commissions, Art. 6(1)(f). The redirect happens only on your explicit tap.
We carry out no automated decision-making or profiling within the meaning of Article 22 GDPR.
Recipients and international transfers
We operate no servers and hold no personal data ourselves. The independent services your device communicates with are: the public search services listed above (which receive only your search term); Apple (App Store, StoreKit); Google (AdMob, only if you choose to watch a rewarded ad); and Impact.com (only if you tap an affiliate link). Google, Apple, and Impact.com process data in the United States and elsewhere under their own transfer safeguards (EU–US Data Privacy Framework and/or Standard Contractual Clauses). See each service's own policy, linked below.
Retention
We retain nothing — there is no server-side data to retain. Your on-device search history persists until you delete individual entries or the app. Data collected by Google AdMob or Impact.com is retained under their own policies.
Third-party services we communicate with
The services below receive only the search term you typed when you run a clearance check. Each has its own privacy policy that governs its handling of that request:
- USPTO — uspto.gov/privacy-policy
- EUIPO — euipo.europa.eu/data-protection
- Apple iTunes Search — apple.com/legal/privacy
- Verisign / Google Registry / Cloudflare (RDAP & DoH) — operated as ICANN public protocols
- Instagram, TikTok, GitHub, YouTube, Reddit — handle checks hit only the public profile URL
The services below are contacted only if you take a monetization-related action — they never receive your search query:
- Google AdMob — policies.google.com/technologies/ads — only contacted if you tap "Watch ad to unlock". Non-personalized inventory only.
- Impact.com (Namecheap affiliate redirect) — impact.com/privacy-policy — only contacted if you tap "Register" on an available domain.
- Apple StoreKit — payment processing for the one-time $1.99 unlock.
Apple's standard diagnostics
If you have Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements → Share with App Developers turned on, Apple aggregates anonymous crash and performance metrics and forwards summaries to us through App Store Connect. We do not receive any user identifiers through that channel. You can turn it off at any time.
Children
NameVett is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect any information from anyone, including children.
Your rights
Where the GDPR or similar laws apply, you have the right to access, rectify, and erase your personal data; to restrict or object to its processing; to data portability; and to withdraw consent at any time (without affecting the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal). Because we do not collect or hold personal data on systems we control, in practice there is usually nothing for us to disclose, correct, or delete — but you can always write to support@embay.dev and we will respond. You can delete your local search history at any time by removing the app or by deleting individual entries from the History tab. For data held by Google or Impact.com, exercise your rights with them directly via the policies linked above.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority — in the EU/EEA your local data protection authority (see the EDPB member list); in the UK the Information Commissioner's Office.
Where your data comes from, and whether you must provide it
We obtain data only directly from you (the search terms you type); we do not acquire it from any third-party source. Providing data is optional — there is no statutory or contractual obligation to provide it, and no consequence to declining beyond the app not being able to run the search you asked for.
Contact
NameVett is published by Embay, LLC, a limited liability company registered in Florida, United States (7901 4th St N, Ste 300, St. Petersburg, FL 33702). For the purposes of the EU and UK GDPR, Embay, LLC is the data controller. We have not appointed a Data Protection Officer, and given the scale and nature of our processing we are not required to.
Common questions are answered in the Support section of this site. For privacy questions or to exercise any of the rights above, email support@embay.dev.
Changes
If this policy ever changes, the new version will replace this page, the date at the top will be updated, and material changes will be noted in the app's What's New section in App Store Connect before taking effect.