Privacy Policy

Effective date: February 23, 2025
Last Updated: April 30, 2026

Introduction

Tether RE provides a vertical SaaS safety platform for real estate professionals. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect personal information in connection with our Services. We may update this Policy from time to time; material changes will be posted with a revised effective date.

FCRA Notice and Use Limitation

Tether RE does NOT provide consumer reports as defined by the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and is not a Consumer Reporting Agency (CRA). Information available through Tether RE is provided solely for informational safety and situational awareness for real estate professionals and must NOT be used to determine a person's eligibility for credit, employment, housing, insurance, or other FCRA-covered purposes. Users may not use Tether RE results as the basis for adverse actions.

Criminal History, Sex-Offender Checks, Snapshot Data & Disputes

For safety purposes, Tether RE may provide limited criminal-history information and sex-offender registry checks compiled from public court records, registries, and third-party data providers (collectively, "third-party data providers"). We access these data through a third-party vendor via API; under our contract we do not disclose the vendor's name publicly.

What we provide and exclude

• Purpose: All criminal-history and sex-offender information available through Tether RE is provided solely for agent safety and situational awareness.

• Scope and filters: We generally display convictions; arrests that led to conviction; and arrests within the last seven (7) years where there is no conviction. We exclude juvenile records, financial/credit data, and minor traffic or administrative infractions (for example, low-level speeding or jaywalking).

• Sex-offender checks: Sex-offender registry checks are included as part of the criminal search.

Snapshot behavior and retention

• Snapshot: Search results returned by Tether RE are a one-time snapshot of the data available from our third-party data provider at the time the search is run. We do not continuously monitor previously generated results.

• Saved results: Paid lookup results and searches may be stored in the requesting user's account and accessible through the web portal for up to one (1) year. Saved search results are not automatically refreshed.

• Expungement and updates: Third-party sources may take time to reflect seals, expungements, or court actions (vendor update timing may vary; we have observed vendor refreshes taking up to eight (8) weeks). If the underlying record is expunged and the vendor notifies us, we will remove or flag affected saved snapshots.

Access, exportability, and security

• Non-exportable: Search results and lookups provided by Tether RE are not exportable from the portal and cannot be bulk downloaded by users.

• Access controls and encryption (interim): Saved search results are stored without encryption at rest and access is restricted to a single authorized Tether RE staff member for operational and dispute-handling purposes. We are evaluating stronger technical safeguards and will update this Policy when implemented.

• Logging: We log search activity for auditability and abuse detection.

Disputes and corrections

• How to dispute: If you believe information provided through Tether RE is incorrect, you may initiate a dispute using the in-app "Report an Issue / Dispute" button on the relevant result page or contact privacy@tetherre.com. Include supporting documentation where available.

• Interim process: Upon receipt we will acknowledge the dispute within three (3) business days, forward the dispute and materials to our third-party data provider for investigation, provide a status update within fourteen (14) business days where feasible, and remove or flag saved snapshots if the vendor confirms an inaccuracy or expungement.

• Vendor reliance and limitations: Because we rely on third-party sources, timelines for corrections may vary and are outside Tether RE's direct control.

Permitted Use, Fair Housing and NAR Compliance

Tether RE is committed to equal housing opportunity and compliance with fair-housing laws. Information obtained through our Services must NOT be used to make housing-related decisions (including tenant selection, rental denials, steering, or differential treatment) that could discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics. Users are required to comply with federal, state, and local fair-housing laws and the NAR Code of Ethics. Use of Tether RE for discriminatory purposes is strictly prohibited and may result in account suspension or termination.

Information We Collect

We collect the following categories of personal information:

• Account & Contact Information: name, email, phone, username, profile photo, business affiliation.

• Payment & Billing Information: billing name, billing address, and payment instrument metadata (StaxPayments processes full card data; Tether RE does not receive or store full card numbers).

• Location Information: precise device location when you enable location-based features (e.g., mileage tracking, geofencing), and approximate location derived from IP.

• Usage & Analytics: activity logs, pages visited, features used, device and network data, timestamps.

• Content & Communications: messages, forms, calendar and contact info you choose to share, support communications.

• Criminal-history & Registry Results: limited criminal-history and sex-offender results returned by our third-party data provider.

• Cookies & Similar Technologies: as described in our Cookie Policy.

How We Use Personal Information

We use personal information to: provide and improve Services; process payments; enable safety features (geofencing, mileage tracking, criminal searches); provide support; detect and prevent fraud and abuse; analyze usage; send transactional notices; and comply with legal obligations. We do not use criminal-history search results for credit, employment, housing, or insurance decisioning.

Payments and Billing

We process payments using StaxPayments. StaxPayments handles collection, storage, and processing of payment card information. Tether RE does not receive or store full card numbers; we may retain limited billing metadata (last four digits, transaction IDs) for reconciliation and fraud prevention. For billing questions, contact privacy@tetherre.com.

Location Information (mileage tracking, geofencing)

We collect precise location only with your explicit consent and device permission. Location data is used to power features such as mileage calculation, geofencing alerts, and turn-by-turn directions. You may revoke location permissions at any time; disabling location may limit functionality.

International Transfers

Personal information may be processed and stored in jurisdictions other than your own. We implement appropriate safeguards (contractual DPAs, standard contractual clauses or other lawful mechanisms) for transfers. Contact privacy@tetherre.com for details.

GDPR / EEA Individuals

Lawful bases and rights: If you are in the EEA/UK, our lawful bases include performance of a contract, compliance with legal obligations, legitimate interests (product improvement, safety, fraud prevention), and consent where required (precise location). You may exercise rights to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, object, and portability via our DSAR portal or privacy@tetherre.com. We will verify identity before responding.

California & Other State Privacy Rights

California residents have rights under the CCPA/CPRA including to know categories collected, request access, deletion, correction, and opt out of sale or sharing. To exercise rights use our DSAR portal or privacy@tetherre.com. We do not sell personal information for monetary consideration.

Data Retention

We retain personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described, legal obligations, or to resolve disputes. Examples: account data for the life of the account; saved paid search snapshots up to one (1) year; logs and analytics for limited periods.

Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect personal information. We employ encryption in transit, access controls, and monitoring. (Interim note: some saved search snapshots are stored without encryption at rest and accessible to a single authorized staff member; we are working to improve this.)

Sharing and Disclosure

We share personal information with service providers performing services on our behalf (hosting, analytics, payment processing, background-data providers), as required by law, to protect rights and safety, and in connection with business transactions. We require vendors to implement appropriate safeguards and limit use to contracted purposes.

Children's Privacy

Our Services are not directed to children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under applicable minimum ages. If discovered we will delete such data.

Cookies & Tracking

We use cookies and similar technologies. See our Cookie Policy for details and opt-out options.

How to Exercise Your Rights / DSARs

To exercise privacy rights (access, deletion, correction, portability, objection), use our DSAR portal or contact privacy@tetherre.com. For GDPR inquiries or to contact our DPO, email legal@tetherre.com.

Acceptable Use & Prohibited Conduct (summary)

Unless expressly permitted, you may NOT use Tether RE for screening, qualifying, or making eligibility decisions for housing, employment, credit or insurance. You may NOT discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics. Bulk exporting, reselling, or automated screening or decisioning using our criminal-history results is prohibited. Violations may lead to suspension, termination, and contractual remedies.

Vendor & Data Provider Practices

We rely on third-party data providers for criminal-history and registry data. We require vendors to cooperate with disputes and to implement reasonable security controls. Tether RE will forward disputes to our vendors and track responses; vendors remain responsible for source corrections and updates subject to their processes.

Contact Information

Privacy & DSAR: privacy@tetherre.com
DPO / Legal: legal@tetherre.com
Support: info@tetherre.com

Updates to this Policy

We may update this Policy. Material changes will be posted with a new effective date. The current Policy date will appear at the top of this page.

UI Notices and Required In-App Text

Pre-search confirmation (required checkbox before criminal/sex-offender searches):
"I understand this search returns safety-only information and a snapshot will be stored in my account for up to 1 year. I will NOT use these results to make decisions about housing, employment, credit, insurance, or other eligibility determinations. I agree to comply with applicable anti-discrimination laws. [ ] I agree and wish to continue."

Result page banner (displayed on results and saved snapshot pages):
"Snapshot (as of [DATE/TIME]). This reflects data available from third-party sources at the time of the search. Results are for agent safety only and must NOT be used for housing, employment, credit, or insurance decisions. If you believe this result is incorrect, click 'Report an Issue / Dispute.'"

Questions

If you have questions about this Policy or our practices, contact privacy@tetherre.com or legal@tetherre.com.

We may change this Policy from time to time. If we make changes, we will notify you by revising the date at the top of this policy. We may also provide you with additional notice (such as by adding a statement to the Services or sending you a notification), such as in connection with making material changes to this Policy. We encourage you to review this Policy regularly to stay informed about our information practices and the choices available to you.